Exam Practice Material

What are the differences between primary and secondary succession?Possible Answer: Primary succession happens in an environment where a disturbance removed soil or exposed bare rock. It also describes the growth of vegetation in areas that previously did not have any plant growth. Lava flows, sand dune formations, and the retreat of glaciers create landscapes that go through primary succession. The earliest stage of primary succession involves the growth of lichens and mosses. The remains of dead mosses, lichens, and other organisms build up, forming soil. As soil builds up, grasses and other small plants begin to grow, followed by bushes and small trees. Eventually, there will be enough soil for trees to grow. Secondary succession takes place after a disturbance disrupts ecosystem processes and removes some of the living parts of the ecosystem. Forest fires, flooding, and logging of trees by humans can lead to secondary succession. Because soil remains after the event, secondary succession takes place faster than primary succession. New and surviving plants grow relatively rapidly. At first, the plants that grow are small, but bushes and trees eventually grow. Write at least two points What do you know about pioneer species? Give two examples.Answer:A pioneer species is one that’s typically the first to colonize a barren ecosystem.Examples:Lichens, Mosses, fungi, bacteria, fireweed, grasses, alder, and willow are examples of pioneer species. What do you know about hazard mitigation Plan? possible Answer:Hazard mitigation describes efforts to prevent or reduce property damage or loss oflife caused by a natural disaster. Although people cannot prevent natural disasters, a good mitigation plan can help keep people safe and reduce damage to property and the environment when a disaster does occur. Mitigation plans are specific to different types of natural hazards and to different locations and communities. Hazard mitigation requires an understanding of the problems involved. Scientists collect and analyze data about natural hazards and disasters. These data help scientists understand the causes and possible effects of these events. Scientists also use these data to determine if an area is at risk for a natural hazard. Scientists work with engineers to apply what they have learned from the data. They design solutions and develop ways to predict and, if possible, to control the hazard or its effects. Engineers and planners use data to develop mitigation strategies. Different strategies are used before, during, and after a natural hazard. Before the event, engineers focus on preparation. After a disaster, their focus shifts to response to the disaster and recovery from its effects. Ensure your answer details the three stages of a mitigation plan. Fill the blank spaces A town is designing a flood-response plan. The town wants to close roads as soon as they are not passable. One of the criteria of the plan is to deploy warning signs as soon as flooding starts. The number of road crew employees working at a particular time is limited, which is one of the constraint of the plan. After writing a plan, the team will pretend that there is a flood to find out how quickly the crew can respond. This is a way to test the solution before an actual flood. Fill the blank space Hazard mitigation describes efforts to prevent or reduce property damage or loss of life caused by a natural disaster. Although people cannot prevent natural disasters, a good mitigation plan can help keep people safe and reduce damage to property and the environment when a disaster does occur. What are some ways that the engineering design process can be used to reduce the impact of floods? Record your evidence. It allows us to identify and define problems related to flood mitigation It provides us with methods to test and improve solutions Once the nature of the flooding in a place is determined, mitigation plans can begin to be brainstormed, tested, and evaluated. How does a hazard mitigation plan help a community deal with a disaster? It addresses the needto prepare for a specific type of disaster. It provides detailed ways to respond and recover after the disaster occurs. A community can use a hazard mitigation plan to reduce the effects of a disaster by being prepared for the event. A community can use a hazard mitigation plan to reduce the effects of a disaster by having response and recovery plans and resources in place. How would the engineering design process be used to develop a mitigation plan for a geologic hazard, such as a landslide or a sinkhole? It helps a community identify risks, criteria, and constraints that are specific to a natural hazard. It helps a community propose solutions to issues that face the community. The particular hazard being addressed would be analyzed and the community would develop processes and resources to address the situation. All answers are correct FILL UP THE BLANK SPACES A naturally occurring event that can have a negative effect on humans or the environment is called a natural hazard. Any natural hazard can become a natural disaster if it causes widespread injury, death, or property damage. Geologic hazards are caused by geologic processes such as plate motion. Some geologic hazards, such as landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, can happen quickly or without warning. Weather describes the conditions in the atmosphere at any given time. Climate describes long-term weather patterns. Weather and climate hazards include droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, severe thunderstorms, and floods. Severe storms can have heavy rain, lightning, high winds, and hail, and they can lead to tornadoes and floods. A tornado is a rapidly spinning column of air extending from a storm cloud to the ground. Tornadoes are weather hazards that are most common in spring and summer. The Enhanced Fujita Scale, also known as the EF Scale, describes tornado damage. A volcano is a place where molten rock and gases can rise from Earth’s interior to the surface. Volcanoes are located on continents and at the bottom of the ocean. Some volcanoes are tall mountains, while others are just cracks in Earth’s surface. A volcanic eruption is a geologic hazard in which molten rock—called magma or lava—gases, ash, and other materials are released onto Earth’s surface and into the atmosphere.tornado tornadoes hazard volcanoes volcano Enhanced Fujita scale weather climate geologic hazards natural hazards natural disasters Enhanced Fijita scale weather climate geologic hazards natural hazards natural disasters Scientific understanding of biodiversity issues caused by overfishing can describe the consequences of continued overfishing.However, such knowledge does not identify the decisions society should make. does not can cannot does What are ecosystem services?Name and explain at least 2.Ans: An ecosystem service is any ecosystem function that provides benefits to humans. The benefits can be direct or indirect. They may also be small or large. Water purification, nutrient recycling, and climate regulation are ecosystem services. Pollination and pest and disease control are also important services. What is biodiversity?Name and explain the three levels of biodiversity.Possible answer: Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in Earth’s land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Biodiversity can be studied at different scales. Scales can range from a small area, such as a drop of water, to a large area, such as a forest. An area’s biodiversity may be made up of a few species or thousands of species. High biodiversity exists when there are many species and individuals of those species living in an ecosystem. Low biodiversity exists when there is a low number of species in an ecosystem. The biodiversity of an area can be described as the combination of genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. How do we measure the health of an ecosystem?ANS: By the variety of both plants and animal species. Name and describe different types of volcanic hazards.Ans Guidline: Protecting habitats and individual species, reducing pollution, and preventing the spread of nonnative species are some of the strategies of maintaining biodiversity.How does protecting habitats help to maintain biodiversity? Explain.ANS: protecting habitats helps protect the removal or destruction of living and nonliving ecosystem parts. Individual species and populations are better protected, which means biodiversity is maintained or even improved. A researcher wants to collect tornado data from the three states where 300 tornado risk is highest.Where and when should 250 the researcher collect data? Support your claim by citing evidence from this graph and from the map of tornadoes in the United States.Ans: According to the map of annual number of tornadoes, the researcher should go to Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma during April, May, and June to collect data. After a volcanic eruption, where would you expect to find lahar deposits? On the side of the volcano In the crater of the volcano in a valley leading away from the volcano on the hilltops surrounding the volcano Variations in the health of one population can cause a series of related effects in other populations.Think about the decline of shark populations. Sharks are predators of sea turtles.Arrange the sentences in order to complete the cause-and-effect chain.Use the letters A, B, C and D.Seagrasses overgrazed _Loss of predators_Fish nurseries destroyed_Sea turtles increase _Ans: A. (Loss of predators), B. (sea titles increase), C. (Sea grasses overgrazed) and D. (fish nurseries destroyed) Remember to revise below pages from end of unit reviewPractice Pg. 191-194 Module CandPractice Pg. 67 and 68 Module GAlso, pg. 169, 170 and 173 Module C.