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APES Unit 5 Study Guide Questions and Answers
Explain the Tragedy of Commons - -shared, limited
resource becomes depleted due to people acting self-
interest for short-term gain
List some ways in which human land use has affected the
environment negatively. - --extensive logging -->
mudslides
-deforestation--> climate change
-paving--> water runoffs, "heat islands"
-overuse of farmland--> soil degradation, water pollution
What are some ways to prevent the tragedy of commons?
- -private ownership, regulation
max amount that can be harvested without compromising
future availability of that resource; keep at half of its
carrying capacity because this is when pop is at its
highest growth rate - -Maximum Sustainable Yield
(MSY)
What determines how land is classified? - -how it is
used
List the 6 categories in which public lands can fall into. -
-1. National parks
2. managed resource protected areas
3. habitat/species management areas
4. strict nature reserves and wilderness areas
5. protected landscapes and seascapes
6. natural monuments
Which land type is the "most protected"? - -natural
reserves and wilderness areas
Who is the largest single landowner in the US? - -
federal government
What does it mean by multiple-use lands? Give one
example of a type of land that is considered "multiple use"
- -used for recreation, grazing, timber, and mineral
extraction
Ex: national forests
dry, open grasslands; primarily used for cattle grazing -
-rangeland
What are rangelands primarily used for in the US? -
-cattle grazing
List benefits and drawbacks of rangelands - -
Benefit- uses less fossil fuels than feedlots
Consequence-leave land exposed to erosion
Compare and contrast clear-cutting and selective-cutting.
Know benefits and drawbacks of logging. - -Clear-
cutting:
-removal of ALL trees in an area
-forests replanted all at once
Selective-cutting:
-removal of a SINGLE tree among many
-creates small openings
-trees of different ages
-shade tolerant trees
Benefits- provides large amounts of pulp and wood
Consequences- destruction of habitats, compaction of soil
(loss of nutrients)
Explain fire management. How can fire management be
considered beneficial? - -natural process for nutrient
cycling, fire set under controlled conditions; provides
openings for early-successional species
Describe the use of national parks. Know the human
impacts on these parks. - -managed for scientific,
educational, and recreational use; Roads, trails, walking
over plants, and leaving trash behind all influence the
natural environment
urbanized areas that have spread into rural areas (ex-
suburban) - -Urban sprawl
List the 4 main causes of urban sprawl. - -1.
automobiles and highways
2. living costs
3. urban blight
4. government policies
