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. The observed effect of the Coriolis force - especially the deflection of an object moving above the Earth - rightward in the Northern Hemisphere - and leftward in the Southern Hemisphere.






2. A system of vertical and horizontal air circulation predominating in tropical and subtropical regions and creating major weather patterns.






3. Acid rain - acid hail - acid snow; all of which occur as a result of pollution in the atmosphere.






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






5. The accumulation of a substance - such as a toxic chemical - in various tissues of a living organism.






6. The result of a pathogen invading a body.






7. To convert or change into a vapor.






8. Smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels - especially coal.






9. The day-to-day use of environmental resources as food - clothing - and housing.






10. 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.






11. The removal of select trees in an area; this leaves the majority of the habitat in place and has less of an impact on the ecosystem.






12. The coarsest soil - with particles 0.05 -2.0 mm in diameter.






13. A bloom of dinoflagellates that causes reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters. Certain dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyamfox produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish.






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






15. A succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member and - in turn - is preyed upon by a higher member.






16. The point at which 50 percent of the test organisms die from a toxin.






17. The amount of energy that plants pass on to the community of herbivores in an ecosystem.






18. Gave the EPA power to set emission standards for major sources of noise - including transportation - machinery - and construction.






19. A soil horizon; B receives the minerals and organic materials that are leached out of the A horizon.






20. Occurs when infection causes a change in the state of health.






21. Says that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transferred and transformed.






22. The A layer of soil is often referred to as topsoil and is most important for plant growth.






23. 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.






24. Radioactive wastes that produce low levels of ionizing radiation.






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






26. Land that's fit to be cultivated.






27. The second-purest form of coal.






28. A hydrocarbon that forms as sediments are buried and pressurized.






29. The number of individuals of a population that inhabit a certain unit of land or water area.






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






31. Organisms that derive energy from consuming nonliving organic matter.






32. A plate boundary at which plates are moving away from each other. This causes an upwelling of magma from the mantle to cool and form new crust.






33. The edges of tectonic plates.






34. 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.






35. When the energy released from waste incineration is used to generate electricity.






36. Any water that has been used by humans. This includes human sewage - water drained from showers - tubs - sinks - dishwashers - washing machines - water from industrial processes - and storm water runoff.






37. Involves the sinking of shafts to reach underground deposits. In this type of mining - networks of tunnels are dug or blasted and humans enter these tunnels in order to manually retrieve the coal.






38. An introduced - normative species.






39. A stable - mature community in a successive series that has reached equilibrium after having evolved through stages and adapted to its environment.






40. A process that allows the organic material in solid waste to be decomposed and reintroduced into the soil - often as fertilizer.






41. This category includes organisms that consume producers (plants and algae).






42. Ozone that exists in the trophosphere.






43. When water rights are given to those who have historically used the water in a certain area.






44. The movement of individuals into a population.






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






46. Pollutants that are formed by the combination of primary pollutants in the atmosphere.






47. 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.






48. A hydrocarbon deposit - such as petroleum - coal - or natural gas - derived from living matter of a previous geologic time and used for fuel.






49. Pertaining to factors or things that are separate and independent from living things; nonliving.






50. The development and introduction of new varieties of (mainly) wheat and rice that has increased yields per acre dramatically in countries since the 1960s.