Environmental Science & Natural Resources Flashcards

Which of the following best describes a watershed?

Answer: An area of land that drains water into a common body of water

A watershed is an area of land where all precipitation drains to a single outlet such as a river, lake, or bay.

What is the primary cause of eutrophication in lakes and ponds?

Answer: Excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus

Eutrophication is driven by excess nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers and runoff) that cause algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

Answer: Stratosphere

The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere, approximately 15–35 km above Earth's surface, where it absorbs harmful UV radiation.

What term describes the variety of species, genes, and ecosystems in a given area?

Answer: Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms — including species, genetic, and ecosystem diversity — present in a particular habitat or on Earth.

Which of the following is a nonrenewable natural resource?

Answer: Coal

Coal is a fossil fuel formed over millions of years and cannot be replenished on a human timescale, making it nonrenewable.

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Answer: Break down dead organic matter and return nutrients to the soil

Decomposers such as fungi and bacteria break down dead organisms and waste, recycling nutrients back into the soil and making them available to plants.

Which federal law established the framework for regulating pollution in the United States' waterways?

Answer: Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act (1972) established the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States.