UNIT 2 FRQ

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School

Massachusetts Institute of Technology *

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Course

085

Subject

Biology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

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pdf

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Uploaded by DrCheetahMaster462

1. Write your answers in the spaces provided. Refer to the figure or diagram to answer the question. Where explanation or discussion is required, support your answers with relevant information and/or specific examples. Common snapping turtles, Chelydra serpentina , are primarily aquatic, but they lay their eggs on land. Researchers are interested in understanding the impact of pollution on turtle nesting sites. The researchers examined nesting sites at two agricultural areas along the floodplain of a river upstream and downstream from a chemical factory that is a known source of aqueous mercury pollution. Turtle eggs, soil, and vegetation samples taken from areas around turtle nests downstream from the chemical factory showed high levels of mercury in a previous study. Mercury was not detected in samples taken upstream from the chemical factory. Distribution of Turtle Nests Along River (a) The map shows locations of both successful and unsuccessful turtle nests. (i) Identify the area with the greatest nest success rate, based on the information in the diagram. (ii) Identify the dependent variable in the study. (iii) Based on the information provided, identify a likely scientific question for the study. (iv) Describe why researchers measured mercury levels in locations upstream from the factory. (v) There are plans to remove trees and other vegetation along the river bank. Explain how this modification could affect the location and number of successful turtle nests in Area B. (b) Mercury can affect organisms and ecosystems in many ways. AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Test Booklet UNIT 2 FRQS AP Environmental Science Page 1 of 48

(i) Describe how a persistent pollutant, such as mercury, can negatively affect an organism. (ii) Describe how a persistent pollutant, such as mercury, can negatively affect an ecosystem. (iii) Researchers measured methylmercury in a location downstream from the factory. Explain how methylmercury could be present in the stream. (iv) Researchers claimed that the soil nearest to the river has higher levels of mercury than the field has, and those elevated levels have affected the nesting success for turtles. Explain how the pattern shown in the diagram supports or refutes this claim. (c) The turtle study was conducted in an agricultural area. Describe how a specific agricultural practice changes the soil in an area. Test Booklet UNIT 2 FRQS Page 2 of 48 AP Environmental Science

2. Write your answers in the spaces provided. Refer to the figure or diagram to answer the question. Where explanation or discussion is required, support your answers with relevant information and/or specific examples. The table presents data on the tree cover loss in various regions on Earth from 2001 to 2015. Reason for Tree Cover Loss (%) Region Urbanization Natural Disturbances/Wildfires Forestry Agriculture Deforestation Australia/Oceania 1 53 29 10 7 Africa 2 2 5 87 5 Europe 0 2 97 1 0 Latin America 1 1 13 30 54 North America 3 39 55 1 2 Southeast Asia 2 2 12 10 75 (a) Based on the data in the table, identify the cause of the greatest loss of tree cover in Africa. (b) Based on the data in the table, describe the relative impact that natural disturbances, such as wildfires, had on tree cover loss for each region from 2001 to 2015. (c) Based on the data in the table, identify the land use practice that led to the greatest loss of tree cover in Europe and explain the primary human benefit that resulted from the use of this practice. (d) North American architects assert that if clear-cutting were prohibited to open land for urbanization, then the North American economy would experience significant losses. Make a claim using evidence in the table to support or refute the architects’ assertion. (e) Regions with a significant and sustained decrease in tree cover have also been found to experience a decrease in primary productivity. In terms of photosynthesis, explain why these regions are experiencing reduced productivity rates. (f) In regions where forestry is the leading cause of tree cover loss, describe one strategy (other than to stop removing trees) that would be best suited to mitigate the effects in this region. (g) Members of a suburban community want to completely remove a small forest along a major highway to build a new strip mall. Describe one environmental problem that the suburban community will likely experience if the forest is removed. (h) Other than replacing the forest or keeping the forest intact, make a claim that proposes a solution to the problem identified in part (g). Test Booklet UNIT 2 FRQS AP Environmental Science Page 3 of 48

3. The diagram below represents the pH ranges in which selected aquatic organisms exist. The solid figures represent pH ranges in which the organism thrives. Shaded figures represent pH ranges in which conditions are less favorable, but in which the organism survives. No symbol is placed in a pH range in which that organism cannot survive. Using the diagram and your understanding of environmental principles, answer the following questions. (a) Determine the pH range in which brook trout thrive. To what range of hydrogen-ion concentration, (H + ), does this pH range correspond? (b) Which organism(s) might best provide an indication that a lake has changed from pH 5.8 to pH 5.2? Explain. (c) Discuss how pH affects biodiversity in a freshwater community. Consider chemical, physiological, and ecological factors in your answer. (d) Discuss the cause of lake acidifcation and describe potential ways to avoid or remediate it. Test Booklet UNIT 2 FRQS Page 4 of 48 AP Environmental Science

4. Termites are social insects that are essential decomposers in tropical rain forest ecosystems. Termites may account for up to 95 percent of insect biomass in tropical rain forests. Termites consume vast amounts of dead and decomposing plant material, thanks to the work of mutualistic cellulose-digesting microorganisms that inhabit their guts. In addition to their roles as important decomposers, termites digest plant materials and directly contribute to carbon dioxide and methane emissions into the atmosphere. It is likely that, like many insect species, termites and their symbionts may be sensitive to changes in their microclimate caused by global climate change, especially with regard to temperature and humidity. (a) Respond to the following using the data in the table above, which gives the rate of wood consumption by termites, in mg per day per termite, under various temperature and relative humidity conditions. Under optimal conditions, the emission rate of methane by termites is approximately 70 kilograms of CH 4 per year per 1,000 termites. i. According to the data, what are the optimal temperature and relative humidity for termite activity? ii. Given a density of 4.5 × 10 7 termites per hectare and optimal conditions, calculate the annual amount of methane emitted, in kilograms, by the termites inhabiting a 2,000-hectare tropical rain forest. iii. Suppose the temperature increases to 35°C and the relative humidity decreases to 50 percent. Using the data provided, determine the amount of methane, in kilograms, that would be emitted by the termites in the 2,000-hectare tropical rain forest. iv. Explain why the population size of termites is also affected by temperature and humidity. (b) It has been observed that soon after a tropical rain forest is cleared, termite density increases to an estimated 6.8 × 10 7 termites per hectare. Thereafter, the termite population size decreases dramatically. i. What is the most likely reason that the density of the termites increases when a tropical rain forest is cleared? ii. Why do the termite populations eventually decrease dramatically? (c) Describe one way, other than changes in termite activity, that tropical rain forest destruction contributes to Test Booklet UNIT 2 FRQS AP Environmental Science Page 5 of 48