Patterns in environmental quality and sustainability.

As we progress through this section of the Core Unit, please check that you can answer these questions. There is a very good chance that some of these will appear in end-of-semester exams 🙂

1    The radiant energy emitted from the Sun is termed:
A    longwave radiation
B    convection
C    insolation
D    transmission

2    The point at which the damage caused to global systems by climate change becomes irreversible is known as the:
A    tipping point
B    balance point
C    global warming point
D    crucial point

3    The quantity of heat absorbed or released by a substance undergoing a change of state is called:
A    sensible heat
B    ground heat
C    converted heat
D    latent heat

4    The proportion of solar energy reflected from the Earth back into space is the Earth’s:
A    reflection ratio
B    albedo
C    energy loss
D    energy balance5    The lowest layer of the atmosphere is the:
A    stratosphere
B    mesosphere
C    troposphere
D    thermosphere

6    The transfer of heat by the movement of a gas or a liquid is:
A    convection
B    conduction
C    radiation
D    condensation

7    Globally it is estimated that how many billion hectares of soil resources have been degraded?
A    1
B    2
C    3
D    4

8    The concentration of abnormally high levels of salts in soils due to evaporation is known as:
A    acidification
B    salinisation
C    aggregation
D    buffering

9    What proportion of the population in rural Sub-Saharan Africa is reliant on agriculture as a source of income and employment?
A    80%
B    70%
C    60%
D    50%
10    Irrigated farming accounts for what proportion of global annual water consumption?
A    40%
B    50%
C    60%
D    70%

11    Which world region faces the most serious water supply problems?
A    the Middle East and North Africa
B    South and Central America
C    North America
D    Europe

12    Precipitation absorbed by soil and plants, then released back into the air, is called:
A    blue water
B    green water
C    grey water
D    yellow water

13    A country is judged to experience water stress when water supply is below how many cubic metres per person per year?
A    1300
B    1500
C    1700
D    1900

14    Water that is free from impurities is called:
A    potable water
B    portable water
C    pure water
D    passable water
15    The amount of water that is used to produce food or any other item and is thus essentially ‘embedded’ in the item is known as:
A    realistic water
B    virtual water
C    contained water
D    silent water

16    Vadodara is the largest city in the Indian state of:
A    Gujarat
B    Bihar
C    Tamil Nadu
D    Karnataka

17    The term for when species are restricted to a single region is:
A    isolationism
B    singularness
C    uniqueness
D    endemism

18    A biome is a:
A    naturally occurring organic community of plants and animals
B    river system
C    biodiversity hotspot
D    major soil type

19    The world’s largest area of rainforest is in:
A    Indonesia
B    Brazil
C    Colombia
D    Malaysia
20    The Amazon holds carbon stocks of about:
A    20 billion tonnes
B    50 billion tonnes
C    90 billion tonnes
D    120 billion tonnes

21    The Amazon basin has an annual rainfall of approximately:
A    1000 mm
B    2000 mm
C    3000 mm
D    4000 mm

22    Most of the Amazon basin has acid soils known as:
A    latosols
B    podsols
C    terra rossa
D    brown earths

23    The environmental impact caused by an individual tourist on holiday in a particular location is known as the:
A    individual footprint
B    tourist footprint
C    destination footprint
D    location footprint

24    The scenario for future patterns of production and consumption which assumes that there will be no major changes in attitudes and priorities is:
A    no change
B    business-as-usual
C    median line
D    present approach

25    The world’s first National Park, designated in 1872, was:
A    Yosemite
B    Yellowstone
C    Great Smoky Mountains
D    Grand Canyon

26    Approximately what proportion of the world’s land area is covered by national protection schemes?
A    2%
B    12%
C    18%
D    25%

27    New technologies that aim to conserve the natural environment and resources are known as:
A    blue technologies
B    eco-technologies
C    green technologies
D    biotic technologies

28    The Maasai Mara National Reserve is in:
A    Uganda
B    Tanzania
C    South Africa
D    Kenya

29    The capital city of Namibia is:
A    Windhoek
B    Luanda
C    Lusaka
D    Gaborone

30    Which of the following crosses Namibia?
A    the Equator
B    the Tropic of Cancer
C    50 degrees South
D    the Tropic of Capricorn

31    Approximately what proportion of Namibia’s population lives below the international poverty line?
A    20%
B    30%
C    40%
D    50%

32    When did Namibia’s Communal Conservancy Programme begin?
A    1986
B    1991
C    1996
D    2001

33    What proportion of the land area of Namibia does the Conservancy Programme cover?
A    4%
B    14%
C    24%
D    34%

34    The Communal Conservancy Programme was extended in 2001 to encompass community:
A    coastal zones
B    forests
C    grasslands
D    deserts

35    Expanding effective programs to reach larger numbers of people in a broader geographical area is known as the:
A    expansion process
B    scaling-up process
C    extension process
D    widening-out process

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