Environmental Science Test Bank
Course Introduction
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary course that explores the complex interactions between humans and the natural environment. The course covers foundational concepts in ecology, atmospheric science, geology, and biology to examine issues such as climate change, resource management, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Students will analyze the scientific principles underlying environmental processes, evaluate human impacts on ecosystems, and discuss sustainable solutions to current environmental challenges. Through a combination of theoretical study and practical applications, the course aims to develop critical thinking skills necessary for understanding and addressing global environmental problems.
Recommended Textbook
Sustaining the Earth 11th Edition by G. Tyler Miller
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14 Chapters
1050 Verified Questions
1050 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/2339
Page 2
Chapter 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46512
Sample Questions
Q1) Individuals can contribute to sustainability.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Old soda bottles that are collected, washed, and refilled are an example of ____________________.
Answer: reuse
Q3) Make an argument supporting the statement that individuals matter in making the shift toward environmental sustainability?
Answer: Sustainability begins with our daily choices. It only takes 5-10% of the population in a community to bring about major change in a relatively short time frame.
Q4) Affluent countries
A)have low levels of resource use.
B)include China and India.
C)are usually poor.
D)are most responsible for environmental degradation, wastes, and pollution.
E)use local resources.
Answer: D
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46513
Sample Questions
Q1) The atomic number is the number of
A)atoms in a molecule.
B)protons in the nucleus of its atom.
C)nuclei in a molecule.
D)electrons in an atom.
E)protons and neutrons in an atom.
Answer: B
Q2) High temperatures and pressure convert
A)igneous rock into sedimentary rock.
B)sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock.
C)igneous rock into minerals.
D)metamorphic rock into sedimentary rock.
E)metamorphic rock into igneous.
Answer: B
Q3) The nucleus of an atom consists of one or more _____________________ and in some cases, one or more neutrons.
Answer: protons
Q4) Which of the ecosystems in the accompanying figure have the greatest net primary productivity?
Answer: swamps and marshes; tropical rain forests; estuaries
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Biodiversity and Evolution
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46514
Sample Questions
Q1) Lentic and lotic freshwaters are distinguished by A)the amount of nutrients present.
B)salinity.
C)temperature.
D)climate.
E)whether or not the water is flowing.
Answer: E
Q2) List three reasons why estuaries and coastal wetlands are important.
Answer: Possible answers include:
1. Provide nursery grounds for marine fish and shellfish.
2. Filter/absorb toxic pollutants
3. Filter/absorb excess plant nutrients.
4. Filter/absorb sediments.
5. Provide food for various species.
6. Provide habitats for various species.
7. Reduce storm damage.
8. Reduce coastal erosion.
Q3) ____________________ are essential portions of watersheds because they serve as the liaison between land and water resources.
Answer: Wetlands
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Chapter 4: Community Ecology, Population Ecology, and the Human Population
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46515
Sample Questions
Q1) On the exponential growth of reindeer figure, choose the portion of the graph that represents the number of reindeer that exceeded the carrying capacity of their environment.
Q2) A(n) ____________________ is a species whose roles have a large effect on the types and abundance of other species in an ecosystem.
Q3) Carrying capacity is determined by
A)ecological succession.
B)biotic potential and environmental resistance.
C)unlimited resources.
D)the ratio of male to female offspring.
E)growth curves.
Q4) Which country has the second largest number of people?
A)USA
B)China
C)India
D)Russia
E)Indonesia
Q5) In ____________________, species interact in order to gain access to limited resources such as food or space.
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Chapter 5: Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46516
Sample Questions
Q1) As DDT bioaccumulates in the accompanying ecosystem, which species would have the highest concentration in their body?
Q2) People who propose that wild species have an inherent right to exist generally believe that species have
A)economic value.
B)genetic value.
C)intrinsic value.
D)utilitarian value.
E)ecological value.
Q3) ____ occurs when a population is too small to sustain its role in biological communities.
A)Ecological extinction
B)Local extinction
C)Biological extinction
D)Natural selection
E)Speciation
Q4) What are two major hindrances to protecting species extinction within a single human lifetime?
Q5) How can harmful invasive species disrupt ecosystems? Provide an example.
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Chapter 6: Sustaining Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46517
Sample Questions
Q1) An example of natural capital degradation as a result of deforestation is A)improved ecological services.
B)increased biodiversity.
C)logging.
D)habitat loss for native species
E)ocean acidification.
Q2) Tropical forests account for 25% of the earth's forested areas.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Name the type of harvesting method that has been employed in the area shown in the accompanying figure.
Q4) Costa Rica has moved from having one of the world's highest deforestation rates to having one of the lowest, in part, due to A)harvesting of sea turtle eggs.
B)excluding local and indigenous people from conservation efforts.
C)increasing subsidies for converting forests to rangeland.
D)utilizing ecotourism as a major source of income.
E)logging.
Page 8
Q5) Identify the four steps to tropical deforestation.
Q6) What is ocean acidification and why is it a threat to marine biodiversity?
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Page 9
Chapter 7: Food, Soil, and Pest Management
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46518
Sample Questions
Q1) In the accompanying world food production map, choose the location that principally involves industrialized agriculture.
Q2) Sustainable agriculture is characterized by the major use of
A)massive irrigation projects.
B)fossil fuels.
C)pesticides.
D)organic fertilizers.
E)inorganic fertilizers.
Q3) Integrated pest management ____ than pesticides.
A)is more labor intensive
B)is faster acting
C)requires more fertilizer and irrigation
D)is less environmentally sound
E)is easier to use
Q4) Global food supplies can be made more available and affordable by
A)purchasing food from big box stores.
B)consuming more meat.
C)eliminating subsidies.
D)wasting less food.
E)promoting free trade.
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Chapter 8: Water Resources and Water Pollution
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46519
Sample Questions
Q1) What are some risks and rewards of living on a floodplain?
Q2) Which of the following types of sewage treatment are properly matched?
A)primary-physical process
B)secondary-physical process
C)primary-biological process
D)secondary-chemical process
E)primary-chemical process
Q3) Sustainable use of the earth's water resources involves
A)an integrated approach to managing water resources and preventing water pollution throughout each watershed.
B)continued subsidizing of the market price of water so that there is fair distribution of water.
C)emphasis on waste management over waste prevention.
D)discharge of hazardous wastes into deep wells.
E)channel pollution into the oceans instead of lakes and rivers.
Q4) Groundwater can be recharged laterally from nearby lakes, streams, and rivers.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Name at least three reasons explaining why the Great Lakes suffer from water pollution.
11
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Chapter 9: Nonrenewable Energy Resources
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46520
Sample Questions
Q1) Most commercial energy comes from
A)direct solar energy.
B)indirect solar energy.
C)extracting and burning fossil fuels.
D)nuclear energy.
E)biomass.
Q2) What is kerogen?
A)The active ingredient in kerosene
B)A waste product from the production of oil from oil shale
C)A fuel supplement added to diesel oil
D)The useful ingredient in oil shale
E)Sludge from sewage plants
Q3) Of the OPEC nations, which country has the largest light oil reserves?
A)Kuwait
B)Iraq
C)Venezuela
D)United Arab Emirates
E)Saudi Arabia
Q4) ____________________ produces radioactive fragments that spontaneously shoot out fast-moving particles such as alpha and beta particles and gamma rays.
Page 12
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Chapter 10: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46521
Sample Questions
Q1) Keeping energy prices artificially low has resulted in harmful environmental affects and wasteful energy use.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Photovoltaic cells
A)produce more carbon dioxide than burning fossil fuels.
B)operate only on clear days.
C)have high air and water pollution during operation.
D)have a fairly high net energy yield.
E)are cheap compared to fossil fuels.
Q3) Which energy source is recommended to be used heavily in the transition from fossil fuels to locally available renewable resources?
A)geothermal
B)wind
C)nuclear energy
D)petroleum
E)natural gas
Q4) ______________________ consists of animal wastes, dead trees, yard clippings, bark, and algae that can be converted to fuel.
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Chapter 11: Environmental Hazards and Human Health
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46522
Sample Questions
Q1) Nontransmissible diseases
A)are resistant to antibiotics.
B)ten to develop rapidly.
C)are caused by something other than a living organism.
D)cause most epidemics.
E)can be prevented through immunizations.
Q2) The most important factor most people use in evaluating risk is A)fear.
B)the degree of personal control.
C)whether the risk is chronic or catastrophic.
D)epidemiological studies.
E)technological reliability.
Q3) Probability gives us a mathematical estimate that an event is likely to occur.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Human reliability is usually much lower than technological reliability and is almost impossible to predict.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the distinction between risk assessment and risk management.
Page 14
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Chapter 12: Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Ozone
Depletion
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46523
Sample Questions
Q1) Prevailing winds blowing over the oceans produce A)global warming.
B)ocean acidification.
C)air pollution.
D)SPM.
E)ocean currents.
Q2) The health risks of indoor air pollution are generally greater in developed urban areas because people who live and work in these areas spend the majority of their time indoors or inside vehicles.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In the face of a warmer climate there are some lifestyle changes that your children and grandchildren will have to learn to make. Providing at least four unavoidable consequences of climate change and discuss some of these changes.
Q4) The ____________________ is an international agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming.
Q5) The atmospheric layer closest to earth's surface is the ____________________.
Page 15
Q6) Global warming is causing sea level to rise for two separate reasons. What are they?
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Chapter 13: Urbanization and Solid and Hazardous Waste
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46524
Sample Questions
Q1) Most of the world's cities are not self-sustaining systems.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Primary, or closed-loop recycling,
A)recycles used materials into new products of the same type.
B)recycles used materials into new product of a different type.
C)recycles materials for use in secondary recycling.
D)requires a fee-per-bag collection system.
E)involves postconsumer waste.
Q3) What is an advantage of sanitary landfills for the disposal of solid waste?
A)discouragement of waste production
B)low operating cost
C)containment of greenhouse gases
D)less contamination of groundwater
E)better traffic ad air pollution controls
Q4) The ____________________ bans participating countries from shipping hazardous wastes to or through other countries without their permission.
Q5) ____________________ is the term for rainwater that is contaminated as it percolates through the solid waste in landfills.
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Chapter 14: Economics, Politics, Worldviews, and Sustainability
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/46525
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following least reflects environmentally ethical guidelines regarding ecosystems?
A)We should work with nature to sustain ecological integrity.
B)We should live in ways that do the least harm to environmental systems.
C)We should focus on the short-term because it's impossible to imagine the long-term.
D)We should try to understand nature.
E)We should emphasize nature's high intrinsic value.
Q2) Oil and gas development, mining and logging are permitted in national wildlife refuges.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In the accompanying figure, which U.S. expenditure in 2008 is equal to the amount of money needed to protect tropical forests?
Q4) Neoclassical, ecological, and environmental economists believe there has to be a balance between economic growth and environmental preservation.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Why are more companies embracing environmental regulations?
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