Author: Anonymous

Read the following scenario and answer the question below. Burning fossil fuels and their derivatives produces, among other things, harmful pollutants such as particulates, acid rain-producing sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and carbon oxides. These air pollutants threaten ecosystems all over the world, and high carbon dioxide levels contribute to global warming. Furthermore, fossils fuels have a limited supply. The market price of fossil fuels, especially crude oil, has continued to rise in recent years. Despite this, Americans continue to consume fossil fuels at alarming rates and rely upon them for most of energy needs. At various times, the federal government has considered mandating higher fuel efficiency standards for American vehicles as a possible solution to this environmental energy crisis. Most auto manufacturers, however, are opposed to the imposition of standards. What factor might lead to more political support for higher fuel-efficiency standards?

Biodiversity is important because of ___________________, which is searching for organisms that might provide new drugs, medicines, foods, or other valuable products.

What is the greatest contributing factor in the loss of polar bears in arctic areas?

Heavy rains and mudslides cause a river to change course, isolating two groups of lizards from one another. If they remain isolated for a long period of time, ________.

The field of conservation biology ________.

Read the following scenario and answer the question below. Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion, farming, and deforestation, are known to increase the levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in our atmosphere. Measurable warming of Earth due to these greenhouse gases can alter ecosystem dynamics. In addition to the direct climatic effects on organisms within biomes, warming can lower levels of sea ice and increase precipitation in Arctic areas. Global warming can also melt permafrost in the tundra and increase sea surface temperatures, which could increase the intensity of hurricanes in vulnerable areas. Within communities, climatic change can shift interdependent species “out of sync,” potentially causing indirect loss of species. For example, if pollinators and the plants they pollinate become out of synch, the pollinators may not be able to switch to a different food source, and the plants may not be able to reproduce. Global warming has been hypothesized to cause many plants to flower earlier. If bees search for food earlier in response to this, this would represent ________ within the community.

The Montreal Protocol was an international environmental treaty ________.

Statutory laws are created by ________.

Populations in which the probability of dying is constant at every age exemplify ________.

When does peer review occur during the scientific process?