Deck 44: Human Effects on the Biosphere

Question 1

The best way to prevent desertification is to avoid farming in areas subject to ____.

A)flooding
B)deforestation
C)exotic plant invasions
D)topsoil buildup
E)high winds and periodic drought

Answer 1

E

Question 2

One kind of acid rain forms when which chemical compound from coal-fired power plants combines with water vapor in the air?

A)nitrogen oxides
B)sulfur dioxides
C)sodium hydroxide
D)calcium carbonate
E)aluminum oxide

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The pH of unpolluted rainwater is closest to ____.

A)2
B)4
C)6
D)8
E)10

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In what region of the world are forests disappearing the fastest?

A)East Asia
B)Europe
C)North America
D)the tropics
E)the Arctic

Question 5

The goal of the iNaturalist project is to ____.​

A)​foster a public appreciation of biodiversity only
B)​gather scientifically valuable biodiversity data only
C)​define ecoregions according to climate and geography only
D)​foster a public appreciation of biodiversity and to gather scientifically valuable biodiversity data
E)​define ecoregions according to climate and geography and to gather scientifically valuable biodiversity data

Question 6

Four of these five choices are global consequences of warmer temperatures. Select the exception.

A)lowered sea levels
B)more intense hurricanes
C)periods of drought
D)periods of heavy precipitation
E)shifts in species ranges

Question 7

Plastics that wash into the ocean cause problems mainly because they ____.

A)clog the gills of fish
B)are eaten by marine animals
C)are unsightly
D)leach toxins
E)disturb water flow patterns

Question 8

Places that are home to species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction are called ____.

A)hot spots
B)endemic
C)threatened
D)endangered
E)exotic

Question 9

The most recent mass extinction on Earth ____.

A)happened 65 million years ago when dinosaurs became extinct
B)was 248 million years ago when Pangea formed
C)is going on now and is due to human activities
D)happened 544 million years ago during a period of massive glaciation
E)occurred 360 million years ago, when 70% of marine groups were lost

Question 10

Concentrations of CFCs in the upper atmosphere are currently ____.

A)rising dramatically
B)leveling off
C)declining sharply
D)undetectable
E)rising slowly

Question 11

Estimates of the number of currently living species range as high as 1 trillion, but the number of those that have been described and named is only about ____.

A)10 billion
B)2 billion
C)25 million
D)2 million
E)200 thousand

Question 12

Which scientists are most likely to survey biodiversity and seek ways to maintain and use biodiversity nondestructively?

A)geneticists
B)taxonomists
C)conservationists
D)sociologists
E)geologists

Question 13

When plowing or grazing removes plants and exposes topsoil to wind erosion, the result is often ____

A)desertification
B)acidification
C)deforestation
D)bioaccumulation
E)biological magnification

Question 14

Which field of study most specifically addresses the decline in biodiversity?

A)developmental biology
B)evolutionary ecology
C)conservation biology
D)wildlife biology
E)molecular biology

Question 15

A single large source of a pollutant is known as a(n) ____ source, while many small sources of pollution are known as ____ sources.

A)point; nonpoint
B)nonpoint; point
C)illegal; legal
D)municipal; community
E)concentrated; disparate

Question 16

​Today, Africa's Sahara desert is expanding south into the Sahel region primarily as a result of desertification caused by ____.

A)​pollution
B)​overlogging
C)​drought
D)​plowing
E)​overgrazing

Question 17

Logging threatens the endangered northern ____, which lives in the Klamath-Siskiyou forest in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California.​

A)​spotted owl
B)​sea lion
C)​polar bear
D)​passenger pigeon
E)​blind salamander

Question 18

Currently, which pollutant is the main ozone destroyer?

A)sulfur dioxide
B)nitrous oxide
C)chlorofluorocarbon
D)ammonium
E)mercury

Question 19

Flooding, landslides, soil nutrient loss, and global climate change all result from ____.

A)the introduction of exotic plants
B)fragmentation
C)deforestation
D)ozone depletion
E)biological magnification

Question 20

Precipitation is generally most acidic in which region of the United States?

A)Southeast
B)Southwest
C)Northwest
D)Northeast
E)Midwest

Question 21

In Louisiana, where marshlands have become open water, sediments are being brought in via barges and marsh grasses are being planted as an example of ____.

A)ecological restoration
B)biodiversity hot spots
C)ecoregion creation
D)endangered species protection
E)global warming mitigation

Question 22

Near the ground, where ozone levels are naturally low, ozone is considered ____.

A)a neutral gas
B)a normal component of air
C)a pollutant
D)on its way to the ozone layer
E)beneficial for blocking UV radiation

Question 23

The crash of the Atlantic codfish population and the white abalone were both due to ____.

A)invasive species
B)infections
C)ocean pollutants
D)overharvesting
E)habitat destruction

Question 24

Four of these five choices are reasons to be concerned about increasing levels of UV radiation reaching Earth. Select the exception.

A)gene mutations
B)skin cancers
C)increased oxygen production
D)decline in atmospheric oxygen
E)decreased rate of photosynthesis

Question 25

Four of these five choices are causes of species decline. Select the exception.

A)overharvesting
B)habitat degradation
C)ecological restoration
D)intentional species introductions
E)habitat fragmentation

Question 26

For conservation purposes, if the only known members of a species are in captivity, the species is referred to as "____ in the wild".

A)extinct
B)extant
C)exotic
D)endemic
E)endangered

Question 27

What results when airborne sulfur and nitrogen oxides coat dust particles?

A)wet acid deposition
B)dry acid deposition
C)production of acid rain
D)decreased soil acidity when dust falls to ground
E)a reduction in ozone particles

Question 28

Compared to species that have spread to many areas, endemic species are more likely to go extinct due to ____.

A)overharvesting
B)habitat destruction
C)air pollutants
D)water pollutants
E)invasive species

Question 29

Four of the five answers are correct ways to reduce the impact of plastic trash. Select the exception.

A)choose durable items over disposable ones.
B)recycle and reuse
C)avoid buying plastic products where alternatives exist
D)dispose of waste properly
E)ask for plastic shopping bags instead of using your own bags

Question 30

What happens when plant cover is removed from the ground?

A)The ground will be wetter because roots are no longer sucking up water.
B)Less rain will fall because of reduced transpiration.
C)The ground soaks up more water after a rainfall.
D)More species will fill the habitat.
E)Lakes and rivers become larger.

Question 31

Average global temperatures are increasing, with the more pronounced rise at what latitudes?

A)polar only
B)equatorial only
C)temperate only
D)temperate and polar
E)equatorial and polar

Question 32

Natural or man-made substances released into soil, air, or water in greater than natural amounts are called ____.

A)acids
B)pollutants
C)nutrients
D)metals
E)chemicals

Question 33

​In response to the potential threat posed by the thinning ozone layer, countries worldwide agreed in 1987 to phase out the production of CFCs and other ozone-destroying chemicals, an agreement known as the ____.

A)​United Nations Framework on Climate Change
B)​Climate Accord
C)​Montreal Protocol
D)​Paris Agreement
E)​Kyoto Protocol

Question 34

Four of these five statements about ozone are correct. Select the exception.

A)Ground-level ozone forms when compounds released by burning or evaporating fossil fuels are exposed to sunlight.
B)Warm temperatures retard ground-level ozone formation.
C)Avoiding the gas pump in the heat of the day will limit ozone pollution.
D)Ozone is an eye and respiratory tract irritant.
E)Ozone is a necessary part of the upper atmosphere but is a pollutant at ground level.

Question 35

Heavy harvesting of which invertebrate species during the 1970s reduced the population to about 1% of its original size?

A)the western bumblebee
B)the white abalone
C)the monarch butterfly
D)the spiny lobster
E)the yellow stonefly

Question 36

​What ozone-depleting gas is released when bacteria feed on fertilizers and animal waste?

A)​chlorofluorocarbon
B)​nitrous oxide
C)​methane
D)​ammonium sulfate
E)​carbon monoxide

Question 37

Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) does not monitor threats to ____.

A)vertebrates
B)plants
C)invertebrates
D)mammals
E)bacteria

Question 38

What was the primary cause of the 'Dust bowl' in the United States during the 1930s?

A)deforestation on the southern Great Plains
B)acid rain that harmed a large portion of the southern Great Plains
C)overgrazing on natural grasslands
D)plowing of natural grasslands exposed topsoil to wind
E)exotic species invading natural grasslands

Question 39

Four of these five choices are products that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Select the exception.

A)carbonated beverages
B)coolants
C)solvents
D)plastic foam
E)propellants in aerosol cans

Question 40

In the past century, warming temperatures have caused sea levels to rise about ____.

A)20 centimeters
B)20 feet
C)20 inches
D)2 centimeters
E)2 meters

Question 41

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
gases released when bacteria feed on fertilizers and animal waste

Question 42

Global climate change is caused by ____ and other greenhouse gases.

A)ozone
B)carbon dioxide
C)nitrogen
D)oxygen
E)argon

Question 43

Individuals and conservation groups have donated funds to buy land in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. As a result, much of the forest is now protected as a private nature reserve. This is an example of ____.

A)restoration
B)preservation
C)fragmentation
D)desertification
E)deforestation

Question 44

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
air pollutants released by combustion of gasoline oil

Question 45

Describe the difference between endangered, threatened, and endemic species.

Question 46

One of the symptoms of global warming is a decrease in the persistence of sea ice in the Arctic, which affects polar bears by ____.

A)increasing their access to salmon
B)reducing their access to seal
C)improving the chances of their young surviving and reproducing
D)decreasing mercury contamination in their tissues
E)increasing their access to seal

Question 47

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
odorless gases used as propellants in aerosol cans, as coolants, and in solvents and plastic foam

Question 48

What role does wind play in desertification?

A)Wind disperses seeds.
B)Wind blows away topsoil.
C)Wind accelerates grass growth.
D)Wind damages mature grasses of grasslands.
E)Wind causes drought.

Question 49

A species that is confined to the limited area in which it evolved is ____.

A)endemic
B)endangered
C)threatened
D)extinct
E)exotic

Question 50

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
produced when airborne pollutants coat dust particles that fall to the ground

Question 51

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
air pollutants released by coal-burning power plants

Question 52

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.

-irritates the eyes and respiratory tracts of animals when it forms in the lower atmosphere

A)sulfur dioxides
B)nitrogen oxides
C)wet deposition
D)dry deposition
E)CFCs
F)ozone

Question 53

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
main ozone destroyers prior to the Montreal Protocol

Question 54

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
benefits life when it is in the upper layer of the atmosphere by absorbing UV radiation from incoming sunlight

Question 55

Match the term with the appropriate description. Terms may be used once or more than once.
a.sulfur dioxides
b.nitrogen oxides
c.wet deposition
d.dry deposition
e.CFCs
f.ozone
​currently the main ozone destroyers

Question 56

What benefits living organisms by absorbing most ultraviolet (UV) radiation from incoming sunlight?

A)the ozone layer
B)nitrogen
C)carbon dioxide
D)chlorofluorocarbons
E)sulfur oxides

Question 57

California's native golden trout declined after European brown trout and eastern brook trout were introduced into California's mountain streams for sport fishing. This is an example of what type of threat?

A)overharvesting
B)commercial sporting
C)invasive species
D)endemic species
E)habitat destruction

Question 58

There is an ozone "hole" over ____.

A)the United States
B)Western Europe
C)Antarctica
D)Central America
E)North Africa

Question 59

What is ecological restoration?

Question 60

A species that faces extinction in all or part of its range is ____.

A)endangered
B)threatened
C)rare
D)endemic
E)exotic

Question 61

-This map illustrates the location and conservation status of the land ecoregions deemed most important by which organization?

Question 62

Explain how the ozone layer benefits living organisms. Why is the thinning ozone layer a concern?

Question 63

-Which color on this map indicates ecoregions that are the top priorities for conservation efforts?

Question 64

What are some effects of global climate change other than rising sea levels?

Question 65

What are the major effects of deforestation?

Question 66

Which nonrenewable resource is used to make electronic devices such as phones, computers, and televisions? Why is this detrimental to the environment? What can be done to promote sustainability?

Question 67

Suppose you have friends who scoff at the idea of participating in a conservation group in your community. How would you convince them that protecting biodiversity directly benefits everyone, including them?

Question 68

If extinction is a natural process that occurs on an ongoing basis, how do extinctions occurring now differ from those of any other mass extinction periods?

Question 69

How do desertification and deforestation lead to reduced precipitation and drought?

Question 70

How does rising temperature elevate sea levels?

Question 71

Why do some researchers argue for a major focus of research on microbial ecology and microbial diversity?

Question 72

Explain the process of biological magnification. Where in the food chain do humans fit in, and how might biological magnification affect us?

Question 73

-According to this map, portions of the western coast of the United States and Canada, as well as parts of the eastern coast of Brazil, are considered which type of ecoregion??