EVR 2001: MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Sample Questions - Answers :Enjoy!
Ecological hot spots have high _______.
A. species diversity
B. geographic range
C. thermal tolerance
D. temperatures
E. species extinctions - Answers :A. species diversity
True or false: A majority of Earth's tundra ecosystems are located in the Southern
Hemisphere. - Answers :False
Lecture #1 - Answers :Chapters 1‐2
What is science, and how does the scientific method work? - Answers :is a body of
knowledge and a method of acquiring further knowledge about the world around us.
the goal is to develop an even more accurate factual understanding of the universe.
Theory: - Answers :best possible explanation for a nature phenomena that we currently
have.
Falsifiability - Answers :In order to prove something as the most accurate it must be
able to be proven wrong
What is environmental science? - Answers :is *interdisciplinary*!
- Physical sciences
- Life sciences
- Social sciences
- Sometimes even the humanities
environmental science - Answers :is a science of connections and interactions between
and across scales
from subatomic particles to the solar system
These interactions produce emergent properties
, emergent properties - Answers :patterns or structors that seems to appear in more
complex organisms but not appear to have meaning.
cross-scalar interactions - Answers :Example: The removal of wolves from some
ecosystems has resulted in dramatic declines in tree species like aspen, even though
wolves don't eat or otherwise use aspen
Scales in environmental science - Answers :spatial, temporal, taxonomic
Spatial - Answers :in space (like the solar system)
Temporal - Answers :Time!
Taxonomic - Answers :Traditional taxonomy from most general to specific:
- Domain (e.g. Eukaryota)
- Kingdom (e.g. Animalia)
- Phylum (e.g. Chordata)
- Class (e.g. Mammalia)
- Order (e.g. Primates)
- Family (e.g. Hominidae)
- Genus (e.g. Homo)
- Species (e.g. H. sapiens)
taxonomy acronym - Answers :D. K. P. C. O. F. G. S.
What do environmental scientists study? (EVERYTHING) - Answers :an
*interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences
(including physics, chemistry, biology, soil science, geology, climatology, and
geography) to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental
problems.*
What do environmental scientists do in practice? - Answers :field work, lab work,
reading academic literature, modeling work, data entry, data analysis, writing academic
papers and presenting at conferences
Major environmental issues and why they are important - Answers :1. BiodiversityLoss
- Species are going extinct at rapid rates because of overhunting and habitat destruction
2. Habitat Conversion and Degradation
3. Loss of ecosystem services
4. Soil degradation
5. Pollution
ANSWERS
Sample Questions - Answers :Enjoy!
Ecological hot spots have high _______.
A. species diversity
B. geographic range
C. thermal tolerance
D. temperatures
E. species extinctions - Answers :A. species diversity
True or false: A majority of Earth's tundra ecosystems are located in the Southern
Hemisphere. - Answers :False
Lecture #1 - Answers :Chapters 1‐2
What is science, and how does the scientific method work? - Answers :is a body of
knowledge and a method of acquiring further knowledge about the world around us.
the goal is to develop an even more accurate factual understanding of the universe.
Theory: - Answers :best possible explanation for a nature phenomena that we currently
have.
Falsifiability - Answers :In order to prove something as the most accurate it must be
able to be proven wrong
What is environmental science? - Answers :is *interdisciplinary*!
- Physical sciences
- Life sciences
- Social sciences
- Sometimes even the humanities
environmental science - Answers :is a science of connections and interactions between
and across scales
from subatomic particles to the solar system
These interactions produce emergent properties
, emergent properties - Answers :patterns or structors that seems to appear in more
complex organisms but not appear to have meaning.
cross-scalar interactions - Answers :Example: The removal of wolves from some
ecosystems has resulted in dramatic declines in tree species like aspen, even though
wolves don't eat or otherwise use aspen
Scales in environmental science - Answers :spatial, temporal, taxonomic
Spatial - Answers :in space (like the solar system)
Temporal - Answers :Time!
Taxonomic - Answers :Traditional taxonomy from most general to specific:
- Domain (e.g. Eukaryota)
- Kingdom (e.g. Animalia)
- Phylum (e.g. Chordata)
- Class (e.g. Mammalia)
- Order (e.g. Primates)
- Family (e.g. Hominidae)
- Genus (e.g. Homo)
- Species (e.g. H. sapiens)
taxonomy acronym - Answers :D. K. P. C. O. F. G. S.
What do environmental scientists study? (EVERYTHING) - Answers :an
*interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences
(including physics, chemistry, biology, soil science, geology, climatology, and
geography) to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental
problems.*
What do environmental scientists do in practice? - Answers :field work, lab work,
reading academic literature, modeling work, data entry, data analysis, writing academic
papers and presenting at conferences
Major environmental issues and why they are important - Answers :1. BiodiversityLoss
- Species are going extinct at rapid rates because of overhunting and habitat destruction
2. Habitat Conversion and Degradation
3. Loss of ecosystem services
4. Soil degradation
5. Pollution
