Final Exam 2025

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of a renewable natural resource?
a. crude oil
b. coal
c. wave energy
d. copper

Answer 1

c. wave energy

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a nonrenewable natural resource?
a. wind energy
b. sunlight
c. natural gas
d. geothermal energy

Answer 2

c. natural gas

Question 3

Results published in __________ are the most respected in science because they have passed through a rigorous evaluation process involving feedback from multiple sources.
a. news magazine
b. peer-reviewed journals
c. web journals
d. weekly newspapers

Answer 3

b. peer-reviewed journals

Question 4

A(n) __________ is a testable idea that attempts to explain a phenomenon or answer a scientific question.
a. dependent variable
b. prediction
c. controlled study
d. hypothesis

Answer 4

d. hypothesis

Question 5

The __________ includes all the living and nonliving things with which organisms interact.
a. resources
b. environment
c. sustainability
d. nonrenewable resources

Answer 5

b. environment

Question 6

“Energy Star,” “USDA Organic,” and “Fair Trade Certified” are all examples of
a. ecosystems.
b. ecolabeling.
c. non-market values.
d. market failure.

Answer 6

b. ecolabeling.

Question 7

What major entity of the U.S. government has the chief responsibility for overseeing environmental regulations?
a. Environmental Impact Statement
b. Environmental Protection Agency
c. National Park Services
d. Supreme Court

Answer 7

b. Environmental Protection Agency

Question 8

Which of the following facts influenced the shift in environmental policy in the U.S. during the mid- to late-1900s?
a. Americans found themselves living amid dirtier air, dirtier water, and more waste and toxic chemicals.
b. Americans became less aware about environmental problems.
c. Many Americans found themselves worse off economically.
d. America was less densely populated and had reduced its reliance on technology.

Answer 8

a. Americans found themselves living amid dirtier air, dirtier water, and more waste and toxic chemicals.

Question 9

Some people argue that because Earth’s resources are ultimately limited, nonstop economic growth is
a. not a problem.
b. inevitable.
c. not sustainable.
d. highly desirable.

Answer 9

c. not sustainable.

Question 10

Headquartered in New York City, the 190 member nations of the following organization work together to promote peace and to help solve economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems.
a. World Trade Organization
b. European Union
c. United Nations
d. Kyoto Protocol

Answer 10

c. United Nations

Question 11

All material in the universe that has mass and occupies space is called
a. covalent.
b. compound.
c. matter.
d. carbon.

Answer 11

c. matter.

Question 12

The central core of every atom, containing particles called protons and neutrons, is called a(n)
a. electron.
b. bond.
c. nucleus.
d. compound.

Answer 12

c. nucleus.

Question 13

Nutrients circulate endlessly throughout the environment in complex cycles called
a. eutrophication cycles.
b. respiration cycles.
c. photosynthesis cycles.
d. biogeochemical cycles.

Answer 13

d. biogeochemical cycles.

Question 14

What type of plant is associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria?
a. grain crops like wheat and oats
b. large evergreen trees
c. legumes, like soybeans
d. aquatic plants, like algae

Answer 14

c. legumes, like soybeans

Question 15

What is the term for organisms, including plants and algae, that create their own food?
a. consumers
b. producers
c. legumes
d. decomposers

Answer 15

b. producers

Question 16

Every spring, many species of bird travel north to the Arctic to breed, and in the fall travel south again for the winter. This is an example of
a. immigration
b. emigration
c. migration
d. population growth

Answer 16

c. migration

Question 17

You are studying the vegetation communities of the Mongolian grasslands in a 1000-square-kilometer-area. What is your best strategy for estimating the number of individuals of different plant species growing throughout the grasslands?
a. direct observation
b. sampling
c. indirect observation
d. simply counting each one

Answer 17

b. sampling

Question 18

“All the living things and their physical environment within a given area” best defines
a. a community.
b. an ecosystem.
c. the biosphere.
d. a population.

Answer 18

b. an ecosystem.

Question 19

A population of wolves is reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park. For the first decade, the wolf population grows exponentially. Then, the population growth slows. The new pattern is known as
a. logistic growth.
b. limiting factors.
c. carrying capacity.
d. exponential growth.

Answer 19

a. logistic growth.

Question 20

Pandas depend on bamboo. The amount of intact bamboo forest will help determine the
a. biotic potential of the population.
b. carrying capacity of the population.
c. sex ratio of the population.
d. limiting factor of the population.

Answer 20

b. carrying capacity of the population.

Question 21

When energy is transferred between trophic levels, the amount of available energy lost is about
a. 90 percent.
b. 50 percent.
c. 25 percent.
d. 10 percent.

Answer 21

a. 90 percent.

Question 22

Humans are generally
a. carnivores.
b. herbivores.
c. omnivores.
d. detritivores.

Answer 22

c. omnivores.

Question 23

Any being that uses the sun’s energy to create sugars is a
a. primary producer.
b. secondary producer.
c. primary consumer.
d. secondary consumer.

Answer 23

a. primary producer.

Question 24

An interaction in which an individual of one species kills and consumes an individual of another is called
a. predation.
b. parasitism.
c. herbivory.
d. symbiosis.

Answer 24

a. predation.

Question 25

The first level of all food pyramids a. consists of primary producers. b. consists of primary consumers. c. is chemosynthesis. d. is photosynthesis.

Answer 25

a. consists of primary producers.

Question 26

Day-to-day conditions in Earth's atmosphere, such as "sunny and humid," describe a. climate. b. climatograph. c. weather. d. biome

Answer 26

c. weather.

Question 27

In aquatic ecosystems, net primary productivity is related to a. whether the water is fresh water or saltwater. b. the speed at which the water moves. c. available sunlight and nutrients. d. waves and tides.

Answer 27

c. available sunlight and nutrients.

Question 28

What percentage of Earth's surface is covered in water? a. 75 percent b. 90 percent c. 25 percent d. 50 percent

Answer 28

a. 75 percent

Question 29

Which of the following describes the aphotic zone in an aquatic ecosystem? a. the very bottom of a body of water b. the zone where no sunlight penetrates and photosynthesis cannot occur c. the shallow, near-shore zone d. the uppermost layer where there is enough sunlight for photosynthesis

Answer 29

b. the zone where no sunlight penetrates and photosynthesis cannot occur

Question 30

Which ecosystems are considered standing freshwater ecosystems? a. lakes b. wetlands c. ponds d. all of the above

Answer 30

d. all of the above

Question 31

What is the correct hierarchy of taxonomic groups, from largest to smallest? A. family, genus, species, subspecies B. genus, family, subspecies, species C. family, genus, subspecies, species D. genus, family, species, subspecies

Answer 31

A. family, genus, species, subspecies

Question 32

The easiest component of biodiversity to measure is a. ecosystem diversity. b. species diversity. c. genetic diversity. d. ecosystem health.

Answer 32

b. species diversity.

Question 33

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity are examples of a. organizations that promote poaching. b. polls measuring American opinion about biodiversity. c. treaties to protect biodiversity. d. laws to increase the number of species.

Answer 33

c. treaties to protect biodiversity.

Question 34

High levels of biodiversity tend to a. have little or no effect on ecosystems. b. decrease an ecosystem's resistance. c. make an ecosystem less resilient. d. increase the stability of an ecosystem.

Answer 34

d. increase the stability of an ecosystem.

Question 35

The disappearance of a particular population from a given area, but not of the entire species globally, is called a. extirpation. b. extinction. c. poaching. d. fragmentation.

Answer 35

a. extirpation.

Question 36

What event in the mid-1700s significantly changed human population growth? a. Industrial Revolution b. development of agriculture c. bubonic plague d. human settlement began

Answer 36

a. Industrial Revolution

Question 37

In what year did the human population reach 1 billion people? a. 300 b. 1200 c. 1800 d. 2000

Answer 37

c. 1800

Question 38

In recent years, the human population has a. increased exponentially. b. decreased exponentially. c. decreased slowly. d. increased slowly.

Answer 38

a. increased exponentially.

Question 39

The number of organisms that an environment can support is called the a. life expectancy. b. demography. c. carrying capacity. d. growth rate.

Answer 39

c. carrying capacity.

Question 40

The amount of people living in a given area is described as population a. mortality. b. expectancy. c. rate. d. density.

Answer 40

d. density.

Question 41

Viruses, bacteria, and other organisms in the environment that harm human health are classified as a. biological hazards. b. social hazards. c. chemical hazards. d. physical hazards.

Answer 41

a. biological hazards.

Question 42

Toxicology deals primarily with what types of hazards? a. biological and social b. both chemical and physical c. human-made d. natural disasters

Answer 42

b. both chemical and physical

Question 43

Which of the following types of people generally has a greater sensitivity to environmental hazards than the other types of people? a. teenagers b. adults c. infants d. none; all have equal sensitivity

Answer 43

c. infants

Question 44

Infectious diseases are diseases caused by an organism such as a virus or a bacterium, which is called a a. pathogen. b. toxicant. c. pandemic. d. carcinogen.

Answer 44

a. pathogen.

Question 45

A disease that has appeared in the human population for the first time or that has existed for a while, but is increasing rapidly or spreading around the world is called a. environmental. b. pandemic. c. emerging. d. infectious.

Answer 45

c. emerging.

Question 46

What is one of the primary factors that draws people from rural areas to urban areas? a. less pollution b. more jobs c. more open space d. heat islands

Answer 46

b. more jobs

Question 47

A jackhammer on a city street is an example of what type of pollution? a. light b. water c. noise d. air

Answer 47

c. noise

Question 48

Which of the following is a principle of smart growth? A. protecting wildlife habitats B. focusing development outside of existing urban centers C. creating neighborhoods best suited for cars D. building up, not out

Answer 48

D. building up, not out

Question 49

Which form of transportation uses the most energy per passenger-mile? a. commuter rail b. automobile c. bus d. heavy rail

Answer 49

b. automobile

Question 50

Land that is sparsely populated and has few buildings or roads is defined as a(n) a. infrastructure. b. heat island. c. urban area. d. rural area.

Answer 50

d. rural area.