EVR 2001 UF Exam 1 Complete Latest
Actual set with Questions and
correct/verified Answers
What is science? - ANSWER-Science- body of knowledge and method of acquiring further knowledge
about the world around us
What are the major branches of science? - ANSWER-Natural sciences:
--Physical- study of inanimate objects and processes (ex: physics, chemistry, astronomy, etc)
--Life (aka bio)- study of living organism and processes (ex: bio, biochem, ecology
Social sciences- study of human behavior and society (ex: anthropology, econ, psych)
Humanities- study of language, arts, philosophy, politics, religion, and human culture
How does the scientific method work? - ANSWER-
What, specifically, is environmental science? - ANSWER-Interdisciplinary academic field that integrates
physical and biological sciences to study the environment
What does "interdisciplinarity" mean? - ANSWER-related to more than one branch of knowledge
Know the importance and range of scales in environmental science - spatial, temporal, taxonomic,
including cascading interactions - ANSWER-
What do environmental scientists study? - ANSWER-Combined with social science disciplines such as
politics, ethics and economics, environmental scientists assess causes of environmental problems and
develop physically and biologically possible, economically feasible, and culturally appropriate solutions
to these problems.
What do environmental scientists do in practice? - ANSWER-read academic literature
field work
lab work
modeling work
data entry
data analysis
writing academic papers
presenting at conferences
conducting applied work
organizing events
, Know the major environmental issues and why they are important - ANSWER-Habitat conversion, land
degradation, water and air pollution, solid waste accumulation, climate change, overharvesting, loss of
ecosystem services (ex: pollination), poverty, starvation, and inequality
What does I=PAT mean? - ANSWER-The environmental Impact of society is correlated to the size of its
Population, Affluence, and Technological development
What is sustainable development? - ANSWER-Development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Understand the implications of the second law of thermodynamics - ANSWER-With each conversion of
energy, energy loses some ability to do useful work
Ex: fridge is cold on the inside, but heats up the kitchen
Entropy- a measure of lost ability of energy to do useful work following conversion
What is in earth's energy budget and what is the percentage of each - ANSWER-Energy from sun = 99.7%
of earth's energy budget
Internal heat energy= 0.03 % of earth's energy budget
Plate tectonics, including geological hot spots and the basic processes that happen at various types of
plate margins (convergent, divergent, transform/strike-slip). - ANSWER-Plate tectonics is powered by the
0.03% of Earth's energy budget coming from the hot interior of our planet.
A hotspot is a large plume of hot mantle material rising from deep within the Earth
Convergent- plates collide (can create mountains/volcanoes)
Divergent- plates move away from each other (creates new crust)
transform/strike-slip- plates slide past each other
Know, in broad terms, that geological processes like floods and landslides are important environmental
drivers of change - ANSWER-landslides can reshape entire landscapes
floods are some of the costliest geological hazards
earthquakes can trigger tsunamis in the ocean and large lakes
Human impacts on biogeochemical cycles - ANSWER-land use change for cities, roads, mines, and
agriculture, burning of fossil fuels, greenhouse gases
Biogeochemical cycles are being greatly disturbed by human activity, especially for fertilizer production.
Most of the cycles are being accelerated, causing both depletion of resources and pollution.
- depletion of rock phosphate sources
- more carbon
Actual set with Questions and
correct/verified Answers
What is science? - ANSWER-Science- body of knowledge and method of acquiring further knowledge
about the world around us
What are the major branches of science? - ANSWER-Natural sciences:
--Physical- study of inanimate objects and processes (ex: physics, chemistry, astronomy, etc)
--Life (aka bio)- study of living organism and processes (ex: bio, biochem, ecology
Social sciences- study of human behavior and society (ex: anthropology, econ, psych)
Humanities- study of language, arts, philosophy, politics, religion, and human culture
How does the scientific method work? - ANSWER-
What, specifically, is environmental science? - ANSWER-Interdisciplinary academic field that integrates
physical and biological sciences to study the environment
What does "interdisciplinarity" mean? - ANSWER-related to more than one branch of knowledge
Know the importance and range of scales in environmental science - spatial, temporal, taxonomic,
including cascading interactions - ANSWER-
What do environmental scientists study? - ANSWER-Combined with social science disciplines such as
politics, ethics and economics, environmental scientists assess causes of environmental problems and
develop physically and biologically possible, economically feasible, and culturally appropriate solutions
to these problems.
What do environmental scientists do in practice? - ANSWER-read academic literature
field work
lab work
modeling work
data entry
data analysis
writing academic papers
presenting at conferences
conducting applied work
organizing events
, Know the major environmental issues and why they are important - ANSWER-Habitat conversion, land
degradation, water and air pollution, solid waste accumulation, climate change, overharvesting, loss of
ecosystem services (ex: pollination), poverty, starvation, and inequality
What does I=PAT mean? - ANSWER-The environmental Impact of society is correlated to the size of its
Population, Affluence, and Technological development
What is sustainable development? - ANSWER-Development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Understand the implications of the second law of thermodynamics - ANSWER-With each conversion of
energy, energy loses some ability to do useful work
Ex: fridge is cold on the inside, but heats up the kitchen
Entropy- a measure of lost ability of energy to do useful work following conversion
What is in earth's energy budget and what is the percentage of each - ANSWER-Energy from sun = 99.7%
of earth's energy budget
Internal heat energy= 0.03 % of earth's energy budget
Plate tectonics, including geological hot spots and the basic processes that happen at various types of
plate margins (convergent, divergent, transform/strike-slip). - ANSWER-Plate tectonics is powered by the
0.03% of Earth's energy budget coming from the hot interior of our planet.
A hotspot is a large plume of hot mantle material rising from deep within the Earth
Convergent- plates collide (can create mountains/volcanoes)
Divergent- plates move away from each other (creates new crust)
transform/strike-slip- plates slide past each other
Know, in broad terms, that geological processes like floods and landslides are important environmental
drivers of change - ANSWER-landslides can reshape entire landscapes
floods are some of the costliest geological hazards
earthquakes can trigger tsunamis in the ocean and large lakes
Human impacts on biogeochemical cycles - ANSWER-land use change for cities, roads, mines, and
agriculture, burning of fossil fuels, greenhouse gases
Biogeochemical cycles are being greatly disturbed by human activity, especially for fertilizer production.
Most of the cycles are being accelerated, causing both depletion of resources and pollution.
- depletion of rock phosphate sources
- more carbon
