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Which is one way poor use of fertilizers in agriculture can affect the environment?
It can cause pollution of water in lakes and rivers.
Which of these methods of energy resource acquisition has the LEAST effect on the lithosphere?
harvesting wood by selective cutting
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
If fossil fuel usage were unlimited, what effect would this have on Earth’s biosphere?
It would pollute natural habitats, which would decrease the biodiversity on Earth.
Corn is widely being used in the United States to make ethanol for use in automobile fuel. How might the overproduction of corn negatively affect the environment?
decreasing soil fertility
What is an effect of deforestation?
decrease in biodiversity
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 would most likely result if more farms were developed along river basins in North Carolina?
an increase in water pollution
Biologists have discovered that the beluga whales of Canada’s St. Lawrence River have the highest rates of cancer among animals. What is MOST likely the reason for this high incidence of cancer in these whales?
chemical and pollutant runoff into the ocean
Nitrogen is a nutrient needed by plants for growth. Nitrogen is naturally cycled into the soil where it is rapidly absorbed by plants. What would a farmer MOST likely do to replenish nitrogen that was depleted from the soil?
add fertilizer to the soil to provide a source of nitrogen
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 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
What would most likely happen if coastal North Carolina increased implementation of wind energy?
The production of greenhouse gases would decrease.
What effect would uncontrolled population growth have on land?
decreased soil fertility and increased erosion
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
How could a global decrease in plant diversity affect the biosphere?
It could cause a decrease in animal populations in the biosphere.
Wave energy from the ocean can be harnessed to power generators to make electricity. Energy from ocean tides can also be used to make electricity. How would you categorize these two sources of energy?
Both are renewable.
What effect does reusing or recycling municipal waste have on environmental resources?
introduction of pollutants into water systems
What do the energy resources uranium and coal have in common?
They both are acquired by mining the lithosphere.
At a city council meeting, a developer outlines plans for a new shopping area. Residents speaking at the meeting voice their concerns that the development will increase runoff and pollute bodies of water in the area. The developer could address their concerns by proposing the addition of which of the following to the plans?
wetlands that surround the development
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.
On the edge of many deserts, there is a delicate area with abundant vegetation. Sometimes cattle are allowed to graze in these areas. The hooves of the cattle compact the topsoil making it less absorbent. Which environmental concern is MOST likely to happen at the edge of the desert when cattle graze there?
erosion
Refining metal from ore and recycling metal require different amounts of energy. In the United States, recycling which metal saves the MOST energy compared to refining the same amount of the metal?
aluminum