Test your basic knowledge |

AP Environmental Science

Subjects : science, ap
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A fiscal policy that lowers taxes on income - including wages and profit - and raises taxes on consumption - particularly the unsustainable consumption of non-renewable resources.






2. When materials - such as plastic or aluminum - are used to rebuild the same product. An example of this is the use of the aluminum from aluminum cans to produce more aluminum cans.






3. A platinum - coated device that oxidizes most of the VOCs and some of the CO that would otherwise be emitted in exhaust - converting them to CO2.






4. The edges of tectonic plates.






5. An influential theory that concerns the long - term rate of conventional oil (and other fossil fuel) extraction and depletion. It predicts that future world oil production will soon reach a peak and then rapidly decline.






6. The process by which - according to Darwin's theory of evolution - only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generations - while those less adap






7. An animal that only consumes other animals.






8. Countries that have a renewable annual water supply of about 1 -000 -2 -000 m3 per person.






9. An organism that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition.






10. One that has never been cut; these forests have not been seriously disturbed for several hundred years.






11. The structure obtained if we organize the amount of energy contained in producers and consumers in an ecosystem by kilocalories per square meter - from largest to smallest.






12. In a sewage treatment plant - the initial filtration that is done to remove debris such as stones - sticks - rags - toys - and other objects that were flushed down the toilet.






13. Living or derived from living things.






14. The gradual breakdown of rock into smaller and smaller particles - caused by natural chemical - physical - and biological factors.






15. Smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels.






16. Says that the entropy (disorder) of the universe is increasing. One corollary of the Second Law of thermodynamics is the concept that - in most energy transformations - a significant fraction of energy is lost to the universe as heat.






17. The dark - crumbly - nutrient-rich material that results from the decomposition of organic material.






18. Creating flat platforms in the hillside that provide a level planting surface - which reduces soil runoff from the slope.






19. When each family in a community grows crops for themselves and rely on animal and human labor to plant and harvest crops.






20. In fishing - the use of long lines that have baited hooks and will be taken by numerous aquatic organisms.






21. Bacteria - virus - or other microorganisms that can cause disease.






22. The outermost shell of the atmosphere - between the mesosphere and outer space - where temperatures increase steadily with altitude.






23. The phenomenon whereby the Earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation - caused by the presence in the atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide - water vapor - and methane that allow incoming sunlight to pass through - but absorb heat radiated back fr






24. The process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in each successive link in the food chain.






25. A soil horizon - horizon C is made up of larger pieces of rock that have not undergone much weathering.






26. Any compound that releases hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Also - a water solution that contains a surplus of hydrogen ions.






27. Also known as plantations - these are planted and managed tracts of trees of the same age that are harvested for commercial use.






28. A nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus - especially a heavy nucleus such as an isotope of uranium - splits into fragments - usually two fragments of comparable mass - releasing from 100 million to several hundred million electron volts of ener






29. When the size of an organism's natural habitat is reduced - or when development occurs that isolates a habitat.






30. Organisms that are capable of interbreeding with one another and incapable of breeding with other species.






31. Fish farming in which fish are caught in the wild and not raised in captivity for consumption.






32. A high-speed - meandering wind current - generally moving from a westerly direction at speeds often exceeding 400 km (250 miles) per hour at altitudes of 15 to 25 km (10 to 15 miles).






33. A specific location from which pollution is released; an example of a point source location is a factory where wood is being burned.






34. The amount that the population would grow if there were unlimited resources in its environment.






35. The maintenance of a species or ecosystem in order to ensure their perpetuation - with no concern as to their potential monetary value






36. When companies are allowed to buy permits that allow them a certain amount of discharge of substances into certain environmental outlets. If they can reduce their amount of discharge - they are allowed to sell the remaining portion of their permit to






37. The area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs.






38. The industry or occupation devoted to the catching - processing - or selling of fish - shellfish - or other aquatic animals.






39. The solids that remain after the secondary treatment of sewage.






40. The layer of the Earth between the crust and the core.






41. A method of supplying irrigation water through tubes that literally drip water onto the soil at the base of each plant.






42. Biotic and abiotic natural ecosystems.






43. The finest soil - made up of particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter.






44. The place where two plates abut each other.






45. An organism that obtains organic food molecules without eating other organisms or substances derived from other organisms. autotrophs use energy from the sun or from the oxidation of inorganic substances to make organic molecules from inorganic ones.






46. The day-to-day variations in temperature - air pressure - wind - humidity - and precipitation mediated by the atmosphere in a given region.






47. When an area of vegetation is cut down and burned before being planted with crops.






48. The practice of alternating the crops grown on a piece of land - for example - corn one year - legumes for two years - and then back to corn.






49. Can consist of hazardous waste - industrial solid waste - or municipal waste. Many types of solid waste provide a threat to human health and the environment.






50. Close - prolonged associations between two or more different organisms of different species that may - but do not necessarily benefit the members.