Cumulative Exam Answers

Kudzu is a vine that was brought to the United States from Japan to prevent erosion. Once here, kudzu became invasive. What role does kudzu most likely play in the environment in the United States?

There is a single instrument to measure climate change.

Which of the following about the ozone layer is not true?a.The ozone layer is formed in the stratosphere.b.The ozone layer helps sustain life by absorbing a large amount of incoming UV radiation.c.Ozone in the troposphere is beneficial to living organisms.d.Depletion of the ozone layer can lead to an increase in skin cancer.

The principle difference between point source and nonpoint source water pollution is _______.a.whether the pollution is organic or inorganicb.the number of sources of pollutionc.the amount of pollutiond.whether it is from commercial or agricultural sources

A balance in abiotic factors is vital to healthy ecosystems.

Which of the following statements about change in ecosystems is true?a.Ecosystems experience change through human activity only.b.Ecosystems experience change through natural events only.c.Ecosystems experience no change.d.Ecosystems experience change through human activity and natural events.

Which of the following statements about Earth’s cycles is not true?a.Earth’s cycles move matter between abiotic and biotic factors of the environment.b.The various cycles found on Earth are vital to life.c.Some of Earth’s cycles are a direct result of human action.d.Earth’s cycles convert nonliving elements into forms usable by organisms.

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

How does groundwater become polluted?a.Pollutants mixed with water pass through permeable layers above the aquifer.b.Factories dump their waste directly into aquifers.c.Refuse infiltrates the water table when garbage is dumped.d.All of the above

The overall population of a species decreased. What could have occurred to make this happen?

Which of the following is true about ice ages?a.forests are plentiful and commonb.biodiversity is reducedc.ecosystems are createdd.glaciers recede

The Clean Air Act would be a reason for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate car emissions.

It is important to maintain septic systems in order to _______.a.prevent treated sewage from contaminating groundwaterb.process human waste into fertilizerc.prevent untreated sewage from contaminating groundwaterd.none of the above

What happens to water in the atmosphere as it rises?a.It evaporates.b.It condenses and forms clouds.c.It combines with other gases in the air.d.It is used up.

Wind, solar and geothermal power are called renewable energy sources because _______.a.tax breaks for these sources are renewed every yearb.they are continuously replenishedc.humans can replenish these sources periodicallyd.they produce few toxic byproducts

Ozone is formed when _______.a.two oxygen molecules combineb.an individual oxygen atom combines with an oxygen moleculec.ultraviolet radiation breaks apart four oxygen moleculesd.oxygen molecules are broken into separate atoms

The largest supply of Earth’s freshwater is stored in _______.a.lakes and riversb.groundwaterc.the atmosphered.glaciers and icecaps

Which of the following would not be considered a point source pollution contributor?a.an animal feedlotb.cattle on rangelandc.a paper milld.a slaughterhouse

Which of the following most significantly determines a community's access to potable water? a. access to clean raw water sources b. the availability of money c. local drought conditions d. the level of industrial development Please select the best answer from the choices provided

The thickness of Earth’s crust depends upon _______.a.whether it is continental or oceanicb.the temperature of the outer corec.how volcanically active the region isd.all of the above

Which of the following is not a typical pattern found in the Earth system?a.rock cycleb.water cyclec.carbon cycled.calcium cycle

Why is water considered to be abiotic?

Pollution in the _______ will have the greatest effect on human health.a.troposphereb.stratospherec.mesosphered.thermosphere

Which of the following is not a manmade cause of global warming?a.burning fossil fuelsb.deforestationc.respirationd.population growth

Which of the following lists the levels of organizational hierarchy from most complex to least complex?

Which of the following statements about erosion is true?a.Erosion occurs as a result of drastic changes in temperature.b.Erosion occurs when wind or water moves over sediment, soil, or rocks.c.Physical and chemical are the two types of erosion.d.Movement is not required for erosion to take place.

Which of the following is an aspect of the elastic rebound theory?a.Energy built up when plates try to get past each other is released when plates break free.b.Fault zones are often located near major population centers.c.Earthquakes occurring along subduction zones cause tsunamis.d.None of the above are aspects of the elastic rebound theory.

Scientists use specific levels of organization to analyze the biosphere. Which level of organization describes a school of anchovies? School of Anchovies

Which of the following could cause a habitat change?a.introduction of an invasive speciesb.a wildfirec.a mudslided.all of the above

Desalination has no known negative impacts on the environment.

Which of the following two cycles are the most closely related in their role in sustaining life?a.carbon and nitrogenb.water and nitrogenc.carbon and oxygend.nitrogen and phosphorus

Which of the following statements about water policy is true?a.The United States does not regulate water quality.b.Policies regulating water pollution and water quality have eliminated environmentalists concern about water.c.Current laws in place about water policy would eliminate water quality problems if they were enforced.d.The Clean Water Act has helped reduce water contamination, but further efforts are needed to maintain water quality.

What is likely to happen to a healthy population that is experiencing exponential growth?

Volcanoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes occur as a result of continental shifting.

Fluctuations in the phosphorus cycle in aquatic ecosystems _______.a.can lead to changes in the growth rates of aquatic populationsb.are never caused by human impact on the environmentc.lead to a decrease in the amount of phosphorus found in sedimentd.never occur naturally

Human impact on one system leads to changes in more of Earth’s systems.

Hyenas and lions have fierce battles over food. Which type of relationship does this describe?

Which is a difference between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic era?

Which type of process occurred in the ecosystem that was affected by the 1988 fires in Yellowstone Park, which destroyed most of the vegetation but left the soil intact?

Which of the following changes to waterways is only the result of human activity?a.erosionb.temperature fluctuationsc.floodingd.chemical pollution

Which of the following is an example of natural erosion?a.ice forming in cracks of rocksb.acid rain falling on sidewalksc.waves washing over rocks on the beachd.water washing away soil in an area used by off-road vehicles

While an important source of freshwater, groundwater is not as widely used as rivers and springs.

In which era did mammals emerge?

A Russian citizen has illegally obtained a Siberian tiger and is trying to sell the tiger’s fur in the United States. What treaty does this violate?

Matter is moved through the Earth by the interaction of Earth’s systems.

A biologist counts the number of zebras in a population each year, and notices an increase in the zebra population. Which describes the biologist’s actions?

The figures below refer to a herd of water buffalo.Birth rate = 35 Death rate = 7Immigration = 4 Emigration = 17What is this population growth?

Changes to the global climate could include _______.a.changes to temperatureb.changes to pressurec.changes to precipitationd.all of the above

A forest fire destroys an area. A small population of trees and a large population of birds are both affected. Which type of limiting factor causes this?

Global climate change is a concern to scientists because it_______.a.is a natural process unaffected by humansb.has never changed beforec.can have drastic effects to life on Earthd.can happen overnight