Multiple Choice

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 1. The major greenhouse gases include all of the following except

a.	chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
b.	carbon dioxide and water vapor.
c.	sulfur dioxide.
d.	ozone and nitrous oxide.

____ 2. The two predominant greenhouse gases in the troposphere are

a.	carbon dioxide and ozone.
b.	carbon dioxide and water vapor.
c.	nitrogen and water vapor.
d.	nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide.

____ 3. Which of the following statements about the greenhouse effect is false?

a.	The amount of heat trapped in the troposphere depends on concentrations of greenhouse gases.
b.	The greenhouse effect is a new theory that explains the warming of the atmosphere.
c.	Heat trapped by greenhouse gases keeps the planet warm enough for life.
d.	The two predominant greenhouse gases are water vapor and carbon dioxide.

____ 4. All of the following greenhouse gases have increased in recent decades except

a.	carbon dioxide.
b.	methane.
c.	water vapor.
d.	nitrous oxide.

____ 5. Estimated variations in Earth's mean surface temperature over the past 135 years correlate closely with

a.	ozone.
b.	water vapor.
c.	CFCs.
d.	carbon dioxide.

____ 6. The greatest uncertainty in current climate models comes from

a.	measurements of temperature and air pressure.
b.	measurements of wind speed and direction.
c.	patterns of variation in solar radiation.
d.	effects of clouds and ecosphere on climate.

____ 7. Major climate models project all of the following except

a.	a 1.0- to 3.5-degree centigrade rise in Earth's mean surface temperature by 2100.
b.	an Earth warmer than at any time in the last 10,000 years.
c.	the falling of global sea levels.
d.	more warming in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.

____ 8. About 29% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by human activities

a.	remains in the atmosphere.
b.	is absorbed by the oceans.
c.	is absorbed by the growth of plants.
d.	is absorbed by the soil.

____ 9. If climate belts move faster than trees migrate, there could be

a.	a large increase of forest area.
b.	mass extinctions of species that couldn't migrate.
c.	an increase in forest diversity.
d.	tropical forests in New England.

____ 10. Which of the following niches is likely to be most effected by global warming?

a.	generalist
b.	specialist
c.	keystone
d.	indicator

____ 11. Which of the following statements about the potential effects of global warming on human health is false?

a.	Food and freshwater supplies are likely to be disrupted.
b.	People are likely to be displaced.
c.	Insect-borne diseases are likely to decrease in today's temperate zones.
d.	Sanitation systems in coastal cities may be flooded.

____ 12. The quickest, cheapest, and most effective way to reduce the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to

a.	switch from fossil fuels to nuclear fuels.
b.	increase the efficiency of energy use.
c.	plant trees to trap more carbon dioxide.
d.	stop deforestation.

____ 13. All of the following are prevention approaches to global warming except

a.	taxing gasoline and carbon dioxide emissions.
b.	shifting to perpetual and renewable energy sources.
c.	improving energy efficiency; transfer energy-efficiency and pollution prevention technologies to developing countries.
d.	dispersing methane from landfills to prevent explosions.

____ 14. The ozone layer is most effective in blocking

a.	UV-C, the highest-energy UV band.
b.	UV-B, the middle-energy UV band.
c.	UV-A, the lowest-energy UV band.
d.	CFCs.

____ 15. The story of the discovery of the effects of CFCs and the political response to that knowledge best illustrates which of the following components of complex systems?

a.	negative feedback loop
b.	positive feedback loop
c.	synergistic interaction
d.	lag time

____ 16. Which of the following statements is false?

a.	Over 44 years passed from the first production of CFCs until the first awareness that they could cause environmental damage.
b.	CFCs are stable, odorless, nonflammable, nontoxic, and noncorrosive chemicals.
c.	CFCs are found in bubbles in Styrofoam and insulation.
d.	CFCs are important because they help screen out ultraviolet radiation from reaching Earth's surface.

____ 17. Chemicals capable of destroying ozone include all of the following except

a.	chlorofluorocarbons.
b.	formaldehyde used as a preservative.
c.	halons in fire extinguishers and crop fumigants.
d.	carbon tetrachloride used as a solvent.

____ 18. Increases in ultraviolet radiation will cause an increase in all but which one of the following?

a.	skin cancers
b.	yields of food crops
c.	eye cataracts
d.	suppression of the human immune system

____ 19. Human health problems closely associated with ozone depletion include all of the following except

a.	skin cancer.
b.	eye cataracts.
c.	increased incidence of heart disease.
d.	suppression of the immune response.

____ 20. In 1987, 36 nations meeting in Montreal, Canada, developed the Montreal Protocol to reduce production of

a.	carbon dioxide.
b.	nitrous oxide.
c.	CFCs.
d.	toxic wastes.

____ 21. Which of the following is managed on a multiple-use basis?

a.	national wildlife refuges
b.	national wilderness areas
c.	national parks
d.	national resource lands

____ 22. Which of the following is managed on a restricted-use basis?

a.	national parks
b.	national forests
c.	national resource lands
d.	national wildlife refuges

____ 23. Which of the following is managed as moderately restricted-use land?

a.	national parks
b.	national forests
c.	national resource lands
d.	national wildlife refuges

____ 24. Which of the following principles would most environmentalists not want to see being a

guide to governance of public lands?

a.	All users of public lands should be responsible for correcting any environmental damage they cause.
b.	Protection of biodiversity and ecological integrity should be the most important goal.
c.	Public lands should be used to enrich individual citizens to make a strong U.S. economy.
d.	No one should be given subsidies or tax breaks for extracting resources on public lands.

____ 25. Restricted use lands are generally governed by

a.	a wise use philosophy.
b.	a preservationist philosophy.
c.	the whim of the current director of the Bureau of Land Management.
d.	a philosophy of utilitarian conservation.

____ 26. Snags and fallen trees

a.	contribute to erosion of the soil from logged forests.
b.	recycle nutrients in the forest ecosystem.
c.	mess up the order of a forest ecosystem.
d.	defy the second law of thermodynamics.

____ 27. The most common use of trees worldwide is as

a.	pulp in paper production.
b.	lumber for building.
c.	fuelwood.
d.	raw material in the manufacture of various synthetics.

____ 28. Forests remove _____ from and add _____ to the atmosphere.

a.	oxygen; carbon dioxide
b.	nitrogen; oxygen
c.	carbon dioxide; sulfur dioxide
d.	carbon dioxide; oxygen

____ 29. An even-aged management strategy's goal is

a.	sustenance of maximum biological diversity.
b.	high-quality timber production.
c.	a long-term, ecologically oriented approach.
d.	production of maximum return on a short-term basis.

____ 30. A tree grower using uneven-aged management most likely has the goal of

a.	sustaining biological diversity.
b.	short-term production of wood chips for paper.
c.	highest economic return.
d.	single use of a forest stand.

____ 31. To maximize fuelwood or fiber for paper production, forest managers would use

a.	an angular rotation cycle.
b.	a short rotation cycle.
c.	a modified rotation cycle.
d.	a long rotation cycle.

____ 32. Selective cutting

a.	encourages crowding of trees.
b.	encourages growth of more mature trees.
c.	maintains an uneven-aged stand of trees of different species, ages, and sizes.
d.	requires a special seed-distribution plan.

____ 33. The removal of all trees from a given area in a single cutting to establish a new even-aged stand is called

a.	selective cutting.
b.	seed-tree cutting.
c.	clear-cutting.
d.	shelterwood cutting.

____ 34. Which of the following statements is false?

a.	Clear-cutting increases the amount of timber produced per acre.
b.	Lumber companies prefer clear-cutting because it takes less skill and planning than other methods.
c.	Clear-cutting shortens rotation time.
d.	Clear-cutting requires more roads.

____ 35. Clear-cutting, if done properly, can be useful for some

a.	shade-tolerant species.
b.	full-sun requiring species.
c.	species that prefer acid soils.
d.	species that prefer alkaline soils.

____ 36. Which of the following statements is false?

a.	Prescribed burning is a controlled surface fire.
b.	Prescribed burning is done at specific times to reduce the amount of air pollution resulting from burning.
c.	Surface fires kill much wildlife, and such burning should be prevented.
d.	Some wildlife species depend on surface fires to maintain their habitats.

____ 37. Which of the following statements is false?

a.	Fire may help to release minerals locked up inside organisms.
b.	Fire is universally a dangerous and destructive force that reduces productivity.
c.	Fire may occur periodically without the interference of humans.
d.	Surface fires may be prescribed to reduce the chance of serious fires.

____ 38. In the next few decades, a threat to temperate and boreal forests that is expected to become more significant is

a.	clear-cutting to create croplands.
b.	insects.
c.	climate change.
d.	air pollution.

____ 39. Monoculture forestry has led to all of the following except

a.	suppression of ecologically important natural fires.
b.	draining of wetlands.
c.	loss of soil nutrients.
d.	increased biodiversity.

____ 40. The Forest Service keeps most of the money it makes on timber sales. The Forest Service has allowed timber harvesting to become the dominant use of most national forests. The Forest Service makes more money. Money increases size, power, and influence. This situation best illustrates which of the following components of a complex system?

a.	a positive feedback loop
b.	a negative feedback loop
c.	a delay
d.	an accumulation

____ 41. Those who migrate and find jobs in cities can expect all of the following except

a.	long hours and low wages.
b.	dangerous machinery.
c.	health and retirement benefits.
d.	noise pollution.

____ 42. The U.S. population is

a.	shifting to the north and east.
b.	shifting to the north and west.
c.	shifting to the south and east.
d.	shifting to the south and west.

____ 43. Which of the following is not an environmental benefit of urbanization?

a.	Birth rates are lower.
b.	Concentrating people preserves biodiversity.
c.	Cities are self-sustaining.
d.	Recycling is more economically feasible.

____ 44. Vegetation improves the quality of life in urban areas by all of the following means except

a.	muffling noise.
b.	providing wildlife habitat.
c.	absorbing air pollutants.
d.	warming the air.

____ 45. The water problem least likely to be faced by an urban area is

a.	water supply.
b.	contaminated runoff.
c.	flooding.
d.	protection of wild streams and rivers.

____ 46. Floodplains

a.	are hard to develop.
b.	are inaccessible.
c.	are often sites of urbanization.
d.	are considered poor land for development by developers.

____ 47. Urban areas tend to alter climate by all of the following means except

a.	generating heat.
b.	absorbing heat.
c.	obstructing wind.
d.	reducing tropospheric ozone.

____ 48. A city may be identified by a(n)

a.	cool pocket.
b.	dust bowl.
c.	heat island.
d.	increased wind speed.

____ 49. The heat island effect can be counteracted by all of the following means except

a.	planting trees.
b.	using darker paints and building materials.
c.	mixing light-colored sand with asphalt.
d.	establishing higher energy-efficiency standards.

____ 50. Urban sprawl

a.	is a new video game.
b.	creates new natural habitat.
c.	defines a strong sense of community.
d.	paves over some of the best farmland.

____ 51. Advantages of automobiles include all of the following except

a.	freedom to go where you want when you want.
b.	adventure.
c.	energy efficiency.
d.	provision of jobs.

____ 52. The development of U.S. mass transit has been discouraged by

a.	the expansion of trolley systems.
b.	expensive gasoline prices.
c.	expensive cars.
d.	federal gasoline taxes to build highways.

____ 53. When more roads are built, more cars are sold. Then more roads are built. This interaction exemplifies a(n)

a.	positive feedback loop.
b.	negative feedback loop.
c.	synergistic interaction.
d.	antagonistic interaction.

____ 54. Ninety percent of the funds used to support government services (schools, roads, police and fire protection, welfare, and so on) come from

a.	income taxes.
b.	sales tax.
c.	property taxes.
d.	fees and licenses.

____ 55. Local governments can control land use by

a.	not requiring building permits.
b.	zoning.
c.	providing unlimited services.
d.	encouraging ecologically unsound development.