Aquatic & Terrestrial Pollution
What is a common consequence of overfishing in marine ecosystems?
Greater plant diversity
Increased water temperatures
Decreased fish populations
More coral reef formation
What is a potential drawback of creating protected areas such as national parks to conserve ecosystems?
They promote urban sprawl by encouraging cities to expand outwards.
They can displace local communities who rely on the resources within these areas for their livelihoods.
They significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions due to visitor transportation.
They reduce biodiversity by isolating species in small, non-connected areas.
Which urban development strategy would have the largest impact on reducing heat island effects while simultaneously promoting biodiversity?
Creating additional park space equal to five percent of city land area.
Expanding public transportation networks throughout metropolitan areas.
Requiring green roofs across all new commercial building developments.
Incentivizing energy-efficient HVAC systems in large residential complexes.
Which form of energy production is least likely to contribute to thermal pollution?
Coal-fired power plants
Nuclear reactors
Wind energy
Combined cycle natural gas plants
How do subsidies provided for fossil fuel industries affect environmental sustainability efforts?
They directly support research and development into sustainable alternative energies.
They lead to decreased production costs which drive down consumer prices for renewables.
They encourage continued reliance on non-renewable resources over investment in renewable energy sources.
Subsidies foster competitive markets that enable green technologies to become more affordable.
What type of pollution is commonly associated with agricultural runoff?
Sediment pollution from construction sites
Thermal pollution from power plants
Heavy metal pollution from mining operations
Nutrient pollution from fertilizers
What long-term impact might urban sprawl have on surrounding rural landscapes?
Enhanced carbon sequestration as a result of increased green space within urban areas.
Fragmented wildlife habitats leading to reduced species viability and migration routes disruption.
Reduced light pollution as cities focus infrastructure development away from rural areas.
Greater biological corridors that improve gene flow between separated populations of species.

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Which practice best demonstrates sustainable use of resources by humans?
Using disposable plastic bottles.
Overfishing marine populations.
Recycling paper and plastics.
Applying excessive pesticides to crops.
Which legislation primarily aims to control air pollution at the national level in the United States?
The Clean Air Act
The Safe Drinking Water Act
The Endangered Species Act
The Clean Water Act
Which primary factors do scientists measure to determine the health of an aquatic ecosystem?
PH levels and sunlight intensity.
Salinity and turbidity.
Dissolved oxygen and nutrient levels.
Biodiversity and population density.