APES Practice Questions with Verified Answers
(a) A period of precipitation is one of the short-term of soil eroding from the fields. They hire an environmental
conditions in the atmosphere referred to as weather. consulting company to perform a study to determine if this
(i) Identify the layer of Earth's atmosphere where the is true. The company marks out two one-hectare plots at
circulation and mixing of liquids and gases produce point B and point C in the diagram. The characteristics of
weather. - ANSWER -i) The troposphere is the layer the land in both plots are identical except that plot BB is
of Earth's atmosphere where the circulation and mixing of covered by agricultural fields and plot C is covered by
liquids and gases happens. The troposphere is the lowest undisturbed forest. Rain gauges are set up at the up-slope
layer of our atmosphere where our weather mainly occurs edge of the plots, and devices that collect eroded soil are
in. set up along the down-slope edge of the plots. The
environmental consultants hypothesize that more soil will
be eroded from plot BB than from plot C.
(ii) An area receives significantly less precipitation over a
period of time than it typically does. Describe one Data are collected at the rain gauges and soil-collection
negative environmental effect in the area as a result of the devices at the end of each month for a year.
decrease in precipitation. (i) Identify the dependent variable in the study. -
BoldItalicUnderline - ANSWER -ii) Drought is one ANSWER -the amount of soil collected in devices is
negative environmental effect in a given area as a result the dependent variable in the study.
of the decrease in precipitation. The extent of the drought
will vary in relation to how much lesser precipitation an
area receive. Drought happens when the soil in an area (ii) Describe how plot C serves as the control in the study.
becomes dry which is associated with the lack of - ANSWER -plot C serves as the control in the study
precipitation. by being an undisturbed forest.
(b) The model below represents a watershed in a (iii) Both plots received a total of 116cm of rainfall by the
mountainous area. end of the year as measured by the rain gauges. By the
(i) Describe how the geology in a watershed affects the end of the year, a total of 200kg of soil was collected from
groundwater recharge. the plot BB soil-collection devices and a total of 200kg of
BoldItalicUnderline - ANSWER -The geology in a soil was collected from the plot C devices. Describe a
watershed affects the groundwater recharge by increasing practice or agricultural method that could have been used
or decreasing the amount of water being filtered in the at plot B to obtain these results. - ANSWER -contour
aquifer. The watershed could either be blocked by plowing is a practice/agricultural method that could have
something or not which could make it easier to discharge been used at plot B to obtain these results as it plows the
the excess water. land to prevent soil erosion allowing more to be collected.
(ii) The lake at point A in the diagram is one of the primary (iv) The results of the study could be altered if there were
points of recharge for the aquifer. Assuming the maximum changes to the land surface in the area of plot B and plot
rate of recharge is occurring in the aquifer, identify the C. Identify and describe one characteristic of the land
particle type that would most likely make up the majority surface in the plots that could be altered to decrease the
of the soil. - ANSWER -The particle type that would amount of erosion in both plots. - ANSWER -soil
most likely make up the majority of the soil is sand. density is one characteristic of the land surface in the plots
that could be altered to decrease the amount of erosion in
both plots. A high density soil is correlated to a decrease
(iii) Describe one characteristic of soil that would allow for in erosion which prevents water in moving the soil.
the maximum rate of recharge of the aquifer.
BoldItalicUnderline - ANSWER -Sandy soils where
they have high permeability, resulting in high infiltration el nino and la nina unit down - ANSWER -
rates and drainage is one characteristic of soil that would
allow for the maximum rate of recharge of the aquifer.
(iii) Describe one environmental effect resulting from the
conditions represented in the model that could have a
(c) Local officials are concerned that agricultural fields at negative effect on humans in western South America. -
site BB are increasing sedimentation in the river because ANSWER -iii) One environmental effect resulting
1/2
(a) A period of precipitation is one of the short-term of soil eroding from the fields. They hire an environmental
conditions in the atmosphere referred to as weather. consulting company to perform a study to determine if this
(i) Identify the layer of Earth's atmosphere where the is true. The company marks out two one-hectare plots at
circulation and mixing of liquids and gases produce point B and point C in the diagram. The characteristics of
weather. - ANSWER -i) The troposphere is the layer the land in both plots are identical except that plot BB is
of Earth's atmosphere where the circulation and mixing of covered by agricultural fields and plot C is covered by
liquids and gases happens. The troposphere is the lowest undisturbed forest. Rain gauges are set up at the up-slope
layer of our atmosphere where our weather mainly occurs edge of the plots, and devices that collect eroded soil are
in. set up along the down-slope edge of the plots. The
environmental consultants hypothesize that more soil will
be eroded from plot BB than from plot C.
(ii) An area receives significantly less precipitation over a
period of time than it typically does. Describe one Data are collected at the rain gauges and soil-collection
negative environmental effect in the area as a result of the devices at the end of each month for a year.
decrease in precipitation. (i) Identify the dependent variable in the study. -
BoldItalicUnderline - ANSWER -ii) Drought is one ANSWER -the amount of soil collected in devices is
negative environmental effect in a given area as a result the dependent variable in the study.
of the decrease in precipitation. The extent of the drought
will vary in relation to how much lesser precipitation an
area receive. Drought happens when the soil in an area (ii) Describe how plot C serves as the control in the study.
becomes dry which is associated with the lack of - ANSWER -plot C serves as the control in the study
precipitation. by being an undisturbed forest.
(b) The model below represents a watershed in a (iii) Both plots received a total of 116cm of rainfall by the
mountainous area. end of the year as measured by the rain gauges. By the
(i) Describe how the geology in a watershed affects the end of the year, a total of 200kg of soil was collected from
groundwater recharge. the plot BB soil-collection devices and a total of 200kg of
BoldItalicUnderline - ANSWER -The geology in a soil was collected from the plot C devices. Describe a
watershed affects the groundwater recharge by increasing practice or agricultural method that could have been used
or decreasing the amount of water being filtered in the at plot B to obtain these results. - ANSWER -contour
aquifer. The watershed could either be blocked by plowing is a practice/agricultural method that could have
something or not which could make it easier to discharge been used at plot B to obtain these results as it plows the
the excess water. land to prevent soil erosion allowing more to be collected.
(ii) The lake at point A in the diagram is one of the primary (iv) The results of the study could be altered if there were
points of recharge for the aquifer. Assuming the maximum changes to the land surface in the area of plot B and plot
rate of recharge is occurring in the aquifer, identify the C. Identify and describe one characteristic of the land
particle type that would most likely make up the majority surface in the plots that could be altered to decrease the
of the soil. - ANSWER -The particle type that would amount of erosion in both plots. - ANSWER -soil
most likely make up the majority of the soil is sand. density is one characteristic of the land surface in the plots
that could be altered to decrease the amount of erosion in
both plots. A high density soil is correlated to a decrease
(iii) Describe one characteristic of soil that would allow for in erosion which prevents water in moving the soil.
the maximum rate of recharge of the aquifer.
BoldItalicUnderline - ANSWER -Sandy soils where
they have high permeability, resulting in high infiltration el nino and la nina unit down - ANSWER -
rates and drainage is one characteristic of soil that would
allow for the maximum rate of recharge of the aquifer.
(iii) Describe one environmental effect resulting from the
conditions represented in the model that could have a
(c) Local officials are concerned that agricultural fields at negative effect on humans in western South America. -
site BB are increasing sedimentation in the river because ANSWER -iii) One environmental effect resulting
1/2
