Natural Resource Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CORE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Natural Resource Management flashcards as text
What does the term 'non-point source pollution' refer to in water quality management?
Answer: Contamination that originates from diffuse sources across a landscape, such as agricultural runoff
Non-point source pollution comes from many dispersed sources — fertilizer runoff, urban stormwater, and sediment — making it difficult to regulate compared to point sources like factory pipes.
Riparian zones are important to conserve because they:
Answer: Filter sediment and pollutants, stabilize streambanks, and provide critical wildlife habitat
Riparian zones — the vegetated areas along streams and rivers — act as natural buffers filtering runoff, preventing erosion, moderating water temperature, and supporting diverse plant and animal communities.
Which management strategy is most consistent with the 'North American Model of Wildlife Conservation'?
Answer: Managing wildlife as a public trust resource held in common for all citizens
The North American Model treats wildlife as a public trust, meaning no individual owns wild animals; the government holds them in trust and manages them for the benefit of all citizens.
What is 'sustained yield' in forestry and fisheries management?
Answer: Extracting a resource at a rate that does not exceed its natural regeneration rate
Sustained yield means harvesting no faster than a resource can replenish itself, ensuring the same level of harvest can continue indefinitely without depleting the resource.
Which of the following is an example of a 'keystone species'?
Answer: Sea otters, whose predation on sea urchins maintains kelp forest ecosystems
A keystone species has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance; sea otters control sea urchin populations that would otherwise overgraze kelp forests.
The Pittman-Robertson Act funds wildlife restoration primarily through:
Answer: A federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment paid by manufacturers
The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson, 1937) levies an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, distributing proceeds to state wildlife agencies for habitat and research.
An 'invasive species' causes ecological harm primarily by:
Answer: Outcompeting native species, disrupting food webs, and altering habitats in its new range
Invasive species thrive outside their native range because they often lack natural predators or diseases, allowing them to outcompete natives and fundamentally change ecosystem structure and function.