The study of the process by which the lithospheric plates move over the asthenosphere is called:
Shelterbelt
plate boundaries
overburden
plate tectonics
Which of the following is not a category of rock types?
Minerals
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Metallic or nonmetallic elements or compounds of elements that occur naturally in earth's crust are:
alloys
minerals
ferrous
poisonous
The process by which ore is melted at high temperatures to remove impurities is termed
exclusion mining
thermal mining
chromatography
smelting
How are mining lands restored?
land is filled in, graded to its natural contours and vegetation planted
toxic pollutants are removed through chemical neutralization processes
a few seeds are thrown on the ground
mining lands cannot be restored
The soil profile layer that is mostly organic matter and humus where plant litter accumulates and decays
A-Horizon
B-Horizon
C-Horizon
O-Horizon
Sustainable soil use is the
constant augmentation of soils to maintain their productivity.
planting of the same crops in a field over a period of years.
use of soil resources without a reduction in the amount or fertility of the soil.
changing of the soil profile periodically to maintain its efficiency.
In order to reduce erosion on steep hillsides, farmers
plant on terraces
plant a shelterbelt
use soil from the O-Horizon.
do not irrigate.
Acid mine drainage is pollution caused when
the acidity of metals in mines exceeds level 9 on the pH scale.
a buildup of residual acidity in solid destroys large areas of vegetation.
dissolved toxic materials wash from mines into nearby lakes and streams.
water, wind or ice erodes the overburden forming erosion drainage channels.
More than 60% of US land is owned by
the Federal government
state and local governments
native american tribes
private citizens, corporations and nonprofit organizations
The most serious problem facing global forests today is:
deforestation
high concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere
rapid expansion of forest ecosystems
increasing biodiversity
Most US national forests are managed by the
US geological survey
national parks service
fish and wildlife service
us forest service
Rangeland is land that
forms a plateau
is intensively managed
has grasses and shrubs as the predominant vegetation
is used for growing food crops
Desertification is when
resources are extracted from public lands without compensating taxpayers.
deserts receive irrigation to form oasis
once-fertile rangeland is degraded into nonproductive desert.
unrestricted development is allowed in wetlands
The primary purpose of a conservation easement is to
set aside protected zones for wildlife sanctuaries.
limit the number of livestock allowed to graze on rangelands.
receive fair market value for resources mined in privately owned forests.
protect privately owned forest from development for a specified number of years.
Which federal agencies administer public rangelands?
U.S geological Survey and Fish and Wildlife Service
Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service
National Parks Service and Department of the interior
Environmental Protection Agency and Wise-use movement.
The National Parks Service currently administers ___ national parks.
28
58
108
388
A protected area of land in which no human development is permitted is termed
mountain corridor.
wise-use rangeland.
permanent pasture.
wilderness.
The goals of the wise-use movement include all of the following except
timber management of old-growth forests.
mining of managed areas.
selling parts of resource-rich federal lands.
selling the ecosystem services of wetlands.
Which of the following are considered the three top endangered ecosystems in the U.S.?
Hawaiian coastline, rainforest, and alpine Aeolian ecosystems.
Northern Washington scrubland, cave systems, and grasslands
South Florida landscape, Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forests, Longleaf pine forests and savannas
California river, stream. and wetland communities.
Which of the following is NOT a criterion used to evaluate whether an ecosystem is endangered?
property value of the land
prospects for future loss or degradation
the area the ecosystem occupies
number of endangered species living in the ecosystem.
Sub-Saharan Africa currently produces less food per person than it did in 1950, which means:
food insecurity has increased.
the population suffers from overnutrition.
environmental quality has improved.
less food is grown than in 1950.
A form of intensive subsistence agriculture that involves growing a variety of plants on the same field simultaneously is termed ___.
nomadic farming
shifting cultivation
monoculture
intercropping
Farmers and ranchers strive to increase yields by administering ___ to livestock.
hormones and antibiotics
broad-spectrum vitamins
sawdust filler in feed
artificial sunlight
What was the main purpose of the green revolution when it began in the middle of the 20th century?
to promote organic agricultural techniques.
to maximize polyculture in every field.
to redistribute farmland so every person would have the means to produce his or her own food.
to increase crop yields in order to eliminate famine.
Clearing grasslands and forests to grow crops results in habitat fragmentation that
increases biological diversity.
reduces biological diversity.
has no effect on biological diversity.
reduces the potential productivity of land.
___ agriculture uses methods that maintain soil productivity and a healthy ecological balance while minimizing long-term impacts.
Subsistence
Sustainable
Industrialized
Green revolution
Broad-spectrum pesticides
kill beneficial organisms in addition to the targeted pest.
are non-mobile and cannot contaminate runoff.
are readily broken down into safe materials such as water and CO2.
are ineffective.
Insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, and fungicides are all examples of
pesticides, chemicals intended to kill organisms that reduce crop yields.
monocultures, techniques that reduce biodiversity in agriculture.
pheromones, hormones that decrease fertility of undesirable species.
irradiation, ionizing radiation that sterilizes soil.
One problem associated with pesticide use is bioaccumulation which is the
development of resistance to particular combinations of pesticides.
buildup of a persistent pesticide in an organism’s body.
increase in strength of a pesticide over time making it more lethal.
mobility of pesticides showing up in places where they were not applied.
A type of intercropping in which several kinds of plants that mature at different times are planted together is called ___.
interspersed monoculture
polyculture
