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Assessment Pollution INSTRUCTIONS Check your understanding with this practice assessment.
1) Which of the following activities would be least harmful to an ocean environment?
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A) A fisherman catching food for his family. B) Oil is spilled into the water from a tanker ship. C) Coral reef is removed and sold as souvenirs. D) Trash is washed from beaches into the water. Explanation:The answer is A. As long as enough fish are left to reproduce this resource is renewable and removing some would not affect the ocean environment. 2) What does it mean to reuse?
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A) use something again B) use less of something C) save electricity D) conserve water Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because by reusing items it cuts down on excess waste. 3) Which of the following might be a biotic factor in a stream ecosystem?
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A) rocks B) water C) sunlight D) pollution Explanation:The correct answer is D. It is correct because human waste, which is a biotic factor, can cause pollution. 4) Humans have changed the Earth in ways that hurt themselves and other organisms by ________.
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A) hunting B) recycling C) gardening D) polluting the air, water, and land Explanation:The correct answer is D. Human industrialization has polluted air, water, and land. 5) Energy conservation will result in ______.
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A) more air pollution. B) fewer available sources of energy. C) more acid rain. D) less air pollution. Explanation:The correct answer is D. It is correct because energy conservation will result in the decrease of consumption of natural resources, including fuels, which are burned and produce pollution.
6) The picture below shows biotic and abiotic components of a marine ecosystem.
Which component of the ecosystem is abiotic?
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A) producers B) decomposers C) sunlight D) consumers Explanation:The correct response is C. It is correct because the sunlight is an abiotic component of the ecosystem. 7) Not all pollution is made by humans.Which product of a volcano is a form of pollution?
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A) smoke and ash B) magma C) lava D) steam Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because smoke and ash are a form of air pollution which can be deadly. 8) Overgrazing by cattle reduces the grass cover of a region. What will be the impact of this on the region?
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A) Fertility of soil will decrease. B) Temperature of the area will decrease. C) Air quality of the region will increase. D) The number of trees in the region will increase. Explanation:The correct response is A. It is correct because overgrazing decreases the grass cover that helps bind soil. It increases the rate of soil erosion and decreases soil fertility. 9) Coal mining provides a source of energy for humans, at the same time it negatively affects earth's systems. Which of these is an effect of mining?
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A) more radioactive waste B) increased number of hurricanes C) increased rate of soil erosion D) greater chances of major earthquakes Explanation:The correct response is C. It is correct because the process of mining loosens the soil and increases the rate of soil erosion. 10) Which of the following is not an abiotic component that is part of soil?
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A) leaf litter
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B) pebbles C) sand D) water Explanation:The correct answer is A. Leaves were once living, so they are a biotic component in soil. 11) Which of the following is a change that humans make to the environment that is beneficial to other organisms?
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A) clearcutting B) managed reforestation C) air and water pollution D) use of pesticides Explanation:The correct answer is B. Managed reforestation with native trees can replenish forests, soils, flora, and fauna. 12) The number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on __________.
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A) both biotic and abiotic factors. B) only abiotic factors. C) only biotic factors. D) neither biotic nor abiotic factors. Explanation:A is the correct answer. It is correct because the number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on a variety of both biotic and abiotic factors, including food, predators, temperature, available nesting locations, available drinking water, etc. 13) Look at the picture below to answer the question.
Which two components of the desert biome are biotic factors?
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14) Choose the best answer. Water pollution damages drinking water supplies and poses health risks. All of the following are human health risks associated with water pollution EXCEPT:
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A) cactus and soil type B) temperature and soil type C) cactus and kangaroo rat D) kangaroo rat and temperature Explanation:The correct response is C. It is correct because the biotic components comprise of plants and animal in a region.
A) spread of typhoid fever B) outbreaks of cholera and diaherra C) lead and mercury poisoning D) increase in acid rain Explanation:The correct answer is D. Acid rain is associated more with air pollution than water pollution. 15) Over the past 200 years, people have been cutting down forests all over the world at a very fast rate. This has added large amounts of carbon dioxide to our atmosphere. Part of the reason is that when trees are
burned, they release carbon dioxide. Why else would cutting down trees increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
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A) Trees make carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. B) Trees, like all plants, use up carbon dioxide. C) Trees provide shelter for other living things that produce carbon dioxide. D) Trees give shade, which cools Earth's surface. Explanation:The correct answer is B. Like all other plants, trees use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis; if there are fewer trees, less carbon dioxide gets used up. 16) Julio has been studying biotic and abiotic factors in his science class and is looking for biotic factors as he walks down a busy street. He has observed all of the following things. Which of them is biotic?
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A) the sound of the cars and busses B) the candy wrapper on the ground C) the people walking on the sidewalk D) the pollution that is in the air Explanation:The correct answer is C. It is correct because people are the only living factors listed. 17) Drug manufacturing companies make drugs for human use but release a lot of harmful chemicals. What consequence will these chemicals have on earth's ecosystems?
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A) It will increase chances of floods. B) It will increase rainfall in an area. C) It will increase the occurrence of earthquakes. D) It will increase contamination of land, air and water. Explanation:The correct response is D. It is correct because harmful chemicals from drug manufacturing plants are released into land, water and air, thus polluting the earth’s ecosystems. 18) How can the burning of fossil fuels be a factor for global warming?
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A) Burning fossil fuels heats the Earth from all of the flames. B) Burning fossil fuels releases oxygen into the atmosphere which traps heat C) Burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen into the air which traps heat. D) Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the air which traps heat. Explanation:The correct answer is D. When fossil fuels are burned CO2 is released. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps heat. The increase of C02 in the atmosphere may be a cause of the average temperature increase in the last century. 19) Which of the following is an abiotic resource?
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A) grasslands B) animals C) water D) wood Explanation:The correct answer is C. Living things need water, but water itself is not alive; abiotic resources are also called inorganic resources. 20) The two main types of pollutants that contribute to the world's pollution problem are _____________ and _________________.
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A) terrestrial, extraterrestrial B) organic, inorganic C) biotic, abiotic D) biodegradable, nondegradable Explanation:The correct answer is D. This answer is correct because the two types of pollutants that contribute to the world’s pollution problem are biodegradable, pollutants that can be broken down by natural processes, and nonbiodegradable, pollutants that cannot be broken down by natural processes. 21) An example of an abiotic resource is _____________.
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A) a tree B) an animal C) a rainforest D) water Explanation:The correct answer is D. The answer is correct because water is the only non-living resource out of the choices given.
22) Smog is a form of pollution that makes the ___________ harmful to living things.
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A) water B) soil C) air D) trees Explanation:The answer is C. Smog is even more harmful when there are no winds to move it around and break it up. 23) Abiotic factors can be divided into three main categories: geologic, social, and ______.
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A) astronomical B) chemical C) climatic D) organic Explanation:The correct answer is C. It is correct because a main category of abiotic factors is climate, which includes factors such as weather. 24) Air, light, and temperature are examples of ________ factors that make up an ecosystem.
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A) biotic B) chemical C) organic D) abiotic Explanation:The correct answer is D . This answer is correct because air, light, and temperature are nonliving factors that comprise an ecosystem.
25) desert biome except
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All of the following are biotic factors in a
A) plants competing for water. B) number of rabbits. C) competition among organisms for food. D) pH of the soil. Explanation:The answer is D. Biotic factors are living factors in an ecosystem. 26) Which of the following is a biotic factor?
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A) underlying rock type B) average temperature C) number and types of predators D) amount of rainfall Explanation:C is the correct answer. It is correct because biotic factors are living components of an organism's environment, and choices A, B and D are abiotic, or non-living components. 27) Quantity of light and water, temperature, and soil composition are considered what kind of factors?
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A) biotic factors B) systematic factors C) conditional factors
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D) abiotic factors Explanation:D is the correct answer. It is correct because abiotic refers to the non-living parts of an environment, such as water, temperature, soil composition and light. 28) Opuntia grows in dry and well drained sandy soil. What might be the impact of moving the plant to a different soil type?
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A) The amount of water available to the plant might change. B) The amount of carbon dioxide available to the plant might change. C) The amount of light the plant needs to survive might change. D) The temperature required by the plant might change. Explanation:The correct response is A. It is correct because sandy soil has large pore sizes and poor water holding capacity. Change in soil type will change the amount of water held by the soil and thus effect plant growth. 29) The population of short plants is less as compared to tall plants in a forest.Which factor has most likely restricted the growth of the shorter plants?
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A) soil B) water C) sunlight D) fertilizer Explanation:The correct response is C. It is correct because a lack of adequate sunlight is most likely to be responsible for the smaller number of short plants since the taller plants shade them from the sun's rays so that the smaller plants receive less energy for photosynthesis. 30) In a desert ecosystem, all of the following would be considered abiotic factors except ______.
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A) extreme temperatures B) scarcity of water C) cactus with shallow roots D) rocks in the soil Explanation:The correct answer is C. It is correct because a cactus is a living, or biotic factor, while the other choices are non-living, abiotic factors. 31) Which abiotic factor probably affects animal life the least?
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A) plants B) soil C) rocks D) water Explanation:The answer is C. Soil and water have a greater impact on animal life than rocks; plants are biotic. 32) The picture shows biotic and abiotic components of grassland
ecosystem. population of living things in this ecosystem?
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How does the abiotic factor affect the
A) Adequate sunlight increases plant population. B) Decrease in soil nutrients increases plant population. C) Adequate rainfall decreases decomposers population. D) Decrease in water resources increases animal population. Explanation:The correct response is A. It is correct because sunlight is an abiotic factor that determines the type, and the number, of plants in an ecosystem. 33) If a scientist learns that a lake next to a new factory suddenly has a large number of dead fish, which of these ismost likely the problem?
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A) water pollution B) air pollution C) land pollution
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D) sound pollution Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because fish live in water and could be affected if pollution was caused by the factory. 34) Humans have changed Earth in ways that hurt themselves and other organisms by polluting ________.
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A) air B) water C) land D) air, water, and land Explanation:The correct answer is D. Human activities have polluted air, water, and land. 35) Which of the following is NOT an abiotic factor that affects an organism's survival?
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A) light B) water C) rock formations D) dead organisms Explanation:The correct answer is D. Dead organisms were once living and are not considered abiotic. 36) Identify a biotic factor that one would find in a desert?
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A) sunlight B) lack of water C) high temperatures D) a rattlesnake Explanation:D is the correct answer. It is correct because a rattlesnake is a living, or biotic factor, while the other choices are non-living, physical factors. 37) Which of the following is a biotic factor that is part of soil formation?
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A) temperature B) chemical weathering C) decomposed animals D) water Explanation:The correct answer is C. Decomposed animals are biotic factors that are part of soil formation. 38) What type of conservation will result in the greatest reduction in the burning of fossil fuels?
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A) conservation of energy B) conservation of water C) conservation of land D) conservation of air Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because energy conservation is focused on reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned to create power, or energy. 39) What term is used to describe a contaminant that reduces an organism's chance of survival?
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A) adaptation B) solution C) nutrient D) pollutant Explanation:The correct answer is D. It is correct because a pollutant in an ecosystem makes it unclean, which can make it harder for animals to survive in that ecosystem.
40) The picture below shows the grassland ecosystem.
Which labeled part of the image represents an abiotic factor?
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A) 1-butterfly B) 2-grass C) 3-rocks D) 4-snail Explanation:The correct response is C. It is correct because rocks represent an abiotic component of the ecosystem. 41) Which of the following choices provides more land for humans to develop apartments and other buildings, but at the same time damages the ecosystems of marshes and swamps?
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A) burning tropical rainforests B) introducing new species C) planting more trees D) draining wetlands Explanation:The correct answer is D. It is correct because draining wetlands decreases available habitats for plants and animals that are part of that food web. 42) Salmon fish lay eggs upstream in fresh water. The young fish later on swim towards the ocean where they spend most of their life and return back upstream to lay eggs in fresh water. The construction of a dam across the river has caused a decline in the salmon population. What is the reason for decline in salmon population?
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A) The migration of fish is affected. B) The food available to fish is reduced. C) The temperature of the water decreases. D) The fish do not get enough dissolved oxygen. Explanation:The correct response is A. It is correct because fish are not able to migrate which affects their spawning time and leads to a decline in their population. 43) Look at the picture to answer the question.
Which component of the tropical rainforest represents an abiotic factor?
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A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4 Explanation:The correct response is C. It is correct because abiotic factors like temperature, soil type, and precipitation (rainfall) determine the type of plants and animals a particular biome can sustain. 44) Use the table below to answer the question.
Which characteristic of the tropical rainforest is a biotic factor?
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A) rainfall B) soil type C) vegetation D) temperature Explanation:The correct response is C. It is correct because the biotic factors of a tropical rainforest include living components like plants, animals and microorganisms.
45) a forest ecosystem?
Which of the following is an abiotic factor in
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A) Number of Squirrels in the trees B) Amount of carbon dioxide in the air C) Amount of bacteria living in the soil D) Competition between bears and wolves for food Explanation:The answer is B. Abiotic factors are non-living factors in an ecosystem. 46) Phytoplankton are small water organisms that undergo photosynthesis. Increased water pollution will decrease growth of these water plants. What effect will this have on the fresh water ecosystem?
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A) The amount of available light will increase. B) The water temperature will decrease. C) The population of big fish will increase. D) The population of small fish that eat phytoplankton will decline. Explanation:The correct response is D. It is correct because the bigger animals feed on small fish, which depend on phytoplankton for food. A decrease in phytoplankton reduces food available in the ecosystem. 47) Which of the following is an abiotic factor affecting organisms in an ecosystem?
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A) availability of drinking water B) availability of food C) numer and types of predators D) number and types of parasites Explanation:A is the correct answer. It is correct because the availability of water is an abiotic factor, while the others listed are biotic. 48) Rain water sweeps fertilizers used in farms to a near by pond. What will be the long term effect of this on the ecosystem of the pond?
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A) The number of fish will decrease. B) New species of fish will evolve. C) New species of plants will evolve. D) The number of aquatic plants will decrease. Explanation:The correct response is A. It is correct because fertilizers increase nutrients in the water which results in increased growth of plants leading to a decrease in availability of oxygen in the water causing a reduction in the number of fishes in the pond. 49) Areas with high rainfall (greater than 30 inches per year) provide enough moisture to support both grasses and forests, yet these regions tend to be forests rather than grasslands. What other abiotic factor accounts for this?
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A) There is too little light for grasses because of shade from the trees. B) The salinity of the water in these areas is too high to support grasses. C) The temperature is just right for trees but too high for grasses. D) The winds are too high for grasses to survive. Explanation:The correct response is A. Because trees can survive in areas with high rainfall, grasses do not receive enought light to survive. 50) A species of rodent eats only one type of plant. If a disease wipes out this plant, which of the following is most likely to happen to this rodent?
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A) Its numbers will not be affected because it will learn to eat a different type of plant. B) Its numbers will decline drastically due to lack of food. C) Its numbers will dramatically increase. D) The rodents will become predators. Explanation:The correct answer is B. It is correct because this species of rodent will decrease due to their only food source being eliminated. 51) Choose the best answer. The cutting down of the rainforests can affect coral reefs by _________________________.
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A) forcing animals from the rainforests to live in the coral reefs B) providing space for homes so more people can move in and fish the oceans C) causing people to use the resources of the coral reefs instead of the rainforest D) washing forest soil out to the reefs and killing animals
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Explanation:The correct answer is D. The destruction of the rainforest causes forest soil to wash out into the coral reefs and kill the animals there. 52) Which of the following is an example of a biotic resource?
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A) water in a river B) trees in the forest C) oxygen in the air D) minerals in the soil Explanation:The correct answer is B. Trees are biotic resources; water, oxygen, and minerals are all abiotic resources. 53) Biotic factors that affect the health of an ecosystem include ______________.
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A) non-living and living things B) non-living things only C) living and dead organisms only D) neither living nor non-living things Explanation:The correct answer is C. Living and dead organisms are biotic factors. 54) A student has collected a dandelion, an ant, a mushroom, and a worm as part of an assignment to find five differentbiotic factors in the schoolyard. Which of the following will complete the assignment?
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A) a leaf B) some sand C) some water from a puddle D) a small rock Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because the leaf was part of a living thing. 55) Which choice is not an abiotic factor of the Arctic region?
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A) snow B) ice C) polar bears D) cold temperatures Explanation:C is the correct answer. It is correct because a polar bear is a living component of the Arctic region, which is a biotic, not abiotic, factor. 56) In biology, atmospheric gases, wind, and oxygen are considered what kind of factors?
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A) abiotic factors B) biotic factors C) chemical factors D) non-renewable factors Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because atmospheric gases, wind, and oxygen are all considered abiotic, or non-living, factors. 57) An ecosystem can be changed by many different factors. Which of the following is an abiotic factor that would cause an ecosystem to change?
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A) lightening that causes a fire B) bacteria that causes disease C) decomposers that cause decay D) new species that cause competition Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because both lightening and fire are nonliving, or abiotic factors, that can cause changes in an ecosystem. 58) A biotic factor in soil would be _______________.
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A) water B) air C) bacteria D) rock pieces Explanation:The correct answer is C. Bacteria are biotic because they are living things. 59) What are considered biotic factors?
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A) temperature and sunlight B) oxygen and carbon dioxide
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C) plants and animals D) wind and water Explanation:C is the correct answer. It is correct because biotic factors are living components of an organism's environment. 60) Which of the following is an abiotic factor?
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A) fungus B) bacteria C) protist D) rainfall Explanation:The correct answer is D. The correct answer is D because rainfall is the only non-living factor in the list. 61) Which answer below lists abiotic factors found in a desert?
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A) cactus, sand, snake B) snake, lizard, hawk C) sand, rock, air D) air, sunlight, cactus Explanation:The correct answer is C. The correct answer is C because abiotic factors are nonliving factors of the environment. 62) What will happen if a chemical pollutant is continually being dumped into a habitat?
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A) The habitat will be destroyed. B) The habitat will eliminate the pollutant. C) The habitat will break down the pollutant into harmless substances. D) The habitat will survive because it will adapt to the presence of the pollutant. Explanation:The correct answer is A. It is correct because things that are harmful to a habitat will destroy it. 63) One way to reduce waste at home is by putting materials like leaves, grass clippings, raw kitchen scraps, and coffee grounds in a pile outdoors. Bacteria, fungi, earthworms, ants, and other organisms slowly break down the materials. The result is a rich fertilizer. This method of reducing waste is called _________________.
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A) garbage banking B) recycling C) composting D) rototilling Explanation:The correct answer is C. Composting is when yard and kitchen garbage are allowed to break down naturally into usable fertilizer. 64) Which of the following would be considered a pollutant in a pond ecosystem?
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A) the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water B) green algae growing on top of the pond C) chemical pesticides from a nearby field D) carbon dioxide dissolved in the water Explanation:The correct answer is C. It is correct because chemical run-off from pesticides can harm organisms living in a pond. 65) When industries use water from nearby lakes or rivers in their cooling systems, the water is circulated around engine parts and absorbs heat. When the water is returned to the lake or river, aquatic organisms may be harmed because the water contains:
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A) higher levels of dissolved oxygen. B) lower levels of dissolved oxygen. C) large amounts of radioactive waste. D) large amounts of harmful carbon monoxide. Explanation:The correct answer is B. This answer is correct because when water is returned warmer than its original temperature, an unnatural warm area occurs resulting in decreased oxygen levels and large numbers of fish dying. 66) What is the most harmful kind of pollution which all cars and trucks produce?
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A) water B) air
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C) sound D) land Explanation:The correct answer is B. It is correct because the exhaust gases that vehicles produce is a form of air pollution. 67) If a person throws trash out of the window as they are driving down the highway, which form of pollution are they creating?
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A) water B) sound C) air D) land Explanation:The correct answer is D. It is correct because trash, or litter, on the side of a highway is one form of land pollution. 68) During the 1940's DDT was introduced as a poison to kill insects. This change in the environment resulted in ______.
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A) increasing the number of organisms that could survive. B) decreasing only the number of insects. C) decreasing the number of organisms that could survive. D) increasing the number of organisms immune to DDT. Explanation:The correct answer is C. It is correct because the use of DDT killed not only insects, but negatively affected the survival of a number of organisms, including birds.
69)
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What is the most likely reason the wooly mammoth became extinct?
A) It lived near active volcanoes. B) It did not survive massive floods. C) Its animal predators wiped it out. D) It was overly hunted by humans. Explanation:The correct answer is D. Wooly mammoths were most likely hunted to extinction by early humans for their meat and fur. 70) Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the dangers of releasing raw sewage and excess fertilizers into surface waters such as a pond?
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A) The pollutants provide extra food and cause animal populations to grow quickly. B) The pollutants can build up in the tissues of fish and harm those who eat them. C) Fish and other organisms die from a lack of food and oxygen. D) The pollutants contain large amounts of nitrogen which causes algae to grow quickly. Explanation:The correct answer is A. Pollutants kill off food sources and pollute existing ones.
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