APES UNIT 9 EXAM WITH 100%
CORRECT SOLUTIONS
Identify a specific human health consequence of exposure to UV-B and UV-C radiation
and Describe how stratospheric ozone protects humans from these forms of radiation -
ANS-DNA mutation, skin cancer, cataracts | stratospheric ozone absorbs energy from
UV-B and UV-C radiation, breaking down into O2 and a free oxygen atom
Describe the purpose of the Montreal Protocol - ANS-To transition from CFC use to
HCFC use in order to preserve the stratospheric ozone layer
Identify the two environmental benefits of transitioning from CFCs to HFOs - ANS-less
depletion of stratospheric ozone and less contribution to global warming
Explain how melting polar ice generates a positive feedback loop that causes more
warming - ANS-melting of polar ice decreases the amount of sunlight reflected from
polar regions and exposes more dark/low albedo ocean water beneath it, which absorbs
more sunlight, causing more polar warming and melting of more ice
Identify TWO ecological consequences of rising sea level in coastal regions - ANS-
flooding or loss of barrier islands leading to coastal erosion, increase in salinity of
estuary or low-lying freshwater coastal wetlands, decreased photosynthesis in coral reef
ecosystems, flooding of estuary ecosystem causing loss of habitat/breeding grounds
Explain how melting of polar ice sheets can disrupt thermohaline circulation - ANS-
melting of polar ice contributes cold, freshwater to the ocean, which remains at the
surface because freshwater is less dense than saltwater. This cold, freshwater mass
doesn't sink and contribute to surface-deep ocean water mixing and can prevent
warmer surface water currents such as the Gulf Stream from moving poleward
Explain how atmospheric circulation in the Hadley Cell has been altered by climate
change - ANS-Hadley Cell circulation has expanded further out from the
equator/poleward due to the decrease in difference between tropical and polar
temperature
Describe how climate change has destabilized the polar jet stream - ANS-the decrease
in temperature/pressure difference between subtropical and polar regions has
weakened the path of the jet stream, causing greater variability/fluctuation in it's
latitudinal position
, Describe one way that ocean warming has caused migration of marine organisms -
ANS-since warmer waters hold less dissolved oxygen, many species of fish have
migrated deeper/poleward to colder waters with more dissolved oxygen
Describe how ocean warming has disrupted reproduction of marine organisms - ANS-
some sea turtle species have lost coastal hatching grounds as ocean warming causes
sea level to rise, some sea turtle species have experienced skewed sex-ratios because
hatchling gender is temperature dependent in these species
Describe the mutualistic relationship between coral and algae - ANS-coral provide
organic matter/nutrients/CO2to the algae and the algae provide sugars which the coral
use for energy
Explain the process of coral bleaching - ANS-as ocean temperatures rise above the
range of tolerance for the algae living in the reef, they leave/are expelled from the reef,
causing the reef to lose its color and placing the coral in a stressed state due to loss of
the sugar (energy) algae were providing
identify the main cause for ocean acidification - ANS-an increase in atmospheric CO2
concentration
Write out the chemical equation that demonstrates the formation of carbonic acid in the
ocean - ANS-CO2 + H2O → H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
Write out the chemical expression that demonstrates how the formation of carbonic acid
in the ocean increases the concentration of H+ ions in ocean water - ANS-H2CO3 →
H+ + HCO3- (bicarbonate ion)
Explain how ocean acidification impacts shell-building or exoskeleton-building marine
organisms - ANS-ocean acidification causes a decrease in the availability of free
carbonate ions in ocean water, which makes it more difficult for organisms to
build/maintain calcium carbonate shells/exoskeletons
Identify the relationship between oceanic CO2 concentration and ocean pH - ANS-
inverse relationship - as oceanic CO2 concentration increases, ocean pH decreases
Describe what a lower pH value indicates about the acidity and ion concentration of a
solution - ANS-the lower the pH of a solution, the more acidic it is and the greater the
concentration of H+ ions
Describe how an invasive species is defined - ANS-a species that can survive outside of
its native habitat and threatens/outcompetes native species
Identify TWO characteristics that make a species more likely to become invasive - ANS-
Diverse habitat/food adaptability or ability to utilize wide range of food/habitat resources
CORRECT SOLUTIONS
Identify a specific human health consequence of exposure to UV-B and UV-C radiation
and Describe how stratospheric ozone protects humans from these forms of radiation -
ANS-DNA mutation, skin cancer, cataracts | stratospheric ozone absorbs energy from
UV-B and UV-C radiation, breaking down into O2 and a free oxygen atom
Describe the purpose of the Montreal Protocol - ANS-To transition from CFC use to
HCFC use in order to preserve the stratospheric ozone layer
Identify the two environmental benefits of transitioning from CFCs to HFOs - ANS-less
depletion of stratospheric ozone and less contribution to global warming
Explain how melting polar ice generates a positive feedback loop that causes more
warming - ANS-melting of polar ice decreases the amount of sunlight reflected from
polar regions and exposes more dark/low albedo ocean water beneath it, which absorbs
more sunlight, causing more polar warming and melting of more ice
Identify TWO ecological consequences of rising sea level in coastal regions - ANS-
flooding or loss of barrier islands leading to coastal erosion, increase in salinity of
estuary or low-lying freshwater coastal wetlands, decreased photosynthesis in coral reef
ecosystems, flooding of estuary ecosystem causing loss of habitat/breeding grounds
Explain how melting of polar ice sheets can disrupt thermohaline circulation - ANS-
melting of polar ice contributes cold, freshwater to the ocean, which remains at the
surface because freshwater is less dense than saltwater. This cold, freshwater mass
doesn't sink and contribute to surface-deep ocean water mixing and can prevent
warmer surface water currents such as the Gulf Stream from moving poleward
Explain how atmospheric circulation in the Hadley Cell has been altered by climate
change - ANS-Hadley Cell circulation has expanded further out from the
equator/poleward due to the decrease in difference between tropical and polar
temperature
Describe how climate change has destabilized the polar jet stream - ANS-the decrease
in temperature/pressure difference between subtropical and polar regions has
weakened the path of the jet stream, causing greater variability/fluctuation in it's
latitudinal position
, Describe one way that ocean warming has caused migration of marine organisms -
ANS-since warmer waters hold less dissolved oxygen, many species of fish have
migrated deeper/poleward to colder waters with more dissolved oxygen
Describe how ocean warming has disrupted reproduction of marine organisms - ANS-
some sea turtle species have lost coastal hatching grounds as ocean warming causes
sea level to rise, some sea turtle species have experienced skewed sex-ratios because
hatchling gender is temperature dependent in these species
Describe the mutualistic relationship between coral and algae - ANS-coral provide
organic matter/nutrients/CO2to the algae and the algae provide sugars which the coral
use for energy
Explain the process of coral bleaching - ANS-as ocean temperatures rise above the
range of tolerance for the algae living in the reef, they leave/are expelled from the reef,
causing the reef to lose its color and placing the coral in a stressed state due to loss of
the sugar (energy) algae were providing
identify the main cause for ocean acidification - ANS-an increase in atmospheric CO2
concentration
Write out the chemical equation that demonstrates the formation of carbonic acid in the
ocean - ANS-CO2 + H2O → H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
Write out the chemical expression that demonstrates how the formation of carbonic acid
in the ocean increases the concentration of H+ ions in ocean water - ANS-H2CO3 →
H+ + HCO3- (bicarbonate ion)
Explain how ocean acidification impacts shell-building or exoskeleton-building marine
organisms - ANS-ocean acidification causes a decrease in the availability of free
carbonate ions in ocean water, which makes it more difficult for organisms to
build/maintain calcium carbonate shells/exoskeletons
Identify the relationship between oceanic CO2 concentration and ocean pH - ANS-
inverse relationship - as oceanic CO2 concentration increases, ocean pH decreases
Describe what a lower pH value indicates about the acidity and ion concentration of a
solution - ANS-the lower the pH of a solution, the more acidic it is and the greater the
concentration of H+ ions
Describe how an invasive species is defined - ANS-a species that can survive outside of
its native habitat and threatens/outcompetes native species
Identify TWO characteristics that make a species more likely to become invasive - ANS-
Diverse habitat/food adaptability or ability to utilize wide range of food/habitat resources
