Question

1. urban heat islands

a city has two zones:
zone a has tall buildings, asphalt, and few trees.
zone b has parks, lawns, and tall trees.
during a heatwave, zone a is 10°f hotter than zone b.
what best explains this difference?

a. hard, impervious surfaces in zone a trap heat.
b. zone bs vegetation increases temperatures.
c. urban heat islands do not affect temperature.
d. aquatic ecosystems cause temperatures to rise.

1. fertilizer runoff

after heavy rain, fertilizer washes into a lake repeatedly over many weeks. what is the most likely effect?

a. the ecosystem becomes more stable.
b. fish have more food.
c. algae receive fewer nutrients.
d. less oxygen becomes available for fish.

1. land use impacts

a dataset shows impacts of agriculture, mining, recreation, and industry. which land use most harms ecosystem stability?

a. agriculture due to pesticides and fertilizer runoff.
b. industry due to high air and water pollution.
c. recreation due to high biodiversity.
d. mining due to pollutants that reduce biodiversity.

1. water table levels

diagram similar to test:
water table level
|
|\\
| \\
| \\
| \\
+------------------- time
what most likely caused the decrease in aquifer water level?

a. more precipitation
b. increased water conservation
c. decrease in recharge
d. less irrigation for farming

1. sediment load in chesapeake bay

what activity most increases suspended sediments?

a. restoring wetlands
b. reducing fertilizer use
c. planting vegetation near streams
d. new construction near waterways

Explanation:

Question 1: Urban Heat Islands

• Option A: Hard surfaces (asphalt, buildings) in Zone A absorb and trap heat, causing higher temps. Vegetation in Zone B cools via transpiration/shading, so Zone A is hotter.
• Option B: Vegetation cools, not increases temp.
• Option C: Urban heat islands do affect temperature (Zone A is hotter, so this is wrong).
• Option D: No aquatic ecosystems mentioned; irrelevant.

• Fertilizer runoff causes eutrophication: excess nutrients (nitrogen/phosphorus) lead to algal blooms. Algae die, decompose (using oxygen), reducing dissolved oxygen for fish.
• Option A: Eutrophication destabilizes ecosystems (algal blooms, fish kills), so not more stable.
• Option B: Algal blooms may initially seem like food, but later oxygen depletion harms fish, so not a positive “more food” outcome.
• Option C: Fertilizer adds nutrients, so algae get more, not fewer.
• Option D: Correct—oxygen decreases for fish.

• Mining involves extracting minerals, often with pollutants (heavy metals, sediment) that reduce biodiversity (habitat destruction, pollution).
• Option A: Agriculture runoff harms, but mining’s pollutants (e.g., acid mine drainage) severely reduce biodiversity.
• Option B: Industry pollution harms, but mining’s direct habitat destruction + pollution is more impactful for ecosystem stability (biodiversity loss).
• Option C: Recreation (e.g., hiking) has low impact; “high biodiversity” is good, not harmful.
• Option D: Mining introduces pollutants (heavy metals, sediment) that reduce biodiversity, harming ecosystem stability.

Answer:

A. Hard, impervious surfaces in Zone A trap heat.

Question 2: Fertilizer Runoff