Intro to Environmental Science Midterm 71 Questions with
Verified Answers
Ecosystem - CORRECT ANSWER All organisms and nonliving entities that occur and
interact in a particular area at the same time.
Environment - CORRECT ANSWER The sum total of our surroundings, including all
of the living things and non-living things with which we interact.
fossil fuels - CORRECT ANSWER A nonrenewable natural resource, such as crude
oil, natural gas, or coal, produced by the decomposition and compression of
organic matter from ancient life.
organic molecules - CORRECT ANSWER A molecule made up of carbon atoms
(and, generally, hydrogen atoms) joined by covalent bonds and sometimes
including other elements, such as nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, or phosphorus. The
unusual ability of carbon to build elaborate molecules has resulted in millions of
different organic compounds showing various degrees of complexity.
watersheds (the name of our local watershed) - CORRECT ANSWER The entire
area of land from which water drains into a given river.
What is environmental science? - CORRECT ANSWER The scientific study of how
the natural world functions, how our environment affects us, and how we affect
our environment. It is an intersection of the natural sciences (biology, chemistry,
geology) and the social sciences (politics, history, anthropology).
Scientific Method - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Observation
2. Hypothesis (prediction)
3. Experiment à Results
4. Conclusion
• If unsupported -- new hypothesis
• If supported -- new experiment for more results
, 5. peer-review
6. publication
Why is sustainability complex? - CORRECT ANSWER It is an emergent system.
renewable resources - CORRECT ANSWER renewable - Natural resources that are
virtually unlimited or that are replenished by the environment over relatively
short periods (hours to weeks to years). ex: sunlight, wind
non-renewable resources - CORRECT ANSWER Natural resources that are in
limited supply and are formed much more slowly than we use them. ex: oil,
natural gas
semi-renewable resources - CORRECT ANSWER Resources that take longer to
replenish than renewable resources, but less time to replenish than non-
renewable resources. ex: trees, groundwater
ecosystem services - CORRECT ANSWER An essential service an ecosystem
provides that supports life and makes economic activity possible. For example,
eco-systems naturally purify air and water, cycle nutrients, provide for plants to
be pollinated by animals, and receive and recycle the waste we generate. ex:
air/oxygen to breathe, pollinate plants, cycle nutrients, recycle waste, climate
regulation
natural capital - CORRECT ANSWER Earth's accumulated wealth of resources.
carrying capacity/biocapacity - CORRECT ANSWER A term in ecological footprint
accounting meaning the amount of biologically productive land and sea available
to us.
overshoot - CORRECT ANSWER The amount by which humanity's resource use, as
measured by its ecological footprint, has surpassed Earth's long-term capacity to
support us.
world resource use - CORRECT ANSWER 1. resources are not shared equally
2. The 20 wealthiest nations have 55x income of the 20 poorest nations (3x the
gap 40 years ago)
Verified Answers
Ecosystem - CORRECT ANSWER All organisms and nonliving entities that occur and
interact in a particular area at the same time.
Environment - CORRECT ANSWER The sum total of our surroundings, including all
of the living things and non-living things with which we interact.
fossil fuels - CORRECT ANSWER A nonrenewable natural resource, such as crude
oil, natural gas, or coal, produced by the decomposition and compression of
organic matter from ancient life.
organic molecules - CORRECT ANSWER A molecule made up of carbon atoms
(and, generally, hydrogen atoms) joined by covalent bonds and sometimes
including other elements, such as nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, or phosphorus. The
unusual ability of carbon to build elaborate molecules has resulted in millions of
different organic compounds showing various degrees of complexity.
watersheds (the name of our local watershed) - CORRECT ANSWER The entire
area of land from which water drains into a given river.
What is environmental science? - CORRECT ANSWER The scientific study of how
the natural world functions, how our environment affects us, and how we affect
our environment. It is an intersection of the natural sciences (biology, chemistry,
geology) and the social sciences (politics, history, anthropology).
Scientific Method - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Observation
2. Hypothesis (prediction)
3. Experiment à Results
4. Conclusion
• If unsupported -- new hypothesis
• If supported -- new experiment for more results
, 5. peer-review
6. publication
Why is sustainability complex? - CORRECT ANSWER It is an emergent system.
renewable resources - CORRECT ANSWER renewable - Natural resources that are
virtually unlimited or that are replenished by the environment over relatively
short periods (hours to weeks to years). ex: sunlight, wind
non-renewable resources - CORRECT ANSWER Natural resources that are in
limited supply and are formed much more slowly than we use them. ex: oil,
natural gas
semi-renewable resources - CORRECT ANSWER Resources that take longer to
replenish than renewable resources, but less time to replenish than non-
renewable resources. ex: trees, groundwater
ecosystem services - CORRECT ANSWER An essential service an ecosystem
provides that supports life and makes economic activity possible. For example,
eco-systems naturally purify air and water, cycle nutrients, provide for plants to
be pollinated by animals, and receive and recycle the waste we generate. ex:
air/oxygen to breathe, pollinate plants, cycle nutrients, recycle waste, climate
regulation
natural capital - CORRECT ANSWER Earth's accumulated wealth of resources.
carrying capacity/biocapacity - CORRECT ANSWER A term in ecological footprint
accounting meaning the amount of biologically productive land and sea available
to us.
overshoot - CORRECT ANSWER The amount by which humanity's resource use, as
measured by its ecological footprint, has surpassed Earth's long-term capacity to
support us.
world resource use - CORRECT ANSWER 1. resources are not shared equally
2. The 20 wealthiest nations have 55x income of the 20 poorest nations (3x the
gap 40 years ago)
