Environmental Science Final Exam- Study Guide

This test consists of 145 multiple- choice questions. You will have 2 hours to take the test. BRING A #2 PENCIL!

Chapter 1: Intro to Environmental Science

Vocabulary:

  • Environment
  • Environmental Science
  • Environmentalism
  • Renewable Resource (know examples)
  • Nonrenewable Resource (know examples)
  • Sustainable
  • Ecological Footprint
  • Hypothesis
  • Independent Variable
  • Dependent Variable
  • Theory
  • Ethics

Why is environmental science considered interdisciplinary?

In an experiment, a scientist adds Vitamin B to his sunflower plants that he exposed to a plant carcinogen. The Vitamin B is a known anti-cancer treatment in plants. He then observed the tumor growth on the sunflowers. What is the dependent variable? Independent variable? What would be a control for his experiment?

What characterizes biocentrism, ecocentrism, and anthropocentrism?

What makes a theory different than a hypothesis?

What is the relationship between population & resource consumption?

What does “tragedy of the commons” mean? Be able to identify an example.

Chapter 2: Economics and Environmental Policy

Vocabulary:

  • Supply and Demand
  • Cost-benefit analysis (be able to identify given an example)
  • Economics
  • Non-market value
  • Eco-label (know common examples)
  • Green Tax (be able to identify given an example)
  • Command-and-Control (be able to identify given an example)
  • Cap-and-Trade (be able to identify given an example)
  • Subsidy taxes
  • EPA

Who is responsible for making environmental policy in the United States?

What is the relationship between economics and the environment?

In what time period where most major laws in modern US environmental policy enacted?

What led to the changes in environmental policy in the mid to late 1900’s?

Who do governments interact with in order to create policies?

Chapter 3: Earth’s Systems and Biogeochemical Cycles

Vocabulary:

  • Feedback Loop- Positive & Negative (be able to identify given an example)
  • Lithosphere
  • Biosphere
  • Atmosphere
  • Hydrosphere
  • Crust
  • Core
  • Tectonic Plate
  • Nutrient
  • Biogeochemical Cycle
  • Primary Producer
  • Photosynthesis
  • Cellular Respiration
  • Eutrophication
  • Nitrogen Fixation

Which sphere are humans a part of?

What is the relationship between carbon dioxide and its role in the atmosphere?

What are common sources of phosphorus? What does phosphorus do to water as pollution?

Know the basic process of nitrogen fixation. (Nitrogen get changed to what? What does the changing?)

What is the human impact on the carbon cycle?

Know the difference between the 3 plate boundaries.

Chapter 5: Energy Flow and Ecosystems

Vocabulary:

  • Herbivore
  • Carnivore
  • Omnivore
  • Producer
  • Predation
  • Decomposers
  • Trophic levels
  • Biomass (know where there is the greatest biomass in a food chain)
  • Keystone species

What is the source of all energy on earth?

Know the difference between primary succession and secondary succession. The goal of all succession is to reach what type of community?

What is an invasive species? What aspects of an environment will keep a species from being invasive?

Be able to read and understand food chains and food webs.

What is a pioneer species? Give an example.

Chapter 12: Soil and Agriculture

Vocabulary:

  • Soil
  • Parent Material
  • Clay
  • Silt
  • Sand
  • Loam
  • Soil Degradation
  • Overgrazing
  • Pesticides
  • Pollinator
  • Food Security
  • Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs)
  • Malnutrition
  • Feed lot
  • Aquaculture
  • Green Revolution

What are the five (5) factors that influence soil formation?

Soil texture is based on….

What is the particle of sand, silt, and clay with respect to one another?

How is soil classified?

How/When/Why did the Dust Bowl occur?

What are three (3) differences between traditional and industrial agriculture?

Who is Norman Borlaug?

How do pollinators help agriculture? What are examples of pollinators?

Chapter 14.3: Water Pollution

Vocabulary:

  • Point-source pollution
  • Non-point source pollution
  • Wastewater
  • Algal bloom
  • Pathogen
  • Red Tide

What are the main differences between point source and nonpoint source water pollution?

List and describedifferent types of water pollution.

What did the Clean Water Act make it illegal to do?

Chapter 15: Atmosphere

Vocabulary:

  • acid deposition
  • temperature inversion
  • scrubber
  • catalytic converter
  • pH scale
  • emissions

What are the layers of the atmosphere in order?

What is the benefit of the ozone layer on living things on Earth?

What are the affects of acid rain on green plants & buildings?

What are radiation, conduction and convection main methods of?

Chapter 16: Global Climate Change

Vocabulary:

  • Global warming
  • Greenhouse gases (know examples)
  • Topography
  • Carbon sequestration

What happens to the oceans when they absorb a lot of carbon dioxide?

How do scientists determine ancient climate conditions? current climate conditions?

Why are people in coastal areas concerned with global climate change?

What has happened to global precipitation patterns during the last 100 years?

What are the affects of global warming on polar bears?

Chapter 17: Non-Renewable resources

Vocabulary:

  • Nuclear Fission
  • Nuclear Fusion
  • Energy: mechanical, chemical, thermal, potential, kinetic
  • Acid drainage
  • Sulfur dioxide
  • Strip Mining
  • Petrochemical

Which fossil fuel will run out first?

How do we use most of the oil in this country?

Which country or region is considered coal-rich and oil-poor?

In what type of rock are oil deposits found?

What do we make from oil?

How do we use coal in this country?

What is a problem of strip mining?

Of the fossil fuels, which is the least polluting?

When burned which pollutant causes smog?

Describe nuclear power – what is the fuel? What is the process? What is the particle? What is the problem?

Chapter 18: Renewable Energy

Vocabulary:

  • Ground source heat pump
  • Hydrogen fuel
  • Biomass energy
  • Geothermal energy
  • Solar energy
  • Wind energy

Which renewable energy source is growing the fastest?

What are pros and cons of the following renewable energy sources…

Wind –

Hydropower –

How is hydrogen fuel produced?

How is electricity generated in geothermal power plants?

What fuel comes from decomposing waste?

Chapter 19: Waste Management

Vocabulary:

  • biodegradable
  • sanitary landfill
  • waste: municipal, hazardous, industrial
  • source reduction
  • waste recovery

What measures are taken to ensure groundwater is not contaminated when designing/building a sanitary landfill?

What are 3 compostable items? 2 non-compostable?

List the methods of disposal for solid waste.

When landfills are closed they can be converted into what?

What are practices for waste recovery and reduction?