Climate And Ecology Practice Exam

Question 1 Climate And Ecology

What is the rebound effect (energy)?

Efficiency gains partly offset by increased usage. The movement of phosphorus through rocks, soil, water, and organisms. Adjusting to actual or expected climate effects. Adding alkaline materials to oceans to absorb more CO₂.

Question 2 Climate And Ecology

What is the Endangered Species Act?

Eutrophication from runoff, especially fertilizers and sewage. An organism that breaks down dead matter, recycling nutrients. US law protecting threatened and endangered species. Excess nutrients (often from fertilizers) causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Question 3 Climate And Ecology

What is citizen science?

A reservoir absorbing more carbon than it releases. An interdisciplinary field studying the interactions between humans and the natural environment. Public participation in scientific research and monitoring. Benefits humans get from nature (pollination, water, climate regulation).

Question 4 Climate And Ecology

What is e-waste?

Electricity from nuclear fission, low-carbon but with waste challenges. Hydrogen produced via electrolysis using renewable electricity. An organism that breaks down dead matter, recycling nutrients. Discarded electronic devices, a growing concern.

Question 5 Climate And Ecology

What is sustainable fisheries?

Fishing maintaining fish populations and ecosystems long-term. Farming meeting present needs without compromising future capacity. Addressing climate change's unequal impact on vulnerable populations. UN's Sustainable Development Goals — 17 goals adopted in 2015.

Question 6 Climate And Ecology

What is the most cost-effective climate action for individuals?

The reduction of variety of life; current rate is "sixth mass extinction." Tiny particles in air; PM2.5 and PM10 are health threats. Voting and civic engagement, dietary shifts, transport choices, energy use. Organic restricts synthetic inputs; conventional uses them.

Question 7 Climate And Ecology

What is a carbon tax?

A fee on greenhouse gas emissions. Using sunlight to heat water or other fluids. Eutrophication from runoff, especially fertilizers and sewage. A measure of how much heat a gas traps relative to CO₂ over time.

Question 8 Climate And Ecology

What is an EIA?

Reforestation restores; afforestation creates new forest. Breaking habitats into smaller pieces; harmful to species. Environmental Impact Assessment of a project's effects. Growing crops between main crops to protect soil.

Question 9 Climate And Ecology

What is the EPA?

Generally lower emissions than meat-heavy diets. The removal of soil by wind or water, often accelerated by agriculture. US Environmental Protection Agency. The warming of Earth's surface by gases trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Question 10 Climate And Ecology

What is plant-based eating's climate role?

An organism that breaks down dead matter, recycling nutrients. Generally lower emissions than meat-heavy diets. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — the UN body assessing climate science. Ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity, including the Gulf Stream.

Question 11 Climate And Ecology

What is single-use plastic?

An organism that breaks down dead matter, recycling nutrients. Plastic items used once before disposal. Hydrogen produced via electrolysis using renewable electricity. All populations of different species living together in an area.

Question 12 Climate And Ecology

What is permafrost thaw concern?

Excess nutrients (often from fertilizers) causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion. Large-scale intervention in Earth systems to counter climate change. Food security, medicine, cultural value, ecosystem resilience. Releases stored methane and CO₂, accelerating warming.

Question 13 Climate And Ecology

What are coral reefs threatened by?

The study of relationships among organisms and between organisms and their environment. Fishing maintaining fish populations and ecosystems long-term. Warming, acidification, pollution, overfishing. Removing CO₂ directly from atmosphere via natural or technological methods.

Question 14 Climate And Ecology

What is a negative feedback example?

Increased CO₂ stimulating plant growth that absorbs CO₂. Build-up of substances in organisms over time. Warming, acidification, pollution, overfishing. Meeting present needs without compromising future generations.

Question 15 Climate And Ecology

What is habitat fragmentation?

Eutrophication from runoff, especially fertilizers and sewage. Removing CO₂ directly from atmosphere via natural or technological methods. Breaking habitats into smaller pieces; harmful to species. Environmental Impact Assessment of a project's effects.

Question 16 Climate And Ecology

What is "rewilding success" example?

Yellowstone wolves; European bison reintroduction. Conversion of land for different purposes, often emitting carbon. Photovoltaic technology converting sunlight directly to electricity. Concentrating agriculture to leave wild areas vs blending agriculture with habitat.

Question 17 Climate And Ecology

What is the nitrogen cycle?

Shared resources overused when individuals act in self-interest. The movement of nitrogen through atmosphere, soil, organisms, and back. Misleading claims about environmental practices or products. Treaty on wetlands of international importance.

Question 18 Climate And Ecology

What is the difference between biofuel and fossil fuel?

Biofuel's carbon was recently in the atmosphere; fossil carbon was stored for millions of years. When stressed corals expel symbiotic algae, often dying. A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem. The cooling counterpart of El Niño with opposite weather effects.

Question 19 Climate And Ecology

What is recycling?

Susceptibility to climate impacts; often higher in poorer regions. All populations of different species living together in an area. Tiny particles in air; PM2.5 and PM10 are health threats. Processing used materials into new products.

Question 20 Climate And Ecology

What is the GWP of methane vs CO₂?

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Methane has ~28-36× CO₂ over 100 years. Electricity from nuclear fission, low-carbon but with waste challenges. Designated regions managed for conservation.

Question 21 Climate And Ecology

What are mass extinctions?

Periods when many species died out; five major prior events. The movement of carbon through atmosphere, oceans, soil, and organisms. Photovoltaic technology converting sunlight directly to electricity. Treaty on wetlands of international importance.

Question 22 Climate And Ecology

What is ecosystem services?

Benefits humans get from nature (pollination, water, climate regulation). Accumulation of salts in soil, harming productivity. Adding alkaline materials to oceans to absorb more CO₂. Weather influences pollution dispersion; quality measures pollutant levels.

Question 23 Climate And Ecology

What is the Amazon's role?

Costs of climate impacts that can't be adapted to. Stocks of natural resources providing ecosystem services. The largest rainforest, critical carbon sink and biodiversity hotspot. Heat from Earth's interior used for power and heating.

Question 24 Climate And Ecology

What is biomagnification?

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) released into the atmosphere. Increasing concentration of a substance up the food chain. The process by which organisms convert glucose and oxygen into energy, CO₂, and water. The 1987 treaty phasing out ozone-depleting substances; successful.

Question 25 Climate And Ecology

What is geoengineering?

Public participation in scientific research and monitoring. Large-scale intervention in Earth systems to counter climate change. Planting trees to sequester carbon. Misleading claims about environmental practices or products.

Question 26 Climate And Ecology

What is climate communication?

Approaches working with nature to address climate, biodiversity, and other challenges. Effectively conveying climate science to motivate action. If an action has uncertain harm, restraint should prevail. 1997 climate treaty with binding emission targets for developed countries.

Question 27 Climate And Ecology

What is the "tragedy of the commons"?

Shared resources overused when individuals act in self-interest. Fishing maintaining fish populations and ecosystems long-term. A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem. A fee on greenhouse gas emissions.

Question 28 Climate And Ecology

What is the Anthropocene?

Generally lower emissions than meat-heavy diets. Costs of climate impacts that can't be adapted to. Restoring ecosystems to wild states with reintroduced species. A proposed geological epoch defined by human impact on Earth systems.

Question 29 Climate And Ecology

What is the Keeling curve?

Environmental Impact Assessment of a project's effects. Integrating trees with crops or livestock. A connection between habitats supporting species movement. A graph of atmospheric CO₂ levels measured since 1958.

Question 30 Climate And Ecology

What is COP28's outcome?

Voting and civic engagement, dietary shifts, transport choices, energy use. A measure of how much heat a gas traps relative to CO₂ over time. Protecting species outside natural habitats (zoos, seed banks). First Global Stocktake; agreement to "transition away from fossil fuels."

Question 31 Climate And Ecology

What is the largest source of personal emissions for many?

Human well-being is inseparable from ecological health; system-level changes are needed. Transportation, food, home energy, consumption. Accumulation of salts in soil, harming productivity. An interdisciplinary field studying the interactions between humans and the natural environment.

Question 32 Climate And Ecology

What is regenerative agriculture?

Farming that restores soil health and biodiversity. Decomposing organic matter into soil amendment. When stressed corals expel symbiotic algae, often dying. Generating electricity from wind via turbines.

Question 33 Climate And Ecology

What is loss and damage (climate)?

Technology to extract CO₂ directly from ambient air. The removal of forests, primarily for agriculture and timber. The movement of phosphorus through rocks, soil, water, and organisms. Costs of climate impacts that can't be adapted to.

Question 34 Climate And Ecology

What is a niche?

An organism that obtains energy by eating others. The global shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon sources. An organism's role within its ecosystem. A linear sequence of organisms each feeding on the previous.

Question 35 Climate And Ecology

What is "carbon offset"?

Organic restricts synthetic inputs; conventional uses them. Compensating emissions by funding reductions elsewhere; controversial quality. A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem. Batteries and other systems storing energy for later use.

Question 36 Climate And Ecology

What is ocean acidification?

Decreasing ocean pH from absorbing atmospheric CO₂. Weather influences pollution dispersion; quality measures pollutant levels. 1997 climate treaty with binding emission targets for developed countries. Compensating emissions by funding reductions elsewhere; controversial quality.

Question 37 Climate And Ecology

What is salinization?

A reservoir absorbing more carbon than it releases. Addressing climate change's unequal impact on vulnerable populations. Accumulation of salts in soil, harming productivity. Efficiency gains partly offset by increased usage.

Question 38 Climate And Ecology

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

A connection between habitats supporting species movement. A concentration of marine plastic debris in the North Pacific. People displaced by climate-related events; growing concern. Amazon dieback, ice sheet collapse, AMOC slowdown, permafrost methane release.

Question 39 Climate And Ecology

What is bioaccumulation?

Build-up of substances in organisms over time. A famous keystone species example, shaping the ecosystem. A secure seed bank in Arctic Norway storing crop diversity. An interdisciplinary field studying the interactions between humans and the natural environment.

Question 40 Climate And Ecology

What is the takeaway of environmental science?

Human well-being is inseparable from ecological health; system-level changes are needed. Ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity, including the Gulf Stream. Process amplifying or dampening climate change. A repository of seeds for biodiversity preservation.

Question 41 Climate And Ecology

What is climate feedback?

Climate change caused by human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning. If an action has uncertain harm, restraint should prevail. Process amplifying or dampening climate change. Tiny particles in air; PM2.5 and PM10 are health threats.

Question 42 Climate And Ecology

What is natural capital?

Rain with high acidity from atmospheric pollutants like SO₂ and NOₓ. Actions to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions. A famous keystone species example, shaping the ecosystem. Stocks of natural resources providing ecosystem services.

Question 43 Climate And Ecology

What is nuclear power?

Concentrating agriculture to leave wild areas vs blending agriculture with habitat. Electricity from nuclear fission, low-carbon but with waste challenges. Generally lower emissions than meat-heavy diets. How much temperature rises per doubling of CO₂.

Question 44 Climate And Ecology

What is the "drawdown" concept?

Decreasing ocean pH from absorbing atmospheric CO₂. Shifting to a green economy while protecting affected workers and communities. Climate change caused by human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning. The point when greenhouse gas levels start declining.

Question 45 Climate And Ecology

What is a trophic level?

Using surplus energy to pump water uphill for later release. A position in a food chain (producers, primary consumers, etc.). Equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. US Environmental Protection Agency.

Question 46 Climate And Ecology

What is green hydrogen?

Replanting trees in deforested areas. Paris Agreement aspirational limit to avoid worst impacts. Hydrogen produced via electrolysis using renewable electricity. A reservoir absorbing more carbon than it releases.

Question 47 Climate And Ecology

What is composting?

Average ranges from ~4 tons in low-income to ~16+ tons in US per year. Technology to extract CO₂ directly from ambient air. Material that breaks down naturally by microorganisms. Decomposing organic matter into soil amendment.

Question 48 Climate And Ecology

What is the Green New Deal?

Adding alkaline materials to oceans to absorb more CO₂. US law protecting threatened and endangered species. A proposed program addressing climate change and inequality. Periodic warming of the central/eastern Pacific affecting global weather.

Question 49 Climate And Ecology

What is sea level rise?

Protecting species outside natural habitats (zoos, seed banks). Long-term rise in oceans due to thermal expansion and melting ice. Discarded electronic devices, a growing concern. A threshold beyond which change becomes self-sustaining.

Question 50 Climate And Ecology

What is the 1.5°C target?

Growing crops between main crops to protect soil. Paris Agreement aspirational limit to avoid worst impacts. Designated regions managed for conservation. Wind farms at sea, typically stronger and more consistent winds.