Deck 24: Human Impacts, Biodiversity, and Environmental Issues

Question 1

According to public health officials, all of the following may be caused by water pollutants EXCEPT which one?

A) birth defects
B) nervous disorders
C) miscarriages
D) skin rashes
E) autoimmune disorders

Answer 1

E

Question 2

More than half the world's human population lives in rural poverty. Which of the following environmental issues is most likely to be associated with these populations?

A) desertification
B) acid rain
C) oil pollution
D) smog
E) ozone depletion

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Freshwater is most likely to be polluted

A) by oil spills in ocean water moving inland.
B) as a result of eutrophication.
C) by contaminants from aquifers moving to surface waters.
D) from organic solvents and farming chemicals in surface water runoff.
E) by radioactive waste seeping from nuclear reactors.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The greenhouse effect is a natural and important phenomenon because it

A) removes smog from affected areas.
B) maintains the surface temperature on Earth.
C) reverses the effect that CFCs have on the ozone layer.
D) decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the stratosphere.
E) reverses the effects of deforestation.

Question 5

All of the following statements accurately describe eutrophication EXCEPT which one?

A) Eutrophication may be accelerated by agricultural runoff containing fertilizers.
B) Eutrophication can be part of a natural process that converts freshwater to marsh to dry land.
C) Eutrophication is beneficial and enhances the diversity of life-forms in a body of water.
D) Eutrophication accelerates plant and algal growth at the expense of animal diversity.
E) Sewage and other organic nutrient pollutants can enhance eutrophication.

Question 6

Rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses are causing which of the following two phenomena to occur?

A) global warming and global climate change
B) pollution and depletion of the ozone layer
C) smog and thermal inversion
D) global warming and desertification
E) heat and nutrient pollution

Question 7

The two countries that are the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses are

A) Russia and the United States of America.
B) Canada and the United States of America.
C) China and the United States of America.
D) China and Mexico.
E) China and India.

Question 8

The largest hole in the ozone layer occurs in the stratospheric layer over

A) the Amazon rainforests.
B) the eastern coast of the United States.
C) the western coast of the United States.
D) Africa and South America.
E) Antarctica.

Question 9

Surface and aquifer freshwater sources hold what percent of the Earth's total water?

A) 2%
B) more than 97%
C) 10-12%
D) less than 1%
E) 20%

Question 10

The major concerns regarding the effects of air pollution fall into the areas of smog, acid rain, destruction of the ozone layer, and

A) pesticides.
B) sustainable development.
C) global warming.
D) chlorofluorocarbons.
E) denitrification.

Question 11

The main human activities that have raised atmospheric CO₂ levels are

A) succession and adaptive radiation.
B) home development on grasslands and wetlands.
C) drainage of wetlands along rivers and oceans.
D) deforestation and burning fossil fuels.
E) negligible because CO₂ levels have risen and fallen naturally regardless of human activity.

Question 12

Gases such as nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide are called greenhouse gases because they

A) block sunlight from reaching Earth.
B) block specific wavelengths of sunlight from penetrating.
C) permit sunlight to enter but trap the heat energy in the atmosphere.
D) block both sunlight and heat energy from penetrating the atmosphere.
E) stimulate photosynthesis in most plants.

Question 13

Toxicants occurring in aquatic ecosystems are highly subjected to biological magnification, meaning the

A) pollutants take a long time to break down.
B) pollutants occur in higher concentrations in tissues of organisms higher up the food chain.
C) toxic chemicals specifically target primary producers, disrupting the entire food web.
D) chemicals are converted to more toxic compounds once in the water.
E) toxic chemicals accumulate in the upper (photic) zones of the water.

Question 14

Certain gases in the upper atmosphere allow sunlight to pass through to Earth's surface, but prevent heat from escaping. This is known as

A) global positioning.
B) desertification.
C) the greenhouse effect.
D) thermal inversion.
E) eutrophication.

Question 15

Which of the following pollutants is generally stored in dry locations because they remain a potential problem for thousands of years?

A) radioactive waste
B) PANs (peroxyacyl nitrates)
C) CFCs
D) heavy metals
E) gasoline and oil

Question 16

Eutrophication of a lake most likely is the result of

A) an increase in oxygen content of the water.
B) elevated nitrogen and oxygen gas levels in the water.
C) an increase in atmospheric pressure associated with surface waters.
D) competitive exclusion.
E) excessive concentrations of organic and inorganic nutrients.

Question 17

The ozone layer can be destroyed by pollutants such as

A) sulfur dioxide.
B) CFCs.
C) carbon monoxide.
D) hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides.
E) carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Question 18

Which one of the following statements is TRUE regarding rural poverty?

A) Less than 25% of the world's population lives in rural poverty.
B) The problems of land use in rural areas are similar to those in cities.
C) Those in impoverished rural communities will often cut down all trees for fuel and shelter.
D) The use of communal lands in impoverished rural areas is carefully monitored.
E) Few individuals living in rural areas depend on the local environment for sustenance.

Question 19

Which one of the following statements is TRUE regarding the water on Earth?

A) When humans divert water from one region to another, they always ensure that it does not have an effect on normal migration patterns of other species.
B) Most of the water on Earth is frozen in glaciers and ice caps.
C) Residents of the less industrialized countries typically use more water than residents in industrialized countries.
D) Some semiarid and desert regions of the world have reached carrying capacity for humans due to the shortage of water.
E) Water is considered a renewable resource because it is plentiful in all regions of Earth.

Question 20

To reduce the extent of this damaging phenomenon, many power plants have been required to install systems to remove and capture sulfur dioxide from their emissions.

A) acid rain
B) eutrophication
C) deforestation
D) thermal inversion
E) ozone depletion

Question 21

Commercial logging by European countries in the Ivory Coast has reduced the pristine 70 million acres of forests that once existed to about

A) fewer than 1 million acres.
B) 5-7 million acres.
C) 15-20 million acres.
D) 30 million acres.
E) 50 million acres.

Question 22

Smog forms when pollutants in the air react with each other in the presence of sunlight and carbon dioxide.

Question 23

________ is a biomass fuel.

A) Coal
B) Oil
C) Wood
D) Gas
E) Water

Question 24

A thermal inversion occurs when a warm stagnant air mass traps a cooler air mass containing smog beneath it.

Question 25

Despite an international agreement signed in 1987 to phase out the production of CFCs, depletion of the ozone will continue to affect Earth and its atmosphere for at least another one hundred years.

Question 26

Pollutants of water include both living organisms and nonliving materials.

Question 27

Creation of sustainable ecosystems CANNOT be achieved through

A) decreased human consumption of everything, and thus a lower production of waste.
B) developing practices of recycling reusable materials.
C) a reduction in world population growth.
D) decreasing poverty so that people are not consumed by immediate needs (food, shelter) and can focus more on human's long-term impact on the environment.
E) increased use of natural resources.

Question 28

Thinning of the ozone has already been detected in the stratospheric ozone layer.

Question 29

Pollution of groundwater is generally a more serious concern, in part because groundwater is a slowly exchanging pool.

Question 30

Destruction of the ozone due to pollutants is limited to layers located only above the South American continent.

Question 31

Biomass fuels are least likely to be used in which one of the following countries?

A) United States
B) Brazil
C) Iceland
D) Vietnam
E) England

Question 32

Which one of the following actions of humans has not contributed to the worldwide reduction in biodiversity?

A) pollution
B) growth of cities
C) logging
D) clear-cutting of rain forests
E) biomass energy sources

Question 33

Heat is considered a type of water pollution because it increases the amount of oxygen in the water, which leads to the death of plants and the overpopulation of animals.

Question 34

Most of the energy used by humans comes from which one of the following sources?

A) solar energy
B) nuclear energy
C) fossil fuels
D) hydroelectric power
E) geothermal power

Question 35

Which one of the following energy sources is NOT an alternative to fossil fuels?

A) hydroelectric power
B) wind farms
C) biomass fuels
D) nuclear energy
E) offshore drilling

Question 36

Increasing population density on marginal lands in rural areas has resulted in desertification, which reduces the ability of the land to sustain the population.

Question 37

Humans breathe in air that contains nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of thousands of pollutants.

Question 38

Although it was one time hoped that nuclear energy would meet most human energy needs, this has not occurred due to expense and safeguards necessary to prevent meltdowns.

Question 39

Human activities have resulted in at least one-third of the landmass of Earth being altered in some way.

Question 40

A renewable energy source that taps into heat produced deep below ground is called

A) hydroelectric.
B) geothermal.
C) solar.
D) "subterranean" wind.
E) fossil fuel.

Question 41

An increase in the current fertility rate of the human species will increase the human carrying capacity of Earth.

Question 42

Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides combine with water vapor in the presence of sunlight to form a gray layer of ________.

Question 43

Prolific growth of algae as a result of pollutants in a lake is an example of ________.

Question 44

Twenty-five percent of all prescription drugs sold in the United States are based on substances derived from fewer than 50 species of plants.

Question 45

Sources of energy that are renewable and derived from plants are called ________.

Question 46

Match the following air pollutants to their description.

A) nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons reacting with each other in the presence of water vapor and sunlight
B) produced by burning of fossil fuels and deforestation; contribute(s) to global warming
C) pollutant that can be derived from pesticides used in agriculture settings
D) formed as water vapor reacts with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
greenhouse gases

Question 47

Match the following air pollutants to their description.

A) nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons reacting with each other in the presence of water vapor and sunlight
B) produced by burning of fossil fuels and deforestation; contribute(s) to global warming
C) pollutant that can be derived from pesticides used in agriculture settings
D) formed as water vapor reacts with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
smog

Question 48

As DDT accumulates in the tissues of carnivores at increasing trophic levels, the concentration increases; this is representative of ________.

Question 49

Ozone in the ________ comprises a thin layer that protects the surface of Earth from ultraviolet radiation.

Question 50

Urbanization typically increases the extent of biodiversity.

Question 51

The use of biomass fuels is generally non-polluting.

Question 52

A(n) ________ occurs when a warm, stagnant layer of air traps a cooler mass of air containing smog below it.

Question 53

The death of animal life in a shallow body of water in conjunction with a rapid increase in plant life is known as ________.

Question 54

Although humans have had a negative impact on biodiversity in the past, the present global extinction rate is 20 times lower now than at any other time in the past.

Question 55

CFCs are the primary air pollutants that destroy the ________.

Question 56

Match the following air pollutants to their description.

A) nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons reacting with each other in the presence of water vapor and sunlight
B) produced by burning of fossil fuels and deforestation; contribute(s) to global warming
C) pollutant that can be derived from pesticides used in agriculture settings
D) formed as water vapor reacts with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
hydrocarbons

Question 57

Biodiversity refers to the variety of richness of species on Earth.

Question 58

Freshwater is most likely to become contaminated or polluted by ________ from urban and rural environments.

Question 59

Match the following air pollutants to their description.

A) nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons reacting with each other in the presence of water vapor and sunlight
B) produced by burning of fossil fuels and deforestation; contribute(s) to global warming
C) pollutant that can be derived from pesticides used in agriculture settings
D) formed as water vapor reacts with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
acid rain

Question 60

Creating a sustainable world will require stabilizing the human population growth rate and the global environment.

Question 61

________ require large quantities of water and power and generate waste and pollution in a relatively small area.

Question 62

One way to reduce the amount of raw materials consumed by humans is by ________ useable materials.

Question 63

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that approximately ________% of rural wells and water systems have some type of pollutant in them.

Question 64

________ provide valuable flood control because they can hold large volumes of water.

Question 65

Despite abundant vegetation, ________ make poor farmland because of little topsoil and scant soil nutrients.

Question 66

The transformation of marginal lands into near-desert conditions unsuitable for future agriculture is referred to as ________.

Question 67

________ water is a slowly exchanging pool, and once it becomes polluted it is difficult to clean up.

Question 68

Humans have become so dependent on fossil fuels that despite an increasing body of evidence that indicates burning these fuels is destroying aspects of the environment, little change in the sources of fuels has occurred. What types of alternative fuels can be used to reduce negative impacts on the environment?

Question 69

Subsistence farming in tropical regions of the world results in habitat loss because of the practices of ________ and ________.

Question 70

Explain how emissions of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide create the greenhouse effect.

Question 71

Scientists have identified approximately ________ million species of organisms, but millions more are thought to exist.

Question 72

Humans must work together to create a sustainable world. What can you do to contribute to this cause?

Question 73

________ refers to heat from deep underground sources used as a source of energy.

Question 74

Over 97% of Earth's total water may be found in the ________.