Unit 1 Exam

 

1.  The scientific method is used to
 

specific questions about the natural world. 
  determine absolute truth. 
  distinguish good from evil. 
  establish moral codes. 
  to search for truth. 
 

 

2. Which of the following statements is a testable scientific hypothesis?
 

  Antioxidants from food are better than antioxidants from a vitamin pill. 
  Eating fish reduces the chance of having a stroke. 
  Embryonic stem cell research will allow scientists to find a cure for diabetes. 
  Smoking makes people less attractive. 
 

 

3. Which of the following hypotheses is testable using scientific methods?
 

  Bees can see ultraviolet light that humans can’t.
  The dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex was a scavenger, not a predator.
  Peacocks like to display their large tail feathers. 
  People with type O blood are natural meat eaters. 
  People with type B blood like to donate blood. 
 

 

4. In an effort to increase milk production of dairy cows, a farmer decides to experiment with a new food additive. Half of the cows (Group 1) are given the new food additive, while half of the cows (Group 2) are not given the food additive. Group 1 represents the ________ group of this experiment, while Group 2 represents the ____ group of the experiment.

  experimental, control
  prediction, hypothesis
  control, prediction
  control, experimental
  placebo, control
 

 

5. Ideally, an experiment studying the effect of a cold medicine should have
 

  no control group. 
  control and experimental groups .
  a small sample size. 
  subjects of only one gender. 
  subjects that don’t have colds.
 

 

6. What level of ecology is concerned with groups of individuals of different species?
 

  community 
  tissue 
  organism 
  ecosystem 
  population 
 

 

7.  Which of the following choices matches this figure?

  Dolphins produce only single offspring at a time and provide parental care for many months. 
  Crab spiders produce hundreds of tiny offspring, most of which do not survive. 
  During “mating frenzies” male and female squid aggregate and release hundreds of eggs and sperm into the water column. The fertilized eggs are often quickly preyed on by fish.
  The century plant grows for many years and reproduces and releases hundreds of seeds just once before it withers and dies. Because of the dry desert environment in which it lives, many of the seeds do not survive or are eaten. 
 

 

8. What is a population?

  a group of organisms isolated in space and time 
  a group of organisms isolated in space 
  a group of organisms of the same species isolated in space and time 
  a group of organisms of the same species isolated in space 
  all of the organisms of a species existing at a particular time 
 

 

9. Over time, the populations of most species ______.

  are relatively stable 
  continuously decline 
  increase rapidly, crash, and never recover 
  continuously increase 
  exhibit boom-and-bust cycles 
 

 

10.   Please read the following scenario to answer the following question(s).

Michigan’s Isle Royale is located in Lake Superior and is 45 miles long and 9 miles wide. Ecologists estimate that the moose population has been on the island since around 1900. The wolf population, on the other hand, has only been there since the winter of 1949. The conditions had to be just right for the lake to freeze and the weather to be calm enough for the first wolves to make the passage over to the island. When the wolves arrived, they were greeted with a large moose population that had no predators. The moose population was at a dangerously high level, but was kept in check by the arrival of the wolves. This “harmonious” pattern continued for at least 20 years.
In 1982, the wolf population suddenly crashed. The problem was a new canine virus. This virus surfaced around the world in 1978 and spread rapidly in about six months. Infected animals can survive, but they have to be treated immediately. Ecologists hypothesized that the virus arrived on the island carried on the shoe of a human traveler. The wolf population decreased from 50 to 14 individuals in a year. While the wolf population dropped, the moose population increased. However, the winter of 1996 was extremely harsh and the moose population experienced a major crash. More than 500 animals died during the winter months, reducing the population to less than 800 animals.

The harsh winter that led to the death of many moose in 1996 is an example of a(n) ______.

  density-dependent factor 
  acclimation 
  density-independent factor 
  population that has exceeded its carrying capacity 
 

 

11.  With regard to the environment as a whole, when is the worst time to apply pesticide to your lawn?

  when it is raining, or is about to rain 
  when it is cold, or is about to get cold 
  at the same time you apply fertilizer 
  at night 
  during the day 
 

 

12.  Organisms at the first trophic level are ______.

  detritivores 
  decomposers 
  parasites 
  predators 
  autotrophs 
 

 

13. In the food chain grass  antelope  human  lion, the human is a(n) ______.

  tertiary consumer 
  secondary consumer 
  herbivore 
  primary consumer 
  producer 
 

 

14. Biomass is the total amount of ______ an ecosystem.

  organic matter tied up in the consumers of 
  solar energy in 
  organic matter tied up in the producers of 
  chemical elements recycled by the detritivores of 
  organic material in 
 

 

15.  Refer to the following figure. This photo represents ______ population(s) and ______ community(ies).

  many, 1 
  1, 1 
  1, many 
  unable to determine from the photo 
 

 

16. The increase in the concentration of a substance in the tissues of organisms as it is passed up a food chain is called ______.

  concentration of toxins 
  biological magnification 
  maximization 
  incrementalization 
  predatory accumulation 
 

 

17. The increase in global temperature that is the greenhouse effect is primarily due to ______.

  CO 2 allowing more solar radiation to penetrate Earth’s surface
  CFCs slowing the escape of heat from Earth 
  the loss of ozone that trapped cooling UV radiation in the atmosphere 
  CO 2 slowing the escape of heat from Earth
  CO 2 slowing the escape of UV radiation from Earth
 

 

18. Which of the following sources of energy contribute(s) to global warming?

  solar 
  coal 
  geothermal 
  nuclear 
  all of these 
 

 

19.  DDT was once used as a(n) ______.

  fuel additive 
  aerosol propellant 
  refrigerant 
  insecticide 
  herbicide 
 

 

20. Which one of the following is likely to result from an increase in global atmospheric temperature of as little as 2°C?

  rising sea levels 
  coastal flooding 
  altered patterns of global rainfall 
  altered ecosystem boundaries 
  all of these 
 

 

21 Organic farming is environmentally friendly because

  it uses less water than traditional farming. 
  it avoids the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizer. 
  it has greater net primary production than traditional farming. 
  it is more energy efficient, since it doesn’t produce meat products.
  it uses more water than traditional farming. 

 

22. Which of the following features would have the greatest influence in creating a more sustainable urban society?

  Improving the efficiency of water filtration systems in order to decrease our consumption of freshwater. 
  Increasing fuel efficiency in our vehicles so we can decrease the consumption of fossil fuels. 
  Decreasing the amount of environmental pollution produced by industry. 
  Decreasing the amount of land that is altered in order to accommodate human desires (new homes, factories, agriculture, etc.). 
  Exploring alternative energy sources that are more environmentally favorable (i.e. solar, hydropower, etc.). 
 

 

 

23. Building a sustainable society

  can only be attained by scientists and economists. 
  needs to be carried out by national governments. 
  can include even small-scale efforts of individuals. 
  is the responsibility of corporations. 
  can only be attained by farmers. 
 

 

24. Desertification is primarily caused by which of the following activities?

  overgrazing of livestock 
  overplanting of crops 
  overuse of farm machinery 
  lack of rainfall 
  restoration of wetlands 
 

 

25. Which of the following creates the least amount of soil erosion?

  poor landscaping practices that expose the land to excess wind 
  overgrazing by livestock 
  use of drip irrigation systems 
  deforestation 
  wetland destruction 
 

 

26. Energy cannot be recycled.

  True 
  False 
 

 

27.  All communities consist of the same number of species.

  True 
  False 
 

 

28. Wind power is not a renewable soure of energy because wind directions change too often.

  True 
  False 
 

 

29 A population can increase in size indefinitely.

  True 
  False 
 

 

30. More sparse urban settlement patterns may help conserve energy and preserve the environment.

  True 
  False