Practice Test Geeks(CES) Certified Environmental Scientist Practice Test
← All CES Flashcard Decks

Ecosystem Management & Sustainability Practices Flashcards

7 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Ecosystem Management & Sustainability Practices flashcards as text

  1. Which principle of sustainability states that non-renewable resources should be depleted no faster than renewable substitutes can be developed?

    Answer: Hartwick rule

    The Hartwick rule holds that rents from non-renewable resource extraction should be reinvested in renewable substitutes to maintain constant capital.

  2. A certified environmental scientist is evaluating a proposed coastal development. Which analysis best quantifies the economic value of storm protection provided by an existing mangrove forest?

    Answer: Replacement cost method

    The replacement cost method values ecosystem services by calculating the cost of replacing them with human-engineered alternatives (e.g., seawalls).

  3. In integrated pest management (IPM), the 'economic threshold' is defined as:

    Answer: The pest density at which control measures are economically justified

    The economic threshold is the pest population density at which the cost of inaction exceeds the cost of control, triggering intervention.

  4. The concept of 'planetary boundaries' identifies nine Earth system processes. Which boundary has been most significantly transgressed according to the 2023 update?

    Answer: Biosphere integrity (biodiversity loss)

    Biosphere integrity, especially functional diversity loss, is one of the most severely transgressed planetary boundaries according to current scientific assessments.

  5. Which greenhouse gas has the highest 100-year global warming potential (GWP100) on a per-molecule basis among common agricultural emissions?

    Answer: Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

    Nitrous oxide (N₂O) has a GWP100 of approximately 273, far exceeding CO₂ (1) and methane (27–30) among common agricultural emissions.

  6. An environmental scientist monitoring a stream finds an index of biotic integrity (IBI) score of 28 out of 100. This indicates:

    Answer: Poor ecological condition with significant biological impairment

    IBI scores below 40 generally indicate poor biological conditions with impaired ecological function and reduced biotic diversity.

  7. The 'landscape ecology' metric of patch 'shape index' measures:

    Answer: Complexity of patch perimeter relative to a circle of equal area

    Shape index quantifies patch perimeter complexity compared to a perfect circle; higher values indicate more irregular, complex shapes with proportionally more edge.