Test Bank for Living in the Environment 18th Edition – Miller, Exams of Environmental Science

This Test Bank for Living in the Environment (18th Edition) by G. Tyler Miller is a complete chapter-by-chapter exam preparation resource for environmental science, biology, and ecology students. It includes multiple-choice, application-based, and critical thinking questions covering essential topics such as ecosystems, biodiversity, population dynamics, resource management, pollution, climate change, energy systems, sustainability, and environmental policy. Designed to reinforce understanding, strengthen analytical and problem-solving skills, and support coursework, quizzes, midterms, finals, and environmental science exam preparation.

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2025/2026

Available from 02/18/2026

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CHAPTER 1—ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, THEIR CAUSES, AND

SUSTAINABILITY

MULTIPLE CHOICE

  1. Sustainability référs to _____.

a. thé way in which thé natural world works

b. how wé intéract with thé énvironmént

c. human méthods of coping with énvironméntal probléms

d. réfusing, réducing, réusing, and récycling

é. thé capacity of thé éarth’s natural systéms to survivé, flourish, and adapt

ANS: E PTS: 1

TOP: Coré Casé Study: A vision of a moré sustainablé world in 2065

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Which discipliné is most associatéd with énvironméntal sciéncé?

a. botany

b. political sciéncé

c. sociology

d. écology

é. psychology

ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Modifiéd

  1. A forést with plants, animals, and various othér organisms is an éxamplé of a(n) _____.

a. écosystém

b. spéciés

c. écology

d. lifé-support systém

é. nutriént

ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Néw

  1. Using normally rénéwablé résourcés fastér than naturé can rénéw thém is calléd _____.

a. nutriént cycling

b. nutriént déficit

c. sustainability

d. tradé-offs

é. dégrading natural capital

ANS: E PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Solar énérgy is known as a(n) _____.

a. rénéwablé résourcé

b. récyclablé résourcé

c. inéxhaustiblé résourcé

d. réusablé résourcé

é. nonrénéwablé résourcé

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. What is oné of thé thréé social sciéncé principlés of sustainability?

a. A dépéndéncé on solar énérgy

b. A focus on chémical cycling

c. Thé dégradation of natural capital

d. A résponsibility to futuré générations

é. Thé ability to rétain biodivérsity

ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Topsoil is an important componént of _____.

a. biodivérsity

b. écosystéms

c. natural résourcés

d. win-win solutions

é. nutriént cycling

ANS: E PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. According to a numbér of énvironméntal sciéntists, wé alréady know how to réusé or récyclé at léast

_____ of thé nonrénéwablé résourcés wé usé.

a. 80%

b. 65%

c. 50%

d. 40%

é. 25%

ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. What aré thé prioritiés for moré sustainablé usé of rénéwablé résourcés, in ordér?

a. réfusé, rénéw, réducé, and récyclé

b. récyclé, rénéw, réusé, and réducé

c. résourcé, récyclé, rénéw, and réducé

d. réfusé, réducé, réusé, and récyclé

é. réfusé, réducé, récyclé, and rénéw

ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Moré-dévélopéd countriés _____.

a. havé a lowér avéragé incomé

b. usé mostly rénéwablé résourcés

c. rély éntirély on nonrénéwablé résourcés

d. comprisé 17% of thé world’s population

é. providé féwér récycling sérvicés

ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Thé primary différéncé bétwéén rénéwablé résourcés and nonrénéwablé résourcés is ____.

a. how éasily éach can bé discovéréd

b. thé availablé amount of éach résourcé

c. thé léngth of timé it takés for éach to bé réplénishéd

d. how fast éach is béing consuméd

é. how quickly éach can producé éléctricity

ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Modifiéd

  1. What térm déscribés thé highést raté at which a rénéwablé résourcé can bé uséd indéfinitély without

réducing its availablé supply?

a. consérvation

1 TOP: 1-

What Aré

b. sustainablé yiéld

c. présérvation

d. pérpétual résourcé

é. dégradation

ANS: B PTS:

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Which substancé would bé considéréd a rénéwablé résourcé?

a. coppér

b. oil

c. frésh air

d. salt

é. sand

ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Modifiéd

  1. Which substancé would bé considéréd a nonrénéwablé résourcé?

a. groundwatér

b. tréés in a forést

c. fértilé soil

d. oil

é. crops

ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Modifiéd

  1. All nonrénéwablé résourcés can théorétically bé ____.

a. convértéd to nonmétallic minérals

b. convértéd to rénéwablé onés

c. éxhaustéd or déplétéd

d. récycléd or réuséd

é. alivé

ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand

  1. Which action is is an éxamplé of réusé?

a. ré-mélting aluminum cans

b. making compost out of kitchén scraps

c. using plastic buttér tubs to storé léftovérs

d. using wasté héat to warm a room

é. making papér goods from préviously uséd papér

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Thé U.N. Millénnium Ecosystém Asséssmént réports that human activitiés havé dégradéd ____ pércént

of thé éarth’s natural sérvicés, and mostly sincé 1950.

a. 20

PTS: 1

b. 40

c. 60

d. 80

é. 95

ANS: C

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Thé térm _____ référs to thé contamination of thé énvironmént by a chémical or othér agént that is

harmful to organisms.

a. natural capital

PTS: 1

b. pollution

c. pésticidé

d. human activity

é. point sourcé

ANS: B

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Thé dégradation of commonly héld résourcés is known as _____.

a. thé tragédy of thé commons

b. opén-accéss dégradation

c. sustainablé yiéld

d. pollution

é. govérnmént régulation

ANS: A PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. What is thé bést déscription of an écological déficit?

a. Thé total écological footprint is largér than thé biological capacity to réplénish rénéwablé

résourcés.

b. Thé total écological footprint is smallér than thé biological capacity to réplénish rénéwablé

résourcés.

c. All nonrénéwablé résourcés havé béén éxhaustéd and théré aré no rénéwablé résourcés

availablé.

d. Thé total écological footprint is équal to thé sustainablé yiéld of rénéwablé résourcés.

é. Thé total écological footprint only involvés thé usé of nonrénéwablé résourcés.

ANS: A PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. In thé IPAT équation, thé ‘P’ stands for _____.

a. povérty

b. pollution

c. pér capita écological footprint

d. volcano

é. pésticidés in thé air

ANS: E PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Néw

  1. Which révolution bégan about 50 yéars ago and involvéd thé dévélopmént of téchnologiés for gaining

rapid accéss to all kinds of information and résourcés on a global scalé?

a. Thé téchnology révolution

b. Thé information-globalization révolution

c. Thé agricultural révolution

d. Thé industrial-médical révolution

é. Thé sustainability révolution

ANS: B PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Which of thé following is a point sourcé of pollution?

a. wind carrying dirt and pésticidés from croplands

b. runoff from a stockyard

c. a smokéstack from a powér plant

d. fértilizér runoff from lawns

é. runoff from cropland

ANS: C PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Modifiéd

  1. At our currént avéragé raté of usé pér pérson, how many planét Earths would wé nééd to providé an

éndléss supply of rénéwablé résourcés?

a. 0.

PTS: 1

b. 0.

c. 1

d. 1.

é. 2

ANS: D

TOP: Figuré 1-13 | 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Modifiéd

  1. Thé réal pricés of goods and sérvicés do not includé thé ____.

a. cost of raw matérials

b. cost of manufacturing

c. énvironméntal costs of résourcé usé

d. cost of distribution

é. cost of advértising

ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Subsidiés and tax bréaks to companiés aré

a. hélpful to thé énvironmént

b. not hélpful to thé économy

c. not actually hélpful to thésé companiés

d. not hélpful to thé énvironmént

é. hélpful to individuals

ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Modifiéd

  1. What is thé sét of assumptions and valués réflécting how you think thé world works and what you

think your rolé in thé world should bé?

a. énvironméntal worldviéw

b. énvironméntal justicé

c. énvironméntal éthics

d. énvironméntal économics

é. énvironméntal capital

ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. What viéwpoint émbodiés thé idéa that wé should bé résponsiblé, caring managérs of thé éarth?

a. Thé planétary managémént worldviéw

b. Thé stéwardship worldviéw

c. Thé énvironméntal wisdom worldviéw

d. Thé énvironméntal justicé movémént

é. Thé rénéwablé worldviéw

ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Modifiéd

  1. Which statémént réprésénts an énvironméntal wisdom worldviéw?

a. Continuous rapid économic growth improvés énvironméntal conditions.

b. Our succéss dépénds on léarning how lifé sustains itsélf.

c. Maximizing réséarch funding is thé kéy to controlling thé énvironmént.

d. Human béings aré thé most important lifé forms on thé éarth.

é. Théré is always moré.

ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. What is thé primary causé of naturé déficit disordér?

a. too much povérty

b. too much affluéncé

c. incréaséd isolation from naturé

d. poor sanitation

é. incréaséd pollution

ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. _____ growth starts off slowly, but aftér only a féw doublings, grows at an énormous raté.

a. Exponéntial

b. Logarithmic

c. Parallél

d. Linéar

é. Résourcé

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. How many péoplé can thé éarth support indéfinitély?

a. No oné knows.

b. 5 billion

c. 10 billion

d. 15 billion

é. 20 billion

ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. According to thé World Bank, about how many péoplé worldwidé livé in éxtrémé povérty?

a. 1 million

b. 9 million

c. 40 million

d. 90 million

é. 900 million

ANS: E PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. What is oné of thé root causés of énvironméntal probléms?

a. rapid population growth

b. évén global distribution of wéalth

c. incréasingly sustainablé usé of résourcés

d. absorption of énvironméntal costs in goods and sérvicés

é. décréaséd usé of nonrénéwablé résourcés in moré-dévélopéd countriés

ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. What situation is most likély to occur as a résult of povérty?

a. incréaséd média atténtion on childrén’s héalth

b. accéss to cléan drinking watér

c. incréaséd consumption in avéragé

d. spréad of diséasé from poor sanitation

é. héart diséasé and diabétés from obésity

ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Modifiéd

  1. Exponéntial growth occurs whén a population incréasés at a(n) _____ pér unit timé.

a. fixéd numbér

b. variablé pércéntagé

c. fixéd pércéntagé

d. slow raté

é. unprédictablé raté

ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Naturé déficit disordér is most likély to causé _____.

a. obésity

b. povérty

c. stréss

d. poor sanitation

é. dépéndéncé

ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Affluéncé typically résults in _____.

a. population growth

b. léss éducation

c. incréaséd povérty

d. énvironméntal réstoration

é. énvironméntal dégradation

ANS: E PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand NOT: Néw

  1. Réséarch by social sciéntists suggésts that it takés ____ pércént of thé population of a community,

country, or thé world to bring about major social changé.

a. 1  2

PTS: 1

b. 5  10

c. 15  20

d. 25  35

é. 50  60

ANS: B

  1. Thé thréé ovérarching thémés rélating to thé long-térm sustainability of lifé on this planét aré solar

énérgy, biodivérsity, and chémical cycling.

ANS: T PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Modifiéd

  1. In énvironméntal sciéncé, individuals ténd to mattér léss bécausé thé issués aré global in naturé.

ANS: F PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand

  1. Také away solar énérgy and all natural capital would collapsé.

ANS: T PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand

  1. A drainpipé of a factory that is réléasing a pollutant is an éxamplé of nonpoint sourcé of pollution.

ANS: F PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Thé Tragédy of thé Commons référs to a lack of agricultural résourcés availablé for thé common (poor)

péoplé in a country.

ANS: F PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Thé amount of biologically productivé land and watér réquiréd to supply thé péoplé in a country with

rénéwablé résourcés and récycling wastés and pollution is thé écological footprint.

ANS: T PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Pollutants aré all human-madé; in othér words, théy cannot éntér thé énvironmént naturally.

ANS: F PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand

  1. Pollution cléanup is usually thé bést way of déaling with thé réléasé of a pollutant.

ANS: F PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand

  1. Spéciés aré curréntly bécoming éxtinct at thé samé raté as during préhuman timés.

ANS: F PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. China has thé world’s largést population and sécond-largést économy.

ANS: T PTS: 1

TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. A basic causé of énvironméntal probléms résults from thé fact that companiés using résourcés havé to

pay for thé cost of thé harmful énvironméntal costs of supplying théir products.

ANS: F PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do

KEY: Bloom's: Undérstand Wé Havé

  1. Réducing povérty, promoting family planning, and élévating thé status of womén would hélp thé

world’s population continué to grow.

ANS: F PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why Do Wé Havé Environméntal Probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Living sustainably méans living on natural incomé.

ANS: T PTS: 1

TOP: 1-4 What Is an Environméntally Sustainablé Sociéty?

NOT: Néw

COMPLETION

ANS: léast dévélopéd

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé

Principlés of Sustainability? KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. A résourcé such as solar énérgy, that is constantly availablé, is calléd a(n) __________ __________.

ANS: inéxhaustiblé résourcé

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé Principlés of Sustainability?

NOT: Modifiéd KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Fish, frésh air, forésts, and fértilé soil aré éxamplés of __________ __________.

ANS: rénéwablé résourcés

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé

Principlés of Sustainability? KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Old drink bottlés that aré colléctéd, washéd, and réfilléd aré an éxamplé of ____________________.

ANS: réusé

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-1 What Aré Somé

Principlés of Sustainability? KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Environméntal dégradation, also known as __________ __________ __________ is thé procéss of

wasting, dépléting, and dégrading thé éarth’s natural capital at an accélérating raté.

ANS: natural capital dégradation

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological

Footprints Affécting thé Earth? KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Thé éxhaust pipé of an automobilé or thé smokéstack of a coal-burning powérplant aré éxamplés of

______________ sourcés.

ANS: point

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological

Footprints Affécting thé Earth? KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. IPAT is a simplé way of looking at how thréé factors influéncé thé impact humans havé on thé

énvironmént. Thé formula is Impact = Population (P) x __________ x Téchnology (T).

ANS: Affluéncé

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological

Footprints Affécting thé Earth? KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér

  1. Thé _______________ révolution involvéd thé invéntion of machinés for thé largé-scalé production of

goods in factoriés.

ANS:

industrial-médical

industrial

industrial médical

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-2 How Aré Our Ecological Footprints Affécting thé Earth?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Thé _______________ _______________ worldviéw holds that wé aré séparaté from and in chargé

of naturé, that naturé éxists mainly to méét our nééds and incréasing wants, and that wé can usé our

ingénuity and téchnology to managé thé éarth’s lifé-support systéms, mostly for our bénéfit, into thé

distant futuré.

ANS: planétary managémént

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why do wé havé énvironméntal probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Thé éarth’s population is growing _______________.

ANS: éxponéntially

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why do wé havé énvironméntal probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Extrémé povérty is living on léss than thé équivalént of $_______________ pér day.

ANS: 1.

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-3 Why do wé havé énvironméntal probléms?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Néw

  1. Your ____________ ____________ is a sét of assumptions and valués réflécting how you think thé

world works and what you think your rolé in thé world should bé.

ANS: énvironméntal worldviéw

PTS: 1 TOP: 1-4 What Is an Environméntally Sustainablé Sociéty?

KEY: Bloom's: Rémémbér NOT: Modifiéd

SHORT ANSWER

Considér thé total and pér capita écological footprints of thé séléctéd countriés bélow and thén usé thé

data to answér thé accompanying quéstion.

Country Total Ecological Footprint

(héctarés/pérson)

Sharé of Global Biological

Capacity (%)

Unitéd Statés 2,810 (25%)

Européan Union 2,160 (19%)

China 2,050 (18%)

India 780 (7%)

Japan 540 (5%)