APES END OF THE YEAR STUDY GUIDE

Vocabulary

 ecology  Secondary pollutant  Interspecific species

 environmental science  Photochemical smog  Intraspecific species
 gross national income  Industrial smog  Predation
 per capita  Temperature inversion  Symbiosis
 economic growth  Eukaryotic  Parasitism
 economic development  Prokaryotic  Commensalism
 developed countries  Microevolution  Theory of Island
 developing countries  Macroevolution Biogeography
 globalization  Natural selection  Exploitation Competition
 gross domestic product  Genetic drift  Competition exclusion
 renewable  Adaptation  Resource Partitioning
 non renewable  Adaptive trait  Mimicry
 sustainable yield  Coevolution  Species abundance
 point source  Ecological niche  Species richness
 non-point source  Niche  Primary succession
 economically depleted  Habitat  Secondary succession
 recycle  Convergence  Pioneer species
 reuse  Speciation  Tolerance
 Sustainable yield  Geographic Isolation  Resistance
 ecological footprint  Reproductive Isolation  Core
 environmental  Extinction  mantle
degradation  Adaptive Radiation  crust
 Weather  Tundra  Lithosphere
 Acid deposition  Taiga  Plate tectonics
 Climate  Temperate  Divergent boundary
 pH  Chaparral  Convergent boundary
 Front  Desert  subduction
 Ozone depletion  Tropical  transform fault
 Coriolis effect  Scrub  Erosion
 Acid deposition  Savanna  mineral resource
 aluminum  Coniferous  strategic mineral
 Prevailing winds  Succulent  Ore
 Brown Air smog  Permafrost  subsurface mining
 Upwelling  Epiphyte  overburden
 Thermal inversion  Buttresses  Spoil
 Greenhouse gases  Deciduous  open-pit mining
 Greenhouse effect  Evergreen  dredging
 Microclimate  Mutualism  Strip mining
 Rain shadow effect  Keystone species  depletion time
 El Nino  Species Interactions  gangue
 La Nina  Ecological Succession  Tailings
 Southern oscillation  Generalist  smelting
 Atmosphere  Specialist  soil erosion
 Troposphere  Native species  Soil conservation
 Stratosphere  Nonnative species  conventional-tillage
 Global warming  Exotic species farming
 Air pollution  Alien species  terracing
 Primary pollutant  Indicator species
  Conservation-tillage  Population density  demographic transition
farming  birth rate  survivorship curve
 contour farming  Population dispersion  family planning
 strip cropping  crude birth rate  habitat fragmentation
 Alley cropping  Age structure  corridor
 agroforestry  replacement-level fertility  Watershed
 windbreak  Biotic potential  drainage basin
 Shelterbreak  total fertility rate  zone of saturation
 organic fertilizer  Intrinsic rate of increase  Aquifer
 animal manure  life expectancy  recharge area
 commercial inorganic  Environmental resistance  desalination
fertilizer  infant mortality rate  Floodplain
 green manure  Carrying capacity  biological oxygen demand
 crop rotation  migration (BOD)
 desertification  Exponential growth  Eutrophication
 salinization  immigration  cultural eutrophication
 waterlogging  Logistic growth  Thermal pollution
 Population Dynamics  emigration  thermal shock
 population change  r-strategist  Dredge spoils
 Population size  age structure  sewage sludge
 zero population growth  k-strategist  septic tank
(ZPG)

Questions

Chapter 1

1. What is exponential growth?

2. What is the main reason for the rapid growth of the world’s population during the past 100 years? What is
doubling time and the rule of 70? How long would it take for a country to double if the annual % growth rate
was 2%?
3. Why does it make sense for a poor family to have a large number of children?
4. List 6 ways in which poverty is related to environmental quality, people’s quality of life, and premature deaths of
poor people.

Chapter 2

1. What are the hunter-gathers and what were their major environmental impacts?
2. What is the agricultural revolution? What are its major benefits and environmental drawbacks?
3. What are slash and burn cultivation and shifting cultivation? Under what conditions can these practices be a
sustainable form of agriculture?
4. What is the industrial revolution? What are its major benefits and environmental drawbacks?

Chapter 3

1. Define Matter. Distinguish between the following: atoms, ions, molecules,

isotopes, protons, neutrons, electrons, atomic number. List three physical
properties of matter.
 3. What are the building blocks of Nature? What two chemical forms is matter
found in?
4. Define chemical formula. Distinguish between molecular compounds held
together by covalent bonds and ionic compounds held together by ionic bonds.
Describe a hydrogen bond.
5. Define organic compound. List four important organic polymers and their
building blocks. Contrast organic and inorganic. Give two examples of inorganic
compounds.
6. Distinguish between high-quality and low-quality matter.
7. Describe how the law of conservation of matter and energy governs normal
physical and chemical change. Explain the phrase” There is no way”.
8. Describe why the law of conservation of matter and energy is necessary to govern
nuclear changes. Distinguish among gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles,
nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
9. Define energy. Distinguish between kinetic and potential energy, ionizing and
nonionizing radiation, high quality and low quality energy
10. Summarize the first and second laws of thermodynamics and give and example of
each.
11. Describe the implications of the law of conservation of matter and the second law
of energy for high-waste, matter – recycling and low-waste societies.

Chapter 4

1. Define ecology. List and distinguish among the five levels of organization of
matter that are the focus of the realm of ecology.
2. What are the major parts of the Earth’s life support system. Briefly describe how
the sun,gravity and nutrient cycles sustain life on Earth. Compare the folw of
matter and the flow of energy through the biosphere.
3. Do ecosystems have distinct boundaries? Explain what an ecotone is.
4. Define abiotic component of an ecosystem. List three important physical factors
and three important chemical factors that hace large effects on ecosystems.
5. In your own words explain the law of tolerance. Draw the diagram. Compare the
limiting factors in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
6. Define biotic component of an ecosystem. Distinguish between producers and
consumers. List and distinguish four types of consumers. Distinguish among
scavengers, detritus feeders and decomposers. Distinguish between
photosynthesizers and chemosynthesizers; aerobic respiration and anerobic
respiration.

Chapter 5
 1. Distinguish between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. List the current kingdoms of life and give three
examples of each.
2. Define species. Describe how species are named scientifically. Summarize the role of geographic and
reproductive isolation in forming new species.
3. List major steps which have occurred in Earth’s chemical and biological evolution. Include scientific evidence
which has led to the theory of evolution. Describe three alternative hypotheses for the formation of complex
chemicals necessary for life.
4. List potential sources of energy available for synthesis of biological chemicals.
5. Describe how the first law of thermodynamics and polymers contribute to your understanding of evolution
6. Distinguish between macroevolution and microevolution. Define gene pool and describe the process that
increases variability of the gene pool.
7. Describe connections among mutations, adaptations, differential reproduction, and biological evolution. List
and describe three possible outcomes of natural selection.
8. List four limits of adaptation to change. Summarize three common misconceptions about evolution.
9. Describe biodiversity in terms of speciation and extinction.
10. Summarize how humans have tinkered with the evolutionary processes; nature’s lessons that can be adopted as
principles for more sustainable lifestyles; and ways that humans can restore and rehabilitate ecosystems.

Chapter 6

1. Describe the general effects of the following microclimates; windward and leeward sides of a mountain, forest,
cities.
2. Describe how climate affects the distribution of plant life on Earth. Draw connections between biomes and the
following plants; broadleaf deciduous plants, coniferous evergreen plants.
3. Compare the climate and adaptations of plants in deserts, grasslands, and forests. Describe the distinctive
qualities of a chaparral ecosystem. Be sure to distinguish among the three major kinds of forests.
4. Compare the biodiversity and stratification in the three major kinds of forests.
5. Describe how a mountain ecosystem is like an “Island of biodiversity.”
6. Distinguish between weather and climate. Summarize how warm fronts, cold fronts, high pressure air masses,
and low pressure air masses affect weather.
7. Describe at least five different factors which contribute to global air circulation patterns. Distinguish between
tornado and a typical tropical cyclone. Describe how ocean currents generally redistribute heat.
8. Describe an El Nino/ Southern Oscillation and a La Nina. What distinct weather features are in each?
9. Describe an upwelling and how it might be affected by an El Nino-Southern Oscillation.
10. Define greenhouse effect. Name the greenhouse gases. State the significance of the greenhouse effect.

Chapter 7

1. What are the basic types of aquatic life zones and what factors influence the kinds or life each zone contains?
2. What ecological and economic services does the marine system provide?
3. What are coral reefs? What are the three main groups of organisms of a coral reef? Why are coral reefs
vulnerable? How is the health and survival of coral reefs connected to global warming? How can the biodiversity
of the coral reef be reduced? What is coral bleaching? How do humans play a role in the health and survival of
coral reefs?
4. Distinguish between coastal and inland wetlands. Describe the ecological functions performed by wetlands.
Describe environmental problems associated with coastal and inland wetlands.
5. What impacts do humans have on marine life? On Freshwater systems?
6. List and compare the four zones of a lake. Distinguish between oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes. Describe
stratification and turnover in a lake.
7. List and distinguish the three zones of a river system.

Chapter 8
 1. Define ecological niche. Distinguish between condition and resource; fundamental niche and realized niche. List
the factors that determine the realized niche.
2. Distinguish between a specialist and generalist. Evaluate the conditions that favor these two approaches.
3. Distinguish among the following roles played by species and give one example of each; native species, nonnative
species, indicator species, keystone species. Explain why these labels are important.
4. Distinguish among the following species interactions and give one example of each; interspecific competition,
predation and, symbiosis. Distinguish between interference competition and exploitation competition.
Summarize the competitive exclusion principle. List two strategies species use to reduce competition.
5. List two strategies that predators use to capture their prey. List five strategies that prey use to defend
themselves against predators.
6. Distinguish among three forms of symbiotic relationships and give one example of each; parasitism,
commensalism, and mutualism. Page 179, name four types of mutualistic relations.
7. Define succession. Distinguish between primary and secondary succession. List four categories successional
species and give one example of each. List three factors that affect how succession occurs.
8. Summarize contributions of disturbances (such as fire) to your understanding of succession. Evaluate the
intermediate disturbance hypothesis. Support your conclusions with examples from your own experience if
possible. Summarize how chaos theory contributes to your understanding of succession.
9. Distinguish among the following types of stability and give an example of an ecosystem which exemplifies each;
inertia, constancy, resilience. Evaluate the interaction of stability and diversity.
10. Summarize the theory if island biogeography. Imagine two islands of two different sizes and distances from the
mainland. Predict which would show the greatest species diversity. Defend your position.
11. What is the critical role of a keystone species? Name ten, tell why at least five are important.

Chapter 9

1. Explain how the southern sea otters and kelp interact and why the southern sea otter is considered a keystone
species
2. What are the four major characteristics of a population?
3. List and define four variables which determine population dynamics. Write an equation showing how
population is related to these four variables.
4. Define Zero Population Growth. Define biotic potential. List four factors which contribute to a biotic potential.
5. Define carrying capacity. Draw population growth curves that represent exponential growth and logistic growth.
Describe what each means.
6. Distinguish between density-dependent and density-independent checks on population. Give at least three
examples of each.
7. List four types of population curves found in nature, and identify one organism which exemplifies each.
8. Distinguish between r-strategies and k-strategies. Make a list of the characteristics of each and give two animal
examples of each.
9. What are survivorship curves? Describe and give examples of each.
10. Distinguish between conservation biology and wildlife management. List three underlying principles of
conservation biology. Define ecological integrity, describe how corridors and bioinformatics can be used as tools
to preserve ecological integrity.
11. List seven ways humans have modified natural ecosystems. List four principles that can move human societies
toward sustainability.
12. Describe the new discipline restoration ecology. Distinguish among natural restoration, rehabilitation, and
active restoration.

Chapter 10

1. Make a simple drawing of Earth’s three major zones. Describe the composition of the zones. Briefly explain the
internal process of plate tectonics and the external geological process of erosion.
2. What is subduction?
3. What are the three types of boundaries found between the earth’s lithospheric plates?
 4. What is the difference between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere? Which moves and which do we live on.
5. From watching the movie and class lecture how did the tsunami of December 2005 happen? What plates were
involved and how did a tsunami actually occur? Why do tsunamis not occur all the time?
6. What is the difference between a mineral and a rock?
7. Distinguish between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Give two examples of each.
8. Describe the rock cycle and explain its importance.
9. What is an earthquake? Distinguish between P& S waves. What are the harmful effects?
10. Distinguish between the different types of volcanoes, basaltic and composite. What are some hazards and
benefits of volcanoes?
11. What is soil? What is humus and what is its importance?
12. Explain the process of leaching.
13. Describe the problem of soil erosion. Describe both world and U.S. soil erosion situations. Explain why most
people are unaware of this problem.
14. What happened during the Dust Bowl? How is the US Government solving this problem?
15. Define desertification. Summarize the state of desertification in the world and in the U.S. Identify the major
causes of desertification. Describe the problems of salinization and water logging of soils and how they can be
controlled.
16. Distinguish between conventional-tillage farming and conservation-tillage farming. Describe how land-use
planning can help prevent soil erosion. Describe three ways to increase soil fertility. Compare the pros and cons
of using inorganic and organic fertilizers.
17. What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? Refer back to Chapter 20.

Chapter 11

1. Define risk and assessment. List four general types of common hazards and give two examples of each
2. Distinguish between bioaccumulate and biomagnify.
3. What is a poison? Define LD 50.
4. List five principal types of chemical hazards and give two examples of each. Define and describe two
relationships among dose, response, toxicity, and poison. Distinguish between acute and chronic effects.
5. Describe a dose- response curve. Evaluate the usefulness and limits of case studies, laboratory experiments, and
epidemiology studies in determining toxicity of substances.
6. Distinguish between a linear dose-response model and a threshold dose-response model. Describe the difficulty
in deciding which model applies best when low doses are involved. Evaluate the effectiveness of risk
assessment and pollution prevention in dealing with hazards we face.
7. Describe the causes of the physical hazards of earthquakes and volcanoes. Briefly summarize the richter scale.
Explain how humans can minimize risks from earthquakes and volcanoes.
8. Define ionizing radiation. Give two examples. Describe physical effects which can result from exposure to
ionizing radiation.
9. Distinguish between transmissible and non-transmissible diseases. What is a vector? Give an example. List the
six deadliest infectious diseases. Summarize the state of the battle against bacterial infections. What is a viral
disease? Describe how transmission of viral disease can result in pandemics. Relate an epidemiologic
transmission to a demographic transmission. List 10 factors that can affect the spread of transmittable diseases.
10. Describe the synergistic interaction between HIV/AIDS, TB & Malnutrition.
11. Define risk analysis. Compare technology reliability to human reliability.
12. Define Risk-benefit analysis and desirability quotient. Give examples if technologies with high and low
desirability quotients. List five problems with risk assessment.
13. List seven questions risk managers ask. List seven cases in which the public generally perceives that a
technology or product has a greater risk then the risk estimated by experts.

Chapter 12
 1. Define birth rate, death rate, emigration rate, immigration rate. Write an equation to mathematically describe
the relationship between these rates and the rate of population change.
2. Distinguish between replacement-level fertility and total fertility rate. Describe how total fertility rate affects
population growth. List at least five factors that affect birth and fertility rates and five factors that affect death
rates.
3. Summarize changes over time in the USA population growth rate. Give reasons for the high rate of teen
pregnancy in the USA compared to the rate in other industrialized countries. Draw connections between
population growth and environmental degradation in California.
4. Define infant mortality rate. Explain why it is considered a good indicator of quality of life.
5. Compare rates of population growth in developed countries and developing countries. Explain the difference
you find.
6. Using population age structure diagrams, explain how the age structure of a country creates population growth
momentum. Summarize problems associated with a baby boom and a declining population.
7. Summarize key factors used to influence population size: immigration policy, family planning, economic rewards
and penalties, empowering women. Summarize the current attitudes toward immigration policy in the USA.
8. What is generation X, Y.? What is your generation called?
9. List the four stages of demographic transition. List social, biological, political, and economic issues that can be
addressed to help developing countries undergo demographic transition. List three factors that may limit the
effectiveness of a demographic transition in the influencing population.
10. Compare and evaluate the population policies of India and China. Summarize what we have learned from
decades of trying to influence human population growth. List the major goals of the UN Conference on
Population and Development.

Chapter 13

1. What are perennial crops? annual crops

2. List four types of agriculture. Compare the energy sources, environmental impacts, yields, and sustainability of
tradition and industrial agriculture
3. Evaluate the green revolution. What were its successes? Its failures? Summarize the benefits and problems of
livestock production over the history of agriculture
4. Define interplanting and explain its advantages. List and briefly describe four types of interplanting commonly
used by traditional farmers
5. Summarize the state of global production Define malnutrition and under nutrition. Indicate how many people on
Earth suffer from these problems and where these problems are most likely to occur. List six steps proposed by
UNICEF to deal with malnutrition and undernutrition. Describe a strategy to reduce overnutrition.
6. Summarize environmental impacts from agriculture.
7. Summarize food distribution problems. Describe the possibilities in increasing world food production by
increasing crop yields, cultivating more land, and using unconventional foods and perennial crops.
8. What is a rangeland? Distinguish between overgrazing and undergrazing. Where does the Tragedy of the
commons fit in?
9. What are riparian areas?
10. What are the harmful effects of meat production? How could eating less meat help?
11. Describe trends in the world fish catch since 1950. Assess the potential for increasing the annual fish catch and
use of aquaculture. Distinguish between fish farming and fish ranching.
12. Assess the pros and cons of agriculture subsidies and international food relief. Describe strategies that you feel
would be most sustainable.
13. Describe sustainable agriculture. Summarize the agricultural system.

Chapter 14
 1. Briefly describe Earth’s water supply. Compare amounts of fresh, salt, frozen and useable water. Define
watershed & groundwater.
2. Summarize water use in the USA and the world. Using what you learned about air patterns and geology explain
why there is not equal distribution of water around the world
3. List five ways to increase water supply. List advantages and disadvantages of each strategy Summarize a key
lesson learned from the following case studies: the Colorado River, China’s Three Gorges dam, Egypt’s Aswan
High Dam, the California water project, the James Bay project, the Aral Sea disaster.
4. Describe the role of groundwater in supplying fresh water. Assess our current use of groundwater: is it
sustainable use? Determine which principles are best illustrated by the Ogallala Aquifer experience. Distinguish
between riparian use and prior appropriation as to regulate water.
5. List four categories of water scarcity.
6. What major rivers run dry and do not reach the sea during the dry season?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages to withdrawing groundwater?
8. What are the two methods of desalination? What are the disadvantages to desalination?
9. What are some methods of using less water in irrigation? (Describe 5).
10. How can homes, industry and businesses use less water? Describe Xeriscaping as a method of landscaping?
11. List three ways that humans contribute to flooding. List four strategies that humans employ to minimize the risk
of flooding. Analyze the water problems of Bangladesh. What key principles are illustrated in this case study?
12. List and describe four ways humans use to control flooding. Evaluate which of these strategies is likely to have
the best long term results.
13. Describe the pieces that contribute to sustainable water use.

Chapter 15

1. List three types of mineral resources, and give examples of each. Clarify the relationship between identified
resources and reserves.
2. Distinguish between subsurface and surface mining. Briefly describe the environmental impacts of mining.
Describe the 5 types of surface mining and what is involved in subsurface mining. What does the Reclamation
Act of 1997 require of companies?
3. How do mining companies find mineral deposits? ( 7 ways) Distinguish among ore mineral, gangue, tailings.
What is smelting, what are the major impacts of smelting?
4. List the environmental impacts of extracting, processing and using mineral resources. Summarize the U.S.1972
Mining Law. List seven ways to reform this law.
5. Assess the possibility of increasing mineral resource supplies through finding new deposits, improving
technology of mining low-grade ore, getting minerals from the ocean, and finding substitutes. Take a position
on this issue of mining Antarctica, ANWR( Alaska National Wildlife Refuge)
6. What is acid mine drainage? How is it dangerous to the environment? Where does the leachate go?
7. What are the environmental impacts of using mineral resources?
8. Describe the cause and effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in the former Soviet Union
9. What supplies 99% of the energy we use? What percentage of the remaining 1% of the energy we use comes
from nonrenewable and from renewable energy in a) the world, b) the USA.
10. What is the #1 energy source used in developing countries?
11. What is petroleum or crude oil? How is oil extracted from the earth’s crust?
12. What happens at the refinery? What are petrochemicals?
13. Summarize the “Age of Oil”
14. Who has most of the world’s oil reserve? What percentage of the world’s oil reserve reserves are found in the
USA? What percentage of the world’s oil does the USA use? What percentage of the oil used in the USA is
imported?
15. How long are known and projected supplies of conventional oil expected to last in a) the world, b) in the USA.
16. List pros and cons of drilling oil and natural gas in Alaska’s Arctic Wild Refuge ( ANWR) **** AP Essay
17. What are the pros and cons of using heavy oil from shale oil and tar sand as energy sources? Of using
conventional oil as an energy source?
 18. What is natural gas? Who has most of the world’s supply? What is methane hydrate? Distinguish between
liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG)
19. What are the pros and cons of using natural gas as an energy source?
20. What is coal? How is it formed? Distinguish between peat, lignite, bituminous & anthracite coal. How is it
extracted from the earth? How is it used? What four countries have the largest supplies?
21. How long are known and projected supplies expected to last in a) the world, b) the USA
22. What are the pros and cons of using coal as an energy resource?
23. Describe how a nuclear fission reactor works. What are the five major components of a light–water nuclear
reactor, and what role does each play?
24. List the major advantages and disadvantages of using conventional nuclear power to produce electricity.
25. What is being done with low-level radioactive waste produced by the nuclear fuel cycle? List the pros and cons
of the proposed site for storing nuclear wastes at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
26. List and briefly describe three ways to decommission a nuclear power plant. List findings of the 1987
commission which brings the credibility of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to safeguard the nuclear power
industry into question.
27. Describe the potential use of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion sources.

Chapter 16

1. List the advantages and disadvantages of improving energy efficiency so that we do more with less. Define life
style and cogeneration and describe their potential for saving energy. Describe changes which can be made in
industry, transportation, buildings, lights and appliances which would improve energy efficiency.
2. How do we waste energy? What are the common energy efficient devices?
3. Are Hybrid cars the answer? Are fuel-cell cars the answer?
4. What are some ways we can save energy in buildings?
5. List the advantages and disadvantages of using direct solar energy to heat air and water for buildings. Home and
business.
6. Distinguish between active and passive solar heating. Give examples of ways we could use passive solar energy
to cool or heat our homes. Do the same for active solar. (AP Essay)
7. Compare the following solar technologies and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each: solar power
tower, solar thermal plant, non-imaging optical solar concentrator, and solar cooker.
8. List the advantages and disadvantages of using water in the form of hydropower, tidal power, wave power,
ocean thermal currents and solar ponds to produce electricity.
9. List the advantages and disadvantages of using wind power to produce electricity.
10. List the advantages and disadvantages of using biomass to heat space and water, produce electricity, and propel
vehicles. Consider burning wood, agricultural wastes, and urban wastes as well as conversion of biomass bio-
fuels.
11. List the advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogen gas to heat space and water, produce electricity, and
propel vehicles. State the energy source that is needed to produce hydrogen to create a truly sustainable
future. Describe constraints to a solar-hydrogen revolution.
12. Distinguish among dry steam, wet steam, and hot water sources of geothermal energy. List the advantages and
disadvantages of using geothermal energy for space heating, high temperature industrial heating, and electricity
production.
13. Analyze the interactions of economic policy and energy resources. In particular consider the results of using
free-market competition, keeping energy prices low, and keeping energy prices high.
14. List four ways the USA could build a more sustainable energy future.

Chapter 17

1. Briefly describe the structure of the atmosphere being sure to include troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
and the boundaries between each set of layers.
2. Summarize ways in which humans disrupt Earth’s major gaseous nutrient cycle.
 3. Distinguish between primary pollutant and secondary pollutant; stationary sources and mobile sources;
photochemical smog and industrial smog. List eight major classes of primary outdoor pollutants. Describe hoe
smog is formed. Describe a thermal inversion and conditions under which it is most likely to occur.
4. Define acid deposition. Identify the level of risk that acid deposition creates for human health. Give one
example of the complexities of interactions that can be set in motion by acid deposition. List six strategies to
prevent acid deposition.
5. Compare the risks of indoor and outdoor air pollution. List four most dangerous indoor air pollutants, the
potential health effects of each, and strategies for dealing with each.
6. Briefly describe how air pollution affects human health, plants, aquatic life, and materials.
7. Summarize the Clean Air Act. List six criticisms that environmentalists make about the Clean Air Act. Summarize
the controversy over the stricter particle emission standards in the USA.
8. List four prevention strategies and three cleanup strategies to reduce emissions from stationary sources of air
pollution. Define emissions trading policy and tell which are being regulated by this policy.
9. List eight prevention strategies and three cleanup strategies to reduce emission from motor vehicles. List six
prevention strategies and six cleanup strategies to reduce indoor pollution.

Chapter 18

1. Describe the greenhouse effect and what the Earth would be like without a greenhouse effect. List two
predominant greenhouse gases. List four greenhouse gases that have risen in the last few decades. List four
human activities that contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Distinguish between Greenhouse effect
and global warming.
2. Describe the pattern of the earth’s average surface-temperature fluctuation throughout geologic time. Describe
the period the earth has been experiencing for the last 10,000 years.
3. Describe the general trend of mean global temperature since 1860. List two factors other than then greenhouse
effect that may have contributed to the general temperature change.
4. Briefly describe projections of the major climate models regarding changes in mean surface temperature and
average sea level. List eight important factors that lend considerable uncertainty to climate models and their
projections.
5. State the range of temperature change that could cause real damage to ecosystems. Explain why a range so
seemingly small can have such major consequences. Summarize the projections of possible effects of global
warming on (a) food production, (b) water supplies, (c) forests, (d) biodiversity, (e) sea levels, (f) weather
extremes, (g) human health, and (h) environmental refugees.
6. Describe three schools of thought about global warming and how we as a human society should act. List seven
strategies that would slow potential global warming, including both prevention and cleanup approaches.
7. Describe the origin of stratospheric ozone and the role it plays in protecting life on earth. Briefly describe
changes which have been occurring in the stratospheric ozone.
8. Describe the scientific work on CFC’s and their relationship to ozone. Describe the political response to the
scientific information. Summarize the consensus science view of CFC’s and stratospheric ozone. Summarize
alternative views that have received much attention
9. Explain the potential consequences of ozone depletion.

Chapter 19

1. List nine types of water pollution and give an example of each. List three strategies to determine the presence
and concentration of water pollutants.
2. Distinguish between point and non-point sources of water pollution. Summarize the availability of clean
drinking water for the earth’s human population.
3. Draw an oxygen sag curve to illustrate what happens to dissolved oxygen in streams below points where
degradable oxygen-demanding wastes are added. Compare problems of lake water pollution to those of stream
water pollution
4. List three ways to prevent eutrophication and three ways to clean up cultural eutrophication. State three
ecological principles illustrated by the Great Lakes study.
 5. Distinguish between thermal pollution and thermal enrichment. Give five ways to reduce thermal water
pollution.
6. List three major pollutants of groundwater. Explain why cleanup of groundwater is so difficult. List five ways to
prevent groundwater pollution.
7. How does arsenic get into our groundwater and surface water? What are the health effects of long term
exposure to arsenic in the drinking water? What is the acceptable level? Do you agree?
8. Describe what is happening to the quality of coastal waters and how coastal waters can be protected. State one
ecological principle illustrated by the Chesapeake Bay case study. Describe the status of ocean dumping and oil
spills in the ocean. List six ways to prevent and two ways to cleanup ocean pollution
9. Why is the Baltic Sea vulnerable to a buildup of pollutants? What are the four major problems? What did the
Helsinki Convention address? What are the loopholes to the Helsinki Convention?
10. Briefly describe two major laws that protect water quality in the USA. State three strategies to reduce non-point
pollution
11. What improvements have been made to the Clean Water Act of 1972?
12. Briefly describe and distinguish among primary, secondary. And tertiary sewage treatment.
13. Explain some of the problems with drinking bottled water. Summarize five home water purification devices and
their effectiveness in treating different types of water problems
14. List three strategies to shift emphasis from pollution cleanup to pollution prevention strategies.

Chapter 20

1. List the five types of pesticides and what they are used for.
2. Briefly describe the history of the development of pesticides.
3. List five common household pests and two ways to control them in using pesticides
4. List the five major classes of pesticides. Tell is each is broad spectrum of narrow spectrum; state it’s degree of
persistence; give two examples ; and tell if each is bioaccumulated or biologically magnified
5. Compare contact and system herbicides.
6. Give seven reasons to use pesticides. List five characteristics of the ideal pesticide.
7. Describe the consequences pf relying heavily on pesticides. Describe the pesticide treadmill. Be sure to
describe biological magnification. Briefly describe the threat of pesticides to wildlife and human health.
8. Name the U.S. law that controls pesticide regulation. Give three reasons why this law is considered the weakest
and most poorly enforced of the environmental laws. Summarize how the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act
extends this law.
9. List and briefly describe nine alternative pest management strategies.
10. Define integrated pest management. Analyze the pros and cons of using IPM. List six steps which could be taken
to help promote IPM.

Chapter 21

1. What happened at Love Canal, NY between 1942-1953?

2. State the percentage of the world’s solid waste that is produced by the United States. State the percentage of
the solid waste in the United States that is municipal solid waste. What are some common solid wastes that US
consumers throw away?
3. Define hazardous Waste. What is NOT included in the definition of hazardous waste? Pg.527 what does this do
to the management of hazardous waste?
4. What happened in Bhapal India in 1984? How many were killed?
5. What are some solutions to reducing waste and pollution?
6. What did 3M Company in Minnesota do to reduce pollution?
7. List reuse strategies for refillable containers, grocery bags, and tires. Compare the costs and benefits of
disposable vs. cloth diapers, define compost. Analyze the impact that widespread use of composition would
have in the United States.
8. Distinguish between close- loop and open- loop recycling, centralized recycling of mixed solid waste and a
source-separation approach.
9. What are some problems with recycling in the United States and suggest ways to overcome them. Summarize
lessons to be learned from Germany’s experience with tough packaging laws. Summarize the U.S. experience
with recycling aluminum, wastepaper and plastics.
10. How is paper made? How is recycled paper made? List 10 advantages to recycled paper.
11. List three reasons why so few plastics are recycled? List some advantages and disadvantages to using plastic at
all.
12. Summarize Denmark’s experience with detoxification of hazardous waste. Assess the pros and cons of
incineration hazardous solid wastes. Compare the U.S. incinerators with Japanese fluidized-bed incinerators.
13. Describe a modern sanitary landfill. Summarize the benefits and drawbacks of burying solid waste in sanitary
landfills. Summarize the benefits and drawbacks of deep-well disposal of hazardous wastes. Summarize the
status of export wastes.
14. What is dioxin? What are the problems with many chlorine containing products? How are they harmful?
Summarize the causes, effects and ways to deal with lead, dioxins, and chlorine.
15. What is the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA)? How does it deal with hazardous wastes?
16. Name and briefly describe two U.S. hazardous waste laws. Describe how Superfund has been subverted and
how its enforcement can be improved.
17. Summarize the goals of the ecojustice movement. Visualize low-waste society. Describe the pieces that will
form the framework and fill in this picture.
18. What are brownfields? What has been done to help redevelop these sites in the USA? Give an example of a
reclaimed brownfield site.
 CHAPTER 22
SUSTAINING WILD SPECIES

1. What happened to the passenger pigeon?

2. What are the three types of species extinction and what does this mean?

3. List five factors that increase biodiversity and six that decrease biodiversity.

4. What is meant by an endangered species?

Give three examples of species that are endangered:

(a) (b) (c)

5. What is meant by a threatened species?
Another term for this is _________________.
6. What is background or natural rate of extinction?

7. What is mass extinction?

Normally what causes a mass extinction?
How many mass extinctions have the had thus far?

8. Mass extinctions are followed by ___________________when the

diversity of life is increased.

9. Why do we think we are in the midst of a new mass extinction?

Why is this different from the other mass extinctions?

10. What is meant by instrumental value in regard to extinctions?

What is meant by intrinsic value?

11. What are some economic services provided by the earth’s biodiversity?

12. What are some recreational services provided by the earth’s biodiversity?

13. Do you believe it is ethically important to preserve wild species?

Why or why not?

14. Do you believe we should save individual species or animals or ecosystems?

Why or why not?
15. The greatest threat to the elimination of species is:

16. What does endemic mean?

Why is this word important in this chapter?

17. What are habitat islands?

18. What is habitat fragmentation?

19. What are the three main problems caused by habitat fragmentation? ( 3)

20. What are the types of species that are particularly vulnerable to extinction due to
habitat fragmentation? List five.

21. How do nonnative species threaten our natural biodiversity?

Chapter 23

1. What are the pros and cons to reintroducing the grey wolf as a keystone predator in the Yellowstone National
ecosystem? What about the red wolf in North Carolina? (Research the red wolf).
 2. Describe five types of public lands in the United States and list the major uses allowed on each.
3. Define rangeland. State and briefly describe the major problems of overgrazing and predator control. State at
least three steps to make grazing more sustainable. Summarize the appeal of wild game ranching.
4. What are the major types of forests and describe the different ways they can be managed.
5. List eight important ecological services provided by forests and seven important economic benefits of forests.
6. Define emergent, canopy, understory.
7. Name and describe the five ways trees can be cut. List the advantages and disadvantages of each.
8. List eight ways to use the forests more sustainably.
9. List seven ways to help protect forests from diseases and insects.
10. Name the three trees that were destroyed by deadly tree parasitic fungi accidentally introduced into the United
States.
11. Name three insects that were accidentally introduced into the United States. What trees did the affect.
12. Distinguish among surface, crown and ground forests fires. What are the benefits of fire for some plant and
animal species? List the pros and cons of reducing the chances of crown fires on public lands by a) setting
prescribed fires) allowing most natural fires to burn and c) cutting trees to thin out forests.
13. Describe the threat to forests from air pollution and global warming.
14. What are the economic and ecological benefits to National forests? What problems do they have? State at least
five ways that could help sustain and expand the national park System.
15. List three factors underlying the cause of tropical deforestation. List six human activities which actually destroy
the tropical forest. Why is Madagascar’s biodiversity important? What is happening to it?
16. List nine ways to prevent or reduce tropical deforestation and degradation and three ways to restore degrades
forests.
17. What is the fuel crisis? How can we deal with it?
18. Define wilderness. Describe a biosphere preserve.
19. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of whole ecosystem and species- by-species approaches to increase
sustainability. Explain how gap analysis can be used as a tool to improve conservation efforts.

Chapter 24

1. What are the general patterns of marine biodiversity? What is the economic and ecological importance of
maintaining its balance.
2. What are the major human impacts on aquatic biodiversity? Describe four.
3. Look up the following ways to fish and tell how it causes over fishing; long line, seining, purse seining, trawling,
drift nets.
4. Should commercial whaling be restored?
5. Describe the difference between a baleen and toothed whale.
6. How does beach erosion affect our lives in North Carolina? What can be done about erosion?
7. What are the positives and negatives to building groins and jetties
8. How can we reduce bicatch and non-native species?
9. What are the three major approaches used to control access to fishing in various parts of the world?
10. Spotlight page 650 summarize.
11. Can we restore the Florida Everglades?
12. What are the greatest threats to our Great Lakes?
13. What are the greatest threats to Rivers?
14. Why is the Columbia River so important?

Chapter 25

1. What are urban and rural areas? What causes urban growth?
2. What are the five major trends in urbanization and urban growth? What percent of the population live in urban
areas in the U.S., world, developed countries, developing countries?
3. Define urban poor and describe the problems associated with it.
4. What are the damaging effects of noise pollution?
5. At what decibel level does sound pressure become damaging to humans. At what level does permanent damage
occur after 8 hours of exposure? At what level can it kill?
6. What decibel levels are the following: lawn mower, rock band, boom cars, vacuum cleaner, normal
conversation, average factory noise?
7. What are the good and the bad sides to urbanization in the USA? Give four of each.
8. What is the heat island effect? Why is it a problem? What can cities do to counteract the heat island effect?
9. List seven benefits and seven harmful effects of urbanization.
10. How is transportation linked to urbanization?
11. What is urban sprawl? List 5 disadvantages to it.
12. What are the pros and cons to reducing automobile use?
13. Describe how Curitiba, Brazil has become a model of a more environmentally sustainable and livable city.
14. List the alternatives to cars. Give both the advantages and disadvantages to each alternative listed.
15. Define conventional land-use planning and ecological land-use planning.
16. How has Geographic Information system (GIS) become useful in urban development?
17. Describe how the state of Oregon and the city of Portland has used smart growth to help prevent urban sprawl.