Essential Environment The Science

Behind the Stories 5th Edition Whitgott

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Exam

Name___________________________________

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Use the figure above to answer the following question(s).

1) The figure demonstrates that it requires roughly ________ times more feed input to produce 1)
1 kg of eggs, compared to 1 kg of milk.
A) 30 B) 50 C) 15 D) 40 E) 4
Answer: E

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 2) The comparison shown in the figure is environmentally significant because ________. 2)
A) the same grain used to feed chickens and cows could be fed to many humans instead
B) production of beef and pork is resource-intensive
C) cows are a keystone species
D) we cannot survive without eating the foods pictured
E) grain is a nonrenewable resource
Answer: B

3) Cows require a high quantity of feed because they ________. 3)

A) can feed more people than pigs
B) are genetically modified organisms
C) are raised on feedlots
D) are the best source of high quality protein
E) take time to grow and have a low energy conversion efficiency
Answer: E

4) Based on the information in the figure, you decide to make changes in your diet to diminish your 4)
ecological footprint (the environmental impact of your food choices) by ________.
A) shifting your protein intake to young cows and pigs to reduce resource consumption
B) eliminating all protein from your diet
C) shifting your protein intake from beef and pork to eggs and dairy products
D) shifting your protein intake from eggs and dairy products to beef and pork
E) shifting to beef exclusively because of the large amount of meat from a single cow
Answer: C

MATCHING. Choose the item in column 2 that best matches each item in column 1.

Match the following:

5) Major pollinators of many flowering A) roundup
5)
non-grain crop plants
Answer: D B) earthworms

6) Can protect crops from some insect C) Bacillus thuringiensis 6)

pest-related losses when applied
periodically
D) bees
Answer: C
E) Pseudomonas syringae
7) A successful biological control species,
7)
introduced from Argentina to
Australia in the 1920s to control F) Cactoblastis cactorum
invasive prickly pear cactus
Answer: F

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 8) Introduced for biological control of A) soil fungi
8)
caterpillars
Answer: B B) parasitoid wasps

9) Honeybees are vanishing at an C) colony collapse disorder 9)

alarming rate because of this
Answer: C D) plasmids

10) Bacterial component for genetically

10)
modified organisms
Answer: D

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

11) Monoculture ________. 11)

A) farming is illegal in most countries
B) describes diets low in protein, such as vegetarianism
C) is an agricultural practice that uses no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides
D) describes food that has not been genetically modified
E) is an agricultural practice of growing large stands of a single species
Answer: E

12) Until about 10,000 years ago, our species depended on ________. 12)
A) hunting and gathering
B) cattle
C) crops and cattle
D) hunting and herding
E) crops
Answer: A

13) In Queensland, Australia, cactus moths (Cactoblastis cactorum) ________. 13)

A) effectively cleared non-native prickly pear cactus from rangeland
B) are a keystone species
C) are raised as a food source by native Aborigines
D) are an invasive species
E) are examples of species that have developed resistance to pesticides
Answer: A

14) Recombinant DNA ________. 14)

A) is assembled in the lab from mononucleotides
B) was part of the Green Revolution of the 1960s
C) is cross-pollination of one plant by a different species
D) is pollination of one plant by another of the same species
E) is the merging of DNA from unrelated organisms to create new genetic varieties
Answer: E

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15) What is true about GM crops? 15)
A) Europe leads the world in land area dedicated to GM crops.
B) They are unanimously favored by environmentalists.
C) Latin America leads the world in land area dedicated to GM crops.
D) The United States leads the world in land area dedicated to GM crops.
E) They require artificial pollination methods.
Answer: D

16) Raising ________ requires the most land and water. 16)
A) pigs
B) dairy cattle
C) chickens
D) beef cattle
E) goats
Answer: D

17) Researchers have demonstrated that organic farming ________. 17)

A) presently has no market in Europe
B) decreased organic soil losses while giving yields comparable to conventional farming
C) increases the incidence of invasive species
D) is only sustainable with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers
E) suppresses the biodiversity of pollinating insects, especially bees
Answer: B

18) Bt crops ________. 18)

A) have been given a bacterial gene that gives chemical protection against pests
B) include strawberries that are resistant to frost damage
C) have seeds that will only germinate under laboratory conditions
D) have not yet been approved by the FDA
E) are widely grown in Europe
Answer: A

19) Of the following, ________ requires the least land to produce 1 kg of protein. 19)
A) milk B) chicken C) beef D) eggs E) pork
Answer: B

20) Humus is ________. 20)

A) artificial fertilizer applied to monocultures
B) one of the primary causes of desertification
C) composed of organic matter and is necessary to fertility and holding soil moisture
D) found in the E layer of a soil horizon
E) the result of agricultural runoff into waterways or groundwater
Answer: C

21) Which of the following is true? 21)

A) Aquaculture has decreased significantly since 1985.
B) People are undernourished is because they are not educated about proper nutrition.
C) World hunger has increased significantly since 1970.
D) In 2010, 1 in 4 adults in the United States is obese and 3 out of 5 are overweight.
E) World grain production has tripled since 1985.
Answer: D

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22) Industrial agriculture ________. 22)
A) permanently improved soils, providing more food from less space
B) had no impact on agriculture
C) is necessary today for all cultures
D) increased our ability to obtain more food from the same area
E) rapidly deteriorated soils, requiring continuous movement to new croplands
Answer: D

23) Green Revolution techniques ________. 23)

A) focus on sustainability
B) focus on organic farming
C) focus on preserving biodiversity
D) have increased crop yields but may not be sustainable
E) have contributed to an increased diversity of foods in the human diet
Answer: D

24) ________% of the food we consume comes from ________ crop species. 24)
A) 50; 50 B) 50; 20 C) 90; 15 D) 10; 100 E) 90; 100
Answer: C

25) Since 1960, pesticide use has increased ________ worldwide. 25)
A) threefold B) twofold C) fivefold D) fourfold E) sixfold
Answer: D

26) Of the following, ________ best describes integrated pest management (IPM). 26)
A) transgenic crops
B) subsidies for pesticide use
C) biocontrol measures, crop rotation, and habitat diversification
D) major reliance on synthetic pesticides
E) continuous monoculture cropping and harvesting
Answer: C

27) Relative to sustainable agriculture, insectsʹ roles are as ________. 27)

A) genetically modified species
B) harmful herbivores that need to be eliminated
C) essential pollinators and predators
D) keystone species
E) invasive species
Answer: C

28) We lose 5 to 7 million ha of productive cropland per year to ________. 28)

A) damage from recreation activity
B) damage from pesticides
C) erosion, over-irrigation, and overgrazing
D) reforestation and wetland restoration
E) no-till cropping and shelterbelts
Answer: C

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29) Aquaculture ________. 29)
A) can bring economic benefits and food security to many developing regions
B) frequently results in unintended catch of non-target species
C) produces less fish per unit area compared to ocean water harvesting
D) uses more fossil fuels than traditional commercial fishing
E) has no real environmental disadvantages
Answer: A

30) Organic farming ________. 30)

A) began in the 1960s
B) has no state or national standards in the United States
C) is presently limited to crops of fruits and vegetables
D) and organically grown produce have not been supported by the European Union
E) has increased in the United States, Canada, and Europe in recent years
Answer: E

31) Monoculture, the practice of planting large areas with a single crop ________. 31)
A) always uses no-till techniques of planting
B) is typical of Native American farming techniques
C) is a development of industrial agriculture
D) requires no artificial pesticides or fertilizers
E) accounts for less than 1% of U.S. farmland
Answer: C

32) Seed banks (institutions that store and preserve seeds) are important for ________. 32)
A) protecting genetic diversity
B) cash deposits for developing countries
C) protecting monoculture productivity
D) providing farmers with the current yearʹs GM crops
E) loans to developing countries to promote organic agriculture
Answer: A

33) It is more energetically efficient for us to eat more ________. 33)

A) plant-based foods
B) GM foods
C) herbivorous animals like cattle and chicken
D) foods grown using IPM methods
E) carnivorous animals like fish and alligator
Answer: A

34) During the past half-century, global food production has ________ world population growth. 34)
A) fallen behind
B) surpassed by several orders of magnitude
C) stayed about even with
D) grown at a faster rate than
E) fallen to critical levels compared to
Answer: D

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35) Factors involved in soil formation are ________. 35)
A) weathering of parent material, freezing/thawing, tree roots
B) erosion, leaching
C) frequent wildfires, wind, temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit
D) nitrogen-fixing bacteria, grazing by herbivores, tropical storms
E) seasonal changes in tides, earthquakes
Answer: A

36) The breakdown of large rocks into smaller pieces is ________. 36)
A) called mineralization
B) a major cause of topsoil erosion
C) unaffected by winds
D) affected by rainfall, freezing and thawing
E) primarily caused by topsoil erosion
Answer: D

37) Normal Borlaug, who passed away in 2009, pioneered the development of ________. 37)
A) IPM
B) high-yield wheat
C) organic agriculture
D) GM crops
E) monoculture farming
Answer: B

38) Leaching ________. 38)

A) is caused by upwelling of groundwater into soils
B) is a natural component of composting
C) is a natural mechanism for adding nutrients to soils
D) removes water-soluble nutrients from soils
E) helps crops grow when it occurs in spring
Answer: D

39) The O horizon of soils consists of ________. 39)

A) bedrock
B) material leached from the top layers of soils
C) mostly organic material
D) materials deposited by erosion
E) weathered parent material
Answer: C

40) The loss of more than 10% productivity in an arid area due to erosion, soil compaction, 40)
deforestation or overgrazing is ________.
A) climatization
B) deposition
C) stratification
D) global climate change
E) desertification
Answer: E

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41) Terracing, contour farming, intercropping, and crop rotation all ________. 41)
A) contribute to erosion and desertification
B) contribute to leaching
C) are techniques for conserving soil resources and fertility
D) are aspects of IPM
E) are prohibited in organic farming
Answer: C

42) No-till farming would be most beneficial for farmers ________. 42)
A) who plant a cash crop every third year
B) whose cropland is in the Conservation Reserve Program
C) who typically experience minimal soil erosion
D) with steeply sloped fields
E) using contour strip cropping
Answer: D

43) The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to ________. 43)

A) pasture cattle instead of growing crops
B) grow native crops such as corn and beans
C) stop growing tobacco
D) stop cultivating highly erodible land
E) experiment growing new varieties of GM crops
Answer: D

44) The consequences of over-fertilizing include ________. 44)

A) very large fruits and vegetables
B) larger crop yields per acre
C) very fertile soils in future years
D) crops spreading into adjacent unfarmed areas
E) eutrophication and dead zones in nearby aquatic ecosystems
Answer: E

45) To make organic fertilizer by composting, you do not include ________. 45)
A) crop residues
B) shredded plastic and metals, waste from animal butchering
C) dead leaves, weeds
D) animal manures
E) wood chips
Answer: B

46) Over-irrigation can result in ________. 46)

A) higher numbers of agricultural pests
B) crop rotation
C) soil salinization and waterlogging
D) erosion
E) leaching
Answer: C

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ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.

47) What are the arguments for and against genetically modified crops? Discuss the scientific, economic, and
political issues.
Answer: Proponents of GM crops stress continuity with the agricultural past, arguing that there is little reason to
expect that todayʹs GM food is any less safe than the selectively bred food of the past. They also argue
that conferring pest resistance to crops can decrease use of chemical pesticides. Critics point out that the
new techniques differ from traditional breeding techniques because they mix species, create species in
the lab, not the field, and deal with novel gene combinations not possible in nature. They worry about
allergic reactions in people and the ʺspreadʺ of inserted genes into the soil and other organisms in the
ecosystem. There is also the question of maintaining the genetic diversity and integrity of the many
varieties of indigenous crops such as corn. Many of these varieties have been cultivated for centuries by
the indigenous farmers of Mexico and many other nations. Corn is wind pollinated, and patented GM
corn has been forming transgenic hybrids with a variety of indigenous strains. Unfortunately, there is
little to prevent many GM crops from spreading to non-GM crops in adjacent fields. Controversy has
arisen as the corporate agribusiness developers of GM crops have been suing farmers for patent
infringement because of this unintentional and often unrecognized contamination. The political debate
involves labeling and an individualʹs right to know what is in the food they consume. Industry has a
large financial stake in seeing the continued use of GM foods. Critics argue that we should adopt the
precautionary principle with GM foods.

48) Explain the statement ʺthe lower down in the food chain we eat, the greater percentage of solar energy we put
to use, and the more people Earth can supportʺ in terms of trophic levels and pyramids of energy.
Answer: Meat is farther from the sun in the food chain than plant material. Consuming meat decreases the
amount of usable energy that is obtained directly from the sun because animals must first consume
plants before they are eaten by humans. Every time energy moves from one trophic level to the next, as
much as 90% of the useful energy present in the lower trophic level is lost. This is because the second
law of energy states that entropy increases as one goes from one level to the next and energy is lost as
heat or light at each transfer. For this reason, people who rely heavily on meat as a source of food energy
are less energy efficient than ones that rely on fewer animal products or a vegetarian diet. The biomass
pyramid echoes this, as each trophic level contains less biomass (energy) than the lower level.

49) Why is variety in crop plants important for ʺfood securityʺ? How is this threatened by GM food crops? What is
the United Statesʹ position on GM products? How does this differ from the position of other countries?
Answer: Varieties contain genes that, through conventional breeding, might confer resistance to disease, pests,
inbreeding, and other pressures that challenge modern agriculture. Monocultures of industrial
agriculture place all our eggs in one basket, so that any single catastrophe could potentially wipe out
multiple crops. Wild relatives contain genetic diversity that may have ready -made solutions to
unforeseen problems. The position of the United States is that GM foods are an acceptable food crop.
Many nations refuse to purchase or accept food or seed crops that are GM. The European Union has
been extremely outspoken against the use or trade of GM foods.

50) Describe and discuss the use of biological control for battling pests.
Answer: This strategy uses predators and pathogens, parasitoids of crop pests rather than chemicals to control
pest densities. An organism that eats a crop pest is released into a crop; it kills the crop pest, decreasing
the density of the crop pest without chemicals. The fact that many biocontrol agents are functioning
parts of the ecosystemʹs food web greatly reduces the chances of pests becoming resistant to a predator
or disease vector. It goes without saying that biological control of this type precludes using chemical
sprays at the same time.

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51) What was the Green Revolution, and what impact did it have on developing countries? Discuss the impact of
the Green Revolution on the environment.
Answer: The need for higher quantity and better quality of food for the growing human population led in the
mid- and late 20th century to the green revolution, wherein scientists in the developed world created
methods and technology to increase crop output per unit area of existing cultivated land. In developing
countries, this greatly increased agricultural production. The Green Revolution has enabled India to stop
importing grain and to maintain extra grain reserves as a buffer against food shortages. But it depends
heavily upon chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which can be expensive and lead to pesticide resistance.
Environmentally, in the short term, this was positive because it decreased the need for new areas for
cultivation and reduced rates of deforestation. Unfortunately, it also increased the use of water, chemical
fertilizers, pesticides, and fossil fuels, increasing pollution, salinization, desertification, and the chance of
crops developing pesticide resistance and thus may not be sustainable.

52) What are the dangers associated with pesticide use? How can biocontrol and use of crops with high genetic
diversity be used to decrease the amount of pesticides used?
Answer: Pesticides are toxins that are general biocides that kill many non -target useful species, such as
pollinators and predators, and also can harm humans. Pesticide use has increased to lower crop loss due
to pests and increase yield. Increased use results in resistance developing in pest populations. When this
occurs, the type of pesticide used has to be altered so that pests can be controlled. Increasing the toxicity
of pesticides is often the solution. Biological control can decrease pest density by introducing enemies of
the pests to the field. This decreases pest numbers without chemicals. Increasing the genetic diversity of
the crop can also decrease pest numbers because pests may not be able to consume all genetic varieties in
the crop. Different species also ʺhostʺ predators of pests and balance nutrient use. This will result in
higher yields through healthier plants and reduction of pest populations.

53) Why is resistance of pest populations to pesticides likely over time when they are used in agriculture?
Answer: A small fraction of large pest populations may have genes that confer some degree of immunity to a
given pesticide. If very few resistant pests survive, they may reproduce quickly and create a new
population of genetically resistant pests because their population is no longer balanced by the
susceptible individuals. The pesticide will not be effective against this new resistant pest population.

54) What is the basic concept of sustainable agriculture?

Answer: Sustainable agriculture is agriculture that does not deplete soils faster than they form and does not
destroy the biodiversity of the area. Sustainable farming and ranching do not reduce the amount of
healthy soil, clean water, genetic diversity of crop plants and animals. Maintaining as much ecological
biodiversity as possible in the agro-ecosystem is essential to long-term crop and livestock production.
After all, our concept of sustainability is based on the functioning of intact ecosystems, and
agro-ecosystems are modified ecosystems which are governed by the same rules of stability and
interdependence as their natural counterparts.

55) Briefly discuss some disadvantages to aquaculture.

Answer: Dense concentrations of farmed animals can increase the incidence of disease, which reduces food
security, necessitates antibiotic treatment, and results in additional expense. Aquaculture can also
produce high amounts of waste from the farmed organisms and from the large portion of feed that goes
uneaten and decomposes in the water column. If farmed aquatic organisms escape where they are not
native, they can cause unpredictable harm by spreading disease or outcompeting native organisms.

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56) Discuss the practices used by farmers to protect their soils.
Answer: There are numerous practices used by farmers to protect their soils. Crop rotation can return nutrients to
the soil and can be used as an alternative to letting fields lie fallow, which exposes soils to erosion.
Contour farming protects soils against erosion by shaping agricultural fields to minimize the possibility
of water running down a hillside. Intercropping is the planting of two types of vegetation in the same
field, either overlapping the crops or planting them in alternating rows. It provides a more complete
land cover by decreasing bare areas between rows. Shelterbelts provide windbreaks that slow ground
wind speed across a field. No-till, or conservation, tillage decreases the plowing of soil and provides less
exposure of soils to wind and water for erosion. The use of irrigation can prevent wind erosion, although
used incorrectly it can cause water erosion and salinization. The final way to protect soils is by
composting, returning vegetable wastes to cropland so that their fiber and minerals can promote humus
development.

57) Describe the American Dust Bowl and the lesson learned.
Answer: Homesteaders cultivated the native prairies of the Great Plains of the United States. In this area, prairie
grasses had prevented erosion. Farmers removed the grass and planted wheat and raised cattle. This
damaged the soil structure. In the early 1930s, a drought exacerbated the ongoing impact of humans on
soils and resulted in wind erosion of millions of tons of topsoil. Impacts of soil entrained in the
atmosphere were detected as far away as New York, where black snow and rain fell. The lesson was that
soil conservation had to be a priority to protect our ability to produce food in this country. The Soil
Conservation Service was created.

58) Define the term soil profile. What are the influences on the development of a soil profile, and how do profiles
differ?
Answer: The layers of soil found in a particular location are known as that areaʹs soil profile. The process of soil
formation can lead to characteristic aspects of soil structure. Once mechanical, chemical, and biological
weathering have produced a layer of smaller particles between the parent material and atmosphere,
wind and water begin to move and sort them. Organisms migrate in and move soils as well. Eventually,
distinct zones and patterns appear. Soil profiles differ from location to location due to variations in
parent material, climate, and other factors.

59) Describe the goals and effects of industrial agriculture.

Answer: The injection of large amounts of fossil fuels, mechanization of traditional farming techniques for
growing and transporting crops and the development of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides
have greatly expanded humanityʹs ability to produce food and have been instrumental in allowing food
production to keep pace with population growth. However, efficiency has dictated that crops be grown
in monocultures, with huge amounts of land devoted to a single crop species. This has resulted in
increased use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, resulting in a host of negative environmental
impacts. The ʺgreen revolution,ʺ which promised greater yields of staple crops, especially in developing
nations, has indeed delivered as promised but has damaged soils in the process and, with heavy
dependence on pesticides and fertilizers, has become increasingly expensive for poorer farmers to
practice.

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MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Read the following scenario and answer the question(s) below.

Despite the high cost of the technology to design genetically modified (GM) crops, American companies have invested in
their development. The first genetically engineered crop was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was created by reversing the
function of a normal tomato gene. It was approved by the FDA for sale in the United States in 1994. Its grower, the Calgene
Corporation, maintained that it would ripen longer on the vine, taste and ship better, and last longer on supermarket shelves
compared to conventional tomatoes. It is no longer marketed because of technical problems and public safety concerns.
Today, most engineered crops are modified for insect and herbicide resistance. In 1997, the Monsanto company first
marketed GM corn. This Bt corn was engineered using genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that made the corn
resistant to some pests. In 1999, environmentalists were alarmed when it was reported that pollen from Bt corn could kill
monarch butterfly larvae if corn pollen drifted onto milkweed plants that monarchs fed upon. Consumers feared the
unknown and were concerned about potential food allergies. Presently, corn, along with soybeans, cotton, and canola
dominate the GM food market. These crops are grown and distributed mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada,
Brazil, and China. They are used mostly for animal feed, clothing, or to make oil or other ingredients for processed food,
which has helped them gain public acceptance. Although GM crops such as strawberries, potatoes, and lettuce have all been
marketed in the United States, GM food field trials involving biotech fruits and vegetables have dropped significantly
during the past several years, and the pace of new product introductions has fallen sharply. This narrow range of crops
could mean that biotechnology may not realize its full potential in the future.

60) Which of the following was a positive environmental aspect of the Flavr Savr tomato? 60)
A) It is grown using less chemicals because it is less likely to rot.
B) It has a better taste.
C) It could be shipped further.
D) It is available at a lower cost to the consumer.
E) It has a better appearance.
Answer: A

61) The Flavr Savr tomato is no longer marketed because ________. 61)
A) people were nervous about eating genetically modified tomatoes
B) they require too much water to grow
C) genetically modified crops presently are not approved for sale in the United States
D) Calgene failed to attain government approval to market it
E) butterfly larvae that ate the tomato plants were poisoned
Answer: A

62) Why do soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola dominate the GM crop market? 62)
A) These crops help to feed and clothe the poor.
B) They are ingredients in processed foods, so they are more easily accepted.
C) They are the only GMO crops approved since the Flavr Savr tomato.
D) They are inexpensive to produce.
E) They are exempt from U.S. regulations.
Answer: B

63) Why have most bioengineered crops been modified for ʺresistanceʺ traits? 63)
A) These are the only traits proven safe for the environment.
B) No technology exists to engineer other traits successfully.
C) These traits have the economic potential to save on production costs.
D) These are the only traits proven safe for the human health.
E) Crops with these traits taste better.
Answer: C

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64) If GM crops can decrease pesticide use, why are environmentalists still concerned about them? 64)
A) The FDA does not regulate them.
B) Inserted genes can spread to non-target species.
C) The government funds most GM crop research.
D) There is no public opposition to GM crops.
E) Trials involving biotech fruits and vegetables have increased dramatically in recent years.
Answer: B

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