Mid-Term Review

1. Mid-Term Review 2008

2. An example of a population is • all trees in a forest. • all maple trees in a forest. • all plants in a forest. • all animals in a forest.

3. In which of the following relationships is neither species harmed? • Predation • Parasitism • Competition • Commensalism

4. Which of the following would most likely cause a large number of density-independent deaths in a population? • winter storms • predators • disease-carrying insects • limited resources

5. During Stage 2 of a population’s demographic transition, the death rate • increases. • remains the same. • decreases. • is zero.

6. The number of wild horses per square kilometer in a prairie is the horse populations • density. • size. • dispersion. • birth rate.

7. Which of the following is one of the main properties used to describe a population? • number of individuals • number of species • color of individuals • kind of adaptations

8. The level of biodiversity that involves a variety of habits and communities is • ecosystem diversity. • population diversity. • genetic diversity. • species diversity.

9. Competition for food cannot occur • between two populations. • among members of the same population. • among populations whose niches overlap. • between animals from two different ecosystems.

10. The difference between a predator and a parasite is that a predator • usually kills and eats its prey. • lives in or on a host. • benefits from another organism. • harms another organism.

11. Professionals who study and make predictions about human populations are called • stenographers. • geologists. • demographers. • populists.

12. Which of the following organisms has the highest reproductive potential? • dogs • bacteria • elephants • humans

13. Thick fur on deer is not an example of coevolution. Why? • because thick fur is an adaptation • because deer with thick fur live longer • because thick fur evolved in response to a cold climate, not in response to other organisms • because in the lowlands, where the climate was sunny and warm, deer that did not have thick fur became separated from other deer that did have thick fur

14. Which factor contributed most to the exponential growth of the human population? • more food, better hygiene • higher fertility rates • higher birth rates • increased immigration

15. Each of the following is an example of a parasite except • a roundworm in a human’s intestine. • a tick on a cat. • a cow in a pasture. • mistletoe on a tree.

16. Educating women worldwide has lowered birthrates partly because • educated women need to bear many children to ensure that some will survive. • educated women may learn family-planning techniques. • educated women contribute less to their family income. • All of the above

17. Human population growth was most rapid during which period of human history? • Ice Ages • Bronze and Iron Ages • Stone Ages • Modern Age

18. Because birth rates have begun to fall, Earth’s population will • soon stabilize at the level it is today—about 6 billion. • begin to decrease until it reaches 5 billion. • increase for a short time and then decrease to current levels. • stabilize somewhere around 9 billion by 2050.

19. During the _____ period(s), humans altered their habitats. • hunter-gatherer • Industrial Revolution • agricultural revolution d. • All of the above

20. Which of the following makes it difficult to reduce population growth? • High literacy rates result in women wanting to have more children. • Population sizes will not decline until some people start having to do without food and other necessities of life. • Many people live in cities, where large families are an advantage. • Many people have low literacy and limited access to healthcare.

21. Scientists predict population sizes by using • survivorship, migration, life expectancy, and replacement structure. • age structure, fertility rate, and migration. • replacement rate, fertility rate, age rates, and survivorship. • age structure, survivorship, fertility rate, and migration.

22. World population growth will eventually stop when • the population reaches 9 billion. • most countries have replacement-level fertility rates. • most countries have higher death rates. • the worldwide infant mortality rate increases.

23. An endangered species is • a species in danger of extinction. • a species growing on public land. • an organism brought to a place where it has not lived before. • a species that has disappeared entirely.

24. Which of the following would not be illegal under the Endangered Species Act? • capturing a wild animal listed as a threatened species for exhibition in a zoo, provided the animal is well cared for • digging up an endangered plant in a public park and selling it • destroying the habitat of an endangered plant during the building of a federal highway • having a permit to capture and conduct research with endangered species

25. How many species are estimated to be living on Earth? • between 10,000 and 100,000 • between 1 and 2 million • between 500,000 and 1 million • between 10 and 50 million

26. Which of the following is a reason that wood is considered a limited resource in many developing countries? • Wood is used in place of money to buy food. • Fuelwood allows people to purify their water by boiling it. • Excess wood is used to construct shantytowns. • People cut down trees faster than they can grow.

27. In what part of the world are the greatest number of extinctions occurring? • in tropical rain forests • in the Arctic • in deserts • in Europe and the United States

28. The current rate of species extinction is • slower than at any other time in this century. • attributable to the actions of humans. • the result of natural environmental processes. • of little consequence to Earth’s long-term survival.

29. The fact that organisms are adapted to survive in particular environments helps to explain why • captive-breeding programs are often ineffective. • non-native plant species never flourish in new areas. • habitat destruction accounts for most extinctions. • compromise is impossible on environmental issues.

30. What groups of organisms are most in danger of extinction? • with small populations • those that migrate or need special habitats • those with large populations that breed quickly • Both (a) and (b)

31. Where are many critical biodiversity hotspots located? • cities and developed areas of the world • islands, tropical rain forests, and coastal areas • desert and polar environments • All of the above

32. The major human causes of extinction today are • hunting and destroying habitats. • polluting and introducing non-native species. • Both • Neither

33. The _____ was not a direct result of the Industrial Revolution. • overhunting of large mammals • improved quality of life • shift in the use of fossil fuels • growth of cities

34. Using scientific information from chemistry and biology to devise a plan to clean up a lake and make it healthy again describes • ecology. • earth science. • environmental science. • social science.

35. The “Tragedy of the Commons” describes the conflict between • developing and developed nations. • individuals and society. • farmers and industrialized society. • Canada and Mexico.

36. A sustainable world would be characterized by the • preservation of rare animals by relocation from natural habitats to laboratories. • invention of safer storage facilities for increased amounts of toxic wastes. • maximum exploitation of natural resources using more advanced technologies. • indefinite existence of human populations in a healthy and prosperous condition.

37. An ecological footprint is the • mark a person’s shoe makes in soft earth. • number of animals a person has killed. • amount of land and ocean area needed to support one person. • number of trees people cut down.

38. A resident of _____ is likely to leave the largest ecological footprint. • Indonesia • the United States • Britain • India

39. The classification and collection of data that are in the form of numbers is called • statistics. • distribution. • probability. • mean.

40. Your county is considering buying land to form a nature preserve. On this land, an endangered species of bird is known to breed. Which of the following is a possible negative short-term consequence to the county making this decision? • The population of the endangered species increases. • Habitat destruction is immediately decreased. • Environmental controls are made less strict outside the preserve area. • Habitats outside the preserve area become damaged by overdevelopment.

41. The group that does not receive the experimental treatment in an experiment is the • control group. • data. • experimental group. • variable.

42. By examining _____, scientists can test predictions for situations in which it is impossible or unethical to use experiments. • correlations • control groups • observations • variables

43. What essential characteristic does a good experiment have? • A control group is given the experimental treatment. • More than one variable is tested. • A control is used.

44. How did the Himalaya Mountains form? • erosion • glacial movements • convection • colliding tectonic plates

45. Before you can make a decision using a decision-making model, what step must you take? • Explore the consequences of each option. • Consider which values apply to the issue. • Gather information. • All of the above

46. What step in a simple environmental decision-making model are you taking when you consider whether or not people will benefit financially from setting aside land as a national park? • exploring consequences • gathering information • making a decision • None of the above

47. When making a decision about whether or not to build a dam, you are considering an economic value when you ask which of the following questions? • Will the dam provide new leisure activities? • How many jobs will building the dam generate? • Will building the dam destroy natural resources? • Is it right to build a dam here?

48. Which of the following includes all of the water on or near Earth’s surface? • geosphere • atmosphere • hydrosphere • lithosphere

49. What are wind and water erosion not likely to affect? • mountains • tides • rocks • soil

50. Which of the following is the most geologically active region on the surface of Earth? • glacial valleys • boundaries between tectonic plates • mountain peaks • recharge zones