Principles of Environmental Science Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Principles of Environmental Science introduces students to the fundamental concepts and processes that govern the natural environment. The course explores key topics including ecosystems, biodiversity, energy flow, population dynamics, resource management, pollution, and the impact of human activity on the environment. Emphasis is placed on understanding the interconnectedness of natural systems and the scientific principles underlying environmental issues. Students will engage with case studies and current events to analyze strategies for sustainability and develop critical thinking skills essential for addressing local and global environmental challenges.
Recommended Textbook
Environmental Science 13th Edition by William P Cunningham
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25 Chapters
1265 Verified Questions
1265 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Understanding Our Environment
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51 Verified Questions
51 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The idea of stewardship is that humans have a/the ___________ the environment.
A)Privilege of using
B)Technology to shape
C)Duty to care for
D)Opportunity to degrade
E)Responsibility to use resources in
Answer: C
Q2) Which country listed is not in the top 5 with respect to sustainable development?
A)The United States
B)Sweden
C)Finland
D)New Zealand
E)They are all in the top 5
Answer: A
Q3) The ecological footprint of countries like Madagascar and the United States are very similar.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Principles of Science and Systems
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26 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an example of a negative feedback loop?
A)A small island is home to both wolves and deer.When the deer have high numbers, the wolves have plenty of prey to feed pups and their numbers increase.When the deer are heavily predated upon, the deer numbers decrease causing some of the wolves to starve.
B)Grass begins to grow on a recently plowed field.
C)Locusts begin to swarm, and when they encounter other non-swarming locusts, they too being to swarm.
D)A person is driving and is cut off by another driver, this causes the person to become angry and they begin to drive more aggressively, cutting off other drivers.
Answer: A
Q2) The progress of science is mainly happens when a scientist working in isolation and discovers something very important.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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4
Chapter 3: Matter, Energy, and Life
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60 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Productivity in an ecosystem has to do with:
A)The efficiency of its primary producers
B)The number of different species living in the ecosystem
C)Its longevity
D)The combined metabolic rate of the biological communities
E)Its rate of producing biomass
Answer: E
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a type of organic molecule?
A)Lipids
B)Salts
C)Nucleic Acids
D)Proteins
E)Carbohydrates
Answer: B
Q3) Using examples, compare and contrast the cycling of energy through biological systems and biogeochemical cycles.
Answer: Points awarded on depth and accuracy of answer.Answer should mention sunlight as the starting point for all energy and transfer of energy through living things in the food chain/web (including energy lost as heat along each step of the pathway).
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species
Interactions
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Sample Questions
Q1) There are usually many tolerance limits responsible for limiting the number and location of a species.However, some organisms have ____________ that limit/limits their distribution.
A)a specific critical factor
B)other environmental conditions
C)many factors
D)nothing
Q2) Some communities, such as grasslands, may never really reach F.E. Clements's concept of a climax stage because
A) Ecological succession works too slowly
B) There is no optimum community for these environments
C) They are adapted to periodic disturbance
D) Their environmental conditions are too unstable
E) Primary succession is a slow process
Q3) Humans can best be described as
A)Occupying a narrow niche
B)An example of convergent evolution
C)Outside the rules of natural selection
D)Specialists
E)Generalists
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Chapter 5: Biomes
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Sample Questions
Q1) _________ is the basis of marine food webs.
A)Coral
B)Phytoplankton
C)Minnows
D)Sea grass
Q2) The biome type that has a short growing season and is summer feeding and breeding grounds for caribou and musk-ox is the
A)Temperate grassland
B)Bog or fen
C)Boreal forest
D)Arctic tundra
E)Arctic desert
Q3) In the graph of precipitation and temperature, the area marked A has a:
A)Wide precipitation range and narrow temperature range
B)Narrow precipitation and temperature range
C)Wide precipitation and temperature range
D)Wide temperature range and narrow precipitation range
E)Varying temperature and narrow precipitation range
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7
Chapter 6: Population Biology
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Sample Questions
Q1) Predation is considered to be a(n) _______________ factor.
A)Extrinsic
B)Intrinsic
C)Abiotic
D)Biotic
E)Extrinsic and biotic
Q2) Exponential growth would be represented by a ____ curve?
A)J-shaped
B)S-shaped
C)straight
D)bimodal
E)linear
Q3) The ability to produce rapid population overshoots can be a useful strategy for a species that tends to
A)Colonize new territory
B)Maintain a firm position in its current habitat
C)Be part of a climax community
D)Develop intricate niche relationships
E)Be part of a complex ecosystem
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Human Populations
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the graph, which region has the greatest fertility reduction?
A)Africa
B)The Americas
C)Eastern Mediterranean
D)Europe
E)South-East Asia
Q2) The total fertility rate is the number of children born
A)To the average woman per year
B)To the average woman during her lifetime
C)In the world during a single year
D)In a population during a single year
E)In a population during an entire generation
Q3) The difference between "total growth rate" and "natural increase" is that total growth rates
A)Include only the number of births and deaths
B)Include immigration and emigration as well as births and deaths
C)Include only immigration and emigration
D)Include infant mortality as well as adult deaths
E)Are not expressed as percentages
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Environmental Health and Toxicology
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63 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Between 1990 and 2010, what showed the biggest rank increase for the "Leading Causes of Global Disease Burden?"
A)HIV/AIDS
B)Stroke
C)Diabetes
D)Malaria
Q2) The dose/response curve shows that
A)Some exposure is necessary before most individuals respond
B)Any exposure causes immediate response
C)Response levels off as dosage increases
D)The dose decreases as response increases
E)All of these are represented by the dose/response curve
Q3) An advantage of testing for toxicity by exposing animals to chemicals is that using animals is
A)Cheaper than other methods
B)Faster than other methods
C)Usually quite humane
D)Easier than using computer models
E)A trusted and usually reliable way to get results
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Food and Hunger
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Sample Questions
Q1) Famines are most often serious when there is
A)A very serious drought.
B)No room to expand agriculture.
C)Steady population growth.
D)Armed conflict and political oppression.
E)An attempt by indigenous people to return to old traditions and lands.
Q2) Worldwide, traditional, and native varieties of food crops have __________ since the introduction of green revolution varieties.
A)Become more widespread
B)Stayed about the same in terms of use
C)Been slightly influenced by new varieties
D)Been widely replaced by new varieties
E)Spread from region to region, leading to increased diversity
Q3) What are two common diseases that result from protein deficiencies?
A)Dysentery and diarrhea
B)Dysentery and scurvy
C)Scurvy and pellagra
D)Goiter and cretinism
E)Marasmus and kwashiorkor
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Chapter 10: Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices
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82 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The pesticide treadmill occurs when
A)A virus transfers pesticide resistance to a new species
B)Constantly decreasing doses of pesticides are needed to control pests
C)Nontarget agricultural species are destroyed by insecticides
D)Predators of the pest species are killed by broadcast spraying
E)Constantly increasing doses of pesticides are needed to control pests
Q2) Economic thresholds are not considered in integrated pest management.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Terracing is more sustainable than conventional farming, but is also more expensive.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The richest farming soils that form under the grasslands of central North America and under moist deciduous forests are the ________.
A)Latisols and aridisols
B)Ultisols and mollisols
C)Mollisols and alfisols
D)Entisols and ultisols
E)Alfisols and ultisols
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Chapter 11: Biodiversity
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55 Verified Questions
55 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The acronym that stands for habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, human population, and overharvesting is
A)HIPHO
B)HDIAPHPO
C)HIPPO
D)DIPPS
E)None of these
Q2) Most of the species that are yet undiscovered are probably
A)Mammals and reptiles
B)Birds and fish
C)Vertebrates
D)Invertebrates
E)Multicellular plants
Q3) In general, funding for recovery programs is given to species that are
A)In most danger
B)Most important
C)Most well known
D)Most numerous
E)Keystone species
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Page 13
Chapter 12: Biodiversity: Preserving Landscapes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements about old-growth forests is true?
A)Humans do not reside in old-growth forests.
B)Old-growth forests have been without disturbance of any kind for at least 100 years.
C)The largest remaining areas of old-growth forests are in North America.
D)They include temperate rainforests, tropical rainforests, boreal forests, and deciduous forests.
E)None of the above is true.
Q2) Although most of the world's forests are shrinking, biologists are especially concerned about tropical forest loss because
A)They contain such high biodiversity
B)Tropical trees are the biggest trees in the world
C)They contain irreplaceable wood resources
D)There are fewer remaining tropical forests than any other forest type
E)All of these are reasons that biologists are especially concerned about tropical forest loss
Q3) Compare and contrast the preservation of the Amazon Basin and the Pantanal, both in Brazil.
Q4) Compare and contrast an old-growth (primary) forest with a tree farm.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Restoration Ecology
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Sample Questions
Q1) Artificial wetlands can be used for
A)Filtering and treating sewage effluent
B)Cooling of industrial water
C)Recreation
D)Collecting storm runoff
E)All of these are correct
Q2) To use a site to create a new and different kind of biological community rather than the existing one is known as reallocation.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Radioactive materials have been successfully removed from the soil near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant using
A)Sunflowers
B)Poplar trees
C)Expensive soil removal and extraction methods
D)Mustard greens
E)None of these as there is no way to remove radioactive materials safely from soil
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15
Chapter 14: Geology and Earth Resources
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47 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The fundamental characteristic(s) that distinguish(es) a mineral is/are its _______.
A)Chemical composition only
B)Grain size
C)Chemical composition and its crystal structure
D)Crystal structure only
E)Organic materials.
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a major type of rock?
A)Igneous
B)Bituminious
C)Metamorphic
D)Sedimentary
Q3) Placer mining involves washing metals, minerals, and the gemstones from streambeds with a water cannon.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Fires are a major environmental risk of underground coal mines.
A)True
B)False
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Climate Change
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63 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The most effective and practical way of reducing CO<sub>2 </sub>emissions is to
A)make many small changes over all of the human population that act like 'wedges' reducing emissions
B)switch to all renewable energy as soon as possible
C)stop all industry that emits CO2 regardless of the economic problems it may cause
D)There is no problem with climate change, so we do not need to do anything.
Q2) Elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur were added to the Earth's early atmosphere through _______________.
A)the mechanical weathering of rocks
B)the chemical weathering of rocks
C)volcanic emissions
D)photosynthesis
E)contact with space
Q3) Most of the excessive carbon dioxide that is expected to cause global warming is generated by green plants.
A)True
B)False
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17
Chapter 16: Air Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) A major source of VOCs is
A)Incomplete burning of hydrocarbons
B)Combustion of sulphur-containing fuel
C)Photochemical oxidation
D)CO in the atmosphere
E)CO<sub>2</sub> in the atmosphere
Q2) Secondary pollutants
A)Harm only vulnerable members of a population
B)Become dangerous after reacting in the atmosphere
C)Are produced in lesser quantities than primary pollutants
D)Are less dangerous than other pollutants
E)Are classified by the EPA as the second-most dangerous and abundant
Q3) Carbon monoxide is produced by
A)Normal respiration by animals
B)Normal respiration by plants
C)Incomplete burning of fuels
D)Photochemical oxidation of carbon
E)The burning of sulfur-laden coal
Q4) Compare and contrast the effects of ozone in the stratosphere and troposphere.
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Chapter 17: Water Use and Management
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Sample Questions
Q1) The rainshadow on the mountain in the diagram would be in the area marked
A)From A to B
B)From B to C
C)From C to D
D)At A and at D
E)At A and at B
Q2) The zone of saturation is the portion of groundwater where
A)Water vapor turns to liquid
B)An aquifer is the deepest
C)All soil or rock pore spaces are filled with water
D)All soil or rock pore spaces are filled with air
E)The water table ends
Q3) The activity that uses the greatest share of U.S.household water is
A)Bathing
B)Drinking and cooking
C)Flushing the toilet
D)Washing clothes and dishes
E)Watering lawns
Q4) Compare and contrast the water diversion projects in China and California.
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Chapter 18: Water Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Identify four categories of human health problems associated with water pollution and provide an example for each one.
Q2) ____________ is to a point source of water pollution as _____________ is to a nonpoint source of water pollution.
A)Golf course runoff; atmospheric deposition
B)Golf course runoff; power plant effluent
C)Power plant effluent; golf course runoff
D)Atmospheric deposition; golf course runoff
E)Power plant effluent; an underground coal mine drain
Q3) In the diagram, which of the following organisms would probably be found in the area marked 3 and higher?
A)Mayfly and stonefly larvae
B)Mosquito larvae
C)Bullhead catfish and gar
D)Gar, blackfly, and midge larvae
E)Leeches and isopods
Q4) Explain the connections between oxygen sag and biological oxygen demand (BOD).Use a drawing in your explanation and use appropriate labels.
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Page 20
Chapter 19: Conventional Energy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The application of force over distance is known as A)Power
B)Work
C)Fuels
D)Energy
E)None of these is correct
Q2) One megawatt is equal to _________ watts.
A)100
B)1000
C)1 million
D)1 billion
E)1 trillion
Q3) Power is the
A)Rate of energy delivery (work done per second)
B)Amount of energy available
C)Capacity to do work (force over distance)
D)Combination of the rate of energy delivery, amount of energy available, and the capacity to do work
E)Amount of work done when a force of one newton is exerted over one meter
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Page 21
Chapter 20: Sustainable Energy
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the United States, windmills played a critical role in the settlement of
A)Appalachia
B)The Sierra Nevadas
C)The Great Plains
D)The Rocky Mountains
E)The Northeast
Q2) Which of the following is true regarding fuel cell technology?
A)They were first designed by NASA.
B)They must be recharged with an electrical current.
C)They are only about 40-45% efficient.
D)They must receive a constant supply of water and oxygen.
E)A fuel cell stack providing all of the electricity for a typical home is not feasible because it would be too large.
Q3) Photovoltaic electricity costs are __________ coal or nuclear-powered electricity.
A)substantially less than
B)unlikely to become as cheap as C)incomparably more expensive than D)likely to be cheaper in the near future than E)the same as
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Page 22
Chapter 21: Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste
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Sample Questions
Q1) The cheapest option of the "three Rs" is most often
A)Recycle
B)Reuse
C)Release
D)Redefine
E)Reduce
Q2) According to the Household Disposal Guide, what is the best way to dispose of your aerosol cans (hairspray, bug spray, furniture polish, etc.)?
A)Dispose of empty cans in the trash
B)Save and bring to a hazardous waste collection site
C)Flush with plenty of water in the drain
D)Flush with plenty of water in the toilet
E)Recycle
Q3) Contamination in the Love Canal was from a(n)
A)Active petrochemical plant
B)Major toxic waste disposal firm
C)Long-abandoned city and chemical factory dump
D)Neighboring county whose groundwater seeped into the canal
E)Sanitary landfill
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Chapter 22: Urbanization and Sustainable Cities
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Sample Questions
Q1) A city with a population greater than ______ is considered a megacity.
A)1 million
B)200 thousand
C)10 million
D)30 million
E)1 billion
Q2) The best solution to ease traffic congestion and reduce air pollution is
A)Build more freeways
B)Produce more fuel-efficient vehicles
C)Develop a successful mass transit system
D)Build more airports
E)All of these
Q3) Squatter towns are often dangerous places to live because the land they are on is commonly
A)Unstable, polluted, or near industrial sites
B)Owned by powerful political figures
C)In the densest parts of the city
D)Close to new building construction zones
E)Close to major highways
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Page 24
Chapter 23: Ecological Economics
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Sample Questions
Q1) The computer models published in the 1972 Limits to Growth predicted _____ in the next century.
A)Population stability
B)Population and resource crashes
C)Growth in both population and resources
D)An immediate decrease in pollution levels
E)An increase in industrial output
Q2) Using the supply-demand graph, what happens as the price of goods or services increases?
A)The quantity of the goods or services decreases
B)The quantity of the goods or services increases
C)Demand increases and supply falls
D)Demand falls and supply increases
E)Market equilibrium is finally reached and the demand increases
Q3) The Grameen Bank is a microlender whose business loans assist mainly low-status women.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Draw a classic supply/demand curve.Label the x axis, y axis, and market equilibrium.
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Chapter 24: Environmental Policy, Law, and Planning
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Sample Questions
Q1) An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required for any federal project that has
A)Major new pollution emissions
B)Major building projects
C)Possible health threats to people
D)Potentially harmful effects on areas of cultural, scientific, or historical importance
E)All of these
Q2) Self-interest policy is to _________ as rational choice is to cost-benefit approaches.
A)Fairness
B)Diverse and separate interests
C)Power
D)Science-based management
E)Altruism
Q3) Compare and contrast the effectiveness of Statutory Law (the Legislative Branch), Case Law (The Judicial Branch), and Administrative Law (The Executive Branch) in determining environmental policy.
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26
Chapter
25: What Then Shall We Do
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why would the "group of 10" environmental organizations be criticized?
A)They are militant and extremist groups that lead to environmental revolutions
B)They oppose most environmental protection
C)They tend to compromise and cooperate with the establishment
D)Their membership is small and they have focused and limited influence
E)They support radical approaches in addressing environmental problems
Q2) If you buy a product that is "natural," you can be assured that the product
A)Is nontoxic to humans
B)Is better for the environment
C)Contains no harmful ingredients
D)Contains no pesticides
E)None of these is correct
Q3) One of the essential factors in a sustainable future based on improving human well-being and protecting our common environment is
A)Technology transfer from developed to developing countries
B)Environmental and resource protection
C)Increased aid for developing countries
D)A demographic transition to stabilized population growth for developing countries
E)All of these
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