AP Environmental Science : AP Environmental Sciences
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Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Biodiversity
How does the 6th mass extinction significantly differ from the other 5 mass extinctions that have occurred throughout the history of Earth?
The other mass extinction events were caused by meteors striking earth, while the 6th mass extinction is a result of radical climate change.
Human activities (overhunting, habitat destruction, greenhouse gases, etc.) are the primary contributing factor in the 6th mass extinction, which was not the case for the other events.
The 6th mass extinction is the only extinction event to have occured when dinosaurs were not inhabiting earth.
The 6th mass extinction was a result of a meteor hitting earth, unlike previous extinction events, which were largely the result of climate change.
The 6th mass extinction event is projected to not be as severe in species loss as previous extinction events.
Human activities (overhunting, habitat destruction, greenhouse gases, etc.) are the primary contributing factor in the 6th mass extinction, which was not the case for the other events.
Previous extinction events can be attributed to pathology, climate change and other natural factors. The current 6th mass extinction event is largely attributed to human activities and the resulting climate change.
Example Question #4 : Biodiversity
In the 1960s, Robert MacArthur and E.O. Wilson came up with one of the most prominent theories in the field of ecology—Island Biogeography Theory. This theory describes the balancing of which of the following two processes?
Predation and population growth
Immigration and emigration
Immigration and extinction
Dispersal and reproduction
Immigration and extinction
Island Biogeography Theory is related to the balancing of immigration and extinction. In short, the number of species that occurs on an island should be directly related to the rate of extinction and the rate of immigration. If the rate of immigration is higher than the rate of extinction, then the number of species will be high. If the rate of extinction is higher than the rate of immigration, then the number of species will be low.
Example Question #5 : Biodiversity
The ecologist Joseph Connell studied tropical rain forests and noticed that they contain high levels of biodiversity compared to temperate zones. He noted that earthquakes and storms are important forces that continually open canopies and create new habitat for species colonization. Which of the following hypotheses best describes this phenomenon?
Janzen-Connell Hypothesis
Equilibrium Theory
Biodiversity Satiation Theory
Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis describes how habitats experiencing moderate levels of disturbance can support the most species. This occurs because disturbance initiates the turnover of dominant species, which allows new species to emerge. For example, a tree falling in the forest could be an example of a disturbance. Trees falls open up the canopy and allow sunlight to reach the floor of the forest and creates an open space for species to colonize.
Example Question #41 : Global Effects And Dynamics
Beta diversity refers to the difference in species across habitats. If an area of particular interest has 8 different habitats and an average of 3.2 species occupying each habitat, then what would the beta diversity be?
Beta diversity is calculated by taking the total number of habitats divided by the number of species in each habitat of a given environment.
Total number of habitats:
Number of species in each habitat:
Solve:
Example Question #471 : Ap Environmental Sciences
Diversity can be calculated at various scales. Which type of diversity refers to the total number of species in a geographic region that spans multiple habitats?
Gamma diversity
Delta diversity
Alpha diversity
Beta diversity
Gamma diversity
Gamma diversity refers to the total number of species within a region. This can also be referred to as regional diversity. Gamma diversity is useful in order to investigate biodiversity from a broad scale or at the landscape level.
Example Question #472 : Ap Environmental Sciences
Biological diversity is the variation between organisms in a ecosystem; both plant and animal.
What three aspects are taken into account when measuring biological diversity?
Location and genetics of organisms
Number and variety of ecosystems
Number and variety of species
Location and number of organisms
Number, variety, and variability of organisms
Number, variety, and variability of organisms
Biological diversity is concerned with not only the number, variety and variability of species within ecosystems but the number of ecosystems on the Earth and genetic diversity within species.
Example Question #473 : Ap Environmental Sciences
Imagine that there is a museum that contains every species that has ever lived on planet Earth. Of all the species that have ever existed on Earth, what percentage of those are still alive today?
1%
50%
25%
10%
1%
The correct response is 1%. The majority of species that have ever lived on Earth are extinct. Mass extinctions have occurred throughout geological history due to large disturbances such as meteor crashes and ice ages. Life is fragile and disturbances can cause millions of species to go extinct rather quickly - such as most recent mass extinction when the dinosaurs disappeared. Thus, the species still alive today represent a tiny portion of the variety of life that has existed throughout the geological history of Earth.
Example Question #474 : Ap Environmental Sciences
Riparian zones are important because __________.
they are very quickly eroded
they cover vast areas of terrain
they are centers of biodiversity, especially in arid ecosystems
they are one of the easiest ecosystems to manage
they are centers of biodiversity, especially in arid ecosystems
Riparian zones prevent erosion and are incredibly high in biodiversity. Riparian areas are thin and ribbon-like, accompanying streams and rivers, but often long and dense.
Example Question #41 : Global Effects And Dynamics
Which is not a value of every species on Earth?
Comedic
Ecological
Scientific
Economic
Comedic
Every species is important because of its niche in its ecosystem. Additionally, all species are potentially of scientific and medical/economic value.
Example Question #1 : Other Ecological Consequences
Which explanation is most accurate in describing the chemical and atmospheric processes involved in ocean acidification?
Carbon dioxide is emitted by burning fossil fuels and is released into the atmosphere, increasing the atmospheric concentration of carbon. Being soluble in water, 
Carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, where it interacts with water vapor in the atmosphere to form carbonic acid, which enters the ocean by precipitation, lowering the pH.
Sulfur produced from industrial manufacturing increases the sulfur concentration in the atmosphere, which results in sulfuric acid (
Carbon dioxide is emitted by burning fossil fuels and is released into the atmosphere, increasing the atmospheric concentration of carbon. Being soluble in water,
Ocean acidification is most accurately described by the answer choice that talks about carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere before being absorbed by ocean water to react with carbonate ions and form carbonic acid.
Image: "Ocean Acidification." NOAA PMEL Carbon Program. NOAA. Web. 6 Apr. 2015. <http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean Acidification>.
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