Practice Exam 2 - Environmental Science - page 259

86. The deterioration of soil by human actions can be considered a
A. Negative feedback loop because, eventually, the system will stabilize and the soil will return to its
previous state
B. Positive feedback loop because once soil becomes degraded, further consequences occur as a result
C. Negative feedback loop because once soil becomes degraded, further consequences occur as a res-
ult
D. Positive feedback loop because eventually the system will stabilize and the soil will return to its
previous state
E. Both a positive feedback loop and a negative feedback loop because, at first, the system is unstable
and moving toward an extreme, but eventually it balances out and becomes stable again
87. Family planning is a successful measure used to reduce population growth in many developing coun-
tries. All the following are frequent components of family planning EXCEPT
A. Making contraceptives available
B. Empowering females to make decisions
C. Strengthening patriarchal households
D. Improving reproductive healthcare options
E. Education
88. Which of the following countries currently has the highest population?
A. United States
B. China
C. India
D. Brazil
E. Bangladesh
89. How does soil compaction affect the use of the land?
A. Compacted soils have negligible effects on land use.
B. Compacted soils help reduce the threat of invasive species taking over.
C. Although compacted soils reduce the flow of water through the soil, there is an increase in the
availability of oxygen.
D. Soil compaction helps to keep the topsoil from eroding.
E. Compaction reduces space between soil particles, obstructing the flow of gases, nutrients, and wa-
ter through the soil.
90. How do El Niño events cause economic loss to countries on the Pacific Coast of North America, Cent-
ral America, and South America?
A. Fewer upwellings bring fewer nutrients to the fisheries along the coasts, diminishing available
catch for fishermen.
B. There is an increase in tropical storms, which can be destructive when they hit land.
C. Large amounts of money are spent in an effort to protect the coastlines.
D. Ocean waters are warmed, thus killing large numbers of marine organisms that cannot survive in
the increased temperatures.
E. More upwellings bring large amounts of nutrients to the fisheries along the coasts, reducing avail-
able nutrients to the benthic environments.