MCVSD Environmental Science & Natural Resources 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the greenhouse effect?
- The cooling of Earth's surface due to cloud cover
- The trapping of heat in Earth's atmosphere by gases such as CO2 and methane (Correct answer)
- The depletion of ozone in the upper atmosphere
- The reflection of sunlight by polar ice caps
Correct answer: The trapping of heat in Earth's atmosphere by gases such as CO2 and methane
The greenhouse effect occurs when atmospheric gases like CO2 and methane absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, warming Earth's surface.
Question 2: Which soil horizon is primarily composed of decomposed organic matter?
- Horizon A
- Horizon B
- Horizon C
- Horizon O (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Horizon O
Horizon O (the organic horizon) is the topmost layer of soil composed mainly of decomposed plant and animal material known as humus.
Question 3: What does the term 'carrying capacity' mean in ecology?
- The weight a habitat can hold after flooding
- The maximum population size an environment can sustainably support (Correct answer)
- The speed at which invasive species spread through an ecosystem
- The total biomass of producers in a food web
Correct answer: The maximum population size an environment can sustainably support
Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support indefinitely given available resources.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes point source pollution?
- Runoff from large agricultural fields after a rainstorm
- Discharge from a factory pipe directly into a river (Correct answer)
- Airborne dust from construction across a wide area
- Nutrients leaching through soil from multiple lawns
Correct answer: Discharge from a factory pipe directly into a river
Point source pollution originates from a single, identifiable source such as a pipe or discharge outlet, making it easier to regulate.
Question 5: In New Jersey, which agency is primarily responsible for environmental regulation and natural resource management?
- NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT)
- NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) (Correct answer)
- NJ Department of Agriculture (NJDA)
- NJ Office of Homeland Security
Correct answer: NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) oversees environmental regulations, natural resource protection, and pollution control in the state.
Question 6: What is bioaccumulation?
- The rapid reproduction of bacteria in water
- The buildup of a substance in an organism's body over time (Correct answer)
- The transfer of energy between trophic levels
- The process by which plants absorb carbon dioxide
Correct answer: The buildup of a substance in an organism's body over time
Bioaccumulation is the gradual buildup of a toxic substance, such as mercury or DDT, in an organism's tissues over its lifetime.
Question 7: Which type of energy source harnesses the internal heat of the Earth?
- Tidal energy
- Geothermal energy (Correct answer)
- Biomass energy
- Hydroelectric energy
Correct answer: Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is generated by tapping the heat stored beneath Earth's surface, used for heating and electricity generation.
MCVSD Environmental Science & Natural Resources 2
What is the greenhouse effect?