Geo
Which is one way poor use of fertilizers in agriculture can affect the environment?
It can cause pollution of water in lakes and rivers.
How are surface mining and peat harvesting similar in the way they affect an ecosystem?
Both remove vegetation in the area, destroying habitats.
Which result is most likely to occur after excessive withdrawal of groundwater in coastal areas?
intrusion of salt water into the water table
Which could increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
burning coal to produce electricity
Which interaction of a biotic and an abiotic factor can help stabilize a forest area in North Carolina?
increased decaying organic material, adding nutrients to soil in the area
What is an effect of deforestation?
decrease in biodiversity
Nuclear power and drilling for oil can both negatively affect ecosystems. Which negative impact can only be caused by nuclear power?
exposure to uranium
Officials hire private contractors to monitor drinking water safety in the suburbs of a large city. These suburbs are mainly residential, with some schools, shopping malls, and light industrial plants. The contractors determine that the drinking water samples contain levels of nitrates and other nutrients that are higher than normal. After discussion with the contractors, the officials would MOST likely decide to contact which of these groups to combat the problem?
homeowners
Temperature affects the development of sea-turtle eggs. Eggs that are incubated at warmer temperatures are more likely to become females. Eggs incubated at cooler temperatures are more likely to become males. How would higher atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations MOST likely affect sea turtle populations?
Earth’s climate would be warmer, so the percentage of female turtles would increase.
Which biome has the MOST vegetation?
Guatemala is a mountainous country in Central America. Each year, more than 350 square kilometers of forests are removed for building materials and to make more room for crops. If this rate of deforestation continues, what will most likely result over the next several years?
The risk of landslides across the country will increase.
What do the energy resources uranium and coal have in common?
They both are acquired by mining the lithosphere.
A regional water board is examining proposals to provide drinking water to a growing metropolitan area. Which of these proposals is MOST likely to deplete groundwater supplies?
installation of city-owned wells within each neighborhood
Raising livestock, such as sheep and cattle, results in the production of large amounts of methane gas (CH4). Methane has a similar effect in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2). As more livestock are raised to provide food for humans, what is the MOST likely effect of the increase in methane?
global warming
Which action will most likely cause a negative impact on the biodiversity of a small region?
draining a wetland for the development of a new park
Two countries share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The island is naturally a rainforest. The hillsides of the Dominican Republic are still heavily forested. Most of Haiti’s trees have been cut down.
The soil on the hillsides of the Dominican Republic is deep and rich. But the soil on the hillsides of Haiti is thin and depleted. The poor, thin soil makes raising crops difficult. Food shortages happen often. Which natural conditions in Haiti combine with deforestation to increase erosion?
frequent heavy rains and steep hillsides
Which of these methods of energy resource acquisition has the LEAST effect on the lithosphere?
harvesting wood by selective cutting
What would most likely result if more farms were developed along river basins in North Carolina?
an increase in water pollution
The greenhouse effect is a process by which atmospheric gases, including help warm the atmosphere and surface of Earth. Most scientists think the greenhouse effect is increasing due to human activities. Which of these human activities has caused the greatest increase in concentrations of atmospheric
burning fossil fuels
How could a global decrease in plant diversity affect the biosphere?
It could cause a decrease in animal populations in the biosphere.
In the 1930s, the American Great Plains became known as the Dust Bowl because it was the source of huge clouds of dust that covered much of the United States. Which BEST describes the causes of the Dust Bowl?
a severe drought and the overuse of prairie farmland
If people in an area have limited access to freshwater resources, what will most likely result?
a decrease in sanitation and increase in disease in the area
What is a possible consequence of the destruction of a marsh?
decreased filtering of water
Large metropolitan areas are composed of hard surfaces that trap solar energy as heat, especially in the summer months. The EPA estimates that the trapped heat results in 1.5 – 2.0% increase in energy consumption for every 0.6°C increase in air temperature in these urban heat islands. Most of this energy is supplied by power plants that rely on fossil fuels. Which of the following effects of increased energy use and regional air temperatures directly impacts human health?
higher concentrations of ground-level ozone
Two farmers decide to plant fewer types of corn in their fields. How will changing the biodiversity of the corn crop affect the fields?
Planting fewer types of corn will make the corn more vulnerable to plant pathogens.