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 process of soil particles being carried away by wind or water. Erosion moves the smaller particles first and hence degrades the soil to a coarser - sandier - stonier texture.






2. When the signs and symptoms of an illness can be attributed to a specific infectious organism that resides in the building.






3. 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.






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






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






6. Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals and resulting in the development of new species.






7. Radioactive wastes that produce high levels of ionizing radiation.






8. Poor nutrition that results from an insufficient or poorly balanced diet.






9. The result of graphing a dose-response analysis.






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 uppermost horizon of soil. It is primarily made up of organic material - including waste from organisms - the bodies of decomposing organisms - and live organisms.






12. A cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America - occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns.






13. An opening in the Earth's crust through which molten lava - ash - and gases are ejected.






14. A process in which cold - often nutrient-rich - waters from the ocean depths rise to the surface.






15. An organism that is capable of converting radiant energy or chemical energy into carbohydrates.






16. Bacteria or fungi that absorb nutrients from nonliving organic matter like plant material - the wastes of living organisms - and corpses. They convert these materials into inorganic forms.






17. The biological treatment of wastewater in order to continue to remove biodegradable waste.






18. A severe tropical cyclone originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea or eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean - traveling north - northwest - or northeast from its point of origin - and usually involving heavy rains.






19. Areas where cutting has occurred and a new - younger forest has arisen.






20. A region of the ocean near the equator - characterized by calms - light winds - or squalls.






21. A species whose very presence contributes to an ecosystem's diversity and whose extinction would consequently lead to the extinction of other forms of life.






22. Biotic and abiotic natural ecosystems.






23. When mature trees are cut over a period of time (usually10 -20 years); this leaves mature trees - which can reseed the forest - in place.






24. The raising of fish and other aquatic species in captivity for harvest.






25. States that matter can neither be created nor destroyed.






26. A lowland area - such as a marsh or swamp - that is saturated with moisture - especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife.






27. A long - relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland-built up by the action of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges.






28. The bedrock - which lies below all of the other layers of soil - is referred to as the R horizon.






29. The region draining into river system or other body of water.






30. Organisms that consume both producers and primary consumers.






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






32. The process that occurs when two different species in a region compete and the better adapted species wins.






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






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






35. A soil horizon; the layer below the O layer is called the A layer. The A layer is formed of weathered rock - with some organic material; often referred to as topsoil.






36. The molten core of the Earth.






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






38. An estimate of the amount of fossil fuel that can be obtained from reserve.






39. Using strategies to reduce the amount of risk (the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or pathogen).






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






41. Energy at rest - or stored energy.






42. A symbiotic relationship in which one member is helped by the association and the other is harmed.






43. A tank filled with aerobic bacteria that's used to treat sewage.






44. 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.






45. Organisms in the first stages of succession.






46. The gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body - especially the one surrounding the Earth - which is retained by the celestial body's gravitational field.






47. The energy of motion.






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






49. A climate variation that takes place in the tropical Pacific about every three to seven years - for a duration of about one year.






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