Earth Systems & Soil
Which layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
What is the agricultural technique of growing one crop over a large area called?
Monocropping
Which fossil fuel is primarily used to generate electricity in the U.S.?
Coal
Which type of species interaction benefits both organisms?
Mutualism
What law set emissions standards for six key air pollutants in the U.S.?
Clean Air Act
Which soil layer is known for accumulating nutrients and minerals from above?
A. O Horizon
B. A Horizon
C. B Horizon
D. C Horizon
B Horizon
Which practice reduces soil erosion by planting crops across a slope rather than up and down?
Contour plowing
What is the term for fuels like wood, manure, or crop waste used for heating or cooking?
Biomass
What type of species is the first to colonize bare rock in primary succession?
Pioneer species
Identify the phenomenon that occurs when a warm air layer traps cooler air and pollutants near the surface.
Thermal inversion
Identify the type of weathering that occurs when acid rain dissolves limestone.
Chemical weathering
Identify the term for when a shared, open-access resource that gets depleted due to individual overuse.
Tragedy of the commons
What greenhouse gas is often released during the extraction and transport of natural gas?
Methane
What ecological role describes a species that shapes an ecosystem by its presence or absence (e.g., sea otter)?
Keystone species
Which harmful gas most is most associated with photochemical smog pollution in urban areas?
Ozone
What do we call the process of water moving through soil, carrying nutrients downward?
Leaching
What type of fish production method is increasing globally but can lead to nutrient pollution and disease spread?
Aquaculture
What term describes the use of cloud-connected appliances and grid technology to better manage electricity supply and demand?
Smart Grid
Identify the type of biodiversity that refers to the variety of traits within a population.
Genetic diversity
What pollutant, produced by coal combustion, combines with water vapor in the atmosphere to create acid rain?
Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
What type of large-scale oceanic circulation drives climate by moving warm and cold water between hemispheres?
Thermohaline circulation
What pesticide management strategy uses multiple techniques and minimizes chemical use?
IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
What are the three major components of air pollution regulated by the Clean Air Act that contribute to smog and respiratory problems?
Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and particulate matter (PM)
This ecological principle explains how ecosystems with higher species richness and functional diversity are more resistant to environmental stress and better able to recover from disturbance.
Ecosystem resilience
Name the term for pollution from multiple, diffuse sources, such as runoff from roads or farms.
Nonpoint source pollution