APES Midterm Review

UNIT 1: THE LIVING WORLD ECOSYSTEMS

Environmental Problems, Their Causes & Sustainability - Chapter 1 & 25
Understand concept and examples of the Tragedy of the Commons
Know and understand the 3 components of sustainability (solar energy, chemical cycling, biodiversity)
Understand ecological footprints, what they measure, the factors that contribute, etc.
Understand biocapacity
Know developed vs. developing countries (be able to give examples of countries)
Understand affluenza and its advantages/disadvantages
Examples of point vs. nonpoint pollution
Know the 3 major worldviews (environmental wisdom, stewardship, planetary management)
Know and be able to give examples of renewable vs. nonrenewable vs. perpetual resources
Difference between reusing and recycling
Understand the implications of poverty

Chapter 1 Practice Problems

1

Pollution from which of the following is an example of point source pollution?

1

Countries such as China increasingly have populations that are attaining a middle-class status. This has led to all of the following EXCEPT

Use the graphs below to answer the next four questions.

1

India's per capita ecological footprint is approximately

1

In the year 2000, what was the earth's ecological footprint?

1

All of the following ways would help reduce the projected ecological footprint EXCEPT

1

From the bar graph you can infer that Africa's ecological footprint is no greater than

1

Examples of the three principles of sustainability include:

1. Solar energy, which enables plants to photosynthesize and helps humans and helps humans produce electricity
2. Organisms and their ecosystems, the natural services they provide, and the ability of organisms to adapt to changes in their environment
3. Cultural changes such as the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution, which in many ways enhanced human living conditions but had negative effects on the environment
4. The continuous cycling of chemicals, without which life would not exist

Use the graph at right to answer the next three questions.

1

In what year did the human population reach 6 billion?

1

The dotted line on the graph illustrates which type of growth?

1

Both dotted lines assume that population will

1

Solutions to environmental problems are not always easy. This is because

1

Which of the below is an example of the tragedy of the commons?

Chapter 25 Practice Questions

1

What one believes about what is right or wrong in our behavior toward the environment is

1

We will probably not run out of resources, but they should not be wasted best fits in which environmental worldview?

1

Which of the following is not a guideline for sustainable living?

1

The idea that science will solve all our problems best describes which mental trap?

1

All of the following are ways to attain a more sustainable world EXCEPT

1

Which of the below is NOT an economic tool that could be used to bring about a sustainable environmental revolution?

1

Which of the environmental worldviews below is incorrectly paired with its focus?

Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems  – Chapter 2
Understand the basic chemistry review (matter, atoms, isotopes, pH)
Understand the basic biology review (organic compounds, cells)
Understand matter quality and energy quality including the Law of Conservation and the Laws of Thermodynamics
Understand nuclear changes (radioactive decay, fission, fusion)
Understand systems and feedback loops

Chapter 2 Practice questions

Use the graphs of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, striped bass and blue crab population data below to answer the next question.

1

Which of the below is an example of a high-quality energy source?

1

The energy you use to walk from point A to point B is a result of several energy transformations from one form to another beginning with energy from the sun. The net result of these transformations is

1

The warming of the oceans causing less carbon dioxide to be soluble in them, and at the same time leaving more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing an increased warming of the atmosphere, is an example of a

1

A scientist made the following statement in 2008:
“The striped bass Young of the Year (YOY) index for 2008, an annual measurement of the number of juvenile striped bass taken in the Marlyand portion of the Chasapeake Bay, is one of the lowest recorded since data was recorded beginning in 1990. The 2008 YOY index for striped bass was 3.2 while the long-term average is 11.7.” (Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel; “CHesapeake striped bass population down for ‘08” 10/29/2008; http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/sports/stories/227216717.html)

This statement is an example of

1

Which of the below organic molecules is incorrectly paired with its function or role?

1

The installation of ice booms on the Niagara River may well have changed the erosion pattern along the river. The irreversible loss of an island from over 100 acres in size to less than 3 acres is an example of

The next five questions refer to the description of an experiment below.
Ecologists designed an experiment to determine whether nitrates or phosphates are more limiting to algae growth. A lake in Canada (Lake 226) was di­vided into two equal-sized sections by a vinyl curtain. Each sub-basin of the lake was then fertilized, one with nitrates and carbon, and the other with phos­phates, nitrates, and carbon. The amount of phyto­plankton in the lake was then measured in each side, with the side of the lake with phosphates added show­ing a greater rate of phytoplankton growth.

1

Frequently, studies in nature are difficult to set up and may lack some aspects of more traditional laboratory based experiments. What element of this experiment could be considered to be lacking?

1

Which of the below is the independent variable in this experiment?

1

Identify the constants in this experiment.

1

Which of the below would be a valid hypothesis for this experiment?

1

What concept below best describes the process being studied in this experiment?

Ecosystems: What are They and How do They Work?  – Chapter 3
Know the major components of an ecosystem (organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, biosphere)
Understand trophic levels and the roles of organisms within trophic levels (producers, autotrophs, consumers, heterotrophs, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores)
Understand the flow of energy through an energy pyramid (i.e. the 10% rule)
Understand food webs

Chapter 3 Practice Questions

1

A tipping point in the disappearance of the tropical rain forests would be

1

Which is NOT an important ecological role of insects?

The next four questions refer to the compounds listed below.
A. Nitrogen gas (N2)
B. Oxygen gas (O2)
C. Water (H2O)
D. Phosphate (PO43-)
E. Methane (CH4)

1

Organisms live within a range of tolerance that determines where they live. Which of the below is NOT a range of tolerance?

1

The end product(s) of the wood in a log being decomposed by fungi is

1

Which of the below is NOT a human intervention in the nitrogen cycle?

1

The phosphorus cycle includes all of the following EXCEPT it

Climate and Biodiversity/Aquatic Biodiversity - Chapters 7 & 8

Chapter 7:
Understand difference between weather and climate
Understand importance of natural greenhouse effect
Understand what factors influence biomes (temp, precip, latitude, elevation)
Major characteristics of each terrestrial biome
Know examples of human impact on biomes
Chapter 8:
Mutualistic symbiosis that make up coral reefs
Ecological/economic services of coral reefs
Threats to coral reefs & causes of coral bleaching
Ecological/economic services of both marine and freshwater ecosystems
Abiotic factors that influence aquatic ecosystems
Biotic factors and examples (plankton, nekton, benthos, decomposers)
Types of marine zones and their importance (coastal zone, estuaries, wetlands, marshes, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, intertidal zones, open ocean, deep ocean)
Human impact on the areas noted above
Be able to describe and identify on a diagram the zones for open ocean (photic, bathyal, abyssal)
Be able to describe/identify on a diagram the zones for freshwater ecosystems (littoral, limnetic, benthic)
Oligotrophic vs. eutrophic lakes
Be able to describe/identify zones of rivers and streams (source, transition, flood zones)

Chapter 7 Practice Questions

1

Long-term differences in which two variables are the primary determinants of climate?

1

Which of the below is an example of a change in weather?

The next group of questions refer to this diagram of surface currents in the oceans. Indicate answer with the corresponding letter from the map.

1

As one climbs a mountain, the elevation change causes a change in biomes. Which of the below is a change caused by elevation?

1

Which of the below is a true statement about biomes?

The next three questions refer to the climate graphs below. The red line represents temperature and the blue represents precipitation.

1

Which of the below is NOT an adaptation found in plants living in the desert?

Chapter 8 Practice Questions

1

Which element below will be most helpful for reducing erosion from wave action to the coastline of an island in the ocean?

1

Zooplankton are animal larvae that

I. are primary consumers that feed on phytoplankton.
II. are secondary consumers that feed on other zooplankton.
III. are photosynthetic bacteria responsible for most of the ocean surface's primary productivity.

1

Which of the below factors is NOT a primary determining factor for whether an organism is found on the surface or in the middle of the water column in the ocean?

1

Which area below will have the lowest net primary productivity/km2?

1

The primary force responsible for tidal action is the

1

Which of the below is the correct path that a grain of sand would take as it is eroded from a mountain, carried downstream, and deposited on the ocean floor?

1

Where are photosynthetic organisms least likely to be found?

1

Which area of the oceans is most used by people for recreation?

The next four questions refer to the human impacts on ecosystems listed below. (Indicate with appropriate letter)
A. Coral reef damage
B. Overfishing
C. Coastal development
D. Cultural eutrophication from release of excess nutrients
E. Population growth and burning of fossil fuels

1

UNIT 2: BIODIVERSITY

Chapter 4 Practice Questions

The next three questions refer to this diagram. 

1

Which of the choices below is the best summary of evolution?

1

Keystone species such as alligators in the Southeast U.S. have an important role and effect on their environment through

The next four questions refer to the terms below.
A. indicator species
B. keystone species
C. foundation species
D. native species
E. specialist species

1

Protists are best described as

1

Which of the below are mechanisms of speciation?

I. Reproductive isolation
II. Mutation
III. Natural selection

1

The best example of an endemic species is

Chapter 9 Practice Questions

1

Introduced species often become pests because they

1

The biggest threat to biodiversity is

1

The sale of a large forest to a developer causing the building of roads, logging, and urban development would most likely lead to

1

Which of the following would prevent invasive species from being introduced and becoming established?

I. Inspect foreign goods before they enter the country.
II. Allow ships to discharge their ballast water as they enter the port.
III. Establish international treaties banning the transfer of species across borders.

1

Match the legislative actions below with what they established legally.

Draggable item		Corresponding Item

1

Biological extinction occurs when

1

Most extinction experts believe that the extent of biodiversity loss will increase over the next 50 to 100 years because of

1

The giant panda is prone to ecological and biological extinction because of all of the following reasons EXCEPT

1

The best example of biomagnification is

The next three questions refer to the following choices:
a. Habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation
b. Invasive (nonnative) species
c. Population and resource use growth
d. Greenhouse effect
e. Overexploitation

1

UNIT 3: POPULATIONS

Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Population Control - Chapter 5
Know and understand examples of species interactions (competition, predation, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism)
Understand how species avoid competition (niches, resource partitioning)
Understand difference between fundamental and realized niche
Understand predator-prey relationships including adaptations and coevolution
Understand and differentiate between primary ecological succession and secondary ecological succession

Population Dynamics - Chapter 5 (cont from previous unit)
Understand what limits population size
Density dependent limiting factors vs. density independent limiting factors
Understand J-shaped and s-shaped curves and carrying capacity
r-selected vs. K-selected species
Understand cycles of population booms and crashes (think of your hare/lynx lab)
Understand survivorship curves

Chapter 5 Practice Questions

The next group of questions refer to the species interactions below.
a. Interspecific competition
b. Predation
c. Parasitism
d. Mutualism
e. Commensalism

1

The next two questions refer to the graph below of an otter population off the coast of California.

1

What generalized trend can be made from 1983 to
2007 from this graph?

1

What is the percent change in the otter population
from 1995 to 2000?

1

Which of the following is a good example of coevolution?

1

Which of the following has NOT contributed to the explosion of the white-tailed deer population?

1

Which point on the curve above reflects the selection most like that of an elephant, a K-selected species that has reached its carrying capacity?

1

Which of the below is undergoing secondary succession?

1

Which of the below is an example of density dependent population control?

1

When does a tipping point occur?

Human Population and Its Impact – Chapter 6
U.S. population size (330 million)
World population size (7.9 billion as of Nov. 2021)
Carrying capacity vs. cultural carrying capacity
Population Growth Rate (PGR)  - % PGR = (birth rate – death rate)/10
Population Change = (births + immigration) – (deaths + emigration)
Understand the Rule of 70 and how to use it
Crude birth and death rates are based per 1,000 people in a population
Most populous countries
Replacement-level fertility rate
Total fertility rate (TFR)
Factors affecting birth and fertility rates (education, infant mortality, contraception, child labor, poverty, etc)
Understand/be able to interpret population age structures
General population dynamics in developing vs. developed countries
Concerns with aging populations
Demographic transition stages and be able to interpret demographic transition chart
Solutions to population size (family planning, women’s rights/education, reducing poverty)

Chapter 6 Practice Questions

1

A medium population growth projection calls for a population of 9.3 billion people in 2050 up from the current population of 7.5 billion. What percent increase is this?

1

In 1798 Thomas Malthus hypothesized the collapse of the human population. What factor proved Malthus wrong and led to the continued increases in the human population?

1

The infant mortality rate is NOT

1

Why is replacement-level fertility slightly higher than two children per couple?

1

One of the most important factors in helping to stabilize a developing country's population and reducing environmental degradation is to

1

Which of the below is an example of a positive use of nature's natural capital?

1

Which of the below is the correct order of demographic transition states that a country experiences when industrializing?

1

Which of the below has been utilized in both India and China to attempt to reduce population growth rates?

1

UNIT 5: LAND AND WATER USE

Food Production and the Environment - Chapter 12
Undernutrition vs. malnutrition vs. overnutrition and effects
Primary food sources for world’s population
High-input vs. low-input agriculture
Types of agriculture and pros/cons of each:
Traditional subsistence
Traditional intensive
Plantation
Industrialized
Types of interplanting and pros/cons of each:
Polyvarietal, Intercropping, Agroforestry, Polyculture
Environmental effects of industrialized agriculture
Pros/cons of GMOs, organic agriculture, Animal feedlots, Chemical pesticides
1st Green revolution & 2nd Green revolution
Gene revolution (GMOs)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Regenerative farming
What is it?, Examples of practices, Climate benefit
Soil
Identify and know the properties of different soil horizons
Identify and know the properties of soil components
Clay, Silt, Sand
Be able to use the Soil Texture Triangle

Chapter 12 Practice Questions

1

Industrialized meat production has harmful environmental consequences. These include all of the following EXCEPT

1

Which of the following techniques helps to limit soil erosion?

1

Which best describes genetically modified crops (GMOs)?

1

One way that farmers can help to reduce soil erosion is by using soil conservation methods. Which of the following is an example of a soil conservation method?

Use this soil triangle to determine the following soil types based on %'s of clay, sand and silt.

1

Sample #1:
clay: 45%, silt: 45%, sand: 10%?

1

Sample #2:
clay: 20%, silt: 45%, sand: 35%?

1

Which of the following would be a disadvantage to using pesticides?

1

Which is the best example of persistence?

1

The following practices are used to grow organic crops EXCEPT

1

A method of using biological control to control pests is to

1

The goal of integrated pest management is to

1

One way to successfully incorporate genetic engineering is to

1

All of the following are true about aquaculture EXCEPT

1

A more sustainable form of meat production is to

Water Resources - Chapter 13
Distribution of Earth’s water and freshwater availability - largest to smallest sources
Groundwater - zone of saturation, water table, aquifers (natural recharge vs. lateral recharge)
Surface water - watershed delineation, surface runoff, reliable runoff
Human water usage - domestic, agricultural, virtual water
Freshwater shortages
Causes
Locations - uneven global distribution of water resources
Problems with using groundwater - over pumping aquifers, etc.
Expanding surface water resources -
Dams/reservoirs, advantages vs disadvantages
Water Transfer - Aral Sea Case Study
Desalination
How can we use freshwater more sustainably? - agriculture, industry, homes
Threat of flooding - can we reduce the risks?

Chapter 13 Practice Questions

1

Approximately what percentage of the water on the earth is saltwater?

1

A drought in the 1930s transformed large parts of the Midwest into a "Dustbowl." This is an example of

1

One way to conserve water in agriculture is to

1

The Ogallala Aquifer is a one-time deposit of water and has such a slow recharge rate it is

1

The Colorado River project is

The next four questions refer to the following terms. Indicate choice with the appropriate letter.
A. Aquifer
B. Surface water
C. Confined aquifer
D. Water table
E. Transpiration

1

A forested hillside will help eliminate

1

One method of desalination is

Use the graph to answer the next three questions.

1

According to the graph, the flow of the Colorado River has

1

What is a possible explanation about the flow of the Colorado from 1960 to 1980?

1

APES Midterm Review

UNIT 1: THE LIVING WORLD ECOSYSTEMS

Pollution from which of the following is an example of point source pollution?

Countries such as China increasingly have populations that are attaining a middle-class status. This has led to all of the following EXCEPT

India's per capita ecological footprint is approximately

In the year 2000, what was the earth's ecological footprint?

All of the following ways would help reduce the projected ecological footprint EXCEPT

From the bar graph you can infer that Africa's ecological footprint is no greater than

In what year did the human population reach 6 billion?

The dotted line on the graph illustrates which type of growth?

Both dotted lines assume that population will

Solutions to environmental problems are not always easy. This is because

Which of the below is an example of the tragedy of the commons?

What one believes about what is right or wrong in our behavior toward the environment is

We will probably not run out of resources, but they should not be wasted best fits in which environmental worldview?

Which of the following is not a guideline for sustain­able living?

The idea that science will solve all our problems best describes which mental trap?

All of the following are ways to attain a more sustain­able world EXCEPT

Which of the below is NOT an economic tool that could be used to bring about a sustainable environmental revolution?

Which of the environmental worldviews below is incorrectly paired with its focus?

Which of the below is an example of a high-quality energy source?

The energy you use to walk from point A to point B is a result of several energy transformations from one form to another beginning with energy from the sun. The net result of these transformations is

The warming of the oceans causing less carbon dioxide to be soluble in them, and at the same time leaving more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing an increased warming of the atmosphere, is an example of a

Which of the below organic molecules is incorrectly paired with its function or role?

The installation of ice booms on the Niagara River may well have changed the erosion pattern along the river. The irreversible loss of an island from over 100 acres in size to less than 3 acres is an example of

Frequently, studies in nature are difficult to set up and may lack some aspects of more traditional laboratory based experiments. What element of this experiment could be considered to be lacking?

Which of the below is the independent variable in this experiment?

Identify the constants in this experiment.

Which of the below would be a valid hypothesis for this experiment?

What concept below best describes the process being studied in this experiment?

A tipping point in the disappearance of the tropical rain forests would be

Which is NOT an important ecological role of insects?

Organisms live within a range of tolerance that deter­mines where they live. Which of the below is NOT a range of tolerance?

The end product(s) of the wood in a log being decom­posed by fungi is

Which of the below is NOT a human intervention in the nitrogen cycle?

The phosphorus cycle includes all of the following EXCEPT it

Long-term differences in which two variables are the primary determinants of climate?

Which of the below is an example of a change in weather?

As one climbs a mountain, the elevation change causes a change in biomes. Which of the below is a change caused by elevation?

Which of the below is a true statement about biomes?

Which of the below is NOT an adaptation found in plants living in the desert?

Which element below will be most helpful for reducing erosion from wave action to the coastline of an island in the ocean?

Zooplankton are animal larvae thatI. are primary consumers that feed on phytoplankton.II. are secondary consumers that feed on other zooplankton.III. are photosynthetic bacteria responsible for most of the ocean surface's primary productivity.

Which of the below factors is NOT a primary determining factor for whether an organism is found on the surface or in the middle of the water column in the ocean?

Which area below will have the lowest net primary productivity/km2?

The primary force responsible for tidal action is the

Which of the below is the correct path that a grain of sand would take as it is eroded from a mountain, carried downstream, and deposited on the ocean floor?

Where are photosynthetic organisms least likely to be found?

Which area of the oceans is most used by people for recreation?

UNIT 2: BIODIVERSITY

Which of the choices below is the best summary of evolution?

Keystone species such as alligators in the Southeast U.S. have an important role and effect on their envi­ronment through

Protists are best described as

Which of the below are mechanisms of speciation?I. Reproductive isolationII. MutationIII. Natural selection

The best example of an endemic species is

Introduced species often become pests because they

The biggest threat to biodiversity is

The sale of a large forest to a developer causing the building of roads, logging, and urban development would most likely lead to

Match the legislative actions below with what they established legally.

Biological extinction occurs when

Most extinction experts believe that the extent of biodiversity loss will increase over the next 50 to 100 years because of

The giant panda is prone to ecological and biological extinction because of all of the following reasons EXCEPT

The best example of biomagnification is

UNIT 3: POPULATIONS

What generalized trend can be made from 1983 to2007 from this graph?

What is the percent change in the otter populationfrom 1995 to 2000?

Which of the following is a good example of coevolution?

Which of the following has NOT contributed to the explosion of the white-tailed deer population?

Which point on the curve above reflects the selection most like that of an elephant, a K-selected species that has reached its carrying capacity?

Which of the below is undergoing secondary succession?

Which of the below is an example of density dependent population control?

When does a tipping point occur?

A medium population growth projection calls for a population of 9.3 billion people in 2050 up from the current population of 7.5 billion. What percent increase is this?

In 1798 Thomas Malthus hypothesized the collapse of the human population. What factor proved Malthus wrong and led to the continued increases in the human population?

The infant mortality rate is NOT

Why is replacement-level fertility slightly higher than two children per couple?

One of the most important factors in helping to stabilize a developing country's population and reducing environmental degradation is to

Which of the below is an example of a positive use of nature's natural capital?

Which of the below is the correct order of demographic transition states that a country experiences when industrializing?

Which of the following is not a guideline for sustainable living?

All of the following are ways to attain a more sustainable world EXCEPT

Organisms live within a range of tolerance that determines where they live. Which of the below is NOT a range of tolerance?

The end product(s) of the wood in a log being decomposed by fungi is

Zooplankton are animal larvae that

I. are primary consumers that feed on phytoplankton.
II. are secondary consumers that feed on other zooplankton.
III. are photosynthetic bacteria responsible for most of the ocean surface's primary productivity.

Keystone species such as alligators in the Southeast U.S. have an important role and effect on their environment through

Which of the below are mechanisms of speciation?

I. Reproductive isolation
II. Mutation
III. Natural selection

What generalized trend can be made from 1983 to
2007 from this graph?

What is the percent change in the otter population
from 1995 to 2000?

Sample #1:
clay: 45%, silt: 45%, sand: 10%?

Sample #2:
clay: 20%, silt: 45%, sand: 35%?

Refer to the figure to answer this question.

The figure illustrates

I. The conservation of energy.
II. A cycle.
III. The conservation of matter.

Which of the following is not a guideline for sustainable living?

All of the following are ways to attain a more sustainable world EXCEPT