Sustainability Science Exam Practice
Tests
Course Introduction
Sustainability Science is an interdisciplinary course that explores the complex interactions between natural and human systems with a focus on promoting long-term ecological balance, social equity, and economic well-being. The course examines foundational concepts such as planetary boundaries, systems thinking, and resilience, and analyzes case studies that highlight successful and challenging approaches to sustainable development worldwide. Students will engage with tools and methodologies for assessing sustainability, consider global and local sustainability challenges, and develop practical skills for formulating integrative solutions to real-world problems. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and hands-on projects, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to foster sustainability across diverse contexts.
Recommended Textbook
Environmental Science 13th Edition by G. Tyler Miller
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17 Chapters
1902 Verified Questions
1902 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) ____________________ is the biological science that studies the relationships between living things and their environment.
Answer: Ecology
Q2) Developed countries
A)are high-income
B)are low-income
C)use about 88% of the world's resources
D)make up about 80% of the world's population
E)Are high-income and use about 88% of the worlds resources
Answer: E
Q3) Nutrient recycling is a vital natural service carried out by which natural resource?
A)natural gas
B)clean air
C)topsoil
D)all of these answers
E)two of these answers
Answer: C
Q4) What percentage of the world's population does not have adequate sanitation?
Answer: 37%
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Chapter 2: Science, Matter, and Energy
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107 Verified Questions
107 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain how the differences between humans and other living organisms, such as plants or animals, are controlled and encoded at the cellular level.
Answer: Within the nucleus of each cell is a set of chromosomes, found in pairs.
a.Each chromosome consists of a long DNA molecule that contains the coding in sequences called genes.
a.The genes are distinct pieces of genetic information to make specific proteins that result in specific traits or characteristics.
Q2) The biologists' observations that the Carson Wandering Skipper populations had declined is an example of
A)data analysis
B)identifying a problem
C)performing an experiment
D)proposing a hypothesis
E)making testable predictions
Answer: B
Q3) Genes are segments of ____________________.
Answer: DNA
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Chapter 3: Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They
Work
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177 Verified Questions
177 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When organisms die, their nitrogenous organic compounds are converted to simpler inorganic compounds such as ammonia through the process of A)nitrification
B)ammonification
C)denitrification
D)assimilation
E)leaching
Answer: B
Q2) If the producers in an ecosystem capture 40,000 units of energy, assuming average efficiency of energy transfer, how many units of this energy can likely be successfully converted into secondary consumer biomass?
A)40,000
B)4,000
C)400
D)40
E)4
Answer: C
Q3) On the figure above, choose the letter that represents primary consumers. Answer: C
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Chapter 4: Biodiversity and Evolution
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94 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Clearly explain the relationship between the geologic process of plate tectonics and the biological process of evolution over geologic time.
Q2) ____________________ are random changes in the structure or number of DNA molecules in a cell.
Q3) Which of the following is an essential characteristic that allows life to exist on planet Earth?
A)temperature
B)presence of water
C)distance from the sun
D)size of the planet
E)all of these answers
Q4) Approximately what percentage of amphibian species is threatened with extinction and declining worldwide?
A)43%
B)33%
C)33%, 43%
D)80%
E)43%, 53%
Q5) ____________________ help to create habitats and ecosystems.
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Chapter 5: Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Population Control
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93 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) A large mountain just south of Reno, Nevada, is called Slide Mountain. a.This name refers to the fact that in the early 1980s, after weeks of heavy precipitation, a large section of this mountain became a destructive mudslide that slid down the east slopes and destroyed the vegetation and homes in its path.
In the decades since the mudslide, the vegetation has completely regrown, and the slide area is no longer visible.
This is an example of
A)Primary succession.
B)Secondary succession.
C)During the first 10 years following the mudslide it was primary succession, and after that it was secondary succession.
D)Tertiary succession.
E)This is not an example of any type of succession.
Q2) On the exponential growth of reindeer figure, choose the portion of the graph that represents the number of reindeer that exceeded the capacity of their environment.
Q3) A common tick is an example of a(n) ____________________.
Q4) Compare and contrast primary succession and secondary succession.
Q5) There are ____________________ limits to population growth in nature.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: The Human Population and Urbanization
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126 Verified Questions
126 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most urban areas are ____________________ systems.
Q2) Age structure diagrams
A)show only two age groups: reproductive and not reproductive
B)show the number of males and females in the reproductive age categories only
C)are strictly for present use and do not provide insight into future trends
D)are useful for studying developing countries but not developed countries
E)are useful for predicting population momentum
Q3) Megacities have improved significantly over the last decade due to public water supplies and better sanitation.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Women who live in rural areas have a lower total fertility rate than those in urban areas.
A)True
B)False
Q5) As much as ____________________% of the adult population in some African countries is infected with the AIDS virus.
Q6) Technological advances have allowed humans to avoid the pressure of
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Chapter 7: Climate and Biodiversity
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137 Verified Questions
137 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Worldwide, coral reefs provide habitat for about 25% of all marine organisms. a.However, coral reefs occupy about _____ of the ocean floor.
A)25%
B)10%
C)15%
D)5%
E)0.2%
Q2) The biome that has been disturbed by human activity more than any other, on a global basis, is the ____________________.
Q3) The rain shadow effect refers to
A)more light on the windward side of mountain ranges
B)more light on the leeward side of mountain ranges
C)drier conditions on the windward side of mountain ranges
D)drier conditions on the leeward side of mountain ranges
E)wetter conditions on the windward side of mountain ranges
Q4) Terrestrial ecosystems are referred to as biomes, but water-based ecosystems are not.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Sustaining Biodiversity: the Species Approach
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103 Verified Questions
103 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The type of species that are expected to increase in a world with degraded and simplified habitats are
A)rodent species
B)insect species, such as cockroaches
C)weeds
D)all of these answers
E)none of these answers
Q2) A slow reproduction rate makes a species especially vulnerable to biological extinction.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The greatest threat to most species is
A)loss of habitat
B)water pollution
C)parasites
D)sport hunting
E)climate change
Q4) It can be said that, of the species now listed under the Endangered Species Act, more than half have populations that are either ____________________ or
10
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Chapter 9: Sustaining Biodiversity: the Ecosystem Approach
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Sample Questions
Q1) Using the above pictured chart, explain which country would gain the most from adopting a debt-for-nature swap?
Q2) Recycling paper and buying recycled paper products is one way you can help to sustain terrestrial biodiversity.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The area of ocean needed to sustain the consumption of fish for an average person, nation, or the world is called the A)footprint
B)ecological footprint
C)biodiversity print
D)fishprint
E)foodprint
Q4) The wolf reintroduction was based partly on its importance as a(n)
A)indicator species
B)generalist species
C)fur-bearing species
D)keystone species
E)all of these answers
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Food, Soil, and Pest Management
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120 Verified Questions
120 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The largest contributor to the ecological foot print of most individuals in affluent nations is
A)recreational hunting and fishing
B)vacations via air travel
C)residential heating
D)meat production and consumption
E)purchasing more clothing and accessories than are needed
Q2) Perhaps the most important thing about Rachel Carson's investigative work on the environmental effects of pesticides, and her publication "Silent Spring," is
A)the number of errors in the book
B)her failure to include a discussion about Integrated Pest Management
C)that it laid the groundwork for later, more serious work
D)that it eventually led to the banning of many pesticides in the United States and other countries
E)that it is a remarkable book considering it was written by a person without any scientific training
Q3) no genetically modified seeds
A)industrialized agriculture
B)organic agriculture
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Water Resources and Water Pollution
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133 Verified Questions
133 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements about underground contaminants is false?
A)Degradable organic wastes do not decompose as rapidly underground as on the surface.
B)There is little dissolved oxygen to aid in degradation of wastes.
C)Waste products are diluted and dispersed quickly in underground aquifers.
D)It can take hundreds to thousands of years for contaminated groundwater to cleanse itself of degradable wastes.
E)In some coastal areas, groundwater has been contaminated by saltwater intrusion.
Q2) Land erosion causes water pollution.
A)True
B)False
Q3) ____________________ is any change in water quality that harms humans or other living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses.
Q4) The blue revolution is focused around ____________________ water waste and ____________________ water pollution.
Q5) On the primary and secondary sewage treatment figure, choose the letter that represents where suspended solids settle out as sludge in the physical process of sewage treatment.
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Chapter 12: Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
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99 Verified Questions
99 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Richter scale measures the amplitude of ____________________.
Q2) When a resource has been economically depleted, we can A)recycle or reuse what has already been extracted
B)cut down on unnecessary waste of the resource
C)find a substitute
D)do without
E)all of these answers
Q3) On the figure of the earth's crust, choose the letter that represents hot material rising through the mantle.
Q4) High-strength plastics and composite materials strengthened by carbon and glass fibers are advantageous because they
A)are stronger than metal
B)cost less to produce
C)are easily molded into any shape
D)don't need painting
E)all of these answers
Q5) On the figure of the earth's crust, choose the letter that represents the inner core.
Q6) A volcano is created when ____________________ rises in a plume through the lithosphere.
14
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Chapter 13: Energy
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110 Verified Questions
110 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an advantage of solar cells?
A)durable for 20 to 40 years
B)quick installation
C)easy expansion of the system needed
D)no carbon dioxide emissions
E)all of these answers
Q2) Synthetic natural gas is produced by a process called ____________________.
Q3) Burning of coal is responsible for roughly a third of the toxic mercury emitted into the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q4) After almost 60 years of research, there is no consensus on how to safely store growing amounts of nuclear waste safely for thousands of years.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Electricity is generated in which area of the plant?
Q6) Natural gas is difficult to ship or transfer from one country to another because it is
Q7) Briefly explain why it is so expensive to close down a nuclear power plant.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Environmental Hazards and Human Health
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97 Verified Questions
97 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Common antimalarial drugs have become more effective against the Plasmodium parasites since about 1970.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen mimic used in the production of hardened plastic products. a.This chemical is a problem when
A)It is embedded in plastic containers of food products.
B)Baby bottles that contain it are warmed before use.
C)Baby bottles that contain it are used for acidic juices, which may leach out the BPA.
D)Plastic containers with BPA end up as beach litter and cause harm to marine animals.
E)All of these answers
Q3) Mutagens directly change molecules of
A)water
B)carbohydrate
C)DNA
D)fat
E)RNA
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Chapter 15: Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Ozone
Depletion
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136 Verified Questions
136 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
A)oxygen
B)nitrogen
C)methane
D)carbon dioxide
E)water vapor
Q2) A warmer atmosphere is beneficial to wildlife habitats and plant species because of the increased temperature and productivity.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is a natural source of air pollution?
A)dust blown by wind
B)wildfires
C)volcanoes
D)volatile organic chemicals released by some plants
E)all of these answers
Q4) The Environmental Protection Agency's classification of fine and ultra-fine particles refers to ____________________.
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Q5) ____________________ aims to be the first country to become carbon neutral.
Chapter 16: Solid and Hazardous Waste
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100 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) ____________________ are chemical substances that persist in the environment and accumulate in the fatty tissues of humans and other organisms.
Q2) The top priority in dealing with hazardous waste should be the same as the top priority for solid waste, and that is ____________________.
Q3) Explain to a friend what the term environmental justice means. a.Include in your explanation some specific examples of environmental injustice.
Q4) Garbage produced directly by households and businesses accounts for ____ of the solid waste produced in the United States.
A)less than 2%
B)5%
C)10%
D)15%
E)20%
Q5) The recycling of plastic bottles to make fleece fabric for clothing is a type of secondary recycling.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Which area is a methane gas recovery well?
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Chapter 17: Environmental Economics, Politics, and Worldviews
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Sample Questions
Q1) It is easier to live sustainably when you
A)Have a sense of place.
B)Live simply.
C)Seek environmental wisdom instead of information.
D)All of these answers.
E)None of these answers.
Q2) Biosphere II would have been a successful and valuable experiment if the enclosure had not been invaded by an ant species.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Militant environmental groups that use violence to achieve their ends
A)are considered valid by most environmentalists
B)are applauded by most NGOs
C)have never been active in the United States
D)are opposed by most environmentalists
E)all of these answers
Q4) Understanding and evaluating our environmental worldviews should be a(n) ____________________ process.
Q5) In recent years, most major U.S.
a.federal environmental laws and regulations have been ____________________.
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