Natural Resources
What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?
👉 Answer: Renewable can be replaced naturally; nonrenewable cannot be replaced quickly
What is crop rotation used for?
👉 Answer: Maintaining soil health
What is the main cause of rising COâ‚‚ levels?
👉 Answer: Burning fossil fuels
What is eutrophication?
👉 Answer: Nutrient pollution causing algal blooms
What is municipal waste?
👉 Answer: Everyday household trash
Which type of resource is coal: renewable or nonrenewable?
👉 Answer: Nonrenewable
What is one effect of overgrazing?
👉 Answer: Soil erosion and loss of fertility
Name one energy source that does NOT release greenhouse gases
👉 Answer: Wind, solar, hydroelectric, nuclear
Which is a point-source pollution example?
👉 Answer: Oil spill from a pipeline
What is biomedical waste?
👉 Answer: Medical waste like syringes and bandages return the land to a usable and safe condition and reduces environmental damage
What is the purpose of buffer zones?
👉 Answer: Protect land while allowing sustainable use
What is the strongest evidence for climate change?
👉 Answer: Long-term increase in extreme weather patterns
What is the strongest evidence for climate change?
👉 Answer: Long-term increase in extreme weather patterns
Why is nonpoint pollution hard to control?
👉 Answer: Comes from many scattered sources
A factory releases waste through a pipe into a river, while fertilizer from farms washes into the same river after rain. Identify which is point-source pollution and which is nonpoint-source pollution, and explain why.
👉 Answer:
Factory pipe = point-source pollution (comes from a single, identifiable source)
Fertilizer runoff = nonpoint-source pollution (comes from many scattered sources and is harder to control
What is one environmental impact of mining?
👉 Answer: Habitat destruction, water pollution, soil erosion
What type of land use provides wood, jobs, and recreation?
👉 Answer: Forests
How does biomass energy contribute to climate change?
👉 Answer: Releases CO₂ when burned
How does thermal pollution affect aquatic ecosystems?
👉 Answer: Lowers oxygen and harms organisms
What is the goal of waste prevention?
👉 Answer: Avoid creating waste
Explain the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources AND give one example of how each impacts the environment.
👉 Answer: Renewable (solar, wind) are replenished and have lower environmental impact; nonrenewable (coal, oil) are limited and cause pollution and habitat damage
Explain how topsoil supports agriculture AND what happens when it is lost
👉 Answer: Stores nutrients/water; loss leads to poor crop growth and erosion
Compare fossil fuels and renewable energy in terms of environmental impact
👉 Answer: Fossil fuels release greenhouse gases; renewables produce little/no emissions
A lake near farmland has algae blooms and fish die-offs. Explain the process.
👉 Answer: Nutrients → algal bloom → decomposition → oxygen loss
Explain the difference between point-source and nonpoint-source pollution AND give an example of each
👉 Answer: Point = single source (factory); Nonpoint = many sources (runoff)