NRE 201Name ______
Exam 1
Fall 2002 ID # ______
True/False - 2 points each.
1. __F__ The best evidence for human causes of current climate change is the decrease in CO2
levels since the industrial Revolution.
2. _ F__ The ability of soil to hold water is directly related to how tightly the soil can compact.
3. _T__ Evidence has shown that habitat destruction has an effect on species extinctions.
4. _ T__Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without comprising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
5. _ T__ The Green Revolution was a change in farming practices to more efficient growing of
crops per unit of land.
6. _F__ Erosion is a main ecosystem function of the soil resource.
7. _F__ The group of organisms with the most species includes birds and mammals.
8. _ T__The greenhouse effect occurs because the atmosphere transmits the light from sunlight while trapping heat energy inside.
- _ T__ The big losers in the climate change scenarios are poor people and poor countries.
- _F__ "DDT has an effect on Peregrine falcons" is a good statement of a null hypothesis.
Multiple Choice - 3 points each. Circle one correct answer.
11. You go for a hike one day and notice that you are walking through fields of grasses, seasonally flowering plants and open savannas. Which of the following biomes are you most likely in?
a.Grassland
b.Tundra
c.Desert
d.Deciduous Forest
e.Tropical rainforest
12.The richest soil for agriculture use is
a.brown
b.black
c.tan
d.red
13.Recent changes in the Unites States population
a.show a small population growth rate due to natural births.
b.is not affected by immigration policy.
c.has equivalent population change among all ethnic groups.
d.all of the above.
14. The fundamental basis of environmental science as a discipline is
a.history of the use of natural resources.
b. diversity of life on Earth.
c. human impact on the Earth.
d. pollution on the Earth.
15. The world’s poorest people ______environmental degradation.
a.cause the most
b.are unaffected by
c.are ignorant of
d.cause and suffer from
e.don’t really care about
16. Massive consumption of resources results in
a.better economic conditions.
b.a decrease in the disparity between rich and poor.
c.an increased urban population.
d.a corresponding high production of waste.
17.Populations are most critically limited by
a.available water.
b.available food.
c.suitable shelter from the elements.
d.any of these, depending on the local situation.
Matching - 2 points each.
18. _B__ Henry David Thoreau /- "Greatest good for the greatest number
19. _ C__ Aldo Leopold /
- "We should preserve nature for its own
20. _ D__ Early pioneers /
- Coined the term "land ethic" meaning
of a dynamic and changing landscape.
21. __A_ Gifford Pinchot /
- "Nature is dark, dangerous and expansive and we must protect ourselves from it."
Fill in the blanks – 2 points each.
22.Environmental science is the systematic study of our environment and our __proper____
___place______ in it.
23. The three main agricultural crops are __corn_____, __wheat____, and __rice______.
24. __Kark Marx______ was one of Malthus’ fiercest critics, claiming that population
growth is a symptom, rather than the root cause of poverty, pollution, and other social ills.
25. A fundamental niche is a place where an organism _____can______survive, and a realized
niche is a place where an organism __does______survive.
26. Carrying capacity is shown by a(n) _asymptotic, s-shaped, or logistic_____ growth curve.
27. The percentage of sand, silt, and clay in soil is called soil ____texture_______.
28. The basic issues of environmental concern include population number,
_waste production______and _____resource consumption______.
29. Two different kinds of life history adaptations include ______R______ and
______K______selection.
30. A demographic transition begins when there is a major _____decline______in death rate.
- Two types of agricultural systems include ___swidden__ and _labor intensive______
agriculture. (mechanized, polyculture)
Short answer - 4 points each.
32.Why are we concerned with the melting of glaciers and the polar ice caps?
Changes in sea level and coastal communities
Changes in ocean circulation and weather
Changes in coastline and storms.
33.In response to high population density, animal populations can demonstrate three different density dependent responses. These are:
migrate
reduced growth
decreased survival
Decreased birthrates
34. What are the five steps to the scientific method?
Observation
Construct hypothesis
Test hypothesis
Analyze results
Publish
35. What are the three categories of endangered species classifications?
Threatened
Endangered
Vulnerable
(Critically endangered - IUCN)
Short Essay - 5 points each. Circle the numbers of three of the five questions below that you know best, then answer only those three short essays.
- Briefly describe the key piece of legislation in the United States that protects
rare or imperiled plants and animals, and two things it does to help protect them.
Endangered Species Act protects threatened and endangered species by listing, prevention of taking, listing critical habits, producing recovery plans, defining level of endangerment.
- Which is a more important cause of hunger around the worldglobal food shortages or poor and inequitable food distribution? Briefly explain your answer.
Poor distributionenough food is produced, but not all people share in it, within countries and especially between countries.
- Briefly describe three components to Darwin’s theory of natural selection. (Hint: there are
five components).
Organisms vary
Variance is inheritable
Struggle for survival
Survival of the fittest
Fittest pass on genes to next generation
39. What is one of the biggest problems associated with the Green Revolution in terms of plant
diversity?
Monocultureslow genetic diversity
Herbicidesremove non-target plants
Spread of plant diseases
40. What is a natural experiment?
A manipulation in a natural setting (human or nature caused) that is used to determine effects by comparing a manipulated and control (unaffected) area.
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