AP Environmental Science Full-length practice exam 1

At a convergent boundary where an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, which of the following features is most likely to form?

Acid rain forms when _____ and _____ react with water vapor in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

Geothermal energy for electricity generation is most viable in which locations?

Solid waste in landfills undergoes anaerobic decomposition that produces:

A population of cheetahs shows very little variation in immune system genes, making them highly susceptible to the same diseases. This problem illustrates a loss of:

The difference between tropospheric ozone (bad) and stratospheric ozone (good) is primarily:

The Paris Agreement (2015) established a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit to 1.5°C. This agreement operates primarily through:

Which waste management strategy is HIGHEST on the preferred waste management hierarchy (reduces the most environmental impact)?

Which type of rock forms from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava?

During a temperature inversion, a layer of warm air traps cooler air (and pollutants) near the ground. This situation most directly worsens which air pollution problem?

Soil erosion is accelerated by all of the following EXCEPT:

A population of 1,000 rabbits grows at an annual rate of 3.5%. Using the Rule of 70, approximately how many years will it take for the population to double?

A coral reef ecosystem provides habitat for hundreds of fish species and protects coastlines from wave erosion. Which pair of ecosystem service categories does this represent?

The Coriolis effect influences atmospheric circulation by causing winds in the Northern Hemisphere to deflect:

A farmer applies excess nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer to fields near a lake. After a heavy rain, runoff enters the lake. Over the following weeks, which sequence of events is most likely to occur?

A city's sewage treatment plant discharges treated effluent into a river. Primary treatment removes ___; secondary treatment removes ___.

Ice core data from Antarctica and Greenland are used as evidence for past climate change. What property of ice cores provides the most direct record of past atmospheric CO₂ concentrations?

Clear-cutting a tropical forest for cattle ranching causes which of the following environmental consequences MOST directly?

LED lighting is more energy efficient than incandescent lighting primarily because:

A small island 500 km from the mainland has fewer bird species than an equally sized island located 50 km from the mainland. This pattern is best explained by:

A major environmental concern specific to nuclear power plants is:

Rising global temperatures are shifting the geographic ranges of many species poleward and to higher elevations. A species living on a mountaintop that cannot move higher as temperatures rise faces:

The maximum amount of fish that can be harvested from a fishery without causing long-term population decline is called the:

A valley along the California coast experiences frequent morning fog that burns off by midday, mild temperatures year-round, wet winters, and dry summers. This climate pattern is characteristic of a:

Lead contamination in drinking water systems (e.g., Flint, Michigan crisis) most commonly enters drinking water through:

Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer that shields Earth from UV radiation?

A scientist measures the amount of carbon dioxide fixed by phytoplankton in a lake over one year and reports 500 g C/m²/yr. This figure represents the lake's:

A coal-fired power plant converts chemical energy in coal to electricity with an efficiency of 35%. If the plant consumes 1,000 kJ of energy from coal, how much electrical energy is delivered to the grid?

Tropical rainforests cover ~6% of Earth's land surface but contain an estimated 50–80% of all terrestrial species. The primary reason for this extraordinary species richness is:

A tropical rainforest is cleared and replaced by a crop monoculture. Which type of biodiversity loss occurs FIRST and MOST directly?

Strip mining for coal removes entire hillsides of overburden to access coal seams near the surface. The most significant long-term water quality problem associated with strip mining is:

Ecological succession on a newly formed volcanic island begins with:

Methane (CH₄) contributes to global warming despite being present at far lower atmospheric concentrations than CO₂. The reason methane is such a significant greenhouse gas concern is that:

A river downstream of a cattle feedlot shows high concentrations of nitrates, fecal coliform bacteria, and ammonia. Which source category best describes this pollution?

When two different species of Paramecium are grown together in the same culture on a limited food resource, one species always outcompetes and eliminates the other. This outcome is an example of:

Particulate matter (PM₂.₅) is considered more dangerous to human health than PM₁₀ primarily because:

The Ogallala Aquifer underlies much of the U.S. Great Plains and is used for agricultural irrigation. It is being depleted at a rate 10–40 times faster than natural recharge. This situation is an example of:

An invasive species is introduced to a new habitat. Which combination of factors MOST typically explains its population explosion in the new environment?

A conservation biologist studying wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone observed that elk began avoiding stream banks, allowing willows and aspens to recover. This ripple effect through the ecosystem is an example of:

Natural gas emits approximately half the CO₂ of coal per unit of energy produced. However, natural gas has a significant climate disadvantage compared to coal because:

Which conservation strategy is most likely to protect the greatest number of species across a landscape?

A population of 500 deer occupies a 50 km² forest. Biologists find 40 births and 20 deaths in one year, with 5 deer immigrating and 10 emigrating. What is the net change in the population over the year?

Total fertility rate (TFR) in a country falls from 4.2 to 2.1 children per woman. If TFR remains at 2.1, what will eventually happen to the population size (assuming no migration)?

Which of the following fishing practices has the MOST indiscriminate impact, capturing and killing non-target species (bycatch)?

Methylmercury in aquatic systems is most hazardous to organisms at the top of the food chain because of:

Microplastics in marine environments pose ecological threats because they:

The Montreal Protocol (1987) is widely considered one of the most successful environmental treaties. Its primary achievement was:

The oceans have absorbed approximately 25–30% of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. The primary chemical consequence of this is:

A population of 200 squirrels lives in a woodland. Ecologists estimate the carrying capacity of that woodland at 400 squirrels. Using logistic growth, at what population size would the growth rate be at its maximum?

Which biome is characterized by permafrost, low plant diversity dominated by mosses and grasses, and is found at high latitudes?

Indoor air quality is often worse than outdoor air quality in developed countries. Which of the following is a common source of formaldehyde, a significant indoor air pollutant?

Which of the following human demographic trends is associated with Stage 3 of the demographic transition?

The tropical rainforest, coral reef, and Mediterranean shrubland are all considered biodiversity hotspots. What TWO criteria define a biodiversity hotspot?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports conclude that global warming since 1950 is 'unequivocally' caused primarily by:

A homeowner installs solar panels (photovoltaic cells) on their rooftop. Which of the following accurately describes how they generate electricity?

The CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards regulate which aspect of energy use in the United States?

Which factor is a density-DEPENDENT limiting factor for a deer population?

Which of the following best describes the environmental impact of large-scale irrigation from surface water sources like rivers?

DDT was banned in the United States in 1972 primarily due to evidence that it:

In the context of Earth's energy budget, what is the greenhouse effect?

Which of the following is a characteristic shared by ALL fossil fuels?

Radon gas is an indoor air pollutant that poses a risk of which disease?

Which of the following is an example of a regulating ecosystem service?

Country X has high birth rates, high death rates, and a young population with rapid growth. Country Y has low birth rates, low death rates, and a stable or slightly declining population. According to the demographic transition model, Country X is in _______ and Country Y is in _______.

An age structure diagram (population pyramid) showing a very wide base (large proportion of young people) and narrow top (few elderly) indicates that the population will:

A forest fire destroys a pine forest. Five years later, the area is dominated by fast-growing shrubs and grasses. After 50 years, pines re-establish dominance. This process is called:

In a grassland ecosystem, grass produces 8,000 kcal/m²/yr. Grasshoppers consume the grass and assimilate 800 kcal/m²/yr. What is the ecological efficiency of energy transfer from grass to grasshoppers?

Superfund (CERCLA) sites are designated locations where:

In the carbon cycle, which human activity has contributed most to increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations since the Industrial Revolution?

Which biome has the highest net primary productivity per unit area?

The horizon sequence O-A-B-C describes a soil profile. Which horizon is most important for plant growth and contains the highest concentration of organic matter?

Industrial monoculture agriculture maximizes yield per acre by growing a single crop variety across large areas. Which of the following is a significant environmental drawback of this approach?

During an El Niño event, which of the following patterns is observed in the Pacific Ocean?

Global average surface temperatures have increased approximately 1.1°C since the pre-industrial period. Which of the following is a documented consequence of this warming?

Under the U.S. Clean Air Act's cap-and-trade (emissions trading) system for sulfur dioxide, power plants that reduce SO₂ emissions below their cap can:

Carbon monoxide (CO) is toxic to humans primarily because it:

La Niña conditions are characterized by which oceanic and atmospheric pattern in the Pacific?

A landscape ecologist comparing two forest fragments finds that the 100 ha fragment supports more species than the 10 ha fragment. An additional finding is that even within the 100 ha fragment, interior forest species are more abundant than edge-tolerant species. These observations together support the importance of:

Urbanization increases impervious surface cover (roads, parking lots, buildings). Which hydrological consequence does this MOST directly cause?

Which of the following best explains why the leeward (rain shadow) side of a mountain range is typically drier than the windward side?