Unit Test — Cumulative exam Answers

Rivers and streams are biodiverse ecosystems that are sensitive to change.

How can resource conservation benefit the environment?a.Resource conservation can help preserve natural habitats.b.Resource conservation can reduce water pollution.c.Resource conservation can reduce air pollution.d.All of the above

Which of the following is a potential obstacle to the commercial development of brownfields?a.the presence of pollutantsb.environmental cleanup lawsc.the costs of environmental cleanupd.all of the above

Which of the following is a benefit associated with the use of energy producing technologies excluding the burning of fossil fuels?a.reduced water useb.reduced air pollutionc.reduced habitat lossd.all of the above

Which of the following is a possible cost of using renewable resources?a.loss of animal speciesb.land degradationc.lower availability of freshwaterd.all of the above

Which of the following about carbon sinks is not true?a.They emit more carbon than they take in.b.They take in more carbon they emit.c.They store carbon from the atmosphere.d.They include oceans and forests.

The amount of available energy changes between the trophic levels found in a food chain or energy pyramid. Photos (left to right) by Mehmet Karatay, Jens Buurgaard Nielsen, Furryscaly, and Walter Siegmund How would the amount of available energy differ in the trophic level of the mouse compared to the trophic level of the hawk? a. Available energy would increase from the mouse to the hawk. b. Available energy would decrease from the mouse to the hawk. c. Available energy would initially increase from the mouse to the hawk, and then decrease over time. d. Available energy would remain the same from the mouse to the hawk. Please select the best answer from the choices provided

The percentage of a hunter-gatherer society’s diet provided by hunting versus gathering was mostly determined by _______.a.the climateb.the types of preyc.hunting skilld.the size of the human population

Why is preventing pollution at its source the first strategy in minimizing environmental risk?a.It is easier and more effective to prevent pollution than to clean up and dispose of waste.b.Remediation of contamination is easier than pollution prevention.c.Habitat restoration cannot be undertaken with modern technologies.d.Safe waste disposal is the easiest was to minimize environmental risk.

Forest management practices can reduce the negative impact of wood harvesting.

How can the use of biotechnology lead to an increase in soil conservation practices?a.Biotechnology use can lead to a decrease in pesticide and herbicide use, maintaining soil quality.b.Biotechnology use can lead to soil compaction, preventing erosion.c.Biotechnology use can increase the amount of management required for agriculture, increasing the likelihood of the practice of soil conservation.d.All of the above

Moving up trophic levels there is an increase in energy, entropy, and biomass.

Which of the following can be reduced by the use of renewable energy sources?a.social costsb.economic costsc.environmental costsd.all of the above

Which of the following best explains why soil conservation is important to human agriculture?a.Erosion prevention prevents millions of dollars in damage from mudslides.b.It is easier to prevent the degradation of old soil than it is to generate new soil.c.If the soil salinity gets too high crops will not be able to grow in it.d.Soil contamination is a hazard to human and animal health.

Which of the following scenarios is representative of how agricultural practices can affect the environment?a.increased oxygen levels in a pond due to fertilizer runoffb.sediment accumulation in a body of water near a farmc.soil compaction caused by tillaged.increased plant growth caused by the application of herbicides

Which of the following is a difficulty associated with environmental protection?a.costb.unpredictabilityc.sustainabilityd.all of the above

What is the most important consideration for environmental policy makers?a.popular opinionb.environmental healthc.costd.none of the above

Which of the following best explains why buildings tip during earthquakes?a.Seismic waves damage buildings’ foundations.b.The liquefaction of solid soil undermines buildings’ foundations.c.Body waves break underground water pipes.d.Surface faulting moves the ground in different directions.

Flooding on rivers is caused by human activity rather than natural events.

What characteristic sets streams and rivers apart?a.water qualityb.direction of flowc.sized.biodiversity