Environmental Systems Science Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Environmental Systems Science explores the complex interactions within and between natural and human systems that shape our environment. Emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach, the course covers key topics such as ecosystem dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, energy flows, climate science, and human impacts on the environment. Students will learn to apply systems thinking and quantitative analysis tools to evaluate environmental challenges, understand feedback mechanisms, and propose sustainable solutions for managing natural resources and mitigating environmental change.
Recommended Textbook
Environmental Science 12th Edition by Wright
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1939 Verified Questions
1939 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Science and the Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) The destruction of oyster larvae in Oregon aquaculture tanks was discovered to be caused by
A)pathogenic bacteria.
B)minute predators accidentally imported in sea water.
C)temperatures too warm for larval survival.
D)increase in the acidity of sea water in which the larvae were incubated.
Answer: D
Q2) Which of the following best illustrates bias in scientific investigations?
A)Investigations of the cause of AIDS are limited by our inability to see viruses.
B)Investigations of the health effects of smoking are funded and published by a tobacco company.
C)Researchers studying heron nests notice that some baby herons fall out of nests and are killed.
D)An experiment testing the effect of a new drug has only one control group.
Answer: B
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3
Chapter 2: Economics, Politics, and Public Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Obama administration
A)now censors scientific study that conflicts with its position.
B)no longer requires consultation with wildlife experts before approving projects potentially harming endangered species.
C)now encourages the development of renewable energy and reduction of carbon emissions.
D)has slashed the EPA's budget so that little enforcement is possible.
Answer: C
Q2) In the years 2001-2010,the benefit to cost ratio
A)always had more benefits than costs.
B)always had more cost than benefits.
C)usually had more costs than benefits.
D)usually had more benefits than costs.
Answer: D
Q3) Sustainable development and the protection of public health require
A)the generation of electricity from fossil fuels.
B)governments to recognize personal liberties as the highest priority.
C)the independence of private landowners to develop individual policies.
D)public policies that protect the environment.
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Basic Needs of Living Things
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Sample Questions
Q1) In Lake Michigan,resources would include
A)pH of the water.
B)temperature of the water.
C)the salinity of the water.
D)microscopic algae in the water.
Answer: D
Q2) Energy
A)and nutrients flow one way through ecosystems.
B)and nutrients both cycle within ecosystems.
C)cycles within ecosystems,while nutrients flow only one way through ecosystems.
D)flows one way through ecosystems,but nutrients cycle within ecosystems.
Answer: D
Q3) A single ecosystem will include
A)an interactive complex of communities but not the abiotic environment.
B)the abiotic environment but not an interactive complex of communities.
C)many species of living organisms and may include humans.
D)either a plant community or an animal community,but not both.
Answer: C
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5
Chapter 4: Populations and Communities
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Sample Questions
Q1) Plants such as leafy spurge can double their population size every year in part because of their efficient production of large amounts of seeds.Populations that can double every year,such as leafy spurge,
A)will do so endlessly,eventually achieving a global distribution.
B)are examples of logistic growth.
C)probably have more predators than other species.
D)exhibit exponential growth as they spread to new regions.
Q2) The introduction of invasive North American ctenophores into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov has
A)given unexpected help to the fisheries there by providing a new food source.
B)resulted in the extinction of the native European ctenophores.
C)decimated fisheries because the invasive species competes for food with commercial fish species.
D)crippled the tourist industry because ctenophores sting swimmers.
Q3) The different Galápagos finch species
A)evolved in South America and flew to the Galápagos Islands.
B)evolved from a single ancestral species that flew to the Galápagos Islands.
C)all feed on the same diet in the Galápagos Islands.
D)are primarily different because of variations in the structure of their feet.
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Ecosystems: Energy, Patterns, and Disturbance
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Sample Questions
Q1) The mosses changed the environment enough to permit grasses to grow in a process called
A)sublimation.
B)facilitation.
C)regeneration.
D)improvisation.
Q2) Biomes with precipitation between 10-60 inches per year and seasonal temperature at lower elevations are commonly
A)coniferous forests.
B)hot deserts.
C)grasslands.
D)tropical rain forests.
Q3) The frequency of crown fires will decrease if A)forests are logged more frequently.
B)smaller forest fires are allowed to burn naturally.
C)deadwood is allowed to accumulate on the forest floors.
D)the environment experiences less precipitation.
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Chapter 6: Wild Species and Biodiversity
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Sample Questions
Q1) The fragmentation of natural habitats in the conversion of land for human uses creates
A)more opportunities to preserve wildlife in many small parks.
B)focused regions where careful wildlife management can actually increase biodiversity.
C)habitats that favor species that grow slowly or have naturally unstable populations.
D)habitat breaks that favor species that thrive at the edges of ecosystems.
Q2) Wild turkeys,peregrine falcons,and snowy egrets are examples of birds that have
A)now gone extinct despite extensive efforts to save these species.
B)very few individuals restricted to just a few small populations.
C)all been severely impacted by the spread of the bird flu.
D)recovered significantly since gaining legal protection.
Q3) In the United States today,
A)some game animals are still being hunted to extinction.
B)most people do not need permission or licenses to hunt common game animals.
C)property owners do not own the wildlife on their lands.
D)turkey populations are threatened with extinction due to overhunting.
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Chapter 7: The Use and Restoration of Ecosystems
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most coral reefs are located in shallow water that is no more than 75 meters deep because below this depth,
A)water temperatures are too cold.
B)water currents are too fast.
C)sunlight levels are too low.
D)there is not enough oxygen.
Q2) Which of the following lumber harvesting strategies will most likely produce erosion problems?
A)clear-cutting
B)selective cutting
C)shelter-wood cutting
D)sustainable forest management
Q3) Compared to forests using sustainable forest management,commercial forests managed for maximum sustainable yield of commercially valuable species will
A)support more biological diversity.
B)be more resistant to pests.
C)produce a greater variety of wood.
D)have greater erosion problems.
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Chapter 8: The Human Population
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Sample Questions
Q1) Examine the map in this figure and identify which of the following regions represent the lowest combined levels of poverty?
A)North and South America
B)Southeast Asia and the Middle East
C)Central,southern,and northern Africa
D)Asia Pacific and eastern Asia
Q2) According to demographer Joel Cohen,the human carrying capacity
A)can be calculated in the same way it is determined for other animal species.
B)depends upon a standard of living.
C)can clearly be determined.
D)largely depends upon the availability of fresh water.
Q3) The "baby boom echo," represented by people who are 20-29 years old in 2010,is the result of
A)increased fertility of the baby boom generation.
B)reduced infant mortality rates.
C)reproduction of the baby boom generation.
D)increased use of birth control in the 1970s.
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Chapter 9: Population and Development
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Sample Questions
Q1) Examine the relationships between poverty,environmental degradation,and fertility.We would expect that increased industrialization and development would affect the poverty cycle by
A)increasing available resources permitting larger family sizes.
B)decreasing the use of natural resources.
C)increasing the demand for food.
D)increasing the use of contraceptives.
Q2) Which of the following analogies best illustrates the credit-debt trap?
A)A country must refinance a loan from 10 to 30 years to be able to make payments.
B)A company is paying off a 15-year loan on an investment that will not produce revenues for five years.
C)A family must take on additional jobs to pay back loans needed to provide a home and food.
D)A person is only able to pay some of the interest,and none of the principal,of a large credit card bill.
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Chapter 10: Water: Hydrologic Cycle and Human Use
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an example of condensation?
A)the loss of water from leaves of a tree
B)the absorption of water by the roots of a plant
C)the formation of clouds
D)the formation of snow
Q2) The removal of existing dams is motivated by
A)the need for more urban drinking water.
B)the need for more irrigation water.
C)restoration of scenic beauty of rivers and fisheries.
D)the need for more hydroelectric power stations.
Q3) The kinetic energy of water is at its lowest when
A)rain forms.
B)water evaporates.
C)ice forms.
D)water percolates through soil.
Q4) Which of the following slows the global hydrologic cycle?
A)increased atmospheric pollution with aerosol particles
B)increased use of pesticides
C)increased evaporation from land surfaces
D)global warming
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Chapter 11: Soil: Foundation for Land Ecosystems
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Sample Questions
Q1) Detritus feeders and decomposers are most likely found in the A)E and B horizon.
B)A and O horizon.
C)B and C horizon.
D)C and E horizon.
Q2) Most plant productivity in a forest is most directly related to the A)intensity of sunlight reaching the forest floor.
B)unvarying temperatures throughout the year.
C)consistent precipitation in every month of the year.
D)quality of topsoil in the forest.
Q3) The very deep roots of many prairie plants that have decomposed over thousands of years have contributed to the high fertility of the
A)C horizon of alfisols.
B)A horizon of molisols.
C)B horizon of aridisols.
D)C horizon of molisols.
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13
Chapter 12: The Production and Distribution of Food
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Sample Questions
Q1) If you live in the United States,chances are that you have consumed some processed food that includes bioengineered plants
A)almost every day.
B)at most once a month.
C)perhaps once a year.
D)once in your lifetime.
Q2) The graph in this figure suggests that
A)global grain production will increase if the global consumption of meat increases.
B)more grains should be directed into food for livestock to alleviate global hunger.
C)global grain production has not kept up with population growth.
D)eating less meat will make more grain available for human consumption.
Q3) Marker-assisted breeding allows
A)desired bacterial genes to be inserted into crops.
B)beneficial animal genes to be inserted into crops.
C)crop improvements without resorting to transgenic traits.
D)plants that have been bioengineered to be easily identified in the field.
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Chapter 13: Pests and Pest Control
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most of the wheat,rice,and corn raised in the world has resulted from genetic engineering of one sort or another,either by crossing certain varieties or deliberately transferring genes using transgenic techniques.These methods select for plants that produce their own defenses against pests with chemicals or physical barriers.Helping to feed the world,this represents an example of
A)cultural control.
B)natural enemies control.
C)genetic control.
D)natural chemical control.
Q2) The use of pesticides crosses the economic threshold when the cost of
A)crop damage is more than the cost of the pesticide.
B)pesticide is more than the cost of the crop damage.
C)harvesting the crop is more than the cost of raising the crop.
D)cost of raising the crop is more than the cost of the crop damage.
Q3) Organically grown foods are typically
A)free of all pesticide residues.
B)usually less expensive than non-organic foods.
C)grown with traditional methods,diverse crops,soil conservation and based in local economies.
D)grown on farms that are typically larger than non-organic food farms.
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Chapter 14: Energy From Fossil Fuels
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Sample Questions
Q1) CHP conserves energy in industrial buildings by
A)charging batteries when power demand drops.
B)drawing on the heat of the earth to make electricity.
C)installing solar panels on the top of power plants.
D)using the waste heat generated to warm buildings.
Q2) The process of fracking involves
A)using underground explosives to break up gas-rich shale deposits.
B)processes that are under the regulation of the 2005 Safe Drinking Water Act.
C)using coal and petroleum as a chemical basis for producing natural gas.
D)using high-pressure fluids to fracture gas-rich shale deposits far underground.
Q3) Fossil fuels represent
A)a large amount of paleozoic and mesozoic biomass buried anaerobically millions of years ago.
B)natural deposits of organic materials that formed long before life on Earth evolved.
C)the remains of fossil animals that lived a few thousand years ago.
D)sustainable sources of energy that are underused today.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Nuclear Power
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which one of the following energy sources can generate the greatest additional power without contributing significantly to global climate change?
A)solar technologies
B)hydroelectric power
C)nuclear energy
D)geothermal energy
Q2) Good stewardship of nuclear power is best promoted by
A)government oversight and international cooperation.
B)independent decisions of the countries of the world.
C)oversight provided by the companies that own the facilities.
D)limiting regulations and requirements.
Q3) A loss-of-accident (LOCA),as in the Fukushima Daiichi plant
A)will result in a nuclear explosion,like a nuclear bomb,if not quickly corrected.
B)is not a safety hazard because the nuclear reactions in core are automatically shut down.
C)if not corrected could result in a meltdown of fuel rods leading to a steam explosion. D)may cause a meltdown but never a release of radiation into the environment.
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17
Chapter 16: Renewable Energy
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Sample Questions
Q1) This home system illustrates the use of
A)ecothermal energy.
B)biomass fuels.
C)geothermal energy.
D)hydroelectric energy.
Q2) With all of the sun's energy striking the Earth every second of every day,why doesn't the Earth overheat and kill us all?
A)The Earth is so large and dense that it absorbs all of this heat.
B)The Earth is overheating regionally,melting rocks into the lava of volcanoes.
C)The Earth maintains a balance by radiating this heat back into space.
D)The atmosphere of the Earth prevents the solar radiation from reaching the Earth's surface.
Q3) As of 2011 in the United States,about 8% of electrical power came from A)burning biomass.
B)hydropower.
C)solar energy.
D)wind.
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Chapter 17: Environmental Hazards and Human Health
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Sample Questions
Q1) The most effective antimalarial strategies involve the use of
A)DDT,bed nets,and quick access to drug treatment.
B)DDT,immunization,and the drainage of all standing water in a region.
C)immunizations,surgery,and a change in diet.
D)sterilization of mosquitoes,treatment of mosquito breeding sites,and antibiotics.
Q2) Which of the following is the best predictor of underweight of people of in a particular country?
A)the amount of annual precipitation
B)the wealth or poverty of the country
C)the country's distance from the equator
D)the reliance on coal for heat and electricity generation
Q3) The hygiene hypothesis predicts that the lowest levels of asthma should occur in people living in
A)poor rural families in developing countries.
B)wealthy families in developing countries.
C)poor urban families in developed countries.
D)wealthy families in developed countries.
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Chapter 18: Global Climate Change
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following gases by virtue of its enormous amount in the atmosphere has the greatest impact on global climate change?
A)methane
B)nitrous oxide
C)carbon dioxide
D)nitrogen
Q2) In a Hadley cell,
A)warm air rises and cool air falls.
B)cool air rises and warm air falls.
C)warm water rises and cool water falls.
D)cool water rises and warm water falls.
Q3) The steep increase in global carbon emissions since 1950,shown in the figure above,most closely parallels the
A)rise in pH of the ocean over this same period.
B)size of the polar ice caps over this same period.
C)global surface temperatures over this same period.
D)increases in the speed of the Atlantic Ocean conveyor system over this same period.
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Page 20
Chapter 19: Atmospheric Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The 2011 EPA standards for mercury and air toxics will reduce pollutants dramatically from
A)nuclear power plants.
B)oil and coal-fired power plants.
C)paper mills and CAFOs.
D)electric hybrid cars.
Q2) As demonstrated during the high oil prices of 2008,when gasoline prices skyrocket,hybrid vehicle sales
A)decrease and more people use public transportation.
B)increase and fewer people use public transportation.
C)decrease and fewer people use public transportation.
D)increase and more people use public transportation.
Q3) Most of the increase in fuel efficiency of hybrid vehicles comes from
A)charging electric batteries when decelerating,idling or coasting.
B)charging electric batteries when cruising down the highway.
C)enclosing most of the wheels and other aerodynamic designs.
D)the use of smaller engines that produce less power and slower acceleration.
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Chapter 20: Water Pollution and Its Prevention
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which one of the following best illustrates a nonpoint source of pollution?
A)oil leaking into the ocean from an oil rig
B)wastewater from a coal-fired power plant
C)storm-water drainage from the parking lot around a football stadium
D)raw sewage released into a river when storm-water overflows a city's sewage treatment facility
Q2) The ultimate responsibility for public policy legislation controlling the waters of the United States is the
A)EPA.
B)U.S.Congress.
C)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
D)United States Geological Services.
Q3) Which of the following farming practices were recommended to mitigate the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico just west of the Mississippi River?
A)increased use of no-till farming (nitrogen retention)and decreased fertilizer use
B)increased use of ammonia as a fertilizer
C)crop rotation between soybeans and corn
D)switching from raising corn to raising cattle
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Chapter 21: Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal and Recovery
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Sample Questions
Q1) A town is considering the uses of its former landfill.Some people want to use it as a park and others want to build office buildings and form an industrial park.Engineers advising the town council have strongly urged the group to not place any significant buildings on top of the landfill because of problems related to
A)leaching.
B)settling.
C)biogas production.
D)incomplete decomposition.
Q2) Between 1960 and 2010,how has recycling changed in the U.S.? The total amount of recycled MSW has
A)actually declined by about 10%,a very disappointing trend.
B)stayed about the same,as the cost of natural resources had declined.
C)actually doubled,representing significant improvement.
D)increased by more than 500%,representing a huge improvement.
Q3) The pulp from one tree equals a stack of newspapers about
A)a half a meter high.
B)a meter high.
C)two meters high.
D)five meters high.
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Page 23
Chapter 22: Hazardous Chemicals: Pollution and Prevention
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Sample Questions
Q1) The hazardous-waste disposal system illustrated in this figure represents
A)a deep-well injection.
B)a secure landfill.
C)an on-site surface impoundment.
D)a best-demonstrated available technology.
Q2) Using its authority from a new rule issued under the Clean Air Act in 2011,the EPA
A)can require a 90% reduction of mercury emissions from power plants.
B)can reintroduce leaded gasoline beginning in 2014.
C)can permit chromium,tin and arsenic in fungicides dispensed with fertilizers.
D)will require coal-fired power plants to remove heavy metals from coal before it is burned.
Q3) The widespread poisoning of the nervous systems of people living in the fishing village of Minamata,Japan,in the mid-1950s revealed the toxic consequences of environmental pollution by A)lead.
B)mercury.
C)PERC.
D)halogenated hydrocarbon pesticides.
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Chapter 23: Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles
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Sample Questions
Q1) Over the past 50 years in the United States,commuting
A)time and distance have nearly doubled.
B)time has remained about the same,but the distance has doubled.
C)time and distance have increased sixfold.
D)time and distance have remained about the same.
Q2) Responsible and sustainable actions and policies regarding environmental issues function at the
A)individual level.
B)community level.
C)national level.
D)all levels of society
Q3) Urban sprawl is associated with
A)low residential density.
B)high physical separation between homes,work,and shopping.
C)congested traffic due to inadequate road networks.
D)low residential density,high physical separation between homes,work,and shopping,and congested traffic due to inadequate road networks.
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