Ecology and Society Review Questions
Course Introduction
This course explores the dynamic interactions between ecological systems and human societies, examining how natural environments shape social development, cultural practices, and economic systems, while also analyzing how human activities impact ecological balance. Students will investigate topics such as ecosystem services, resource management, environmental justice, and sustainability, drawing on case studies from around the world. By integrating concepts from biology, sociology, and environmental science, the course fosters a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of ecology and society, ultimately equipping students to critically assess and contribute to solutions for pressing environmental issues.
Recommended Textbook
Visualizing Environmental Science 4th Edition by Linda R. Berg
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985 Verified Questions
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Chapter 1: The Environmental Challenges We Face
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the correct sequence of steps in the scientific method
I.State the problem
II.Analyze and interpret the data
III.Develop a hypothesis
IV.Share the results with other scientists
V.Design and perform an experiment to test the hypothesis
A)I - II - III - IV - V
B)III - I - V - II - IV
C)I - III - V - II - IV
D)V - IV- III - II - I
Answer: C
Q2) Which of the following ecological footprints is the largest?
A)Ecological footprint of a single individual in U.S.
B)Ecological footprint of a single individuals in France
C)Ecological footprint of a single individuals in India
D)Ecological footprint of 6 individuals in India
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: Sustainability and Human Values
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Sample Questions
Q1) The deep ecology world view most closely resembles the:
A)Western worldview
B)utilitarian conservationist attitude
C)frontier attitude
D)biocentric preservationist attitude
Answer: D
Q2) What is living sustainably and how does it relate to the analogy of "living off the principle instead of living off the interest"? What changes are needed to approach this ideal?
Answer: If the world's resources were considered a bank account,then living off the interest instead of having to tap into the principle would be considered living sustainably.Environment and ecosystems are our natural capital and ecosystem services are interest on that capital.Environmental sustainability is the ability to meet humanity's current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.This means keeping the principle intact.To approach this ideal,natural resources should not be overused,excessive pollution should not be generated and economic growth should be balanced with environmental conservation.
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Chapter 3: Environmental History, Politics, and Economics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Controversy over damming in National Parks around which clause of the US Park service's mission?
A)"for the enjoyment of people"
B)"use without impairment"
C)"to preserve parks"
D)"for the greatest good"
Answer: B
Q2) Pollution is considered an external cost because;
A)it has a harmful effect borne only by people who purchased the product that caused it.
B)its cost to the environment is not reflected in the price of the product that produces it.
C)it has a significant impact on the consumer's decision to buy the product that causes it.
D)it is a hidden cost that would increase demand if the consumer were aware of it.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Risk Analysis and Environmental Health Hazards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The study of the effects of chemical,biological,and physical agents on the health of human populations is called:
A)toxicology
B)ecology
C)epidemiology
D)chronic toxicity
Q2) Briefly explain what a dose-response curve is and compare and contrast LD and ED .Explain how this information about toxicants is applied in determining the health effects of environmental pollutants and evaluate and/or regulate chemical pollutants.What are two limitations of this approach
Q3) Why were POPs singled out for regulation by the international community?
A)They are important pathogens.
B)They bioaccumulate in organisms.
C)They are highly mobile.
D)b & c were the reasons they were singled out
Q4) Compare and contrast bioaccumulation and biological magnification.
Q5) Define acute toxicity and explain how it is different from chronic toxicity?Use the example of pesticides to highlight the differences between the forms of toxicity.
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Chapter 5: How Ecosystems Work
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Sample Questions
Q1) The study of the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their abiotic environment that live and interact together within an area at the same time is:
A)ecosystem
B)ecology
C)landscape ecology
D)biosphere
Q2) Being that wolves are a keystone species in North America,after their reintroduction into the Yellowstone ecosystem,which of the following events occurred?
A)The number of predators in the ecosystem was increased.
B)The number of prey in the ecosystem was reduced.
C)The plant composition became more varied and lush.
D)All of the above occurred.
Q3) According to the laws of thermodynamics which of the following can be recycled?
A)both matter and energy.
B)matter,but not energy.
C)neither matter nor energy.
D)energy,but not matter.
Q4) Define coevolution and list two examples.
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Chapter 6: Ecosystems and Evolution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following abiotic factors does NOT typically affect biome structure ?
A)Elevation
B)Wildfires
C)Droughts
D)Salinity
Q2) How are temperate rain forests and the boreal forest similar?
A)Both have mild winters
B)Both are dominated by conifers
C)Both have tree species that are drought adapted
D)Both experience dense fogs
Q3) Which of the following arguments would be MOST compelling to an economist considering the development of a wetland ?
A)Wetlands are enjoyed by bird watchers.
B)Biodiversity is sometimes low in wetlands.
C)Wetlands provide habitat for muskrats and beavers.
D)Wetlands provide ecosystem services like water purification that would cost millions to replace.
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Chapter 7: Human Population Change and the Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) What do demographers study
A)The earth's carrying capacity.
B)Population changes and characteristics.
C)Energy resources.
D)Food production.
Q2) What happens during the postindustrial stage (4)of a demographic transition
A)Modest population growth.
B)High death rate.
C)Greater affluence and higher levels of education.
D)High birth rate.
Q3) Which of the following is an example of environmental resistance
A)Unlimited resources
B)Predation
C)Ideal conditions
D)High growth rate
Q4) What is replacement-level fertility
A)the number of children born to the average woman per year.
B)the number of children born to the average woman during her lifetime.
C)the number of children a couple must produce to replace themselves.
D)the number of children born in a population during a single year.
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Chapter 8: Air and Air Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Automobiles and trucks are NOT an important source of which of the following air pollutants
A)Carbon dioxide.
B)Hydrocarbons.
C)Nitrogen oxides.
D)Sulfur oxides.
Q2) Which of the following BEST illustrates a primary air pollutant
A)Carbon dioxide released from the burning of coal.
B)Sulfur trioxide produced when sulfur dioxide reacts with oxygen in the air.
C)Ozone produced in photochemical smog.
D)Carbon dioxide released through photosynthesis.
Q3) What is the largest contributor to urban air pollution in Latin America
A)Burning of coal for fuel.
B)Indoor burning of wood and dung for fuel and cooking fires.
C)Increased industrial burning of fuels.
D)Increase in numbers of motor vehicles.
Q4) Explain the relationship between urban heat islands and dust domes.How do they increase pollution in urban areas
Q5) What are the specific roles of the troposphere and stratosphere in the overall ecology of the Earth
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Global Atmospheric Changes
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Sample Questions
Q1) While there has been success in addressing ozone depletion and acid deposition,ecosystems have not yet recovered.What is the reason for this slow recovery
As part of your answer also describe some strategies that were employed to reduce these pollution problems.
Q2) Discuss the process of acid deposition and the human activities that cause this problem.What are some of the impacts that acid deposition has had on the abiotic and biotic components of the environment over the past thirty years
Q3) Which of the following activities is responsible for the largest percentage of human-made carbon dioxide emissions
A)burning fossil fuels
B)deforestation
C)ozone depletion
D)acid deposition
E)agriculture
Q4) Although global climate change,ozone depletion,and acid deposition are often treated as three separate issues there are many links between these three problems.Describe three of these links.
Q5) List four ways in which solar radiation shapes life on Earth.
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Chapter 10: Freshwater Resources and Water Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Microirrigation is a type of irrigation:
A)in which pipes with tiny holes bored in them convey water directly to individual plants.
B)in which water used in sinks and showers is used to irrigate fields.
C)in which recycled wastewater is used to water crops.
D)that uses captured rainwater to irrigate farm plots.
Q2) Why is water sometimes treated with ultraviolet (UV)radiation
A)To improve its color.
B)To improve its taste.
C)To remove sediment.
D)To kill disease-causing agents.
Q3) What is the purpose of secondary wastewater treatment
A)To remove sediment and silt.
B)To reduce the water's biochemical oxygen demand.
C)To reduce toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
D)To kill disease-causing agents.
Q4) Draw a diagram of 2 water molecules and label the following components: hydrogen,oxygen,negative,positive,hydrogen bond.Explain how the structure of water is the basis of water's physical properties and how these properties are beneficial to the biosphere.
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Chapter 11: The Ocean and Fisheries
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is the BEST description of the euphotic zone
A)It is part of the pelagic environment that overlies the ocean floor from the shoreline to a depth of 200 meters and is home to plankton and nekton.
B)It is the upper level of the pelagic environment,which extends from the surface to a maximum depth of 150 meters in the clearest open ocean water where sufficient light penetrates to support photosynthesis.
C)It is part of the pelagic environment that overlies the ocean floor at depths greater than 200 meters representing about 75% of the ocean's water with cold temperatures,high pressure,and for the most part an absence of sunlight.
D)It is the area of shoreline between low and high tides that is a biologically productive but stressful environment.
Q2) The three main zones of the marine environment are:
A)intertidal,benthic,pelagic
B)bathyal,abyssal,hadal
C)neritic,oceanic,pelagic
D)intertidal,rocky shore,beach
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Chapter 12: Mineral and Soil Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) The difference between crop rotation and strip cropping is:
A)In strip cropping,the crops are alternated by size.In crop rotation,the crops are alternated by color.
B)In strip cropping,one crop is exposed and the other covered.In crop rotation,dual crops form concentric circles.
C)In strip cropping,one crop transforms into the other by genetic seed manipulation.In crop rotation,each crop is alternated according to the type of pollinator required.
D)In strip cropping,the crops are alternated by row.In crop rotation,the crops are alternated by years.
Q2) What is the difference between a rock and an ore
A)Rocks have varied chemical composition; ores contain a large concentration of a particular mineral.
B)Rocks contain only nonmetallic minerals; ores contain only metallic minerals.
C)Rocks are easily accessible but always non-profitable to extract; ores are inaccessible but always profitable to extract.
D)Rocks are not good conductors of heat and electricity; ores are good conductors of heat and electricity.
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Chapter 13: Land Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) While tropical rain forests are largely being cleared for ___,tropical dry forests are being destroyed largely due to ___.
A)commercial logging road construction
B)sourcing pharmaceutical products cattle ranching
C)mining mineral ores charcoal production
D)subsistence agriculture fuelwood harvesting
Q2) Why have conservative economists joined environmentalists in criticizing the management of federal rangelands
A)Both groups agree that to preserve ecosystem services grazing must be stopped on these lands.
B)Both groups agree that overgrazing is costing too much and want grazing fees increased to cover costs of maintaining herds on public lands.
C)Both groups agree that federal rangelands should be planted with trees,as forests are a more valuable resource.
D)Both groups agree that irrigation is the best way to reverse desertification in rangelands and want to install irrigation systems at taxpayer expense.
Q3) Describe three reasons why government owned lands are important.
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Chapter 14: Agriculture and Food Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following pesticides is incorrectly matched with its target organism
A)herbicides: kill lice
B)insecticides : kill insects
C)herbicides : kill plants
D)rodenticides : kill mice
E)fungicides : kill fungi
Q2) Which of the following statements about pesticides is false
A)The prolonged use of a particular pesticide can cause a pest population to develop genetic resistance to it.
B)Most pesticides affect more species than the pests for which they are intended.
C)Pesticides applied to agricultural lands tend to stay where they are applied.
D)Most pesticides are chemically stable and do not degrade readily in the environment.
E)Pesticides reduce the amount of crop loss through consumption by insects.
Q3) Discuss three similarities between the evolution of microorganisms' resistance to antibiotics and pest species evolving genetic resistance to pesticides.
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Chapter 15: Biodiversity and Conservation
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Sample Questions
Q1) A major challenge facing restoration ecologists is the
A)expense and time required to reclaim disturbed lands and convert them into areas with high biological diversity.
B)relocation of human populations so that the land can be rehabilitated.
C)enhancement of air quality to historical levels.
D)frequency of fires due to climate changes.
E)scarcity of open space needed for free ranging species.
Q2) The establishment of parks and reserves to preserve biological diversity in nature is an example of
A)in situ conservation.
B)ex situ conservation.
C)re situ conservation.
D)a natural setting zoo.
E)a seed bank.
Q3) Ecosystems with lower species richness
A)provide ecosystem uniformity.
B)supply better ecosystem services.
C)supply worst ecosystem services.
D)create bioconsistency hotspots.
E)set standards of species quality.
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Chapter 16: Solid and Hazardous Waste
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an example of composting
A)creating mulch from yard wastes and food scraps
B)using animal dung as a fuel source
C)recycling steel to replace dependence on iron ore
D)purchasing products that have less packaging
E)using less toxic materials to build products
Q2) A group of 209 industrial chemicals composed of C,H,and Cl manufactured for cooling fluids,hydraulic fluids,lubricants,inks,and pesticide extenders are known as A)petroleum oils.
B)inorganic solvents.
C)heavy metals.
D)dioxins.
E)polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Q3) What are dioxins and PBCs
How are they produced and what harm do they cause
Q4) Distinguish between municipal and nonmunicipal solid waste.
Q5) What is the goal of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation,and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Describe one strength and weakness of the Superfund program.
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Chapter 17: Nonrenewable Energy Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) More than half of the world's total estimated oil and natural gas reserves are located in ___.
A)the Persian Gulf region
B)the Siberia region
C)South America
D)Central America
E)the Gulf of Mexico
Q2) All of the following statements are true about surface mining except
A)Strip mining is an example of surface mining.
B)It accounts for 60% of the coal mined in the U.S.
C)Surface mining is the most hazardous type of mining for workers.
D)Surface mining is a less expensive mining process than subsurface mining.
E)Mountaintop removal is an example of surface mining.
Q3) A device that initiates and maintains a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction to produce energy for electricity is a
A)geothermal nuclear apparatus.
B)nuclear combustion chamber.
C)nuclear reactor.
D)nuclear electric engine.
E)electrical fusion device.
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Chapter 18: Renewable Energy Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a good energy efficiency practice for those with existing homes
A)replace the existing insulation with a higher quality product.
B)board up windows on the north,east and west sides of the house.
C)install a gas-burning fireplace in the family room.
D)pour a concrete foundation between the ground and subfloor of the home
E)dial down the water heater's thermostat to knock 3-5 percent off your energy bill
Q2) According to the data below,which of these technologies has the highest cost per kilowatt-hour
[Insert Table 18.1]
A)hydropower
B)solar thermal
C)nuclear power
D)photovoltaics
E)coal
Q3) Solar technologies can provide many services for homes.Define four consumer solar technologies and discuss their applications in improving a home's energy efficiency.Discuss the advantages and the drawbacks for each technologies implementation.
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