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Self Test

Click on the appropriate response to each question below. After you've completed the quiz, you can calculate your score and compare your answers to the correct answers by clicking on the calculate score button that follows the quiz.

  1. By 2000, the leading sources of impairments to water quality standards across all waterbodies in the United States were from
      A. point sources such as municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial discharges
      B. nonpoint sources such as runoff from agriculture and land-based activities in urbanized areas
      C. atmospheric deposition from mobile sources
      D. all of the above

  2. The leading pollutant of concern for most waterbodies in the United States is
      A. sediment
      B. nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus
      C. heavy metals such as lead and mercury
      D. all of the above

  3. Up until 1982, 80 million acres in the United States had been converted from undeveloped land to urban and suburban land uses. In the following fifteen year period from 1982 to 1997, U.S. population increased by 15%. During that same period, the total percentage of developed land increased by
      A. Approximately 5% (significantly less than the rate of population growth)
      B. 15% (the same as the rate of population growth)
      C. More than 30% (over twice the rate of population growth)
      D. none of the above

  4. The prevailing pattern of development in the last twenty years
      A. is closely associated with the highway network
      B. has a dispersed, low density development pattern that increasingly relies upon automobiles for transportation
      C. increasingly relies upon automobiles for transportation
      D. all of the above

  5. From 1980-2000, the number of miles driven by Americans every year increased
      A. at the same rate as population growth
      B. at twice the rate of population growth
      C. at four times the rate of population growth
      D. none of the above

  6. From 1982 to 1997, the number of watersheds in which at least 15% of the land cover was developed
      A. doubled
      B. tripled
      C. quadrupled
      D. none of the above

  7. Increased imperviousness resulting from new roads, driveways and rooftops
      A. increases peak flows, the total volume of runoff, and the frequency of flooding
      B. decreases infiltration and the rate of groundwater recharge
      C. is correlated with decreasing abundance and diversity of aquatic life
      D. all of the above

  8. Among the factors influencing growth patterns in the United States since World War II are
      A. federal transportation funding
      B. local land use planning and zoning
      C. historic federal financing programs and housing initiatives
      D. all of the above

  9. Many studies have found a strong correlation between imperviousness and the health of streams. Most of this research shows that the biodiversity and physical structure of streams begin to show measurable adverse impacts when the impervious surface of their watershed
      A. exceeds 5%
      B. approaches 10%
      C. crosses a threshold of 30%
      D. exceeds 50%

  10. True or False: Low-density development results in fewer vehicle miles traveled each year.
      A. True
      B. False

  11. The economic and environmental benefits of encouraging development where we have existing communities include
      A. Cost savings due to the ability to use existing infrastructure and services
      B. An expedited and predictable permitting process under most current land use and zoning ordinances
      C. Preserving nearby natural areas that might otherwise be developed to accommodate growth
      D. A and B
      E. B and C
      F. A and C

  12. Which of the following statements is false? The prevailing pattern of low density development has been shown to contribute to
      A. increased obesity levels linked with more time spent in cars and less physical activity
      B. loss of leisure time due to increased commute times and more time spent in traffic
      C. increased socio-economic integration of residential neighborhoods
      D. none of the above

  13. For every acre of brownfields that are redeveloped, how many acres of greenfields (or undeveloped landscapes) are estimated to be preserved?
      A. 2 acres
      B. 4.5 acres
      C. 25 acres
      D. none of the above

  14. "Green Infrastructure" such as trees in a street in a developed area can
      A. regulate heat, improve air quality, retain storm water and mitigate flooding
      B. prevent droughts
      C. none of the above
      D. all of the above

  15. LID is an acronym that stands for
      A. Lower Infiltration Devices, a class of impermeable membranes that can prevent basement flooding
      B. "Living In Dallas," a book about the future of water resources in Texas
      C. Low Impact Development, an approach to site design that preserves its pre-development hydrology
      D. none of the above
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