a principal gaseous product produced directly from the combustion of fossil fuels is?
Carbon dioxide
What has been the general trend in global surface temperatures since the 1880's?
it is rising
what are two pollutants often linked to photochemical smog
nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds
pollutants capable of causing cancer in animals or humans are said to be
carcinogenic
the worlwide suggested plan to reduce greenhouse gases to lower levels that existed prior to 1990 is known as the
kyoto protocol
human health effects by low level exposure to a toxic chemical over a period of time are known as
chronic
the most significant source of all the major air pollutants is
combustion of fuels and wastes
the good ozone shield occurs in the stratosphere
true
the green house effect refers to
warming of the earth's atmosphere
which of the primary fossil fuels releases the fewest pollutants
natural gas
what site has the federal government identified for long term disposal of high level radioactive waste
yucca mountain nevada
which of these is a typical source of CFC pollutants
Refrigeration units
The -------- is a concern in which threats of serious or irreversible damage or lack of scientificc certainty should not be used as a reason for failing to take measures to prevent potential damage
precautionary principle
The troposphere is that area of the atmosphere from the ground level to ten miles above the Earth's surface
True
The most significant source of sulfur dioxide emissions into the atmosphere has been found to be
coal burning power plants
In Virginia, what state agency enforces the regulations of the Clean Air Act
Department of Environmental Quality
The half life of a radioactive isotope is
the time it takes for 1/2 of the material to decay
Experts have determined that the most practical way to cope with depletion of the ozone shield was to
terminate production of CFCs and findsubstitutes
Which of the following are major air pollutants that cause acid deposition
sulf dioxide and nitrogen oxides
The major source of nitrogen oxide emissions has been identified as
transportation vehicles
Which of the following offers the most potential in terms of reducing our energy problems
conservation
The ultimate source of energy that determines a region's climate is
solar radiation
The largest single end use category of oil consuption in the United STates is
transportation
The hole in the ozone layer is most evident above
Antarctica
If Northern Virginia has been designated as an ozone non-attainment zone, this means
that the air quality is not safe for humans levels
flooding in Eastern US coastal cities is predicted to result from
global climate change
Which of the following is a disadvantage of using wind farms as an energy source
Birds and bats may be negatively impacted
A turbogenerator is a device that
generates electricity
To produce the same amount of electricity, a coal plant consumes---- tons of coal per year; while a nuclear power plant consumes ----- tons of uranium per year
3 million;30
The pH of precipitation in Virginia is
acidic
Which is NOT a renewable source of energy
fossil fuel
The day to day variations in temperature, air pressure, wind, humidity and precipitation constitute an area's
weather
The world's worst nuclear power plant disaster to date occurred at
Chernobyl, Ukraine
Ultraviolet radiation is
the wavelengths that are blocked by the ozone shield
OPEC stands for
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Flat-plate collectors are used to
absorb sunlight and heat water
The scientific study of the atmosphere, weather and climate is called
meteorology
Pollutants capable of causing immediate life-threatening physiological illness are said to be
acute
Factors taht influence the level of local air pollution may include
all of the above
The major green house gases are
carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and chlorofluorocarbons
Ozone, PANS, and acids are examples of
secondary pollutants
As you go higher in the Troposphere, the temperature
cooler
Since 1970, there has been a decrease in atmospheric concentrations of VOCs, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulates
True
The US governemental agency that regulates and enforces standards for the operation of nuclear power plants is the
Nuclar Regulator Commision
The moderator solution in US nuclear power plants is
water
In nuclear reactors, the splitting of a large atom of one element into smaller atoms of different elements is called
fission
The level above which pollutants begin to have an effect on organisms, and below which there is no effect is called the
Threshhold system
The country that has failed to ratify the Kyoto Protocol (carbon dioxide) is
US
The international agreement to reduce CFCs is the
Montrol Protocol
nature's cleanser is a term for the --------- radical that reacts with certain pollutants to form acid precipitation
Hydroxyl
The strategic themes that provide direction to the goal of a sustainable future are
sustainability stewardship and sound science
The concept of sustainable development is to
meet the needs for now and the indefinite future
The case study of Easter Iland demostrates that
all of the above population growth can undesirable consequences resources are present in finite supply societal behavior can affect use of resorces
The main problem caused by population growth is
increasing demand for all resources
Global trend of particular concern to environmentalists is
degradation of ecosystems global atmospheric change loss of biodiversity
the population that occurs under optimum conditions
biotic potential
several related ecosystems make up
a biome
the three major BIOTIC components of the trophic system are
producers, consumers, detritus feeders and decomposers
The population density of a species is
the number of individuals per unit area
A warm region reciving very little precipitation will have
desert vegetation
Which of the following is NOT organic
water
The transitional region between two ecosystems that contains some of the species and characteristics of the two adjacent ecosystems and species unique to the transitional area is a
ecotone
A group within a species consisting of individuals occupying a particular geographic area that freely interbreed is called a
population
The long-term measure of a region's temperature and precipitation is that area's
climate
What type of biome would you expect to find in a region where temperatures are warm and precipitation is abundant year round
tropical rainforest
Which of the following is MOST likely to survive and adapt to environmental changes cause by humans
cockroaches
OF the following the most basic units of matter (all solids, liquids, and gases) are
atoms
Two or more atoms that are bonded together whether the same or different, are called
a molecule
Which of the following are the three major gaes present in the atmosphere
nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide
Which of the following is NOT an important element in the structure of living organisms
aluminum
Organic molecules always contain
carbon-carbon and/or carbon-hydrogen bonds
The Law of the Conservation of Energy is also known as the
First Law of Thermodynamics
Many forms of energy can be measured in
calories
The obsrvation the some usable energy is lost in energy is lost in every energy conversion is encompassed
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Energy in action or motion is called
kinetic energy
Green plants obtain energy from
sunlight
The chemical process through which glucose and other simple molecules are broken down to release energy is known as
cell respiration
Which of the following species is most likely to experience J curve population change
rabbits in an environment lacking rabbit predators
Nitrogen fixation refers to
converting nitrogen gas to chemical forms which plants can incorportate
Which of the following does/do NOT have a gas phase as part of its/their cycle
phosphorus
The Law of Cnservation of Matter states that in chemicla and biological reactions
atoms are not created atoms are not destroyed atoms of one element are not changed into those of another element
The burning of fossil fuels is a signifcant contributor to the world's
carbon cycle
The total number of a kind of plant, animal, or microbe that has similar characteristics and can interbreed and produce young is known as
a species
If biotic potential is higher than environmental resistance, the population will
increase
Survival of the fittest means the survival of those organisms
that can best cope with existiong environmental conditions and live to reproduce
One species diverging into two more species is called
speciation
The combination of abiotic and biotic factors that may limit population growth is called
environmental resistance
Sustainability of ecosystems depends on maintaenance of a balance of
abiotic factos such as climate and fire biotic factors such as predation and competition human influences
The maximum population that a habitat can support without experiencing long-term degradation is called
carrying capacity
The condition in which the number of biths within a population is approximately equal to the number of deaths is called
population equilibrium
a----- species plays a crucial role in maintaining an ecosystem's biotic structure
key stone
the progression from one biotic community to another after a forest fire is known as
second sussesion
Abiotic means
nonliving
The chemical process that autotrophic producers perform that is not performed by other organisms in the ecosystem is
photosynthesis
The mutually harmful interaction between individuals of the same or different species that use the same resources at the same place and time is called
compietion
When faced with a selective pressure or environmental resistance, a population can migrate, become extinct, or
adapt
The minimum population of a given species that can survive is the
critual number
The goods and services provided by natural and managed ecosystems that support human life and economic well-being are called
ecosystem capital
The human population has experienced the Neolithic Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. We may now be on the brink of what next phase
Evironmental Revolution
Give an example of a non native or introduced species