ENVS 1126 Exam 2- LSU Questions and
Answers
The price of gas today is very low. Which one of the following is a potential
unfavorable environmental outcome that could result from today's low gas prices. -
Answer- lower prices could encourage drivers to take more frequent and-or longer
road trips.
This is not a consequence of urban sprawl: - Answer- lower incidence of obesity and
high blood pressure
How might coral bleaching in the ocean be caused by urban sprawl? - Answer-
Cutting down trees → decreased removal of CO2 from atmosphere → increased
CO2 in atmosphere → increased CO2 in ocean → decreased ocean pH → unhappy
zooxanthellae (colorful symbiotic algae) → algae and color go away
Which one of the following most likely describes (and provides an example of) a city
with a high degree of urban blight and a low degree of urban sprawl? - Answer- low
car ownership levels, high density housing, strained public resources, less air
pollution e.g., New York, NY
The ability of an ecosystem to replenish itself leads to - Answer- Sustainability
Which one of the following best illustrates consumptive use of a resource? - Answer-
A farmer in Indiana shoots a wild turkey for his Thanksgiving dinner
When completed, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan will - Answer-
redirect much of the water flow southward
We expect that as mangroves continue to be destroyed worldwide - Answer- coastal
erosion will increase.
Compared to forests using sustainable forest management, commercial forests
managed for maximum sustainable yield of commercially valuable species will most
likely - Answer- have greater erosion problems.
The growth of the global fish harvest in the last 20 years has mostly been due to
increases in what? - Answer- aquaculture
An example of consumptive use of a natural resource is ____. - Answer- wild boar
(pigs) hunted for personal use (eating)
The maximum population of a given species that an ecosystem can support without
being degraded or destroyed in the long run is called - Answer- carrying capacity
, The maximum sustainable yield for most populations must be recalculated every
year because - Answer- changing environmental conditions create variations in
carrying capacity
Maximum Sustainable yield is ____. - Answer- the maximum amount of a resource
that can be taken out while the system still maintains or replenishes.
The greatest potential for sustainable growth in fisheries is in ____. - Answer-
aquaculture
Which one of the following best represents the productive use of a natural resource?
- Answer- a woman gathers mushrooms from a forest to sell in the local produce
market.
In general, humans can harvest renewable resources of plants and animals at
sustainable levels because - Answer- organisms naturally produce many more
offspring than are needed to maintain their populations.
Increases in ocean temperatures often result in coral bleaching, in which - Answer-
the symbiotic relationship between corals and their algae is disrupted.
In the state of Arizona, the use of groundwater has been aggressively managed
since 1980. Before, agricultural, commercial, private demands for water growing at
levels not sustainable. Before water regulation, demand for water all forms Arizona
illustrated the - Answer- tragedy of the commons
The total allowable catch of a marine fish used for human food would be determined
by calculating the - Answer- maximum sustainable yield.
With respect to ecosystems, what is the main difference between consumptive and
productive use? - Answer- Consumptive use refers to the use of natural systems for
basic human needs, while productive use implies use for economic gain
In the hydrologic cycle, water enters the atmosphere through 1) ___ and 2) ___, and
its destinations when it returns to the earth's surface are 3) ___, 4) ___, and 5) ___. -
Answer- 1) evaporation 2) transpiration 3) reabsorption 4) percolation 5) runoff
The percentage of the world's water that is saltwater is 1)___. The percentage that is
available freshwater is 2)___. The percentage that remains frozen in polar ice caps
and glaciers is 3)___. - Answer- 1) 97.5 2) 0.77 3) 1.7
Where is a majority of the Earth's freshwater stored? - Answer- icecaps
Why are recharge areas important? - Answer- they allow reabsorption of water into
the soil which ultimately feeds groundwater.
According to the hydrologic cycle, when rain falls to the Earth's surface, it has 3 main
destinations. What are they? - Answer- absorption by plants, percolation into
groundwater, runoff into a nearby body of water
Answers
The price of gas today is very low. Which one of the following is a potential
unfavorable environmental outcome that could result from today's low gas prices. -
Answer- lower prices could encourage drivers to take more frequent and-or longer
road trips.
This is not a consequence of urban sprawl: - Answer- lower incidence of obesity and
high blood pressure
How might coral bleaching in the ocean be caused by urban sprawl? - Answer-
Cutting down trees → decreased removal of CO2 from atmosphere → increased
CO2 in atmosphere → increased CO2 in ocean → decreased ocean pH → unhappy
zooxanthellae (colorful symbiotic algae) → algae and color go away
Which one of the following most likely describes (and provides an example of) a city
with a high degree of urban blight and a low degree of urban sprawl? - Answer- low
car ownership levels, high density housing, strained public resources, less air
pollution e.g., New York, NY
The ability of an ecosystem to replenish itself leads to - Answer- Sustainability
Which one of the following best illustrates consumptive use of a resource? - Answer-
A farmer in Indiana shoots a wild turkey for his Thanksgiving dinner
When completed, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan will - Answer-
redirect much of the water flow southward
We expect that as mangroves continue to be destroyed worldwide - Answer- coastal
erosion will increase.
Compared to forests using sustainable forest management, commercial forests
managed for maximum sustainable yield of commercially valuable species will most
likely - Answer- have greater erosion problems.
The growth of the global fish harvest in the last 20 years has mostly been due to
increases in what? - Answer- aquaculture
An example of consumptive use of a natural resource is ____. - Answer- wild boar
(pigs) hunted for personal use (eating)
The maximum population of a given species that an ecosystem can support without
being degraded or destroyed in the long run is called - Answer- carrying capacity
, The maximum sustainable yield for most populations must be recalculated every
year because - Answer- changing environmental conditions create variations in
carrying capacity
Maximum Sustainable yield is ____. - Answer- the maximum amount of a resource
that can be taken out while the system still maintains or replenishes.
The greatest potential for sustainable growth in fisheries is in ____. - Answer-
aquaculture
Which one of the following best represents the productive use of a natural resource?
- Answer- a woman gathers mushrooms from a forest to sell in the local produce
market.
In general, humans can harvest renewable resources of plants and animals at
sustainable levels because - Answer- organisms naturally produce many more
offspring than are needed to maintain their populations.
Increases in ocean temperatures often result in coral bleaching, in which - Answer-
the symbiotic relationship between corals and their algae is disrupted.
In the state of Arizona, the use of groundwater has been aggressively managed
since 1980. Before, agricultural, commercial, private demands for water growing at
levels not sustainable. Before water regulation, demand for water all forms Arizona
illustrated the - Answer- tragedy of the commons
The total allowable catch of a marine fish used for human food would be determined
by calculating the - Answer- maximum sustainable yield.
With respect to ecosystems, what is the main difference between consumptive and
productive use? - Answer- Consumptive use refers to the use of natural systems for
basic human needs, while productive use implies use for economic gain
In the hydrologic cycle, water enters the atmosphere through 1) ___ and 2) ___, and
its destinations when it returns to the earth's surface are 3) ___, 4) ___, and 5) ___. -
Answer- 1) evaporation 2) transpiration 3) reabsorption 4) percolation 5) runoff
The percentage of the world's water that is saltwater is 1)___. The percentage that is
available freshwater is 2)___. The percentage that remains frozen in polar ice caps
and glaciers is 3)___. - Answer- 1) 97.5 2) 0.77 3) 1.7
Where is a majority of the Earth's freshwater stored? - Answer- icecaps
Why are recharge areas important? - Answer- they allow reabsorption of water into
the soil which ultimately feeds groundwater.
According to the hydrologic cycle, when rain falls to the Earth's surface, it has 3 main
destinations. What are they? - Answer- absorption by plants, percolation into
groundwater, runoff into a nearby body of water
