Put the following components of earth’s atmosphere
(at the surface) in order from most abundant to least abundant. (Not all
components of the atmosphere are listed). Nitrogen;
oxygen; argon; carbon dioxide; ozone
The Great Salt Lake basin experienced 2 increases in precipitation due to El
Ninos in the 1980s
Edge effects: occur
when a forest tract is cut; reduce habitat area; isolate previously contiguous
populations
Most infrared radiation from the earth’s surface is
absorbed by greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere
In North and South America, La Nina drought
conditions are more prevalent than
during El Nino
During La Ninas, the northern United States, Canada,
and Alaska typically experience colder
than average temperatures
Human activities have had a great impact on which of
the atmospheric gases listed? Oxygen;
methane; carbon dioxide
Put the following layers of earth’s atmosphere in
order from closest to earth’s surface to farthest away from earth’s surface. Troposphere; stratosphere; mesosphere;
thermosphere
Vitousek estimated that nitrogen-fixing crops, such
as alfalfa and soybeans, fix about 30
Tg of nitrogen per year
Earth’s atmosphere traps some radiation, allowing
the surface of the earth to stay warm. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect
Which is correct concerning stratospheric ozone? It absorbs radiation associated with
damaging living tissues; it absorbs ultraviolet light; it absorbs UV-B
radiation
World War I is associated with an increase in the
burning of fossil fuel and corresponding increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide
levels. FALSE
The typical salinity of the Great Salt lake: limits the zooplankton species richness
Which of the following is true concerning the mature
phase of El Nino? Droughts are common in
the western Pacific; droughts may occur in Australia; barometric pressure decreases
in the eastern Pacific
Physical changes due to forest fragmentation include
a decrease in animal diversity, including monkeys, birds, bees, carrion and dung beetles
Reduced atmospheric 14C levels that result from the
burning of fossil fuels is called the Suess
effect
Which of the following is NOT true concerning
changes that occur due to tropical forest fragmentation? Temperatures along forest edges become cooler
TRUE: forest edges are exposed to higher winds;
forest edges are exposed to greater solar radiation; areas along the forest
edges are drier
Which of the following were used to determine
historic atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past 1000 years? Mauna Loa direct measurements; siple ice
core; south pole ice core
In the absence of human influences, nitrogen
fixation is carried out by free-living bacteria and actinomycete fungi
Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas? Nitrogen
IS: carbon dioxide; water vapor; chlorofluocarbons
(CFCs); methane
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels: were relatively unchanging from 1000 – mid 1700s
Which of the following are sources of increased
nitrogen fixation in the nitrogen cycle? Planting
of legumes; fertilization of agricultural land; burning of fossil fuels
Energy absorbed by the atmosphere or the earth’s
surface can be reemitted as infrared
radiation
Tropical forest fragmentation decreases the forest overstory and increases the thickness of the understory
During La Nina: the
western Pacific contains warmer than average seawater
When a small fragment of tropical forest is cut, the
newly exposed edges are subject to higher levels of solar radiation and wind
Rotating crops such as soybeans with grains increases crop yields due to increased
nitrogen fixation
Which of the following is NOT true concerning the
nitrogen cycle in the absence of human manipulation? Lightening has no effect on nitrogen fixation rates
TRUE: nitrogen fixation occurs in both the
terrestrial and marine environments; nitrogen fixation is performed by bacteria
and some fungi; the amount of total fixed nitrogen is about 130 Tg per year
CFCs: broken
down in the atmosphere ultimately cause ozone depletion; contain carbon,
chlorine, and fluorine; were historically used as refrigerants
Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and radiate it back to earth
Chlorine released by the breakdown of CFC molecules results in the depletion
of the ozone layer
How does Keeling’s data from Mauna Loa complement
data from earlier ice core data on changes in carbon dioxide levels? Data gathered from the Siple ice core and
Mauna Loa independently established nearly identical CO2 levels; two of the
measurements Keeling’s group made overlap the data gathered from the Siple ice
core
The 1982 – 1983 El Nino increased precipitation levels in the Great Salt Lake basin
Which of the following are characteristics of the
red kangaroo? It is the largest
herbivore in Australia; their reproductive cycle is tied to environmental
conditions; they occupy land in Australia that has occasional west periods that
alternate with severe drought
Keeling and colleagues took measurements of present
day carbon dioxide levels in the state of Hawaii
that complement ice core data used to address changes in these levels
Which of the following are correct concerning the
effects of the 1982 – 1983 El Nino on the Great Salt Lake? Predaceous corixid bugs moved into the limnetic zone; grazing
zooplankton numbers declined resulting in a reduced grazing rate
The seabird populations of the Galapagos islands experienced drastic declines in
reproduction AND migrated north and south along South America in response
to the El Nino of 1982 – 1983
Landsat high-resolution images of the Amazon Basin were analyzed by Skole and
Tucker to estimate deforestation
rates
Scientists have reconstructed historic
concentrations of CO2 in earth’s atmosphere by analyzing: air bubbles trapped in ice
When Cairns and Grigg quantified how rainfall in
souther Australia affected red kangaroo populations, they found an increase in
population size associated with abundant rainfall that occurred from 1988 to 1989 as a result of La Nina
What was the purpose of the Montreal Protocol? Reduce and eliminate human-generated
ozone-depleting chemicals
When the barometric pressure in the western Pacific
Ocean increases, the pressure in the eastern Pacific Ocean decreases. This is
an example of the phenomenon known as the Southern Oscillation
Phytoplankton biomass shifted to the east of the Galapagos islands in
response to the 1982 – 1983 El Nino
During wet years, female red kangaroos will often
have a joey following her, a younger offspring in her pouch, and an embryo
that will enter the pouch once it is vacated
The ozone hole over the Antartic, since its
discovery in 1985: reached its maximum
size in 2000
Which of the following is NOT true? Severe deforestation has only occurred in tropical
forests
TRUE: temperate forest regions of Europe, eastern
China, Japan and North America are densely populated; old growth temperate
forests in northwestern North American have been greatly cut down; Boreal
forests in Russia and Canada have been affected by deforestation
The Vostok ice core from around 160,000 years ago
corresponds to an ice age, a period
of low planetary temperatures
Any negative values on the Southern Oscillation
Index indicates: lower barometric
pressure in the eastern Pacific Ocean
Results of Skole and Tucker’s work in the Amazon
Basin estimated that deforestation occurred at a rate of 15,000 km2 per year from 1978 – 1988
The amount of 14C in fossil fuels is: low
What occurred in the Great Salt Lake from 1987 –
1990? Phytoplankton biomass decreased
Nevill Nicholls suggested that red kangaroos
reproduce large numbers of offspring under favorable conditions. This leads to
an increase in the size of the adult
populations at the onset of El Ninos
When El Ninos decrease
upwelling of nutrients, primary production decreases
Much of the forested area in eastern North America
was cut down by mid-1800s
The Walker circulation pattern is associated with: warm air from the western Pacific rising
and flowing eastward in the upper atmosphere
After the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer
in 1985 and changes to environmental policy, it is estimated that recovery of
the stratospheric ozone layer will likely take another: 50 years or more
During El Nino, the normally cool waters off the coast of South America become warmer
As a result of the Montreal Protocol, global
emissions of CFCs have been reduced
from 1 million tons annually to less than 50,000 tons in 2003
Jacob Bjerknes is credited for connecting the
Southern Oscillation with El Nino,
giving a global perspective on weather patterns
In a study of the effects of fragmentation in the
Amazon Basin, researchers worked with ranchers to develop fragmented tracts of
forests and unfragmented tracts of
forest of the same size to use as a comparison or control
Seventy-five percent of the world’s tropical forests
occur in 10 countries. The largest single tract of tropical forest is in the
country of Brazil
Graham Harrington’s study of soil moisture and the
survival of the narrow-leaf hopbush in Australia showed that survival: increased with the La Nina side of the
Southern Oscillation
The British mathematician who identified the
relationship between barometric pressure in the Pacific Ocean and monsoon
rainfall in Asia is named Gilbert Walker
75% of tropical deforestation occurs in Brazil,
while 25% occurs outside of Brazil. FALSE
Over the past 100 years or so, human contributions
to the global nitrogen cycle have become stable and unchanging. FALSE
Brazil’s National Institute for Research in Amazonia
and World Wildlife Fund are
responsible for a long-term study of forest fragmentation
Which country has the highest rate of tropical
deforestation? Brazil
Gilbert Walker is credited for the identification
of: the Southern Oscillation
After 1980 (late 20th century), human
sources of fixed nitrogen: exceeded
nonhuman sources for the first time
A Brazilian law requires that 50% of land developed in the Amazon Basin remains forested
