Download Key terms are bolded. 1.

Earth Science NC Final Review
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________ Period: _____
Key terms are bolded.
1. How do Kepler’s laws describe planetary orbits (esp. Earth’s)?
o the path of each planet around the sun is an ellipse
o each planet must travel more rapidly when it is near the sun and more slowly when it is
further from the sun so that the sun sweeps over equal areas in equal time
o T2 = d3 where T is time it takes to orbit the sun and d is the distance to the sun
2. What motion causes a year?
o Earth revolves around the sun in 1 year
3. What motion causes day and night?
o Earth’s rotation around the sun
4.What initial event do scientists hypothesize caused the universe to expand?
o A violent explosion occurred to expand the universe and hurl material in all directions
creating matter and space J (Seriously…..)
5. What is precession?
o Slight change in the direction of Earth’s axis over a period of about 26,000 years
6. What is nutation?
o Wobbling of Earth around the precessional axis
7. What is barycenter?
o The point between two objects where they balance each other (like a see-saw)
8. What causes the seasons?
o The angle of Earth’s axis - if N. Hemisphere is pointing toward the sun, it will be summer
and vice versa
9. When are winter, spring, summer, and fall in each hemisphere? Relate this to Earth’s tilt.
o If N. Hemisphere is pointing towards the sun, it is summer and in the S. Hemisphere it is
winter
o If N. Hemisphere is pointing away from the sun, it is winter and in the S. Hemisphere it is
summer
o See picture in notes
10. Why are seasons opposite in the Northern and Southern hemispheres?
o Only one side can point towards the sun at the same time
11. What force and motion causes the circumference of Earth to be larger around the equator
than around the poles?
o Caused by the planet’s rotation and gravity
12. What is fusion?
o Process that produces radiant energy within the sun by colliding 2 atomic nuclei
13. Where in the universe does fusion occur naturally?
o Within the sun
14. How does fission differ from fusion? (Where does fission occur on Earth?)
o Fission – splitting of something into 2 or more parts
o Opposite of fusion which combines 2 atomic nuclei
o The release of energy from radioactive elements as fission occurs is used to heat the
mantle. The movement of the melted magma results in the movement of lithospheric
plates.
15. What is combustion? How does combustion differ from fusion or fission?
o Combustion – burning reaction which causes sun to produce light
o Neither fusion or fission involve burning
16. What forms of energy are produced by the sun?
o Heat which travels through space in the form of electromagnetic waves
17. What are electromagnetic waves?
o Allow the transfer of heat through a process known as radiation
18. How are ultraviolet rays filtered or blocked by our atmosphere?
o Magnetic field protects the planet from UV rays
19. How are cosmic rays blocked?
o By the atmosphere
20. By what three processes does the Sun’s energy warm the Earth and its atmosphere?
o UV rays, visible light, and heat
21. What is radiation?
o How solar energy reaches the earth
22. What is conduction?
o Heat transfer from object to object.
23. What is convection?
o Warm particles rise because they are less dense and cooler particles sink because they
are more dense. Convection currents in the ocean are due to changes in density.
Convection currents in the asthenosphere allow magma to rotate causing the plates to
move.
24. Which takes longer to warm or cool – land or water?
o water
25. How does the differential heating of land and water cause wind?
o Differences in air temperature (over land and water) creates differences in pressure wind is formed when air moves from areas of hi pressure to low pressure
26. How does the differential heating of land and water affect coastal climates?
o Coastal climates are warmer in the winters and cooler in the summers – also more humid
27. What is photosynthesis?
o Plants take in sunlight and carbon dioxide creating glucose and giving off oxygen
28. How is solar energy transformed into chemical energy through photosynthesis?
o Energy from the sun is used to transform carbon dioxide into glucose which is broken
down into energy the cell can use
29. What factors affect a plant’s ability to perform photosynthesis?
o Amount of water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide
30. What is Earth’s magnetic field?
o Blocks solar radiation by the motion of the Earth’s liquid inner core
31. What creates the magnetic field?
o The motion of the Earth’s liquid inner core
32. How does it protect us from the harmful effects of the Sun’s radiation?
o Blocks solar radiation
33. What are the processes that change one type of rock into another type in the rock cycle?
o Heat and mechanical energy
34. What processes form igneous rocks?
o Crystallization of molten magma
35. What processes form sedimentary rocks?
o Compaction and cementation of pre-existing rocks
36. What processes form metamorphic rocks?
o Heat and pressure
37. What is weathering? How is it related to the rock cycle?
o Breaking down or changing a substance
o Rock cycle is based on the physical and chemical weathering of rocks
38. What is the difference between chemical weathering and physical weathering?
o Chemical weathering – transformation of rock into one or more new compounds
o Physical weathering – physical forces break rocks into smaller pieces without changing
the rock’s mineral composition
39. What are ways that rocks can be chemically weathered? Physically weathered?
o Chemically weathered – exposure to water creating rust
o Physical weathering – frost wedging, unloading, and biological activity
40. In which type of climate do rocks experience more chemical weathering? Physical
weathering?
o Chemical weathering – moist
o Physical weathering - hot and windy
41. How does weathering help to make soil?
o Soil is the result of weathering rocks
42. What is soil?
o Broken down rocks composed of clay, silt, and sand
43. How do the three particle types of soil (clay, silt, sand) differ?
Texture, moisture, ….
Clay-small particles, high moisture, sticky
Silt-medium particles, medium moisture, smooth
Sand-large particles, low moisture, gritty
44. How can a soil texture triangle be used to determine the texture of soil in a location?
o Using the different proportions of sand, silt, and clay to determine type of soil
45. What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?
o Renewable – energy which is generated from natural resources that can be generated
again and again when required
o Nonrenewable – energy taken from sources that are available on earth in limited
quantities
46. What consequences do the following environmental issues have on the lithosphere?
o Erosion - loosens and thins the lithosphere
o Deforestation – causes erosion
47. What is erosion?
o Process by which Earth materials are carried away and redeposited by wind, water,
gravity, or ice
48. How does water cause erosion?
o Water can move material from one place to another
49. What is a delta?
o deposit of sediment at the end of a river
50. How does wind cause erosion?
o Causes erosion by plucking (lifting up and moving fragments of rock) and abrasion
51. What is abrasion?
o scouring actions of particles carried by wind
52. How do glaciers cause erosion?
o Move sediments by abrasion or plucking
53. How do the following types of mass movements change Earth’s surface – landslides, slumps,
avalanche, rock slide (fall)?
o move Earth from high to low areas
54. Which locations would be most at risk for the destruction of buildings due to mass
movements such as landslides?
o buildings on cliffs or hills
o areas of high elevation with with excessive precipitation
o fault lines
o mountain sides
55. What is the effect of human activity on shorelines?
o Accelerate natural shoreline erosion process
56. What is the effect of human activity on mountainsides?
o Construction can lead to landslides and rockslides.
57. What is the theory of plate tectonics?
o Earth’s outer shell consists of individual plates that interact in various ways
58. What tectonic features do scientists look at on a world map that indicates that Earth’s
lithosphere is broken into giant plates?
o location of Earthquakes
59. How are the plates moving at each of the following plate boundaries - divergent,
convergent, transform?
o Divergent – moving apart
o Convergent – moving together
o Transform – grind past eacher
60. How do the forces of ridge push and slab pull move the tectonic plates?
o Ridge push – results from the elevated position of the ocean ridge system and causes
oceanic lithosphere to slide down the sides of the oceanic ridge
o Slab pull – occurs because old oceanic crust sinks into the asthenosphere and pulls the
trailing lithosphere along
61. What geologic events/landforms occur at of the following plate boundaries?
a. divergent – upwelling of material from the mantle to create a new seafloor
b. convergent (ocean/ocean) can cause volcanoes to form on the ocean floor
c. convergent (ocean/continental) leads to volcanic eruptions
d. convergent (continental/ continental) can cause the formation of mountain systems
e. transform? can cause earthquake activity
62. At which boundary is seafloor spreading occurring?
o divergent
63. Which of the boundaries form a rift valley, or a midocean ridge?
o divergent
64. Which of the boundaries form volcanic islands?
o convergent
65. Which of the boundaries form a volcanic mountain range near a coastline?
o convergent
66. At which boundary is an ocean trench present?
o convergent
67. What forms an ocean trench?
o one plate subducting below another plate
68. What is a subduction zone? What often forms above a subduction zone?
o Subduction zone forms when one oceanic plate is forced down into the mantle beneath
the second plate; hot spots and trenches
69. At which boundary are folded mountains (such as the Appalachians) formed?
o Convergent
70. What type of boundary created the Appalachian Mtns?
o Continental-continental
71. How were our barrier islands formed?
o Long ridge of sand or other sediments deposited or shaped by currents that is separated
from the mainland
72. What is a volcano?
o A mountain formed from the flow of lava from beneath the Earth’s surface
73. What is the difference between magma and lava?
o Magma – molten material beneath the Earth’s crust
o Lava – what magma becomes when it reaches the surface
74. What is a lahar?
o Destructive mudflow s that occur when volcanic debris becomes saturated with water and
rapidly moves down steep volcanic slopes
75. What is volcanic ash? How does it affect the atmosphere and global temperatures?
o small material that is created during an eruption
o Volcanic eruptions increases the amount of solar radiation that is reflected back into
spaces, decreasing the temperature of the atmosphere
76. Where do most volcanoes form?
o Over hot spots in the pactific plate
77. What causes an earthquake?
o Rapid release of elastic energy stored in rock that has been subjected to great force
78. What is a fault?
o Fractures in the earth where movement has occurred
79. What are seismic waves?
o Waves caused by earthquakes
80. How do the following types of seismic waves move the rocks through which they travel?
Which are fastest? Which do the most damage?
a. P – push and pull rocks – travel through solids, liquids, and gases, have the greatest
velocity
b. S – travel only through solids, move through ground like a rope
c. surface – travel along earth’s outer layer, up and down as well as side to side, most
damage because located on the surface
81. What is the focus of an EQ?
o The point within the earth where the earthquake starts
82. What is the epicenter?
o Location on the surface directly above the focus
83. How can an EQ’s epicenter be located?
o When the distance is known between the arrival of the P and S waves from three or more
seismic stations
84. What precautions can be taken to prevent the loss of human life and destruction to
property due to EQs?
o Stay indoors, move away from windows, secure tall or heavy furniture
85. Where is each located - crust, upper mantle, asthenosphere, lower mantle, core?
o In order from outer Earth to center: crust, upper mantle, asthenosphere, lower mantle,
core
86. When sea ice melts, the water gets cold and salty and sinks - why?
o Colder water is more dense
o Water with a higher salinity is more dense
87. Where does cold water from the poles go?
o Down towards the equator
88. What does deep ocean water do as it reaches the equator and warms?
o rises due to convection (warmer substances rise)
89. What is an upwelling? What causes it?
o Movement of water up towards the surface
o Caused by surface currents
90. How do each of these processes of the water cycle work?
a. evaporation - converts liquid water into water vapor
b. transpiration – process of converting water found in leaves of plants to water vapor
c. condensation – occurs when water vapor in the atmosphere cools and loses energy,
converting it into liquid water
d. precipitation – any form of water returning to the surface of the Earth
e. infiltration. – occurs when water is absorbed into the surface of the Earth – water is
either stored underground in aquifers or used through wells
91. What is the connection between surface water and groundwater?
o Surface water goes into the ground and becomes groundwater(beneath surface)
92. What are the following parts of a river?
a. tributaries – smaller stream or river that joins a larger stream or main river
b. watershed – tract of land drained by a river and its tributaries
c. floodplain – relatively flat land stretching from either side of a river which is prone to
flooding during a heavy rain or snowmelt
d. meander winds back and forth
e. mouth? Place where a river flows into a larger body of water
93. Where does water in a river flow the fastest? the slowest?
o Fastest : source (highest elevation)
o Slowest : mouth
94. What causes floods? How do groundwater levels affect flooding?
o Too much water which leads to groundwater levels increases, water table becomes
saturated and unable to absorb additional water
95. What is eutrophication?
o Too many nutrients runoff into a small body of water causing an algal bloom
96. What is an estuary? Where does the fresh and salt water come from?
o Where freshwater (river) and saltwater (ocean) meet
97. Where is most of Earth’s water?
o Oceans
98. How are the following terms describing groundwater defined?
a. aquifer permeable underground layer through which groundwater flows easily
b. water table area where groundwater is collected
99. What is a well?
o A hole dug in the earth used to pump water
100. What is aquifer depletion?
o Depletion of the permeable underground layer through which groundwater flows easily
101. What is subsidience?
o Excessive withdrawal of water – causes the land above the aquifer to sink due to reduced
water pressure
102. What causes salt-water intrusion into wells in coastal areas?
o Salt water has a higher density so it’s able to “push” into the natural freshwater
reservoirs. Increased by over pumping.
103. What are some threats to our groundwater supplies?
o As human population increases, water availability decreases
104. What substance is drawn up when wells are over pumped?
o Underground sediment and gases.
105. What are 4 important uses of freshwater in our country?
o Agriculture (plants and animals), industry, household and environmental(create water
sources).
106. What are dams built for?
o control flooding, generate energy
107. What is the difference between point and nonpoint pollution? What are examples of each?
Include sedimentation and stormwater runoff in your answer.
o Point pollution is delivered directly into the water source. Nonpoint pollution reaches
water source from runoff and erosion. Stormwater carries sediments to water sources.
o Point- factories dumping waste in a river, boat leaking gasoline
o Nonpoint- runoff of fertilizers and pesticides, runoff and erosion at construction sites
108. What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
o Nitrogen
109. What are the characteristics and composition of the 5 layers of the atmosphere? List 2
things found in each.
Troposphere closest to the earth, where weather occurs, most air pollution collects
Stratosphere made primarily of ozone, where jet stream is located
Mesosphere meteoroids burn up
Thermosphere radio waves are transmitted, space shuttles are found
Exosphere satellites can be found
110. Where is the ozone layer? Why is it so important to life on Earth?
o In the stratosphere
o Helps to block UV radiation
111. How does the temperature, pressure, & density vary as one moves up the troposphere?
o Temperature, pressure and density decreases with altitude
112. What characteristic is used to identify the layers of the atmosphere?
o Temperature, altitude
113. Why is the thermosphere said to be the hottest layer when it feels so cold up there?
o Temperature increases with altitude due to solar radiation
114. How much of the sun’s energy does Earth’s surface absorb? What happens to the rest of
it?
o About 50% of the sun’s energy hits the Earth’s surface and is absorbed
o The rest bounces back into the atmosphere
115. What is dew point? What does it tell us?
o Point where water vapor condenses to liquid water. Can help predict precipitation.
116. If warm air and cold air collide, which will rise?
o Warm
117. Why does warm air rise?
o Warm air is less dense.
118. Why does cold air sink?
o Cold air is more dense.
119. What creates wind?
o Pressure differences.
120. What is relative humidity?
o Ratio of water vapor in a volume of air relative to how much water vapor that volume of
air is capable of holding
121. What instrument is used to determine relative humidity?
o Hygrometer
122. How is a relative humidity chart used?
o Find the difference between the dry temperature and the wet temperature. Use the
humidity chart and the temperature difference.
123. How are clouds formed? What part of the water cycle is involved?
o Water vapor condenses into small water particles forming clouds.
124. What is the difference between weather and climate?
o Weather is current conditions. Climate is average conditions of temperature and
precipitation over a long period of time.
125. What are the location and characteristics of the 5 major air masses that affect the
weather of the USA?
o continental tropical- southern central US- dry and hot
o maritime tropical-southeast and southwest US- wet and hot
o continental polar- northern central US- dry and cold
o maritime polar-northeastern and northwestern US- wet and cold
126. What is the location (by latitude) and wind direction of the each of the global wind
systems…
o polar easterlies- 60o- 90o ; west
o prevailing westerlies- 30o- 60o ; east
o trade winds- 0o - 30o ; west
127. Which is responsible for the movement of weather across the USA?
o Prevailing westerlies.
128. What is a jet stream?
o High and fast moving air currents.
129. What causes the four types of fronts? Identify symbols for each & describe the weather
& clouds each causes. What happens to temperature of an area after each passes?
Cold
o Cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass
o Represented by blue triangles
o Creates severe weather lasting a short period of time
o Associated with cumulonimbus clouds
o Cools the temperature of the area
Warm
o Occurs when a warm air mass slides up and over a cold air mass
o Represented by red semicircles
o Creates rainy weather that lasts for several days
o Associated with cirrus, stratus, and nimbostratus clouds
o Warms the temperature of the area
Stationary
o Occurs when a cold and warm air mass meet but do not move in either directions
o Represented by alternating blue triangles and red semicircles
o Creates sluggish winds and precipitation
o Warmer temperatures if the warm air mass takes over. Cooler temperatures if the cold
air mass takes over.
Occluded
o Occurs when 2 cold air masses merge and force warmer air between them to rise
o Represented by purple alternating triangles and semicircles
o Creates high winds and heavy precipitation
o Cools the temperature of the area
130. Describe the 2 types of pressure systems. Recognize the symbol for each. What kind of
weather do they cause?
High
o Rotating mass of cool, dry air rotating in a downward clockwise motion
o Creates sunny, pleasant weather
Low
o Rotating mass of warm, moist air rotating counterclockwise
o Creates stormy, windy weather
131. What kind of data is collected by the following weather instruments?
Thermometer- Temperature
Barometer-Pressure
Anemometer- Wind speed
Hygrometer- Relative humidity
132. What is radar?
o object detection system used to predict weather.
133. What is radar used to track?
o Precipitation and wind
134. What is Doppler radar used for?
o Locate and determine the movement of precipitation.
135. Where is the safest place to be during a thunderstorm?
o Inside
136. What is a tornado?
o Large rotating column of air in contact with the Earth's surface and a cloud.
(cumulonimbus)
137. Review the Enhanced Fujita Scale. What does it measure?
o Measures the strength of tornadoes based on the amount of damage occurred.
138. Which 2 air masses create tornados? During which month do most tornadoes occur?
o Warm and cool air masses collide. May and June.
139. Where is the safest place to be in during a tornado?
o Inside doorway.
140. What is a tropical cyclone? (a hurricane?)
o Storm with strong inward spiraling winds.
141. Where do cyclones derive their energy? What causes them to lose strength?
o Energy from warm waters. Lose strength from friction of land or cooling of ocean water.
142. Which direction do hurricanes spin and which way do they usually move in the N.
hemisphere?
o Spins counterclockwise. Move west because of trade winds in the northern hemisphere.
143. Which wind system pushes them back to the east?
o Westerlies
144. Do winds increase or decrease as a hurricane strengthens? What about air pressure?
o Winds increase the strength. Stronger hurricanes are associated with low pressure.
145. Where are the strongest winds in a hurricane?
o Eye wall
146. What is the number 1 safety tip for surviving a hurricane?
o Stay away from windows / doors and do not go outside
147. How does acid rain form?
o When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the environment and mixed
with water and other chemicals, they created acidic compounds which become
incorporated into the water cycle
148. What human activities alter the pH of rain to cause acid rain?
o Burning fossil fuels
149. How does sea water acidification affect the oceans?
o Decreases amount of carbonate ions for marine animals to make bones and shells
o Coral reefs are unable to grow and are more vulnerable to erosion which reduces food
supply for other marine organisms
o Reduces phytoplankton
150. How do aerosols affect the atmosphere?
o Absorb sunlight
151. How do chlorofluorocarbons affect the atmosphere?
o They react with UV rays, releasing chlorine gas which breaks down the ozone
152. How does burning of wood or fossil fuels affect the atmosphere?
o Releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
153. How do industrial byproducts affect the atmosphere?
o Increases greenhouse gases found in the atmosphere
154. How does over-farming affect the atmosphere?
o Increases the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
155. Look at each of the activities above. How can people reduce their negative impact on the
atmosphere for each activity?
o Reduce the amount of energy used
156. What are 3 factors that describe the climate of a location?
o Temperature, precipitation, pressure
157. Where is each of the following climate zones located? In general, what temperatures
would you experience in each zone?
o Tropics-Hot
o Temperate-Mild
o Polar-Cold
158. Why does it get colder as one moves toward the poles?
o Ocean currents transfer release energy (heat) as they move towards the poles providing
less heat. Less solar radiation and increased latitude (less direct sunlight).
159. How do ocean currents affect climate?
o Transfer energy (heat) around the world.
160. Which current affects our climate? California’s?
o North Carolina- Gulf Stream
o California- North Pacific and California Current
161. On which coast would you find cold currents? Warm currents?
o Cold- West coast- Current moving towards the equator.
o Warm- East coast- Current moving away from equator.
162. How do coastal climates differ from continental (inland) climates? Why?
o Coastal climates are warmer with less temperature variation because it takes longer to
heat the ocean (water) than it does to heat land.
163. What does the Koeppen classification system classify?
o Climate
164. Are coastal areas cooler or warmer than inland areas in the winter?
o Warmer
165. What is a heat island? Give an example.
o City that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities.
o New Orleans and Tokyo
166. What is a biome?
o Areas which are similar climatically and geographically.
167. What do the terms biotic factors and abiotic factors mean?
o Abiotic- non living parts of the ecosystem
o Biotic- Living parts of the ecosystem
168. What are the characteristics of the six biomes? How can you describe the climate of
each? What plants and animals live in each? What adaptations must the plants and animals have
to survive in each biome? What air mass is each affected by? – HAVE STUDENTS OMIT
THESE LAST TWO QUESTIONS!!!
Tundra
o Dry, cold, permafrost, lichens and moss, migrating animals
Taiga
o Adequate, cool year round, poor rocky soil, conifers, many mammals, birds, insects
Deciduous forest
o Adequate, cool and warm seasons, fertile soil, deciduous trees, many mammals, birds,
insects, etc
Desert
o Dry, hot or cold, poor soil, sparse succulants, sparse insects, reptiles, and birds
o Succulent plants store water and have shallow root systems
o Most animals are nocturnal
Grasslands
o Wet and dry season, fertile soil, grasses with few trees, many mammals, birds, insects,
etc
Rain forest
o Very wet, always warm, poor thin soil, very diverse plant and animal life
169. Which biome is most of North Carolina in?
o Temperature deciduous forest
170. What is El Niño?
o A band of warm ocean water temperatures that periodically develops off the pacific
coast of South America
171. Which current is affected? How does pressure change in the Pacific Ocean?
o Equatorial Current
o High pressure in western pacific and lower pressure in eastern pacific.
172. Which global wind system weakens?
o Trade winds of the south pacific.
173. Why is the cold upwelling along the Peruvian Coast so important?
o Upwelling provide nutrients needed to support fishing communities.
174. How does a more elliptical orbit affect Earth’s climate?
o Northern Hemisphere- cooler summers and warmer winters
o Southern Hemisphere- Warmer summers and cooler winters
175. How do large volcanic eruptions affect Earth’s climate?
o Ash and smoke block out solar radiation which can decrease global temperatures.
176. How does extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affect Earth’s climate?
o Release CO2 which can effect global temperatures.
177. How do changes in global temperatures affect species diversity (esp. amphibians)?
o Species will be forced to evolve or move to a different climate to adapt to changing
temperatures. Diversity will increase in new populated areas and decrease in areas where
species are leaving.
178. How do changes in global temperatures affect ecosystem balance?
o As life forms are forced to adapt or move the balance is shifted. Other life forms will
either die out or over populate.
179. How do changes in global temperatures affect weather events?
o More evaporation occurs which leads to more precipitation.
180. How do changes in global temperatures affect sea level? (esp. during warming)
o As temperatures increase the rate of evaporation increases which lowers the sea level.
181. How do glaciers affect sea level?
o Sea level increases as glaciers melt. Remember: glaciers are ice formed entirely on land.
182. How does plate movement affect sea level?
o If ocean plates are moved upward sea level may rise.
183. How are the shorelines and barrier islands of NC affected by sea level rise?
o Barrier Islands provide protection to the shorelines of NC. If sea levels rise the barrier
islands formed by the gulf stream will cease to exist increasing erosion of the NC
shorelines.
184. How do changes in global temperatures affect ocean acidification? (and sea life)
185. What is the biosphere?
o Physical Earth
186. What is biodiversity?
o Variation in life forms.
187. What is genetic biodiversity? Why is it important? What is a species that has lost genetic
biodiversity?
o Generic variation within the same species. Ex: 1000’s of different breeds of dogs.
o If a species has lost its biodiversity, it is more likely to become extinct in changing
environmental conditions
188. Which biome has the most biodiversity? Why?
o Tropical rain forest – best environment for growing plants which leads to great
biodiversity for both plants and animals that feed on them
189. Which biome has the least biodiversity? Why?
o Tundra – very dry and cold, not conducive to plant life
190. What are 5 things that can reduce biodiversity?
o Pollution, overconsumption, increases in human population, invasive species, global
warming, habitat destruction (due to urbanization or farming)
191. Specifically, what is an invasive species? How does it impact biodiversity? What is an
example of an invasive species here in NC?
o A non native species is brought to an area
o It reduces biodiversity by out competing native species
o Ex : kudzu
192. What is overharvesting?
o Harvest of plants or animals past the point of sustainability.
193. What is habitat alteration?
o The change of plants or animals on a specific piece of land to provide time for resources
and nutrients build back up.
194. What impact does the loss of biodiversity have on our society – local and global?
195. How can we prevent the loss of biodiversity?
o Preserve the natural habitats of life forms and reduce the uses of natural resources.
196. What are the benefits, costs, and environmental impact of the following types of
alternative energy?
Solar
o Using sun’s rays to supply heat or electricity
o Equipment is expensive and supplemental heat is needed when sun is unavailable
o A renewable resource that reduces greenhouse effect
Wind
o Harnessing wind in wind turbines to generate electricity
o Cost includes large tracts of land and high amount of noise pollution
o A renewable resource that reduces greenhouse effect
wave power (tidal power)
o Generates electricity from oceans by using waves to drive turbines and drive electric
generators
o Costs includes building a dam to harness tidal energy and can bring toxic chemicals up to
Earth’s surface
o A renewable resource that reduces greenhouse effect
Geothermal
o Harnessing energy by trapping natural underground reservoirs of steam and hot water
o Finite source of energy – usually only lasting 10-15 years
o Reduces greenhouse effect
197. Which of the energy sources listed above would work best in the mountains, piedmont, and
coastal plains of NC? Why?
o Mountains- Wind
o Piedmont- Solar (Solar radiation is available most days of the year.)
o Coastal Plains- Solar and Wave (Tidal) Power
198. What is carrying capacity?
o Maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can support
199. What is the difference between dependent & independent limiting factors? What are
examples of each?
o Dependent – depend on the current population ex : reproduction, food, water, disease
o Independent – does not depend on the current population ex : natural disasters
200. What is the impact of a growing population on North Carolina’s natural resources?
o Decreases natural resources. Growing populations require more resources. Development
of land for a growing population decreases the area needed to harvest natural resources.
201. What is an ecological footprint?
o Amount of carbon dioxide each person gives off
202. What contributes to your ecological footprint? Is it big or small? How can you make it
smaller?
o Daily life activities – travel, food, consumables (clothes, shoes, etc), and bathroom habits
(showering, etc)
o Smaller by carpooling, eating less meat, buying from consignment
203. How can the philosophy of “reduce, reuse, recycle” be used to preserve our natural
resources? Which of the 3 “R’s” is the best policy? Which has the least impact but is better
than no action?
o The “3 R’s” encourages us to conserve our natural resources.
o Reduce is the best policy.
o Recycle is the least impact but is better than no action because a small amount of the
recycled product is actually used and the recycle process requires energy.