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Environmental Science > Final review > Flashcards

Final review Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Hydrogen bonds connect ________.

A

positive regions of one water molecule to negative regions of another molecule

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2
Q

What property of water is due to hydrogen bonds?

A

ability to form droplets

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3
Q

Name the governmental agency that is responsible for monitoring and regulating water quality in the US.
What legislation gives this agency the mandate to regulate water?

A

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for monitoring and regulating water quality throughout the US. This was established by the Clean Water Act passed in 1972, and expanded in 1974 to include the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Clean Water Act states that the goal of EPA monitoring is to make all navigable waters of the US swim-able and fish-able. Recent changes to federal law have altered the protections for wetlands and smaller waterways.

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4
Q

Overpumping groundwater in coastal areas can cause ________ to move into aquifers, making the water undrinkable.

A

saltwater

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5
Q

An artesian well occurs when ________.

A

an aquifer is trapped under pressure between two layers that are less permeable

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6
Q

The area that underlies the shallow water bordering continents is called the ________.

A

continental shelf

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7
Q

Explain biodiversity and describe at least 2 levels at which biodiversity can be identified and evaluated.

A

Biodiversity is the variety of living things across all levels of biological organization.
Biodiversity can be found at the genetic, species, population, and community level in most ecosystems. Increased diversity at all these levels may indicate a stable ecosystem.

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8
Q

The Forest Stewardship Council ________ national forest land.

A

has rigorous standards to certify that forest products are produced sustainably on

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9
Q

Currently, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 is ________.

A

generally supported by the public but is criticized as putting wildlife before people

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10
Q

Most present-day fisheries managers

A

wish to set aside areas of the ocean where systems can function without human interference

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11
Q

Edge effects are a particular problem when

A

formerly large habitats are reduced to small fragments

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12
Q

Why is one end of each water molecule negative and one positive?

A

Oxygen is larger, so it has a greater pull on the electrons

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13
Q

What does it mean that water is a polar molecule?
Two properties of water due to polar nature
Why are they important to life on Earth?

A

Water is polar because it has a negative (O2) and a positive (H) like a magnet.
Hydrogen bonds: cohesive, adhesive, universal solvent. high heat capacity, and less dense as a solid.
Water can dissolve and transport many substances vital to life.

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14
Q

How and why does habitat fragmentation affect forest biodiversity?

A

reduces the degree of species diversity by reducing available habitats and changing the community interactions between species. Also increases predators and parasites, and a reduction in the food sources for specialist species.

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15
Q

Green revolution techniques

A

Have increased crop yields but may not be sustainable

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16
Q

Rock cycle

A 
A- Igneous rock 
B- Sedimentary rock 
C- Metamorphic rock 
D- weathering/erosion
E- melting
F- heat and pressure
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17
Q

How does a septic system work?

A

Store water in a tank underground
Liquids run into a drain field and are filtered through soil layers. Solids settle to the bottom and decompose. Periodically pumped and taken to a wastewater treatment facility

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18
Q

How are modern landfills constructed?

2 long term problems with landfills

A

Lines with clay or plastic to reduce groundwater contamination. Waste is covered and pressed daily to reduce odors and vermin, and conserve space
Greatest source of methane to the atmosphere (GHG)
Land can’t ever be used for housing or agriculture

19
Q

Primary treatment of wastewater

A

Letting sewage sit to let suspended solids settle out

20
Q

Lithosphere

A

Uppermost mantle and continental and oceanic crust

21
Q

Volcanoes only occur at transform plate boundaries

A

False

22
Q

Factors involved in soil formation are ________.

A

weathering of parent material, freezing/thawing, tree roots

23
Q

True statement

A

In 2010 one in four adults in the US is obese and 3 out of 5 are overweight.

24
Q

The Fresh Kills Landfill ________.

A

site will be converted into a public park

25
Q

As of 2008, the average American generates about ________ lbs. of solid waste per day.

A

4.5

26
Q

The first bottle bills were ________.

A

designed to cut down on litter

27
Q

stratospheric ozone depletion causes and solution

A

CFCs break down ozone (O3) into an oxygen free radical (O) and oxygen (O2). The oxygen radical catalyzes a chain reaction that breaks down ozone. Ozone absorbs and scatters UV light in the stratosphere. UV is a mutagen and when the ozone is thin, more gets to Earth’s surface impacting living things negatively. The ban on CFCs has reduced production by over 95%.

In 1987, the Montreal Protocol: 180 nations agreed to reduce CFC releases by 95%.
adaptive management strategies and government/industry partnerships promoted new formulations to be developed and put into the consumer market.

28
Q

sources of indoor air pollution

A 
Tobacco smoke
Radon gas from the decay of uranium-bearing rocks. Plastics/VOCs from plastics and other organics 
Wood burning (developing world)
29
Q

Which of the following is a consequence of acidic deposition?

A

leaching out important minerals from soils and loss of biodiversity

30
Q

Global Climate Change: mitigation and adaptation

A

Mitigation: reduces GHG levels in the atmosphere
Adaptation: reduces the impact of the changing climate on human societies

31
Q

The most recent analyses of polar ice cores have given us the ability to profile global climate change back as far as ________ years.

A

800,000

32
Q

The atmosphere around Earth can cause global warming because

A

Molecules in the atmosphere are warmed by radiation from Earth and retain that heat

33
Q

Nuclear energy and power plants is created via

A

Fissioning uranium atoms by bombarding them with neutrons

34
Q

Consequence of acidic deposition

A

Leaching out important minerals from soils and loss of biodiversity

35
Q

Largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gasses in the United States is ___ followed by ___

A

Electricity generation and transportation

36
Q

Tropospheric ozone

A

Produced through the interaction of heat and UV light w/NO and Carbon containing compounds

37
Q

Temperature increases with altitude throughout the stratosphere because

A

Heat is released by absorption of UV radiation by O2 and O3

38
Q

The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the United States is ________, followed by ________.

A

electricity generation; transportation

39
Q

Recent evidence from polar ice core analysis shows that, until now, carbon dioxide levels have never exceeded ________ ppm in the last several hundred thousand years.

A

300

40
Q

When assessing energy resources, it is helpful to use a measure called EROI, which is ________

A

energy returned divided by energy invested

41
Q

According to the IPAT model, technology that enhances our acquisition of minerals, fossil fuels, timber, and ocean fish ________.

A

increases environmental impact

42
Q

A population that is not growing will have a TFR of ________.

A

2.1

43
Q

Malthus was responsible for ________.

A

the idea that without social strictures increasing human population would lead to famine and war

44
Q

What are some examples of human inventions/innovations that have increased the carrying capacity of the Earth for humans?

A

The Industrial Revolution
The Green Revolution
Medical Advances

Environmental Science (11 decks)

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