Page 1
AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 1. The water-holding capacity of soil is LEAST likely to be affected by the addition of which of the following? (A) Clay (B) Humus (C) Manure (D) Pesticide (E) Sand
____ 2. Which of the following is likely to minimize soil erosion?
(A) High-yield crops (B) Deforestation (C) Herbicide use (D) Annual plowing (E) No-till agriculture
____ 3. As urbanization increases and natural soil surfaces are covered, the groundwater supply is reduced due
to (A) increased evaporation and transpiration (B) decreased surface runoff (C) loss of recharge area (D) confinement of aquifers (E) capping of artesian wells
____ 4. Which of the following best illustrates the concept of the tragedy of the commons?
(A) Destruction of landscape by surface mining on private land (B) Selective harvesting of trees by a timber company in a national forest (C) Legislation of catch limits to avoid depletion of fish stocks in a shared lake (D) Inadvertent destruction of beneficial species while attempting to control pests (E) Depletion of an aquifer by regional farmers
____ 5. Which of the following is the usual cause of cultural eutrophication in surface waters of both
developed and developing countries? (A) Lack of proper filtration devices for power plant effluents (B) Introduction of cyanobacteria to .streams and rivers (C) Runoff of metal ions in bodies of water (D) Runoff of nitrate compounds into bodies of water (E) Runoff of herbicides into bodies of water
____ 6. Which of the following best describes soils in many tropical rain forests? (A) They lack soil horizons.
(B) They are quickly depleted of nutrients when the forest is removed.
(C) They are similar to soils in grasslands.
(D) They are well suited for growing a wide variety of crops.
(E) They are deep and well drained.
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 7. Which of the following elements constitutes the highest percentage of mass in Earth’s crust? (A) Oxygen
(B) Aluminum
(C) Carbon
(D) Potassium
(E) Nitrogen
____ 8. Most volcanism in the world is associated with (A) plate boundaries
(B) midcontinental hot spots
(C) faulting
(D) aquifer depletion
(E) desertification
Questions 1-3 refer to the following processes.
(A) Photosynthesis
(B) Eutrophication
(C) Denitrification
(D) Decomposition
(E) Transpiration
____ 9. The rapid rate of this process in tropical forests results in low-nutrient soils
____ 10. The process in which glucose is synthesized by plants.
____ 11. The process by which a soil nutrient is reduced and released to the atmosphere as a gas
____ 12. Ozone in the stratosphere is most important to life at Earth’s surface because it absorbs (A) gamma rays (B) microwaves (C) ultraviolet light (D) visible light (E) x-rays
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 13. Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that is also a by-product of anaerobic respiration?
(A) Methane, CH4 (B) Nitrogen, N2 (C) Oxygen, O2 (D) Nitrogen dioxide, NO2 (E) Hydrogen sulfide, H2S
____ 14. Photosynthesis is the major source of which of the following gases in Earth’s atmosphere?
(A) CO2 (B) H2O (water vapor) (C) O2 (D) H2 (E) N2
____ 15. The ultimate source of energy for terrestrial ecosystems is
(A) nutrients in soil
(B) nutrients in vegetation
(C) primary consumers
(D) producers
(E) the Sun
____ 16. The most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere is
(A) nitrogen
(B) oxygen
(C) water vapor
(D) carbon dioxide
(E) hydrogen
____ 17. Of the following organisms, which occupies the lowest trophic level? (A) Spider
(B) Deer
(C) Lion
(D) Hawk
(E) Snake
____ 18. The major biological source of dissolved oxygen in the ocean comes from (A) decomposition of organic sediments on the ocean floor
(B) metabolic processes of coral in reefs
(C) oxidation of sulfur by bacteria in ocean vent communities
(D) photosynthesis by phytoplankton
(E) respiration by zooplankton
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
Questions 1-4 refer to the following concepts related to energy.
(A) Heat flow
(B) Kinetic energy
(C) Potential energy
(D) First law of thermodynamics
(E) Second law of thermodynamics
____ 19. Matter in motion has energy.
____ 20. Energy is transferred from one object to another as the result of a temperature difference.
____ 21. An energy transformation occurs and results in increased disorder.
____ 22. The amount of energy in an isolated system stays constant.
____ 23. Most data indicate that, during the past 100 years, mean global annual temperature has
(A) decreased by 5°C
(B) decreased by O. 5°C
(C) stayed the same
(D) increased by O. 5°C
(E) increased by 5°C
____ 24. All of the following gases have been implicated in contributing to the increase in global
temperatures via the greenhouse effect EXCEPT
(A) O2
(B) CH4
(C) N20
(D) CO2
(E) CFCs
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
Questions 7-9 refer to the graph below, which shows the monthly average CO2 concentration, in parts per
million, as measured at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.
____ 25. According to the graph, the increase in CO2 concentration, in parts per million, between 1970
and 1990 is closest to
(A) 5 ppm
(B) 30 ppm
(C) 50 ppm
(D) 340 ppm
(E) 355 ppm
____ 26. Which of the following is most likely a significant cause of the general trend indicated by the
graph?
(A) Reduction of ozone concentrations in the upper atmosphere
(B) Reduction in size of polar ice caps
(C) Increase in energy output of the Sun
(D) Increase in evaporation of ocean water
(E) Increase in consumption of fossil fuels
____ 27. Which of the following most directly explains the periodic fluctuations of the curve?
(A) Daily variations in air temperature
(B) Daily variations in sea level
(C) Seasonal variations in photosynthetic activity
(D) Seasonal variations in ocean water temperature
(E) Seasonal variations in human industrial activity
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 1. The process of weathering produces what type of rock?
(A). Igneous
(B). Metamorphic
(C). Sedimentary
(D). Volcanic
(E). None of the above
____ 2. The most common element found in Earth’s crust is
(A). Oxygen
(B). Hydrogen
(C). Iron
(D). Silicon
(E). Aluminum
____ 3. A rock that would most likely contain a fossil would be
(A). Igneous
(B). Metamorphic
(C). Sedimentary
(D). Volcanic
(E). All of the above
____ 4. An earthquake of Richter magnitude 5 is how many times larger on the Richter scale than an
earthquake of Richter magnitude 3?
(A). One-fourth
(B). One-half
(C). Twice
(D). Four times
(E). One hundred times
____ 5. The San Andreas Fault in California occurs at
(A). A convergent boundary
(B). A divergent boundary
(C). A transform boundary
(D). A subduction zone
(E). An oceanic ridge
____ 6. Earth’s surface is part of the
(A). Asthenosphere
(B). Lithosphere
(C). Benthosphere
(D). Troposphere
(E). Stratosphere
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 7. The main difference between primary and secondary succession is that
(A). Primary succession occurs in the year before secondary succession.
(B). Primary succession occurs on barren, rocky areas and secondary succession does not.
(C). Secondary succession ends in a climax species and primary succession ends in pioneer
species.
(D). Secondary succession occurs on barren, rocky areas and primary succession does not.
(E). All of the above statements are true.
Questions 8-11 refer to the following answers. Select the one lettered choice that best fits each statement.
(A). Complexity
(B). Constancy
(C). Inertia
(D). Resilience
(E). Succession
____ 8. Refers to the number of species at each trophic level and the number of trophic levels in the
community.
____ 9. Refers to a biological community’s tendency toward a lack of fluctuation that creates changes in
the ecosystem.
____ 10. Refers to a biological community’s ability to repair ecological damage.
____ 11. Refers to a change in the composition of a biological community, with one dominant population
yielding to another until a climax community becomes established.
____ 12. Soil that is transported by the wind is?
(F). alluvial
(G). feral
(H). gangue
(I). rill
(J). aeolian
____ 13. What is the number one source of soil erosion?
(F). Physical degradation
(G). Chemical degradation
(H). Water erosion
(I). Wind erosion
(J). All forms contribute equally
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 14. Earth’s magnetic field is a result of movement within which layer?
(F). Inner core
(G). Outer core
(H). Mantle
(I). Asthenosphere
(J). Crust
____ 15. Which of the following is TRUE of divergent plate boundaries?
(F). A common feature is an island arc.
(G). It’s a boundary where two plates slide past each other.
(H). The density of the plates plays an important role.
(I). They are where mid-ocean ridges occur.
(J). They float on the lithosphere.
____ 16. Most deaths in earthquakes occur because of which of the following?
(F). Poisonous, hot gases released into the atmosphere
(G). Violent shaking of earthquake waves
(H). The speed with which earthquake waves travel
(I). Giant waves called tsunamis
(J). Poorly constructed buildings
____ 17. How can a particularly violent volcanic eruption impact global temperatures?
(F). It can’t because volcanoes have very local impacts.
(G). The lava released from a volcano can spread over a very wide area.
(H). The ash and dust released from an eruption can bury nearby cities and villages.
(I). Volcanoes create fertile soil that leads to more agriculture.
(J). Sulfur released from a volcanic eruption can enter the upper atmosphere where it turns into
sulfuric acid.
____ 18. The formation of soil is influenced by all of the following EXCEPT
(F). Time.
(G). Climate.
(H). Parent material.
(I). Slope.
(J). Farming.
Questions 8-11 refer to the following answers. Select the one lettered choice that best fits each statement.
(A). O horizon
(B). A horizon
(C). E horizon
(D). B horizon
(E). C horizon
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 19. Primarily composed of larger fragments of weathered parent material that lies directly above the
parent material.
____ 20. Topsoil
____ 21. Organically rich surface material that contains partially decomposed plants, animals, bacteria,
and fungi
____ 22. Subsoil layer that is rich with inorganic minerals.
____ 1. Water vapor returning to the liquid state is called …
(A) evaporation
(B) transpiration
(C) boiling
(D) condensation
(E) vaporization
____ 2. The temperature at which air becomes saturated and produces liquid is called …
(A) the saturation point
(B) the dew point
(C) the condensation point
(D) relative humidity
(E) absolute humidity
____ 3. Of the freshwater on Earth that is not trapped in snow packs or glaciers, most of it (95%) is
trapped in …
(A) Lakes.
(B) Rivers.
(C) Aquifers.
(D) Dams.
(E) Estuaries, marshes, and bogs.
____ 4. Which one of the following statements is FALSE?
(A) The greenhouse effect is a natural process that makes life on Earth possible with
98% of total global greenhouse gas emissions being from natural sources (mostly water
vapor) and 2% from human-made sources.
(B) The United States is the number one contributor to global warming.
(C) The Kyoto Protocol would have allowed the United States to increase its
greenhouse gas emissions – primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous
oxide (N2O) – by only 2% per year based on 1990 levels.
(D) The effect of global warming on weather patterns may lead to adverse human
health impacts.
(E) Global warming may increase the incidence of many infectious diseases.
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
Questions 5-7: Base your answers to questions 5 through 7 on the following diagram.
____ 5. The greatest amount of energy present in this pyramid is found at the level of the …
(A) Hawks
(B) Snakes
(C) Rodents
(D) Green plants
(E) Decomposers
____ 6. The pyramid implies that in order to live and grow, 1,000 kilograms of snakes would require …
(A) Less than 1,000 kilograms of green plants
(B) 1,000 kilograms of rodents
(C) More than 1,000 kilograms of rodents
(D) No rodents
(E) Less than 1,000 kilograms of hawks
____ 7. Which of the following represents the food chain shown in the pyramid?
(A) Green plant, rodent, snake, hawk
(B) Rodent, green plant, snake, hawk
(C) Snake, green plant, rodent, hawk
(D) Hawk, green plant, rodent, snake
(E) Green plant, snake, hawk, rodent
____ 8. The world’s population in 2000 was approximately 6 billion. If the growth rate were 2%, in
what year would the world’s population be 12 billion?
(A) 2035
(B) 2050
(C) 2010
(D) 2100
(E) 4000
Page 11
AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year Questions 1-3 refer to the following processes.
(A) Nitrification
(B) Denitrification
(C) Assimilation
(D) Ammonification
(E) Nitrogen fixation
____ 28. Ammonia is converted to nitrite, then to nitrate.
____ 29. Plant roots absorb ammonium ions and nitrate ions for use in making molecules such as DNA, amino
acids, and proteins.
____ 30. Nitrate ions and nitrite ions are converted into nitrous oxide gas and nitrogen gas (N2).
Questions 4-6 refer to the following countries.
(A) Australia
(B) Brazil
(C) Chile
(D) Russia
(E) United States of America
____ 31. Country with the largest area of boreal forests
____ 32. Country with the greatest percentage of land area affected by desertification
____ 33. Country with the largest area of temperate deciduous forest
____ 34. The major reservoirs of nitrogen and sulfur in the biosphere are correctly identified by which of the
following?
Nitrogen Sulfur
(A) Rocks Rocks
(B) Rocks Vegetation
(C) Rocks Atmosphere
(D) Atmosphere Rocks
(E) Atmosphere Atmosphere
____ 35. Which of the following cycles would be considered sedimentary?
1. Carbon cycle
2. Water cycle
3. Phosphorus cycle
4. Nitrogen cycle
5. Sulfur cycle
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 36. The cycle that is most common to all other cycles is the
1. Nitrogen cycle
2. Carbon cycle
3. Hydrologic cycle
4. Life cycle
5. Rock cycle
____ 37. Which of the following processes is working against gravity?
(A) Precipitation
(B) Percolation
(C) Runoff
(D) Transpiration
(E) Infiltration
Questions 1-4 refer to the following answers. Select the one lettered choice that best fists each statement.
(A). Marine pelagic
(B). Freshwater aquatic
(C). Tundra
(D). Desert
(E). Savannah
____ 9. Short growing season in warm, dry environment, requiring plants to retain water.
____ 10. Similar to grassland biome, but drier
____ 11. Occurs at either high latitude or high altitude
____ 12. Coral reef ecosystem is part of this larger biome.
____ 13. Which of the following trophic levels would contain the greatest amount of biomass in a given
ecosystem?
(F) Bacteria.
(G) Photosynthetic algae.
(H) Herbivores.
(I) Primary carnivores.
(J) Top carnivores.
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 14. Which of the following describes the process by which one community outcompetes another
community for a habitat?
(A) Natural selection.
(B) Adaptive radiation.
(C) Convergent evolution.
(D) Primary succession.
(E) Secondary succession.
____ 15. Which of the following units are equivalent to the units, ppm?
(A) Molarity
(B) mg/kg
(C) mg/L
(D) g/L
(E) Mg
____ 16. Ecosystem complexity is most easily measured by
(A) The number of species in the ecosystem
(B) The number of individuals in the ecosystem
(C) The number of species at each trophic level in the ecosystem
(D) The total number of producers in an ecosystem
(E) The total number of top carnivores in an ecosystem
____ 17. In Greek, the “eco” portion of both economics and ecology refers to
(A) “health”
(B) “the home”
(C) “the study of”
(D) “nature”
(E) “wealth”
____ 18. Which of the following represents the nutrient-rich portion of a lake that is closest to the bottom?
(A) Limnion
(B) Hypolimnion
(C) Mesolimnion
(D) Littoral zone
(E) Pelagic zone
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 19. Around hydrothermal vents in mid-oceanic ridges, there are species of tubeworms. In the tissues
of these tubeworms are chemosynthetic bacteria. The bacteria provide the tubeworms with organic
nutrients, and the tubeworms provide the bacteria with safe places to live and constant streams of
mineral-rich water. Which of the following describes the relationship between the tubeworms and the
chemosynthetic bacteria?
(A). Predator-Prey
(B). Commensalism
(C). Competition
(D). Mutualism
(E). Parasitism
____ 20. European missionaries and traders who settled in the Hawaiian Islands in the 1800s imported the
mongoose to eliminate snakes from home, fields and settlements. From the information given, which of
the following BEST describes the mongoose?
(A). Indicator species
(B). Prey
(C). Alien species
(D). Native species
(E). Keystone species
____ 21. A battery manufacturing plant accidentally leached cadmium into a local lake. Ecologists
sampled various species from the lake and determined the cadmium concentration in the tissues of each
organism. The data are shown below:
Cadmium concentration
(mg/kg tissue)
Species A 100
Species B 10
Species C 30
Species D 65
Species E 20
Which species is most likely the second-order consumer?
(K) Species A
(L) Species B
(M) Species C
(N) Species D
(O) Species E
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AP Environmental Science Final Exam Question Pool for the 2012-2013 School Year
____ 22. Which of the following mechanisms of adaptation to environmental stress would NOT be
applicable to a population?
(A) Migration to another ecosystem
(B) Natural Selection
(C) Succession
(D) Migration within an ecosystem
(E) Evolution
____ 23. Which of the following species is characteristic of a savanna?
(A) Lichens
(B) Oak tress
(C) Douglas Fir
(D) Mangrove trees
(E) Grass
____ 24. The river that brings water to Townsville periodically floods and destroys homes upstream. To
build the homes, wetlands were filled in. One proposal brought by local officials to fix the problem is to
build a dam upstream of the homes and construct levees along the river to protect the homes and
Townsville. Another proposal is to buy out the homes along the river and restore the wetlands. The
second proposal is an example of using which of the following?
(A) Biogeochemical cycles
(B) Food chains and webs
(C) Natural selection
(D) Ecosystem services
(E) Ecological succession
____ 25. A company wants to place an electrical power line through a forested area. The company
workers cut an area through the forest, erect the power lines and cables, and plant grass in the clear-cut
area. All of the following are true about the clear-cut area EXCEPT which?
(A) Clear-cutting is an ecosystem stressor.
(B) The clear-cut area will induce an edge community.
(C) The clear-cut are will initiate primary succession.
(D) New species will migrate into the grasses of the clear-cut area.
(E) The clear-cut area will initiate secondary succession.
