Download AP Environmental

Midterm Review
Directions: Each set of lettered choices below refers to the numbered questions or statements immediately following it. Select the one
lettered choice that best answers each questions or best fits each statement. Please note chapter and page number you used to find the
answer as this will help you study/review. A choice may be used one, more than once, or not at all in each set.
6.
An experiment that can be compared to a standard
Questions 1-3 refer to the following biogeochemical cycles
Questions 7-9 refer the following topics about ecology.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
1.
2.
3.
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle
Hydrologic cycle
Geological cycle
Biogeochemical cycle
Involves the most complete pathway that a chemical
element follows through the earth's system
Involves several processes that are responsible for the
destruction of the lithosphere
Involves the movement of water from the surface of the
Earth through the atmosphere back to the surface of the
Earth
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
7.
8.
9.
Ecological community
Community level effect
Keystone species
Ecosystem
Individual species
A set of interacting species that occur in the same place
Species that is responsible for the balance of the entire
ecosystem
This event can alter the distribution and abundance of an
individual species
Questions 10-13 refer to the following changes in diversity
Questions 4-6 refer to the following topics in the study of
science
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
4.
5.
Hypothesis
Controlled experiment
Technology
Theory
Fact
An observation that is agreed upon by the majority of
scientists
A scientific statement that can be proven or disproved.
(A) an increase in species diversity
(B) a decrease in species diversity
(C) no change in species diversity
10. The presence of sea otters within a kelp forest
community.
11. The development from early to middle stages of
succession.
12. Intensive farming
13. occasional (at least once every 50 years), light fires in
jack pine forests in Michigan.
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by the five suggested answers or completions. Choose
the one that is the best in each case and then fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet.
14. Deciduous forests
(A) are adapted to extremely cold climates
(B) have trees that bear seeds in cones
(C) have trees that shed their leaves seasonally
(D) are not useful commercially
(E) are located near the tundra
15. Wetlands are biomes that
(A) are wet all year round
(B) are wet at least some of the year
(C) have fresh, no salty water
(D) receive more rainfall than other ecosystems
(E) are only located near streams
16. A biome absent in North America is
(A) temperate deciduous forests
(B) alpine tundra
(C) desert
(D) tropical rain forest
(E) temperate rain forest
17. Which of the following does not cycle repeatedly through
the Earth’s ecosystems?
(A) Water
(B) Nitrogen
(C) Matter
(D) Carbon
(E) Energy
18. Human activities such as ___release large quantities of
sulfur
(A) burning of fossil fuels
(B) burning of wood
(C) use of synthetic fertilizers
(D) use of detergents
(E) using disposable diapers
19. Most of the earth’s water supply is located in the oceans
and
(A) glaciers and ice caps
(B) aquifers
(C) lakes
(D) rivers
(E) estuaries
20. Three major biotic components of ecosystem structure are
(A) producers, consumers, and carnivores
(B) producers, consumers, and decomposers
(C) plants, animals, and climate
(D) consumers, detritus feeders, and decomposers
(E) temperature, light, and moisture
21. The process that producers perform that is not performed
by other organisms in the ecosystem is
(A) Reproduction
(B) Respiration
(C) Photosynthesis
(D) Metabolism
(E) glycolysis
22. Which of the following statements regarding parasites is
false?
(A) a parasite may be a plant, animal, or microbe
(B) plants, herbivores, and carnivores may all be infected
with parasites
(C) the organism a parasite feeds on is its prey
(D) a parasite generally harms, but does not kill the
organism it feeds on
(E) a parasite feeds on another organism over an
extended period of time
23. A relationship in which two organisms both benefit is
(A) not found in nature
(B) known as mutualism
(C) known as parasitism
(D) know as mimicry
(E) known as commensalism
24. On a straight line from Washington, DC to San Francisco,
one finds natural ecosystems consisting of deserts,
grasslands, and forests. This difference is primarily the
result of different
(A) amount of rainfall
(B) temperatures
(C) amounts of light
(D) nutrients
(E) topography
25. The correct sequence of atmospheric zones upward from
the earth's surface is
(A) stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere.
(B) troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere.
(C) mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, thermosphere.
(D) thermosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere.
(E) troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere
26. Nitrogen fixation refers to
(A) converting nitrogen to chemical forms which plants
can utilize
(B) repairing molecules to use later
(C) releasing nitrogen into the air
(D) animals releasing nitrogen in urine
(E) applying fertilizers
27. Denitrification would occur most likely in which of the
following communities
(A) a mountain forest
(B) a cornfield
(C) a desert
(D) a march or bog
(E) deciduous forest
28. All the members of a population that can interbreed to
produce viable young are defined as
(A) an ecosystem
(B) a species
(C) a population
(D) biota
(E) a biome
29. Which of the following is not an example of a
specialization that plants in the desert may have?
(A) Storing water in stems or roots.
(B) Reducing water loss with thick epidermal layers.
(C) Shedding leaves in the driest seasons.
(D) using spines for shade.
(E) All of these are adaptations of plants living in desert
conditions.
30. Which of the following is the best example of
environmental remediation?
(A) a species of trout become extinct in a eutrophic lake
(B) the annual volume of sewage flowing into a stream is
decreased by ½
(C) The height of a factory smokestack is increased
(D) A parcel of forest land is declared a state park
(E) PCB consuming bacteria are sprayed on an area that
has soil contaminated with PCB’s
31. The CITES treaty has been helpful in protecting
endangered animals and plants by
(A) listing all species that can be hunted, traded, and used
commercially
(B) listing those species and products whose international
trade is controlled
(C) funding projects for breeding endangered plants and
animals
(D) preventing the hunting of whales and dolphins
(E) specifying prices for certain plant and animal
products
32. The primary reason for most recent extinction of plant
and animal species is
(A) disease or parasites
(B) destruction of natural habitat
(C) killing of species by humans for food or some other
use
(D) reduction in reproductive potential
(E) inability to survive competition
33. Energy quality is degraded as it travels through the food
chain because
(A) most of the energy is used up by a primary consumer
(B) not much energy can be recovered from lower levels
of the food chain
(C) part of the energy is lost as low quality heat at each
level of the food chain
(D) the energy in sunlight is stored by producers in a
form that cannot be recovered by consumers
(E) all of the above answers are correct
34. An organism's biotic potential is the maximum number of
offspring
(A) That it can produce.
(B) that survive to adulthood.
(C) its habitat can support
(D) it produces at one time
(E) it actually produces over its lifetime
35. An island has formed off the coast of the Pacific
Northwest. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
has determined that there is enough land area for a herd of
100 elk, yet they say the carrying capacity is only 60 elk.
This inequality can best be explained by the fact that the
(A) DNR is probably being careful not to overestimate
(B) DNR must have added up the environmental
resistance incorrectly
(C) elk population will probably fluctuate between 60
and 100 animals
(D) physical factor of space is only one of the
determiners for population size in a community
(E) law of limiting factors determines the maximum
growth rate for a given population
36. Living organisms must acquire energy from their
environment. Examples of adaptations that help
organisms acquire this energy include which of the
following?
I)
the dark, heat-absorbing coloration of a
reptile
II)
the fangs and claws of a lion
III)
the light coloration of a peppered moth
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(A) I only
II only
I and II
II and III
I,II, and III
37. The major reservoirs of nitrogen and sulfur in the
biosphere are correctly identified by which of the
following?
Nitrogen
Sulfur
(A) Rocks
rocks
(B) rocks
vegetation
(C) rocks
atmosphere
(D) atmosphere
rocks
(E) atmosphere
atmosphere
38. Most of the Earth’s deserts are approximately 30 o latitude,
North and South because these latitudes are characterized
by
(A) generally warm ocean currents
(B) predominantly low atmospheric pressure
(C) descending dry air currents
(D) slow moving jet streams
(E) enhanced solar radiation
39. Worldwide, what are most pesticides used for?
(A) Household applications
(B) Agriculture
(C) Personal protection against disease carrying insects
(D) To rid tourist areas of pests (golf courses, etc.)
(E) All of these
40. The type of climax community in an area depends mainly
on the area’s
(A) Primary productivity
(B) Microorganisms
(C) Pioneer community
(D) Climate
41. Solar energy enters an ecosystem through
(A) Detrivores
(B) Scavengers
(C) Producers
(D) Consumers
42. The main storage of carbon in the ecosphere is the
(A) Hydrosphere
(B) Biosphere
(C) Lithosphere
(D) Atmosphere
43. Which of the following statements about nitrogen storage
is correct?
(A) the atmosphere contains more carbon than nitrogen
(B) nitrogen is not stored in organic matter in the soil
(C) plant biomass in an ecosystem contains many more
times nitrogen than carbon
(D) nitrogen accumulates in the animal biomass of an
ecosystem in the form of proteins
44. Which of the following is or would be an example of a
natural cause of extinction?
(A) Freshwater Great Lakes mussels that compete with
the Zebra Mussel.
(B) Genetic assimilation as in the case of the
hybridization of gray wolves or black ducks with
mallards.
(C) The passenger pigeon that went extinct at the
beginning of this century.
(D) An insect species in the tropical forest that cannot
escape predation by native bird species in the forest.
(E) All of these are examples of a natural cause of
extinction.
Questions 45-18 refer to the following diagram
45. Which of the following features of the system shown
provides the best evidence that this system is in a steady
state equilibrium?
(A) recycling is carried out by the decomposers
(B) the total inputs are balanced with total outputs
(C) the total heat lost is less than the absorbed light
(D) each trophic level has a higher productivity than the
one above
46. The gross productivity for the herbivores is
(A) 1609 kJ/m2/yr
(B) 6207 kJ/m2/yr
(C) 14145 kJ/m2/yr
(D) 22083 kJ/m2/yr
47. Which of the following population interactions is
represented in the diagram above
(A) Predation
(B) Competition
(C) Parasitism
(D) Mutualism
48. If the top carnivores were a potential food resource for
humans, what would be the maximum sustainable yields
in this year, assuming harvesting completely replace any
natural mortality or export?
(A) 55 kJ/m2
(B) 88kJ/m2
(C) 33 kJ/m2
(D) 143 kJ/m2
49. Habitat fragmentation usually leads to a(n)
(A) Decrease in biodiversity
(B) reduction in the number of introduced species
(C) Increase in biodiversity due to the isolated populations
(D) Increase in the number of introduced species
(E) more stable environment
50. Which one of the following is the rate at which light energy is converted to chemical energy in an ecosystem?
(A) net primary productivity
(B) gross primary productivity
(C) secondary productivity
(D) gross secondary productivity
51. The raw materials for photosynthesis are
(A) light and carbon dioxide
(B) carbon dioxide and water
(C) water and oxygen
(D) light and chlorophyll
52. Of the following organisms, which occupies the lowest trophic level?
(A) Spider
(B) Deer
(C) Lion
(D) Hawk
(E) Snake
53. Mutualism is the interaction between two species in which
(A) both benefit
(B) both are harmed
(C) one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed
(D) one benefits and the other is harmed
54. Approximately what percentage of the water on Earth is freshwater (liquid and solid)?
(A) 75%
(B) 25%
(C) 2.5%
(D) 0.25%
(E) 0.025%
55. Rivers and lakes in some countries have become more acidic in the last 50-100 years. What is the main cause of this acidification?
(A) pollution from coal-fired power stations
(B) pollution from nuclear power stations
(C) ozone from vehicle exhausts
(D) carbon dioxide from vehicle exhausts
56. The diagram shows the major climatic zones found in the northern hemisphere
Precipitation is very low in desert areas because
(A) these are areas of low relief
(B) these are areas of low pressure
(C) these are areas of high isolation
(D) the air in these areas is descending
57. High rates of species extinction caused by human activities have taken place at which of the following times in Earth’s history?
I) at the end of the Permian period
II) at the end of the Cretaceous period
III) During recent times
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and II only
(E) I, II, and III
58. A renewable resource, harvested beyond its sustainable yield results in
(A) environmental degradation and depletion of the resource
(B) irreversible loss of the resource itself
(C) sustainable development
(D) exponential growth that regenerates the resource
(E) conservation of the resource base
59. Benefits bestowed on typical industrialized societies include all of the following except
(A) more affordable material goods
(B) higher average agricultural productivity
(C) higher life spans
(D) increased rates of population growth
(E) larger variety of material goods
60. Energy quality is degraded as it travels through a food chain because
(A) most of the energy is used up by a primary consumer
(B) no much energy can be recovered from lower levels of the food chain
(C) part of the energy is lost as low quality heat at each level of the food chain
(D) the energy of sunlight is store by producers in a form that cannot be recovered by consumers
61. The process by which atmospheric nitrogen is transformed into a form useable by plants is called
(A) Solvation
(D) Nitrolysis
(B) Denitrification
(E) Nitrogen fixation
(C) Rhizobium
62. The soil of tropical rain forests is generally unsuitable for agriculture because
(A) most nutrients are in the profuse vegetation instead of the soil
(B) potassium is leached from the soil by runoff of heavy rain
(C) plant roots make it too difficult to plow the soil
(D) forest plants secrete materials toxic for crops
(E) all the above
63. The greatest diversity of animal species is found in tropical rain forests because
(A) mammals thrive in hot, humid climates
(B) the complex structure of the rain forest provides more ecological niches
(C) these forest contain no predators
(D) the water supply in these forests is rich in nutrients
(E) both a and d
64. The change in coloration within the population of peppered moths during the industrial revolution is called
(A) coevolution
(B) microevolution
(C) convergent evolution
(D) macroevolution
(E) divergent evolution
65. The use of chemical fertilizers poses environmental risks because
(A) most fertilizers do not provide all the necessary nutrients
(B) fertilizers are not readily soluble in rainwater
(C) when washed from fields, fertilizers can lead to eutrophication of surface water
(D) fertilizers are toxic to trees and other forest plants
(E) fertilizers are too expensive for farmers to afford
66. What is an example of a natural process that is accelerated by human activities?
(A) Eutrophication
(B) the weathering and release of toxic inorganic minerals from rocks
(C) the mobilization and concentration of soluble salts from ground water
(D) sediment loading of rivers
(E) all of these are examples of natural processes that are accelerated by human activities
67. When natural waters are overloaded with plant nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate ions, they become
(A) Oligotrophic
(C) Eutrophic
(B) Dystrophic
(D) Metatrophic
68. When El Nino occurs every three to seven years, a mass of warm Pacific water that is usually pushed by trade winds
(A) surges back eastward toward South America
(B) becomes much warmer than usual, strengthening trade winds
(C) cools dramatically
(D) sinks and therefore cools substantially
(E) surges northward toward Japan
69. About what of the earth's surface is covered by water?
(A) 85 percent
(B) 70 percent
(C) 50 percent
(D) 33 percent
(E) 25 percent
70. Evapotranspiration is the way plants
(A) return large amounts of water to the atmosphere
(B) absorb water from the atmosphere
(C) absorb water from the ground
(D) return large amounts of water from the atmosphere to the ground
(E) respire using water
71. A keystone species is a species whose presence
(A) the main reason a community exists
(B) provides food for all other species in a community
(C) is an indicator of environmental health
(D) influences the population size of many other species in its community
(E) is always at the top of the trophic levels as a top predator
72. Biologists estimate that over ___% of the species that have every lived are now extinct
(A) 69
(D) 99
(B) 79
(E) 100
(C) 89
73. Where is most of the world’s biodiversity?
(A) high-latitude forests
(B) middle-latitude grasslands
(C) low-latitude forests
(D) polar grasslands
74. The giant panda is an endangered species because
(A) it is a specialized species, eating mostly bamboo,
which has periodic diebacks
(B) the pandas are exist in numerous populations
(C) is it an animal that produces large litters
(D) all of these answers
76. Species that migrate or are accidentally introduced into an
ecosystem are called
(A) nonnative species
(B) native species
(C) keystone species
(D) specialist species
75. Species that normally live and thrive in a particular
ecosystem are known as
(A) nonnative species
(B) native species
(C) keystone species
(D) specialist species
77. How long does it take naturally processes to produce
fertile soil?
(A) weeks to months
(B) months to years
(C) decades to a few centuries
(D) several centuries to several thousands of years96.
Questions 78 and 79 refer to the follow does response curve
78. If the curve above indicates the effects of an agricultural
pesticide on a severe pest, what is the maximum dose a
farmer should apply to his crop?
(A) Dose 1
(B) Dose 2
(C) Dose 3
(D) Dose 4
(E) Dose 5
79. If the curve above represents the incidental mortality of
apple trees after spraying of a pesticide to control apple
weevils, what is the largest dose that an apple grower
should choose?
(A) Dose 1
(B) Dose 2
(C) Dose 3
(D) Dose 4
(E) Dose 5
Questions 80-83 refer to the following possible relationships
between organisms in an ecosystem.
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
(J)
Commensalism
Parasitism
Mutualism
Predation
Competition
80. Exemplified by ticks feeding on a deer.
81. Exemplified by starlings displacing bluebirds from
nesting sites.
82. Exemplified by bees consuming nectar and caring
pollen from on flower to another.
83. Exemplified by moss growing on a tree trunk in the
forest.
84. All of the following are considered toxic metal
pollutants EXCEPT
a. Cadmium
b. Chromium
c. Lead
d. Mercury
e. Potassium
85. In general, which of the following is the best long-term
method of preventing extinctions?
a. Breeding endangered species in captivity
b. Protecting the habitats of endangered
species
c. Paying people not to kill endangered
species
d. Providing food to endangered species in
the wild
e. Removing predators from areas that
contain endangered species
86. Which of the following is most likely to occur in a
forested region that has been recently clear cut?
a. The concentration of nitrate in streams
running through the region will increase.
b. The average depth of topsoil will increase.
c. The water temperature in streams running
through the region will increase.
d. Volume of runoff after rains will decrease.
e. The frequency of landslides will decrease.
87. Which of the following best shows the process of
evolution?
a. A lizard’s color becomes brown as it sites
on a log
b. A bear goes into hibernation.
c. A plant loses its leaves in a drought.
d. A population of mosquitoes develops
resistance to a pesticide.
e. A population of foxes increase as more
prey becomes available.
Questions 84-87 refer to the following gases
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
Carbon dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Methane
Radon
Sulfur dioxide
84. Is an important precursor to acid rain.
85. Has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen has.
86. Has been implicated in the cause of as much as 15
percent of lung cancer cases.
87. Is a flammable gas produced by landfills.
88. Which of the following best describe soils in many
tropical rain forests?
a. They lack soil horizons.
88.The ultimate source of energy for terrestial
ecosystems is
b. Nutrients in the soil
c. Nutrients in vegetation
d. Primary consumers
e. Producers
f. The Sun
89. The most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is
a. Nitrogen
b. Oxygen
c. Water vapor
d. Carbon dioxide
e. Hydrogen
90. Which of the following would most likely have the
greatest positive impact on the quality of the natural
environment worldwide?
a. Discovery of new reserves of fossil fuel in
coastal areas
b. Increased agricultural production on
marginal desert lands
c. Increases life expectancy in more
developed nations
d. Increased reliance on food from ocean
ecosystems
e. Stabilization of reduction of the size of the
human population
91. Living organisms acquire energy from their
environment. Examples of adaptations that help
organisms acquire energy include which of the
following?
i. The dark heat absorbing
coloration of a reptile
ii. The fangs and claws of a lion
iii. The light coloration of a peppered
moth
(A) I only
b.
c.
d.
e.
II only
I and II only
II and III only
I, II and III
92. Compared with people is developing countries, people
in industrialized countries are more likely to eat
a. Beans
b. Beef
c. Corn
d. Rice
e. Wheat
93. The current world population is closest to which of the
following?
a. 1 million
b. 500 million
c. 1 billion
d. 5 billion
e. 20 billion
94. The presence of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria
in a water source indicates that the water
a. Is safe to drink
b. Is safe to swim in
c. Contains too little oxygen to support fish
life
d. Has been recently chlorinated at a sewage
treatment plant
e. Has been contaminated by untreated
human or animal waste.
95. Of the following organisms, which occupies the lowest
trophic level?
a. Spider
b. Deer
c. Lion
d. Hawk
e. Snake
96. Which of the following is most likely to be the direct
result of lack of genetic diversity in a food crop such as
corn?
a. Decreased kernel size
b. Decreased potential yield
c. Decreased dependence on chemical
fertilizers
d. Increased susceptibility to plant disease
e. Increased resistance to pests
97. The major biological source of dissolved oxygen
comes from
a. Decomposition of organic sediment on the
ocean floor
b. Metabolic processes of coral in reefs
c. Oxidation of sulfur by bacteria in ocean
vent communities
d. Photosynthesis of phytoplankton
e. Respiration by zooplankton
98. The primary cause of Earth’s seasons is
a. The constant tilt of Earth’s rotational axis
with respect to the plane of its orbit around
the sun
b. Changing distance of the Earth from the
Sun at different times of the year
c. Periodic wobbling of Earth on its axis of
rotation
d. Changing relative positions of Earth, its
Moon and the Sun
e. Periodic change sin solar energy output
99. Elements that cycle in the environment and that also
have a gaseous phase at some point in their cycle
include which of the following?
i. Carbon
ii. Phosphorous
iii. Sulfur
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
f.
I only
III only
I and II only
I and III only
I, II and III only
100. Road construction, logging, and mining are banned in
which of the following federal lands?
a. National Parks
b. National wildlife refuges
c. National forests
d. National wilderness preservation areas
e. National resource lands
101. El Nino, a periodic warming of the ocean surface waters occurs in which of the following regions?
a. Tropical East Pacific
b. Gulf of Mexico
c. Arctic North Pacific
d. Temperate West Atlantic
e. Tropical Indian Ocean
102. Which of the following is an inorganic compound?
a. Ethanol
b. Benzene
c. Table Salt
d. Sucrose
e. Propane
103. High rate of species extinction caused by human activities have taken place at which of the following times in Earth’s history?
i. At the end of Permian period
ii. At the end of the Cretaceous period
iii. During recent times
(A)
b.
c.
d.
e.
I only
II only
III only
I and Ii only
I, II, and III
104. The two major processes involved in the carbon cycle are
a. Weathering and erosion
b. Photosynthesis and respiration
c. Evaporation and transportation
d. Erosion and deposition
e. Fixation and denitrification
105. Which of the following procedures would best for premeditating the effects of soil salinization?
a. Application of broad spectrum biocides to kill microorganisms
b. Application of superphosphate to increase soil fertility
c. Addition of clay to increase water holding capacity
d. Addition of large amounts of water to leach out salts
e. Addition of lime to raise soil pH