Environmental Science Review Sheet

Environmental Science SLO Review Sheet

1. What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources? List some examples of each. 2. What are the characteristics of developed and developing/less developed nations? 3. What changes in society occurred because of the industrial revolution? 4. Which countries use the most resources per person? 5. Describe population growth in developed and developing nations. 6. How do ocean currents affect weather on the land? 7. What drives surface currents on the ocean? 8. Define hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. 9. Define the greenhouse effect. List some greenhouse gases. 10. Where are most of earth’s volcanoes located? 11. Why do species need to live in their habitats? 12. Which kingdoms of life include autotrophs? 13. What is the difference between natural and artificial selection? 14. Define adaptation. 15. Which kingdoms include decomposers? What is the job of decomposers? 16. Phytoplankton are the base of ______food chains. Since they photosynthesize, they create ______to breathe. 17. Define producer/autotroph. 18. How much energy is lost between each trophic level? 19. Define fossil fuel. What are the three types of fossil fuels? 20. What makes up most of the air we breathe? (It’s not oxygen) 21. Define pioneer species, and list examples. 22. Since the savanna is dominated by grass, what type of animal lives there? 23. Why is a nocturnal lifestyle a desert adaptation? 24. What is the connection between latitude and climate? 25. Know some characteristics of the biomes. 26. Why is burrowing an adaptation in the tundra, desert, and grasslands? 27. Since water absorbs sunlight, how far can sunlight penetrate water? 28. Runoff hurts all aquatic ecosystems. What is runoff? 29. How do flagella help phytoplankton? 30. Define nekton, benthos, and plankton. 31. What are the threats to ocean ecosystems? 32. Coral reefs are sensitive ecosystems. Describe the growth rate of coral. 33. Define reproductive potential. Name an organism with high reproductive potential and one with a low reproductive potential. 34. What is the difference between a population and a community? 35. Define parasitism and list three examples. 36. Define predation. 37. In which two types of relationships is neither species harmed? 38. What is coevolution? What drives it? 39. What is exponential growth? Represent it on a graph. 40. In the late 1800s, what effects did the industrial revolution have on death rates? …on infrastructure? 41. In which stages of the demographic transition model would a small family be beneficial? 42. What is a limited resource? 43. Describe birth and death rates in the 4 stages of the demographic transition model. 44. Link education for women to population growth. 45. What information can be retrieved from age structure diagrams? 46. What is the difference between point-source and non-point source pollution? 47. Why are most large cities built near surface water? 48. What are the advantages of water conservation? Environmental Science Review Sheet – Page 2

49. What are the dangers of plastic accumulating in the ocean? 50. How does ground level ozone form? 51. What are the dangers of noise pollution? 52. What factors can lead to sick building syndrome? 53. What is the link between burning fossil fuels and acid rain? 54. Where would you find catalytic converters? …scrubbers? …electrostatic precipitators? 55. What is the pH range of acid rain? 56. How does the Midwest and eastern USA affect Canada’s acid rain? 57. What are the results of urban sprawl? 58. What are the problems associated with deforestation? 59. What are the advantages of selective cutting? 60. Where do people in developed nations live? 61. What are ecosystem services? Who uses them? 62. What can cause desertification of farmland? 63. What are the benefits of crop rotation and using compost as fertilizer? 64. What is arable land? 65. Why is DDT a persistent chemical? 66. Which ancient practices are still used on farms today? 67. What is no till farming? …contour plowing? 68. What is smelting? 69. Where would you find stream placers? 70. What is subsidence? 71. What are the characteristics of a mineral? 72. What are the methods of subsurface mining? 73. What is the difference between gangue and ore minerals? 74. In which ways can ore minerals form? 75. Why is reclamation so important? 76. What are the pros and cons of nuclear power? 77. What are the pros and cons of Uranium-235 as a power source? 78. Electric generators convert ______energy to ______energy. 79. What is the difference between nuclear fission and fusion? 80. What are the pros and cons of fossil fuels? 81. What are the advantages of coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy? 82. Which five factors influence the value of a fuel? 83. What are the downsides of photovoltaic cells? 84. How is biomass (manure/fuel wood) used in developing nations? 85. Describe a hybrid car. 86. What are the problems of modern landfills? 87. Rank the top three types of waste made by business and households. 88. Describe the 2 types of degradable plastic in the book. 89. Define hazardous waste and list 3 examples. 90. What is deep well injection?