Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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All of these fields of study contribute to environmental science
except
a. | linguistics. | c. | social sciences. | b. | biology and earth sciences. | d. | physics and
chemistry. |
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2.
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Using scientific information from chemistry and biology to devise a plan to
clean up a lake and make it healthy again describes
a. | ecology. | c. | earth science. | b. | environmental science. | d. | social science. |
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3.
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An ecological footprint is the
a. | mark a person’s shoe makes in soft earth. | b. | number of animals a
person has killed. | c. | amount of land and ocean area needed to support
one person. | d. | number of trees people cut down. |
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4.
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The term “biodiversity” refers to
a. | The number of species living on Earth. | b. | The number and variety of species living on
Earth. | c. | The number and variety of species that are considered renewable. | d. | The number and
variety of species that live in an area. |
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5.
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The classification and collection of data that are in the form of numbers is
called
a. | statistics. | c. | distribution. | b. | probability. | d. | mean. |
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6.
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By examining _____, scientists can test predictions for situations in which it
is impossible or unethical to use experiments.
a. | correlations | c. | control groups | b. | observations | d. | variables |
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7.
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Why are mathematical models important?
a. | They are especially useful in situations with many variables. | b. | They can be used to
create useful digital images. | c. | They can represent how a system or process
works. | d. | All of the above |
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8.
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Before you can make a decision using a decision-making model, what step must you
take?
a. | Explore the consequences of each option. | b. | Consider which
values apply to the issue. | c. | Gather information. | d. | All of the
above |
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9.
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The ozone layer is located in the
a. | stratosphere. | c. | thermosphere. | b. | ionosphere. | d. | troposphere. |
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10.
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Without the greenhouse effect, Earth’s atmosphere would be _____ to
support life.
a. | too hot | c. | too wet | b. | too cold | d. | lacking the
oxygen |
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11.
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Which of the following includes all of the water on or near Earth’s
surface?
a. | geosphere | c. | atmosphere | b. | hydrosphere | d. | lithosphere |
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12.
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What part of Earth encompasses all areas where organisms can obtain the energy
they need?
a. | biosphere | c. | atmosphere | b. | hydrosphere | d. | lithosphere |
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13.
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The organisms most likely to belong to the same species are
a. | people at a football game. | c. | birds in a
forest. | b. | bacteria inside a person’s body. | d. | organisms in a
pond. |
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14.
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The community of a pond is made up of all the
a. | abiotic factors in the water. | b. | resources organisms need. | c. | habitats in and
around the water. | d. | populations of fish, insects, and other living
organisms. |
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15.
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Most scientists classify organisms into
a. | five kingdoms and two domains. | c. | three kingdoms and four
domains. | b. | four kingdoms and three domains. | d. | two kingdoms and four
domains. |
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16.
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Which of the following describes soil and temperature in an ecosystem?
a. | abiotic factors | c. | unnecessary factors | b. | biotic factors | d. | selection
factors |
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17.
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Which kind of organism obtains energy only from producers?
a. | decomposers | c. | omnivores | b. | herbivores | d. | All of the
above |
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18.
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Which of the following are photosynthetic organisms?
a. | fungal decomposers | c. | freshwater algae | b. | deeply buried soil bacteria | d. | intestinal
bacteria |
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19.
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Consumers are organisms that
a. | eat only other animal species. | b. | get their energy by eating other
organisms. | c. | are also known as self-feeders. | d. | occupy an ecosystem’s lowest energy
level. |
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20.
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What term is used to refer to the many feeding relationships that are possible
in an ecosystem?
a. | food web | c. | energy pyramid | b. | food chain | d. | energy transfer |
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21.
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Deserts are
a. | covered with sand and contain no plant life. | b. | found only in North
America. | c. | often formed on the dry side of mountain ranges. | d. | never located in
cooler climates. |
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22.
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The tundra
a. | has a layer of soil that is permanently frozen beneath the top
soil. | b. | is too cold to support insect life. | c. | is resistant to environmental damage because it
is usually frozen. | d. | All of the
above |
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23.
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Taiga is
a. | a cold, treeless, desert-like biome found near the North and South
Poles. | b. | found mostly in Africa. | c. | a forest biome dominated by coniferous trees,
such as pine, fir, and spruce. | d. | a dry, rocky biome found in the central part of
South America. |
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24.
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Biomes
a. | contain two ecosystems, hence the name “biome.” | b. | are usually
described by their vegetation. | c. | exist in limited regions of the
world. | d. | All of the above |
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25.
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Two threats to ocean ecosystems are
a. | nutrient runoff and industrial waste discharges. | b. | overfishing and
entanglement of marine mammals in trawl nets. | c. | sewage and algal blooms. | d. | All of the
above |
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26.
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Estuaries
a. | are always saltwater ecosystems. | b. | are always freshwater
ecosystems. | c. | are ecosystems where both fresh water and salt water are present. | d. | prevent the
development of salt marshes. |
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27.
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Which organism produces most of the food in an aquatic ecosystem?
a. | fish | c. | phytoplankton | b. | barnacles | d. | zooplankton |
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28.
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Why doesn’t photosynthesis occur in deep ocean water?
a. | The water temperature is too cold. | b. | There is no sunlight. | c. | There are not enough
nutrients. | d. | The salinity level of the water is too high. |
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29.
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The density of a population is
a. | the number of individuals born every year. | b. | the proportion of
males and females. | c. | the number of individuals living in
cities. | d. | the number of individuals per unit area. |
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30.
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In which of the following relationships is neither species harmed?
a. | predation | c. | parasitism | b. | competition | d. | commensalism |
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31.
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The carrying capacity of an environment for a particular species at a particular
time is determined by the
a. | number of individuals in the species. | c. | reproductive potential of the
species. | b. | distribution of the population. | d. | supply of the most limited
resources. |
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32.
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Which of the following is one of the main properties used to describe a
population?
a. | number of individuals | c. | number of species | b. | color of individuals | d. | kind of
adaptations |
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33.
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Professionals who study and make predictions about human populations are
called
a. | stenographers. | c. | geologists. | b. | demographers. | d. | populists. |
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34.
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The 1991 cholera outbreak in Lima, Peru was caused by
a. | lack of clean water. | c. | widespread malnutrition. | b. | inadequate medical
care. | d. | rats and other
rodents. |
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35.
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Which of the following diseases is often spread through unsafe public water
sources?
a. | dysentery | c. | chicken pox | b. | influenza | d. | AIDS |
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36.
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Scientists predict population sizes by using
a. | survivorship, migration, life expectancy, and replacement
structure. | b. | age structure, fertility rate, and migration. | c. | replacement rate,
fertility rate, age rates, and survivorship. | d. | age structure, survivorship, fertility rate,
and migration. |
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37.
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An endangered species is
a. | a species in danger of extinction. | b. | a species growing on public
land. | c. | an organism brought to a place where it has not lived before. | d. | a species that has
disappeared entirely. |
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38.
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The level of biodiversity that involves a variety of habits and communities
is
a. | ecosystem diversity. | c. | population diversity. | b. | genetic
diversity. | d. | species
diversity. |
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39.
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The ecosystem approach to conservation is partly based on the idea that
a. | all rare species should be relocated to regional preserves. | b. | human needs are of
secondary importance. | c. | keystone species are genetically superior to
other organisms. | d. | a healthy biosphere requires intact ecosystems. |
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40.
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What level of biodiversity is most commonly equated with the overall concept of
biodiversity?
a. | genetic diversity | c. | ecosystem diversity | b. | species diversity | d. | All of the
above |
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41.
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Most of Earth’s fresh water is
a. | suspended in atmospheric cloud formations. | b. | held in reservoirs
behind large dams. | c. | solidified at the North and South
Poles. | d. | stored in large underground rock structures. |
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42.
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A true statement about aquifers is that
a. | their water levels remain stable because they recharge so
rapidly. | b. | they are hard to purify because the water collects in sand and
rocks. | c. | they are formed by underground rivers and leakage from deep
lakes. | d. | their water does not circulate in the water cycle because it cannot evaporate under
the ground. |
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43.
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The effects of water pollution on ecosystems
a. | are always immediate and highly lethal. | b. | result mostly from
point-source pollution sources. | c. | can magnify over time within food
chains. | d. | can be demonstrated by natural eutrophication. |
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44.
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A common feature of thermal pollution and artificial eutrophication is that they
both
a. | have sources that are difficult to identify and control. | b. | cause large mats of
algae to bloom in fresh water. | c. | are a result of power plants and other
industrial activity. | d. | decrease the amount of oxygen dissolved in
water. |
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