Course Introduction
Environmental Science Exam Preparation Guide
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary course that explores the complex interactions between humans and the natural environment. Students will examine ecological principles, the impact of human activities on natural systems, and the scientific basis for environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and resource management. The course emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to address contemporary environmental challenges, integrating perspectives from biology, chemistry, geology, policy, and ethics to foster an understanding of sustainable solutions for global and local environmental problems.
Recommended Textbook
Principles of Environmental Science Inquiry and Applications 7th Edition by William P Cunningham
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16 Chapters
511 Verified Questions
511 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3832 Page 2
Chapter 1: Understanding Our Environment
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34 Verified Questions
34 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Utilitarian conservationists, including Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt, supported forest conservation in order to provide
A) wildlife habitats in forested areas.
B) untouched, unvisited wilderness areas.
C) homes, jobs, and recreation for people.
D) the scenic beauty found in natural areas.
E) resources, such as natural habitats, for future generations.
Answer: C
Q2) One of the first steps in critical thinking is to
A) decide whether conclusions follow premises.
B) decide if premises are true.
C) identify premises and conclusions.
D) identify whether premises are facts or values.
E) approach a problem in new and innovative ways.
Answer: C
Q3) Parsimony is one of the basic principles of science.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Environmental Systems: Matter and Energy of Life
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38 Verified Questions
38 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The first law of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of matter are similar in that
A) under normal circumstances neither energy nor matter is created nor destroyed.
B) both energy and matter are recycled through biological systems.
C) both energy and matter flow in a one-way path through biological systems.
D) under normal circumstances energy and matter are destroyed as they pass through biological systems.
E) The first law of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of matter are not similar.
Answer: A
Q2) Photosynthesis produces sugars from
A) water, carbon dioxide, and energy.
B) water, other sugars, and oxygen.
C) oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.
D) carbon dioxide, enzymes, and energy.
E) oxygen, water, and energy.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Evolution, Species Interactions, and Biological Communities
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The introduction of a predator onto an island originally free from predators is likely to cause the extinction of a native species.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) In a biological community where diversity is great, such as a tropical rainforest, the abundance of any one species is likely to be
A) great.
B) small.
C) widely variable from year to year.
D) the same from year to year.
E) unrelated to diversity.
Answer: B
Q3) The most common reason that introduced species cause trouble is because they are larger than native species.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 4: Human Populations
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33 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Malthus and Marx
A) worked together to form their theories.
B) agreed about the root causes of overpopulation, poverty, and social upheaval.
C) disagreed about the root causes of overpopulation, poverty, and social upheaval.
D) held the same beliefs but worked on different issues.
E) disagreed about the severity of overpopulation, poverty, and social upheaval.
Q2) The annual percentage rate of this population is
A) 0.02%.
B) 2.0%.
C) 20%.
D) -0.02%.
E) -2%.
Q3) Which of the following is a pronatalist pressure?
A) Male pride.
B) Social status of large families.
C) Need for additional family income.
D) Social taboos regarding birth control.
E) All of these are sources of pronatalist pressure.
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6
Chapter 5: Biomes and Biodiversity
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36 Verified Questions
36 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most of the species that are yet undiscovered are probably A) mammals and reptiles.
B) birds and fish.
C) fungi.
D) invertebrates.
E) multicellular plants.
Q2) Zebra mussels are a mussel species from Japan that was introduced without negative consequences into the United States to improve water quality.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The biome that is most at risk due to over-harvest of organisms might be the A) marine biome.
B) tropical rainforest biome.
C) tundra biome.
D) desert biome.
Q4) The base of the marine food web is A) phytoplankton.
B) sharks.
C) sea stars.
D) coral reef organisms.
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Chapter 6: Environmental Conservation: Forests,
Grasslands, Parks, and Nature Preserves
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34 Verified Questions
34 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The highest rate of forest loss occurs in A) Asia.
B) North America.
C) South America.
D) Africa.
E) Europe.
Q2) An increased number of cowbirds (a species that likes areas where grassland and forests meet) would be an indicator of
A) overharvest of timber.
B) overgrazing of grasslands.
C) increased edge habitat.
D) decreased biodiversity.
E) lack of proper habitat management.
Q3) Most public rangelands are in poor condition due to A) excessive populations of wild ungulates.
B) overcrowding of private livestock.
C) too many publicly owned animals on public lands.
D) excessive urban settlement in the West.
E) the lack of water.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Food and Agriculture
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30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the theoretical basis of the statement that we could feed more people if we would eat grain rather than feeding it to livestock?
A) The First Law of Thermodynamics.
B) The Second Law of Thermodynamics.
C) Ecofeminism.
D) Biocentrism.
E) Anthropocentrism.
Q2) The energy needed to process and distribute food in the US is as much as _______ times the amount that is used to actually farm the crops.
A) 0.5
B) 2
C)3.5
D) 5
E) 8
Q3) The number of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the acreage devoted to growing them has decreased in the past fifteen years because of the huge number of opponents.
A)True
B)False
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Environmental Health and Toxicology
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33 Verified Questions
33 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most people do their own personal risk assessments based upon A) scientific data.
B) whimsical preference devoid of logic.
C) logical reasoning about relative risks.
D) personal biases and preferences as well as logic.
E) statistical probabilities.
Q2) When comparing the toxicity of natural and synthetic chemicals, natural chemicals are ________ synthetic chemicals.
A) nearly always less toxic than
B) nearly always more toxic than C) on average, just as toxic
D) much safer
E) more difficult to detect
Q3) The World Health Organization regards health as primarily a matter of ________ well being.
A) physical
B) mental and physical
C) social and mental
D) physical, mental, and social
E) physical and social
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Chapter 9: Climate
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the ecological implications of global warming?
A) Plants and animals that are residing in fragmented habitats may not be able to move to a suitable habitat.
B) In general, plants and animals will probably benefit from warmer temperatures.
C) Since farmland may be lost, the habitats for plants and animals will increase in area.
D) Since biodiversity is usually higher in warmer, milder climates, it will probably be increased.
E) Tropical ecosystems will become dramatically warmer than they are now.
Q2) The "Keeling curve" showing CO2 measurements at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, shows that concentrations of CO2 have reached approximately what level, in parts per million (PPM)?
A) 1,000 ppm
B) 400 ppm
C) 350 ppm
D) 200 ppm
E) 100 ppm
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11
Chapter 10: Air Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The amount of CO<sub>2</sub> released by human activities per year is approximately ___________.
A) 30 million tons
B) 300 million tons
C) 3 billion tons
D) 30 billion tons
E) 300 billion tons
Q2) There are serious signs that ozone depletion may lead to
A) UV-caused skin cancers.
B) UV-caused blindness.
C) IR-caused sunburn.
D) UV-caused skin cancers and UV-caused blindness only.
Q3) ___________ ozone is harmful, damaging plants and human health while ozone at the _________ level screens out mutagenic ultraviolet radiation.
A) Stratospheric; troposphere
B) Thermospheric; mesosphere
C) Tropospheric; stratosphere
D) Mesospheric; thermosphere
E) Stratospheric; mesosphere
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Water: Resources and Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The total amount of water on the Earth ____________ from year to year and the hydrologic cycle ________________.
A) stays about the same; moves it from one place to another place
B) increases; captures it from the incoming solar radiation
C) increases; gains water from the Earth's interior
D) decreases; moves it from one place to another place
E) decreases; loses water to the atmosphere
Q2) Domestic water conservation in the United States would save about 20% of the water we now use. Therefore, we need to come up with better technology to avoid strict restrictions in the future.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What would you not find in water that has been through tertiary treatment?
A) Antibiotics.
B) Hormones.
C) Dissolved Metals.
D) Insecticides.
E) Antidepressants.
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13
Chapter 12: Environmental Geology and Earth Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) Pressurized fluid injected into a well is used in a mining process called A) fracking.
B) heap-leach extraction.
C) placer mining.
D) injection molding.
Q2) The most abundant element in the Earth's crust is _________.
A) iron
B) silicon
C) oxygen
D) aluminum
E) hydrogen
Q3) Nuees ardentes are sonic waves associated with earthquakes.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A giant sea swell known as a tsunami is caused by A) typhoons.
B) earthquakes.
C) lunar gravity.
D) unusual tides combined with seasonal storms.
E) a strong wave during an exceptionally high tide.
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Chapter 13: Energy
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35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In terms of generating electricity, fuel cells are _________ than thermal-conversion machines because the chemical energy of a fuel is _______.
A) less efficient; converted into electricity with an intermediate combustion cycle.
B) less efficient; converted directly into electricity without an intermediate combustion cycle.
C) more efficient; converted into electricity with an intermediate combustion cycle.
D) more efficient; converted directly into electricity without an intermediate combustion cycle.
E) about the same in terms of efficiency; converted into electricity with an intermediate combustion cycle.
Q2) Energy is the capacity to do work.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A geyser is an example of geothermal energy.
A)True
B)False
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Solid and Hazardous Waste
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33 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Using a refillable beverage container (returnable bottles) would be an example of __________ materials.
A) reusing
B) recycling
C) reducing
D) redefining
E) None of these are correct.
Q2) Secure landfills are those that
A) have no groundwater below them.
B) accept no toxic substances.
C) are built like a bathtub with a lid.
D) are sealed entirely with durable plastic.
E) are sealed entirely with concrete.
Q3) Toxic landfills are frequently located in ________ areas.
A) wilderness
B) urban
C) rural
D) nonpopulated
E) suburban
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Economics and Urbanization
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35 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which is a negative consequence of urban sprawl?
A) increased traffic congestion
B) abandonment of city centers
C) inefficient use of land
D) all of these are correct.
E) none of these are correct.
Q2) Urbanization began to grow especially quickly after the
A) development of agriculture.
B) beginning of the twentieth century.
C) invention of commerce and religion.
D) industrial revolution.
E) invention of record keeping.
Q3) A megacity is defined as having more than 50 million residents.
A)True
B)False
Q4) An open access system will lead to
A) smart growth.
B) sustainable development.
C) tragedy of the commons.
D) urban sprawl.
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Chapter 16: Environmental Policy and Sustainability
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33 Verified Questions
33 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The current legal system is to ______________ as community-based planning is to collaboration.
A) polarization
B) cooperation
C) wicked problems
D) dispute resolution
E) harmony
Q2) Environmental literacy partly consists of being able to
A) read environmental science journals.
B) understand the basic principles of ecology.
C) write and publish in environmental journals.
D) carry out ecological models and experiments.
E) interpret environmental data from a citizen science project.
Q3) Reduction of poverty and promoting gender equality are tenants of A) adaptive management.
B) millennium development.
C) sustainable development.
D) environmental literacy.
E) non-governmental organizations.
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Page 18