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28 multiple-choice questions and 20 flashcards on Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology, about 19% of the HS Environmental Science bank. Every one carries a written rationale.
Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology is one of 11 chapters in CoStudy's HS Environmental Science bank, and it holds 28 of the bank's 150 multiple-choice questions — roughly 19% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.
Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.
7 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.
An ecosystem consists of:
Answer: C — All living organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system
An ecosystem includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components and their interactions.
Biomagnification refers to:
Answer: C — The increasing concentration of toxins (e.g., mercury, DDT) up trophic levels in a food chain
Persistent toxins accumulate in tissues and concentrate up food chains. Apex predators (e.g., tuna, eagles) often have the highest contaminant levels.
Acid rain is most commonly caused by:
Answer: B — Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions reacting with water in the atmosphere
SO₂ and NOₓ emissions (mainly from burning coal and vehicle exhaust) react with atmospheric water to form sulfuric and nitric acids.
Primary succession occurs when:
Answer: B — An ecosystem develops on previously lifeless substrate (e.g., bare rock after a glacier retreats)
Primary succession starts from bare rock or new volcanic land; secondary succession occurs where soil already exists (e.g., after fire).
Sustainable development is best defined as:
Answer: B — Development that meets present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs
The Brundtland definition (1987) emphasizes balancing economic, social, and environmental needs across generations.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is best known for:
Answer: C — Synthesizing peer-reviewed climate science to inform policymakers
The IPCC, a UN body, assesses and synthesizes climate research to produce authoritative reports for governments — it does not conduct original research.
The carbon cycle moves carbon between:
Answer: B — The atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere
Carbon cycles through atmosphere (CO₂), biosphere (organisms), hydrosphere (dissolved CO₂ in oceans), and lithosphere (rocks, fossil fuels).
4 cards from the 20 in this chapter.
Decomposer?
Bacteria, fungi. Break down dead matter, return nutrients to soil.
Ecosystem?
Community of organisms + their physical environment, interacting.
Invasive species?
Non-native species causing harm. No natural predators. Often outcompete natives.
Biome?
Large region with characteristic climate + community.
These are a sample. The full Introduction to Environmental Science and Ecology chapter runs 48 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.
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