All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is a common water-related environmental effect of mining or construction runoff?
Answer: Water pollution from sediment and chemicals. Rain washes loose materials into nearby water sources.
Flashcard 2: Which action best reduces pollution from using natural resources for electricity?
Answer: Using renewable energy such as wind or solar. Clean energy sources don't release harmful emissions.
Flashcard 3: Which practice best reduces the environmental impact of obtaining metals from Earth?
Answer: Recycling metals. Reusing metals avoids new mining damage.
Flashcard 4: What is the most direct environmental effect of building a dam across a river?
Answer: Changes to river flow and fish movement. Dams block natural water flow and fish migration paths.
Flashcard 5: Identify the environmental effect of leaving lights on when they are not needed.
Answer: More resource use and more pollution from power plants. Wasted electricity means burning more fuel unnecessarily.
Flashcard 6: What is a natural resource?
Answer: A useful material from Earth that people use. Natural resources come from nature and meet human needs.
Flashcard 7: What is a nonrenewable natural resource?
Answer: A resource that forms very slowly and can run out. Takes millions of years to form, like fossil fuels.
Flashcard 8: What is the main environmental effect of mining that removes plants and topsoil?
Answer: Land and habitat damage. Mining strips away surface layers where plants grow.
Flashcard 9: What is a renewable natural resource?
Answer: A resource that can be replaced naturally in a short time. These resources regenerate quickly through natural processes.
Flashcard 10: Which environmental effect is most directly caused by cutting many trees in one area?
Answer: Habitat loss. Trees provide homes and food for many animals.
Flashcard 11: What environmental problem often increases when forests are removed from hillsides?
Answer: Soil erosion. Tree roots hold soil in place on slopes.
Flashcard 12: Which option best explains why turning off unused lights helps the environment?
Answer: It reduces energy demand, so fewer fossil fuels may be burned. Less electricity use means power plants burn less coal or gas.
Flashcard 13: Identify the best choice: A hillside is cleared of trees, then heavy rain occurs. What increases most?
Answer: Soil erosion. Tree roots prevent erosion; without them, rain washes soil away.
Flashcard 14: Identify the best choice: A factory dumps waste into a river. Which type of pollution is this?
Answer: Water pollution. Waste in water is the definition of water pollution.
Flashcard 15: Which option best describes a benefit of using wind or solar energy instead of coal?
Answer: It produces much less air pollution during electricity generation. Renewable energy sources don't release harmful gases when used.
Flashcard 16: Which option best describes a benefit of recycling aluminum and paper?
Answer: It reduces the need to mine or cut down trees for new materials. Recycling saves natural resources by reusing existing materials.
Flashcard 17: Which environmental effect is most directly caused by overfishing in an ocean area?
Answer: Fish populations decrease and the food web is disrupted. Removing too many fish breaks the balance of ocean ecosystems.
Flashcard 18: What is the most likely environmental effect of building a dam on a river?
Answer: It changes habitats by altering water flow and fish movement. Dams block natural water flow and prevent fish migration.
Flashcard 19: What is the most likely environmental effect of pumping too much groundwater?
Answer: Lowered water table and less water for wells and streams. Overuse depletes underground water faster than rain refills it.
Flashcard 20: What is the main environmental concern when fertilizers wash into lakes or rivers?
Answer: Algal blooms that reduce oxygen in the water. Excess nutrients cause rapid algae growth that depletes oxygen.
Flashcard 21: Which environmental effect is most likely when plant roots are removed from soil?
Answer: Increased soil erosion. Roots hold soil in place and prevent it from washing away.
Flashcard 22: What is a major environmental effect of burning fossil fuels for energy?
Answer: Air pollution from gases and particles. Burning releases harmful gases and tiny particles into the air.
Flashcard 23: What is a common environmental effect of mining (coal, metals, or stone)?
Answer: Land is disturbed and habitats can be destroyed. Mining removes soil and rock layers where organisms live.
Flashcard 24: What is the main environmental effect of soil erosion on nearby rivers and lakes?
Answer: More sediment makes water cloudy and harms aquatic life. Eroded soil particles cloud water and block sunlight for plants.
Flashcard 25: What is soil erosion?
Answer: The movement of soil away by wind or water. Without plant roots, soil washes or blows away easily.
Flashcard 26: Which action best conserves natural resources when buying drinks: disposable bottles or refillable bottle?
Answer: Use a refillable bottle. Refillable bottles reduce plastic waste and resource use.
Flashcard 27: Choose the correct effect: Overfishing most directly causes what problem in oceans?
Answer: Fewer fish and an unbalanced food web. Removing too many fish disrupts ocean ecosystem balance.
Flashcard 28: Which option is an environmental benefit of using wind or solar energy instead of coal?
Answer: Less air pollution because no fuel is burned. Wind and solar generate electricity without emissions.
Flashcard 29: Identify the environmental effect of building roads and cities on natural land.
Answer: Habitat loss and increased runoff into waterways. Development removes habitats and increases polluted water flow.
Flashcard 30: Which option is a direct way to reduce air pollution from electricity use at home?
Answer: Use less electricity to reduce fossil-fuel burning. Less electricity means power plants burn less coal or gas.