Name: 
 

2002 National Environmental & Natural Resources Test



Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 

What is Ecology?
a.
A complex network of living and nonliving organisms
b.
the branch of science dealing with the complex relationships on nonliving organisms
c.
the branch of science dealing with the complex relationships among living things and their environment
d.
the branch of science dealing only with natural resources
 

 2. 

Ecosystems are...
a.
complex relationships among living things and their environment
b.
complex relationships among nonliving organisms
c.
natural resources
d.
complex networks of living and non living organisms in which each organism ,ay be affected by the others
 

 3. 

Renewable resources are...
a.
any material that provides energy
c.
replaceable
b.
irreplaceable
d.
no natural resources
 

 4. 

What was the first governmental agency to enforce federal policy concerning water quality and pollution?
a.
Army corps and Engineers
c.
department of the interior
b.
environmental protection agency
d.
department of agriculture
 

 5. 

Which pollutant reduces the rate of growth in plants?
a.
ozone
c.
sulfur dioxide
b.
carbon monoxide
d.
nitrogen dioxide
 

 6. 

The safe drinking water act specified and identified _____ potential drinking water contaminants.
a.
20
b.
23
c.
30
d.
33
 

 7. 

The environmental agency or EPA was formed in what year?
a.
1960
b.
1965
c.
1970
d.
1975
 

 8. 

All municipalities must have at least which phase of water treatment implemented to meet federal regulations?
a.
primary
b.
secondary
c.
tertiary
d.
slurry
 

 9. 

Acid ain is most harmful in which sphere of the hydrological cycle?
a.
atmosphere
b.
hydrosphere
c.
biosphere
d.
lithosphere
 

 10. 

The secondary treatment system removes at least ___(%) percent of organic waste found.
a.
50
b.
70
c.
90
d.
100
 

 11. 

What is the leading cause of euthrophication?
a.
accumulation of salts in irrigated lands
b.
wind erosion
c.
fertilizer runoff
d.
use of heavy metals in soils
 

 12. 

Which federal provision established the labeling requirement on al household products containing hazardous ingredients?
a.
clean water act
b.
hazardous substances act
c.
federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodentcide act
d.
federal food, drug, and cosmetic act
 

 13. 

What percentage of Americans receive water from public water systems?
a.
65%
b.
75%
c.
85%
d.
95%
 

 14. 

Soil erosion is...
a.
the movement of plants and trees under the influence of water, wind, ice, or gravity
b.
the movement of water particles under the influence of water, wind, ice, or gravity
c.
the movement of soil particles under the influence of water, wind, ice, or gravity
d.
when people disturb the environment
 

 15. 

The type of erosion can be responsible for up to 95% of soil loss due to erosion.
a.
splash erosion
c.
gully erosion
b.
sheet erosion
d.
wind erosion
 

 16. 

If a soil is stabilized it is
a.
acted on by geological soil erosion and man-made soil erosion
b.
never moving under any circumstances
c.
under the influence of construction of a new highway
d.
acted on only by geological soil erosion
 

 17. 

What is the purpose of using impermeable clays in constructing landfills?
a.
impermeable clays do not settle as much as other clays
b.
to prevent leaching of household chemicals into groundwater
c.
impermeable clays are more conductive to plant growth
d.
impermeable clays are easier to find than other types of clays
 

 18. 

Humans are apart of ecosystems because they...
a.
work in the environment
b.
are associated with al parts and functions of the environment
c.
consume plants and animals, and can damage or improve an ecosystem
d.
feel it is a citizen’s duty
 

 19. 

Which sphere contains all of the plants and animal life on earth’s surface?
a.
hydrosphere
b.
atmosphere
c.
biosphere
d.
lithosphere
 

 20. 

Which gas is considered to be a natural containment of groundwater?
a.
helium
b.
propane
c.
methane
d.
hydrogen
 

 21. 

The most frequent occurrences of acid rain in the United States falls in the ______ parts of the Midwest.
a.
northwestern, western
c.
southeastern, eastern
b.
southwestern, western
d.
northeastern, eastern
 

 22. 

Groundwater possesses its own taste, odor, and color, which is created by dissolved...
a.
acids
b.
salts
c.
minerals
d.
bacteria
 

 23. 

The hydrologic cycle receives its energy from...
a.
shifts in ocean tides
c.
carbon dioxide
b.
the moon
d.
the sun
 

 24. 

There are ___ different classifications of water.
a.
6
b.
7
c.
8
d.
9
 

 25. 

The natural process of plants releasing water into the atmosphere is called
a.
evaporation
b.
transpiration
c.
condensation
d.
respiration
 

 26. 

Eighty-five percent of the irrigated land in the United States is located in ___ states
a.
12
b.
14
c.
15
d.
17
 

 27. 

Which of the following toxic substances is not dissolve or suspend in water?
a.
heavy metals
c.
oil
b.
gasoline
d.
antifreeze
 

 28. 

How many gallons does it take to flood one acre, a foot deep (million acre-feet)?
a.
320,828
b.
325,828
c.
328,828
d.
330,828
 

 29. 

The largest consumer of water used in agricultural practice is ___________
a.
a hulking ingredient
c.
stock tanks
b.
a irrigation
d.
food processing
 

 30. 

What percentage of the human body is made up of water?
a.
30%
b.
65%
c.
75%
d.
90%
 

 31. 

The average American uses _____ gallons of water per day.
a.
50
b.
90
c.
100
d.
200
 

 32. 

Which of the following is a land-use problem associated with flooding?
a.
destruction of trees that would have supplied lumber
b.
causing large masses of snow  to cover houses, and bury people alive
c.
causing major water shortage for farm, industrial, and domestic water consumers
d.
causing large sand deposits over highways and fields
 

 33. 

Most of the botulism cases reported in the United States are created by
a.
commercial canned fruits and vegetables
b.
home preserved fruits and vegetables
c.
commercial canned meats
d.
commercial cooked food items
 

 34. 

Soap and water can be used to kill insects in the _______ stage
a.
egg
b.
pupae
c.
larvae
d.
adult
 

 35. 

Which of the following is an example of alternative land use?
a.
using a field for horticultural production that was previously used as a wildlife refuge
b.
draining a wetland so that a shopping center may be built in its place
c.
converting a river bottom to a wetland for endangered water fowl that has been used for crop production several years
d.
all of these are correct
 

 36. 

Which of the following is an accurate example of land-use planning?
a.
determining how much profit can be derived from clear cutting a forest
b.
evaluating the land, determining possible uses that will not damage the land, and developing a land-use plan suitable for that land
c.
drawing blue prints for constructing an apartment complex
d.
sampling the soil to determine how much coal can be mined from the land
 

 37. 

Which of the following is a goal of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)?
a.
to eliminate all erosion
b.
to protect long-term capability of land to produce food and fiber
c.
to regulate all use of agricultural land
d.
to protect naturally occurring wetlands from all use
 

 38. 

Which of the following is considered a mechanical erosion control?
a.
terracing
c.
cover crops
b.
strip cropping
d.
shelter belts
 

 39. 

Which of the following is considered a vegetative erosion control?
a.
conservation tillage
c.
crop rotation
b.
contour farming
d.
diversion ditches or berms
 

 40. 

Two results of decomposition in a sanitary landfill are...
a.
methane and leachate
c.
photosynthesis and leachate
b.
earthworms and humus
d.
oxygen and helium
 

 41. 

Which action will not directly contaminate groundwater?
a.
runoff from yards and gardens
b.
incineration of domestic waste
c.
roadside dumping of large appliances
d.
pouring used motor oil into a storm sewer
 

 42. 

Which of the following is not an example of point source pollution?
a.
a downstream fish kill
c.
accidental manure spill
b.
an above ground tank leak
d.
a lagoon overflow
 

 43. 

The main federal agencies that establish agricultural guidelines for water quality are...
a.
Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency
b.
Department of Commerce and the soil Conversation Corps
c.
Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers
d.
National Farmers’ Organization and the Nature Conservancy
 

 44. 

Most of the solid waste in the municipal waste stream comes from....
a.
paper
b.
plastic
c.
yards
d.
aluminum
 

 45. 

Which of the following is not a characteristic of wetlands?
a.
sometimes covered in water
c.
sometimes naturally occurring
b.
dry year round
d.
sometimes completely saturated
 

 46. 

If the world population is now 5.2 billion and the growth rate is 1.8%, what is the increase in population for the next year?
a.
2 billion increase
b.
0.32 billion increase
c.
0.1 billion increase
d.
the population increase cannot be determined given this information
 

 47. 

Which of the following are leading groundwater contaminates?
a.
sewage and waste
c.
car exhaust and oil spills
b.
nitrates and pesticides
d.
cattle and hog waste
 

 48. 

Which of these agricultural practices has made it possible to meet the world food demands?
a.
the creation of wetlands
b.
deforestation to make room for cultivation
c.
use of fertilizer and improved genetics
d.
food production demand has actually decreased in the last 20 years
 

 49. 

Which of the following are examples of herbivores?
a.
humans, chickens, bears, and hogs
b.
horses, cattle, deer, and sheep
c.
coyotes, dogs, bobcats, and owls
d.
llamas, cats, dogs, and wolverines
 



 
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