Deck 17: Land Resources

Question 1

Which U.S. government agency manages federally owned land?

A) Bureau of Land Management
B) U.S. Fish and Wildlife
C) National Park Service
D) U.S. Forest Service
E) All of these choices are correct

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The natural or human-induced process that decreases the future ability of the land to support crops or livestock is known as:

A) desertification
B) land degradation
C) overgrazing
D) clear cutting
E) undergrazing

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Approximately 55 percent of the land in the United States is owned by:

A) the federal government, as national parks.
B) Native Americans.
C) citizens, corporations, and non-profit organizations.
D) state and local governments.
E) the federal government, as national forests and rangelands.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Forests:

A) fix large amounts of oxygen, removing it from the atmosphere.
B) promote soil erosion.
C) maintain watersheds.
D) provide habitat for few animal species.
E) release large amounts of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.

Question 5

The National Wildlife Refuge System was established by which President of the United States?

A) Abraham Lincoln
B) Woodrow Wilson
C) Harry Truman
D) Herbert Hoover
E) Theodore Roosevelt

Question 6

Which of the following is a direct cause of deforestation?

A) Insects
B) Indigenous people
C) Decrease of agriculture
D) Diseases
E) Both insects and diseases are direct causes of deforestation

Question 7

Which of the following is not a method currently used to harvest trees?

A) clear cutting
B) selective cutting
C) seed tree cutting
D) shelterwood cutting
E) All of these choices are currently used

Question 8

Which of the following statements is NOT true about public planning of land use?

A) Land use decisions are complex because they have multiple effects
B) Public planning of land should take all repercussions into account
C) Public planning is concerned primarily with immediate effects
D) Initial land development spawns additional land development
E) All of these statements are true

Question 9

Cities make up what percentage of the world's total land area?

A) 9%
B) 17%
C) 3%
D) 12%
E) 7%

Question 10

Which organization is included as a provision of the 1990 Farm Bill which helps landowners protect environmentally important forestlands from development?

A) Forest Legacy Program
B) Bureau of Land Management
C) Environmental Protection Agency
D) Department of Environmental Management
E) Sierra Club

Question 11

The Wilderness Act of 1964:

A) established five new national parks.
B) limits the percentage of an area that can be developed for human habitation and other activities.
C) gives designated wilderness areas the highest protection of any public lands
D) established wilderness areas, but only within existing national parks.
E) safeguards mountain areas but not tundra or desert.

Question 12

All of the following are benefits of coastal wetlands except:

A) reduced flooding through their ability to hold excess water
B) improved water quality
C) reduced impact of ozone depletion.
D) Provide habitat for endangered species
E) Produce important commercial products

Question 13

What is the current percentage of land used by humans for agriculture?

A) 28%
B) 42%
C) 55%
D) 31%
E) 36%

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT one of the top 5 countries with the greatest tree harvests?

A) United States
B) Canada
C) China
D) Germany
E) Brazil

Question 15

Which of the following is not a threat to national parks?

A) ecosystem services
B) vandalism
C) collecting plants, minerals, and fossils
D) declining wildlife populations
E) proliferating wildlife populations

Question 16

Which of the following statements about clear cutting is false?

A) It is the most cost-effective way to harvest trees
B) When done on a small scale, it can benefit some wildlife species
C) It increases soil erosion and causes mudslides
D) Clear cutting forests at higher altitudes is more difficult to regenerate than low altitudes
E) None of these statements is false

Question 17

Timber companies prefer to harvest trees by:

A) clearcutting.
B) seed tree cutting.
C) selective cutting.
D) even-age harvesting.
E) shelterwood cutting.

Question 18

National parks may include:

A) significant modern architecture.
B) economically significant areas or buildings.
C) historic battlefields.
D) farm land.
E) None of these statements is correct

Question 19

Most of the federally owned land in the United States is located in:

A) Alaska and 11 western states.
B) Alaska and the Rocky Mountain area.
C) 11 western states and the Upper Midwest.
D) Alaska and Texas.
E) Alaska, Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about forest ownership in the United States is true?

A) Federal government owns the majority of the forests
B) State and local governments own about 25% of the forests
C) Private individuals own the majority of the forests
D) Corporations own about half of the forests
E) None of these statements is true

Question 21

Boreal forests:

A) comprise the world's largest biome.
B) are currently the primary source of the world's industrial wood and wood fiber.
C) are harvested primarily by clearcut logging.
D) are comprised of evergreen trees, such as spruce, fir, cedar, and hemlock.
E) All of these statements are correct

Question 22

Habitat corridors are intended to provide:

A) further habitat fragmentation.
B) increased species richness within forest monocultures.
C) a means for controlling insect pests and invasive species.
D) increased timber production.
E) opportunities for larger animals to establish larger territories.

Question 23

Public rangelands in the United States:

A) have been on the decline since the early 1900s.
B) are maintained exclusively by fees collected from private livestock operators.
C) do not currently support large populations of free-ranging grazers.
D) make up approximately 50% of the total land area in the United States.
E) can be used for grazing private livestock for a fee if you have a permit.

Question 24

Which of the following is not a commercial product of freshwater wetlands?

A) blueberries
B) cranberries
C) grapes
D) peat moss
E) wild rice

Question 25

Conservation strategies that set aside ecosystems for preservation:

A) are the best way to preserve an area's diversity.
B) increase the likelihood that a given ecosystem will be exploited.
C) decrease the number of endangered species living in that ecosystem.
D) can only be carried out by government agencies.
E) are impractical and not encouraged.

Question 26

The controversy involving the decline of white pine trees (source of a major part of the grizzly bears' diet) is based on:

A) the popularity of the grizzly bears compared to their destruction of the local forest community.
B) the fact that global warming and ozone depletion are responsible for the trees' decline.
C) the exotic nature of the fungus that is killing the trees.
D) the provision of the Wilderness Act that intentional ecological management will be avoided.
E) None of these statements is true

Question 27

The removal of all mature trees in an area over an extended period of time is known as:

A) clearcutting.
B) even-age harvesting.
C) selective cutting.
D) seed-tree cutting.
E) shelterwood cutting.

Question 28

According to recent climate projections, how is Amazonia likely to be affected by deforestation?
I. Rainfall will decrease.
II. Temperatures will increase due to a negative feedback loop between forest cover, drought, and air temperature.
III. Drought frequency could increase forest loss.
IV. All of these

A) I
B) II
C) III
D) IV
E) I and III

Question 29

Which of the following statements regarding trees and climate change is true?

A) The oxygen produced by trees helps to moderate climate change.
B) When trees act as carbon "sinks," they accelerate climate change.
C) There is much more carbon stored in trees than there is in the atmosphere.
D) The process of photosynthesis removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
E) Trees take greenhouse gases and turn them into CO2, an important compound for many living organisms.

Question 30

The purpose of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to:

A) preserve lands and waters for the conservation of wildlife.
B) preserve historically significant buildings.
C) maintain quality drinking water for urban areas.
D) raise money to protect wilderness areas of the United States.
E) More than one of these statements are correct

Question 31

What prompted the 88th Congress to implement the Wilderness Act of 1964?

A) The need to preserve areas of land for future timber harvest
B) Concern that human population expansion could drastically reduce the amount of land remaining in pristine condition
C) Lobbying by individuals such as John Muir
D) The need to make more land accessible to citizens for recreational purposes
E) A decrease in land prices, facilitating purchases of large areas by the Federal Government

Question 32

Which of the following is not an ecosystem service performed by rural lands?

A) flood and erosion control
B) waste recycling
C) leaching of mineral nutrients
D) wildlife habitat
E) groundwater recharge

Question 33

Tropical dry forests are being destroyed largely due to demand for:

A) food.
B) pharmaceutical products.
C) mining ores.
D) industrial wood and wood fiber.
E) fuel.

Question 34

An ecological simplification in which only one type of plant is cultivated over a large area is called a:

A) wildlife corridor
B) natural regulation
C) wise-use move
D) monoculture
E) single species standard

Question 35

According to the Defenders of Wildlife, the top three most endangered ecosystems in the U.S. include:

A) Northwestern grassland, Heartland savanna, and California native grassland
B) South Florida landscape, Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, and longleaf pine forests and savannas.
C) Alaskan tundra, Hawaii's rainforest, and coastal wetlands
D) Bogs, Arizona's deserts, and Rocky Mountain evergreen forests
E) Freshwater lakes, prairie lands, and volcanic landscapes

Question 36

Which of the following federal agencies is not charged with the managing of federally owned lands?

A) Department of Agriculture
B) Department of Interior
C) Bureau of Land Management
D) U.S. Forest Service
E) Department of Commerce

Question 37

Forests play an important role in the hydrologic cycle by:

A) returning most moisture to underground storage as groundwater.
B) recycling small amounts of water to the atmosphere.
C) recycling 75% of precipitation to the atmosphere by transpiration and evaporation.
D) removing large amounts of carbon monoxide from the atmosphere.
E) increasing runoff to local streams.

Question 38

A legal agreement that protects privately owned forests or other property from development for a specified number of years is termed:

A) a public range land.
B) a sanctuary deed.
C) a conservation easement.
D) an ecosystem lien.
E) a habitat right of way.

Question 39

Forest management for timber production:

A) includes the harvesting of trees.
B) results in forests with high biodiversity.
C) maintains the natural species composition of the forest.
D) results in forests less susceptible to disease.
E) specifically avoids producing monoculture forests.

Question 40

Which of the following includes a provision to protect and restore freshwater wetlands?

A) Wilderness Act
B) Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
C) Federal Land Policy and Management Act
D) Land and Water Conservation Fund Act
E) Food Security Act

Question 41

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Temperate forests are currently the primary source of the world's industrial wood and wood fiber.
B) Temperate forests in the eastern United States are holding steady or even expanding.
C) Government protection is responsible for the expansion of virgin stands in the eastern United States.
D) Well over sixty percent of U. S. forests are owned and supervised by the government.
E) The Forest Legacy Program is a provision of the1990 Farm Bill that helps to further protect public lands.

Question 42

What are ecosystem services? How would you respond to the critic who says, "Forests are only good for providing timber"? Support your answer with examples of at least four different ecosystem services offered by forests.

Question 43

Identify and discuss four ways in which forest trees are currently harvested. Which method is the most ecologically sound, and why? Which method is the most economical? If your answer is different for these two questions, how could a compromise be reached?

Question 44

Tropical rain forests and boreal forests are both undergoing deforestation. Compare and contrast the causes of deforestation in these two different biomes.

Question 45

Provide a solid definition of wetlands and explain why the definition of a wetland is controversial. How does narrowing the definition of wetland pose a threat to wetlands?

Question 46

Describe public rangelands, stating which government agencies administer them in the U.S. What is the carrying capacity of a rangeland and what results when this capacity is exceeded?

Question 47

What is the relationship of overgrazing to desertification?

A) Overgrazing is the destruction of vegetation; desertification is the destruction of a desert ecosystem
B) Overgrazing results in barren exposed soil; if erosion continues, it contributes to desertification
C) Overgrazing is brought about by cattle; desertification is brought about by temperature
D) Overgrazing is caused by too fertile rangeland; desertification is caused by too fertile agricultural land
E) Overgrazing is a synonym for desertification

Question 48

Which of the following is not a way to slow deforestation?

A) replant trees
B) allow the land that has been under slash-and-burn agricultural practices to rest for 20 to 100 years
C) promote additional slash-and-burn agricultural practices
D) harvest trees only at the time they reach harvestable size
E) promote land reform changes

Question 49

The countries of Indonesia and the Philippines have which of the following in common?

A) desertification
B) drought
C) rare cold fronts during winter
D) high rates of deforestation
E) extensive dry tropical forests

Question 50

Which of the following is a true statement regarding farms in the United States?

A) The number of farms has decreased, while the size of farms has increased
B) The number of farms has increased, while the size of farms has decreased
C) Both the number and size of farms has increased
D) Both the number and size of farms has decreased
E) Both the number and size of farms has remained about the same

Question 51

All of the following are benefits of coastal wetlands except:

A) providing food.
B) acting as nurseries for many marine organisms.
C) reducing the impact of ozone depletion.
D) protecting coastlines from erosion.
E) reducing the damage from hurricanes.

Question 52

Deforestation is linked to all of the following except:

A) release of CO2, which may contribute to an increase in global temperature.
B) decreased soil fertility.
C) the extinction of many species.
D) increasingly dry local climates.
E) increased groundwater infiltration

Question 53

The policy of no net loss of wetlands in the U.S. is only partially successful because:
I. wetland dynamics are not totally understood. Reconstructed wetlands do not always provide the essential elements necessary to attract the species of the original habitat.
I. wetlands developed for the drinking water supply do not have to be replaced. This contributes to overall net loss of wetland .
III. There is no routine tracking of compliance to document success.
IV. The definition of wetland was broadened by Congress, adding marginal wetlands in addition to swamps and marshes.

A) I
B) II
C) III
D) IV
E) I and III

Question 54

In the United States, national parks serve to provide biological habitat and facilitate human recreation. Discuss the impact of at least three threats to national parks. If a natural regulation policy were in place at a national park, what effect would it have on the management of the park? Why is natural regulation controversial?

Question 55

Which of the following statements about Tongass National Forest is false?

A) A single large Sitka spruce from Tongass may yield as much as 10,000 board feet of high-quality lumber.
B) Tongass is the largest forest in the National Forest System.
C) Tongass is a prime logging area because it was clearcut in the early 1900s and has now regrown.
D) The modified Tongass Land Management Plan calls for reduced road density to protect wildlife habitat.
E) The 1999 modified Tongass Land Management Plan increased timber harvest rotations to 200 years.

Question 56

Which of the following statements about rangelands is true?

A) Rangelands have native grasses with fibrous root systems that can survive extended periods of drought.
B) Rangelands are valuable for food production but yield no other economically valuable resources.
C) Rangelands can benefit from overgrazing by cattle since it may actually increase the plant diversity.
D) Rangelands are found in temperate regions, but not in tropical climates.
E) About 10% of the human population lives in rangelands that border deserts.

Question 57

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) There is at least one wildlife refuge is each of the 50 states.
B) Hunting is not allowed in wildlife refuges.
C) The National Wildlife Refuge system has made it a priority to expand the limited ecosystems currently represented
D) Wildlife refuges are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
E) The primary mission of the National Wildlife Refuge system is to provide public recreation areas for wildlife observation, photography and environmental education.

Question 58

Identify the criteria used by the Defenders of Wildlife to rank the endangered ecosystems in the United States. Identify three endangered ecosystems that meet these criteria and explain how the criteria apply to them.

Question 59

Why are tropical rain forests considered so important to global ecology?

A) they contribute greatly to the world's carbon and oxygen cycles
B) they retard soil erosion
C) they contain much of the world's biodiversity
D) they mitigate floods and droughts
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 60

Subsistence agriculture:

A) has little or no impact on deforestation since it is a small-scale approach.
B) is where a family produces just enough food to feed itself.
C) is only used by 1 to 2 million farmers today since it is an outdated farming practice.
D) does not use the slash-and-burn agriculture method.
E) is a typical land use practice in highly developed countries.

Question 61

The United States Federal Government owns over 1/3 of the land in the United States. How is this land categorized, and how are the different categories of land managed? Mention any potential conflicts that could arise over management of these areas.

Question 62

What is the Farmland Protection Program? How does it work, and what environmental problem is it designed to address?