Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
25. D With India's growing population and increasing wealth, it is consuming more resources. However,
the graph shows that the country's growth is predicted to slow in the future.
26. C An increasing population could explain why energy consumption in China is predicted to increase.
More people use more energy, and China's increasing wealth leads to more per-capita energy consump-
tion.
27. D The projected decrease in consumption in the United States could be attributed to improvements in
technological advancements, which includes increased use of alternative forms of energy.
28. E Allopatric speciation occurs when a population of organisms is separated due to a geographic barrier,
such as a river changing course, mountain range forming, glaciers progressing, or sea level rising.
When populations are separated, each adapts to specific environmental conditions and, over time, can
become so different from each other that they lose the ability to interbreed. At this point, they are con-
sidered distinct species.
29. A The United States, China, and Japan consume the most oil worldwide. This is due to large popula-
tion (China) and high economic ability (United States and Japan).
30. B Considered the topsoil, the A horizon contains the most nutrients for plant growth. When the organic
matter from the O horizon decomposes, the nutrients are deposited on the A horizon right below it.
31. E The R horizon is the location of bedrock. It is also considered to be the parent material of soil and is
often the deepest part of the soil horizon.
32. A Acid precipitation is formed from the chemicals released into the atmosphere during combustion in
industrial processes and vehicle emissions. The chemicals react in the environment to form acid precip-
itation. Because emissions and particulate matter can be carried long distances in the atmosphere, acid
precipitation can occur far from its source.
33. B Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere, making up 78 percent of its composi-
tion. Oxygen makes up 21 percent and other gases comprise the remaining 1 percent.
34. C Humans are depleting stocks of large fish, leading to the harvesting of smaller and smaller fish. This
is considered fishing down the food chain because the largest fish make up the top of the food chain in
an ecosystem, and the smaller fish are located at the bottom.
35. B Hot spots occur when magma breaks through the middle of a plate, emerging and hardening on the
surface. As this occurs over time, the hardened magma continues to layer and ultimately may rise above
sea level. This is how the Hawaiian Islands formed.
36. D The photic zone is the top layer of the ocean. It receives the most solar radiation and, in turn,
provides energy for most of the ocean's primary productivity.
37. D Vitamin A deficiency is common in malnourished populations and can lead to blindness and reduced
ability to battle infection. Golden rice is a genetically modified food created with the purpose of provid-
ing people in these regions with vitamin A.
38. A Permit trading allows companies to buy and sell emissions permits. A certain level of emissions is
established within an industry for a particular pollutant. Companies are issued a certain number of per-
mits for these emissions. They can buy, sell, and trade these permits as long as the overall standards are
met. This is considered a way to meet environmental standards through the use of capitalism.
39. E Only pure water has a neutral pH. The minerals and other components of naturally occurring water
alter its pH slightly to become either somewhat basic or somewhat acidic.
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