Question 1

The world today derives the majority of its energy from which of the following sources?

Accepted Answer

A)   coal and oil
B)   hydropower and nuclear power
C)   hydropower
D)   nuclear power
E)   wind and solar powerF) All of the above
G) A) and B)

Question 2

A company that owns an office building decides to build a "green roof." Which of the following is least likely to occur as a result?

Accepted Answer

A)   higher water bills because of the need to irrigate vegetation
B)   fresh fruits and vegetables for employees to take home to their families
C)   additional recreational space for employees to enjoy during work breaks
D)   lower electric bills due to the extra insulation the vegetation provides
E)   lowered rainwater runoff that may create cracks in the roof of the buildingF) B) and E)
G) All of the above

Question 3

Which of the following is a consequence of removing water from aquifers?

Accepted Answer

A)   land subsidence including sinkhole formation
B)   loss of habitat for aquatic organisms
C)   lowering of sea levels
D)   water seepage into underground rock beds
E)   sediment buildupF) C) and D)
G) B) and D)

Question 4

How does the use of minerals such as metals differ from the use of fossil fuels?

Accepted Answer

A)   Fossil fuels are more plentiful than metals, and are depleted more slowly.
B)   Metals can be extracted by strip mining, while fossil fuels may not.
C)   Many metals may be recycled, decreasing the necessity for finding new reserves, unlike fossil fuels, which cannot be recycled.
D)   The mining of metals is not as destructive to the environment as the mining of fossil fuels.
E)   The recycling of fossil fuels is more economically feasible than the recycling of metals.F) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 5

Agriculture, industrial use, and domestic use are the largest uses of fresh water supplies, in that order.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Biodiversity increases the consumptive value of land, meaning that

Accepted Answer

A)   more value can be derived from the more diverse products produced by ecosystems with high biodiversity relative to land that has been cleared for agriculture.
B)   ecosystems with higher biodiversity consume more resources than those with lower biodiversity, creating more strain on the environment.
C)   ecosystems with low biodiversity consume resources at a higher rate than those with higher biodiversity.
D)   land that has been cleared for agriculture consumes natural resources at a slower rate and is cheaper to maintain.
E)   land with lower biodiversity has many more possible uses for humans than land with higher biodiversity.F) B) and D)
G) C) and D)

Question 7

Extensive irrigation may contribute to global climate change because it may cause droughts in some semi-arid regions of the world.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Which indirect value of biodiversity will have the greatest economical value to people?

Accepted Answer

A)   a twenty hectare marshland that acts as a sponge for rainwater
B)   the ecotourism market in the United States
C)   two hundred hectares of wetlands in Canada that soak up pollutants and purify water
D)   forests that decrease erosion along the banks of rivers in Philippines
E)   a row of trees that act as a wind block, on the northwest side of our homes, decreasing our need for air conditioning and cooling systems in the summerF) B) and C)
G) D) and E)

Question 9

Which of the following creates the least amount of soil erosion?

Accepted Answer

A)   poor landscaping practices that expose the land to excess wind
B)   overgrazing by livestock
C)   use of drip irrigation systems
D)   deforestation
E)   wetland destructionF) C) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 10

Which of the following is not an example of measures that may make urban environments sustainable?

Accepted Answer

A)   development of more energy-efficient means of transportation
B)   utilization of "green roofs"
C)   creation of "greenbelts"
D)   development of new sections in cities as older ones become dilapidated and unusable
E)   use of native species in landscaping that require less maintenance and attract bees and butterfliesF) B) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 11

Extensive irrigation may contribute to desertification because

Accepted Answer

A)   the water dissolves soil nutrients, making them unavailable to plants.
B)   water used in irrigation leaves behind toxic substances in the soil.
C)   runoff of water leaves silt deposits behind, which reduce the ability of plants to grow.
D)   a reduction of water available in the aquifer lowers lake, river, and stream levels.
E)   evaporation of water used in irrigation causes salinization of the land, reducing the ability of plants to grow.F) B) and C)
G) B) and D)

Question 12

Mercury can enter an aquatic food chain and collect in fish as well as people who eat fish. This is an example of which of the following processes?

Accepted Answer

A)   biotic potential
B)   biological magnification
C)   salinization
D)   bioremediation
E)   biological accumulationF) C) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 13

A disproportionately large percentage of resources in more developed countries (MDCs)  goes to

Accepted Answer

A)   growing crops.
B)   providing water.
C)   growing livestock.
D)   cleaning sewage.
E)   pest and weed control.F) B) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 14

Which of the following is/are suspected of causing climate change?

Accepted Answer

A)   fossil fuel usage, deforestation, and agriculture
B)   overfishing and hydropower usage
C)   fossil fuel and hydropower usage
D)   salinization and desertification
E)   erosion, deforestation, pollution, and salinizationF) C) and E)
G) None of the above

Question 15

More sparse urban settlement patterns may help conserve energy and preserve the environment.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Which of the following types of compounds have been implicated in ozone depletion?

Accepted Answer

A)   chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 
B)   volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 
C)   DDT
D)   polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 
E)   chromiumF) A) and B)
G) A) and E)

Question 17

Which of the following is not a benefit of biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

A)   development of novel medicines
B)   production of fresh water
C)   new and better crop plants
D)   climate regulation
E)   biological magnificationF) B) and C)
G) A) and B)

Question 18

In which ways does overfishing lead to decreased biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

A)   It reduces the available habitat available for other species.
B)   Overfishing allows fished species to overpopulate once the larger individuals are removed from the population, which in turn depletes the species' food sources.
C)   Newer technologies allow the fishing fleet to take a larger catch while leaving larger numbers of breeding pairs, which overpopulate and degrade the environment.
D)   It depletes fish that feed on some species and serve as food sources for other species, leading to the eradication of some species and the overpopulation of others.
E)   It depletes food sources for aquatic mammals, which then overpopulate.F) C) and E)
G) B) and E)

Question 19

The increased efficiency of fishing has led to

Accepted Answer

A)   loss of biodiversity in fish and other species.
B)   decreased yields from fishing.
C)   increased biodiversity of aquatic animals other than fish.
D)   increased nutritional deficiencies in the human population.
E)   decreased need for agriculture.F) All of the above
G) B) and D)

Question 20

Human society in its current form is unsustainable because

Accepted Answer

A)   important natural resources are being consumed more quickly than they can be replenished.
B)   renewable energy sources are consuming land and resources more quickly than they can be replenished.
C)   recycling has lessened the need for the mining of some mineral resources.
D)   fresh water is a renewable resource that can be preserved through conservation.
E)   diverting agricultural yield for feeing livestock supplies protein to a community's diet.F) B) and C)
G) D) and E)

Exam 32: Human Impact on the Biosphere

Which of the following is not a benefit of biodiversity?

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The increased efficiency of fishing has led to

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Which of the following is not an example of measures that may make urban environments sustainable?

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Biodiversity increases the consumptive value of land, meaning that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is a consequence of removing water from aquifers?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How does the use of minerals such as metals differ from the use of fossil fuels?

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Which of the following creates the least amount of soil erosion?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Human society in its current form is unsustainable because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following types of compounds have been implicated in ozone depletion?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A company that owns an office building decides to build a "green roof." Which of the following is least likely to occur as a result?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Extensive irrigation may contribute to global climate change because it may cause droughts in some semi-arid regions of the world.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In which ways does overfishing lead to decreased biodiversity?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The world today derives the majority of its energy from which of the following sources?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Mercury can enter an aquatic food chain and collect in fish as well as people who eat fish. This is an example of which of the following processes?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A disproportionately large percentage of resources in more developed countries (MDCs) goes to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is/are suspected of causing climate change?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Agriculture, industrial use, and domestic use are the largest uses of fresh water supplies, in that order.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which indirect value of biodiversity will have the greatest economical value to people?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Extensive irrigation may contribute to desertification because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

More sparse urban settlement patterns may help conserve energy and preserve the environment.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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