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






2. Any substance than is inhaled - ingested - or absorbed at dosages sufficient to damage a living organism.






3. When populations are well below the size dictated by the carrying capacity of the region they live in - they will grow exponentially - but as they approach the carrying capacity - their growth rate will decrease and the size of the population will ev






4. Refers to resources - such as plants and animals - which can be regenerated if harvested at sustainable yields.






5. The removal of all of the trees in an area.






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






7. 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.






8. A usually triangular alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river.






9. Air currents caused by the vertical movement of air due to atmospheric heating and cooling.






10. The number of children an average woman will bear during her lifetime; this information is based on an analysis of data from preceding years in the population in question.






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






12. 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






13. An intensification of the Greenhouse Effect due to the increased presence of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.






14. Organisms that consume secondary consumers or other tertiary consumers.






15. 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.






16. An area in which a particular mineral is concentrated - mining -the excavation of the Earth for the purpose of extracting ore or minerals.






17. The form petroleum takes when in the ground.






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






19. 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.






20. Countries that have a renewable annual water supply of less than 1 -000 m3 per person.






21. To convert or change into a vapor.






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






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






24. 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.






25. The liquid that percolates to the bottom of a landfill.






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






27. An introduced - normative species.






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






29. Involves the removal of the Earth's surface all the way down to the level of the mineral seam.






30. Any noise that causes stress or has the potential to damage human health.






31. The act or process of transpiring - or releasing water vapor - especially through the stomata of plant tissue or the pores of the skin.






32. A basic substance; chemically - a substance that absorbs hydrogen ions or releases hydroxyl ions; in reference to natural water - a measure of the base content of the water.






33. Any weathering that's caused by the activities of living organisms.






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






35. A complex of interrelated food chains in an ecological community.






36. 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.






37. The degree to which a substance is biologically harmful.






38. The least pure coal.






39. Open or forested areas built at the outer edge of a city.






40. Organisms in the first stages of succession.






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






42. The vertical movement of a mass of matter due to heating and cooling; this can happen in both the atmosphere and Earth's mantle.






43. A group of modern windmills.






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






45. The amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive sample to disappear.






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






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






48. The random fluctuations in the frequency of the appearance of a gene in a small isolated population - presumably owing to chance - rather than natural selection.






49. A semiconductor device that converts the energy of sunlight into electric energy.






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