Practice Test 1 - AP Environmental Science

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

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1. An ecologist notes that on a small island, bird species frequently go locally extinct and are later replaced by new colonists. In island biogeography theory, this ongoing replacement at equilibrium is called:
2. Species EE and FF have the following traits: EE—short lifespan, many offspring, no parental care; FF—long lifespan, few offspring, extensive care. A region shifts from stable climate to frequent extreme events. Which outcome is most likely?
3. A region's climate shifts to cooler, wetter conditions after deforestation upwind is reversed by large-scale reforestation; which mechanism is most plausible?
4. In a food chain: plankton (trophic level 1) → shrimp → cod → seal → polar bear. Which organism is the tertiary consumer?
5. A mine proposes using limestone addition to treat acidic drainage. What is the primary chemical goal?
6. Which set correctly lists the three major surface wind belts from equator to pole in one hemisphere?
7. A country considers weakening enforcement of CFC import restrictions. Which consequence is most consistent with stratospheric ozone science?
8. In a hydroelectric system, which energy transformation best describes what happens as water flows from the reservoir through the turbines to produce electricity?
9. Because the ocean absorbs about 90% of Earth's excess heat, a coastal city observes that global mean sea level has risen even in years when the total mass of land ice loss temporarily slows. Which mechanism best explains why sea level can keep rising under continued ocean warming? The scenario also notes that warmer surface water can intensify coral bleaching, and that added freshwater from ice melt can alter thermohaline circulation.
10. Two populations of the same frog species (Population X in a wetland and Population Y in a nearby forest pond) are tested for genetic variation at 20 DNA loci. Population X has 3 alleles per locus on average, while Population Y has 8 alleles per locus on average. Which statement best identifies the biodiversity level being measured and why it matters for conservation planning?
11. In a lake contaminated with PCBs, a small fish has 0.6 ppm and a larger fish of the same species has 1.4 ppm. Both feed at the same trophic level. Which process best explains the difference?
12. In a simplified fission chain reaction, one fission event releases 2–3 neutrons, which may cause more fissions. What is the best description of why a moderator (such as water) is used in many reactors?
13. A dairy farm has fly problems near manure storage. The farm increases manure removal frequency, uses fans to reduce fly resting, releases parasitoid wasps, and uses insecticide sprays only in localized hotspots when monitoring shows high adult fly counts. Which action is primarily a cultural control?
14. A student predicts that winds at $10^\circ$ N should be westerlies because they are in the Northern Hemisphere. Which correction is most accurate?
15. A graph of global temperature anomalies shows short-term dips after major volcanic eruptions, followed by a return to the long-term warming trend. Which interpretation best explains this pattern?
16. A municipal water utility upgrades treatment to reduce pharmaceuticals and endocrine-active compounds. After the upgrade, fewer male fish downstream show feminization. Which inference best links the observation to endocrine disruptors?
17. A popular national park allows visitors to feed wildlife and leaves trash accessible. A nonnative rat species arrives via supply trucks and establishes around campgrounds, preying on ground-nesting birds. Which impact is best identified as the new driver of bird declines?
18. Which best distinguishes nonpoint from point sources in monitoring data collected along a river?
19. On a hot afternoon, sunlight warms a shallow lake. Over several hours, the lake's water level drops slightly as liquid water changes into water vapor and rises into the air. Which water-cycle process is primarily responsible for this change?
20. A growing population increases fertilizer use; a lake develops algal blooms; which resource becomes less available?

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