Test your basic knowledge |

DSST Environment And Humanity

Subjects : dsst, science
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. An agency created to establish regulations concerning pollutants to protect humans and the environment.






2. An act which established and enforced acceptable levels of air pollution.






3. A philosophy that extends ethics to non-humans. Under this system - animals - plants - and other aspects of the environment are seen as being deserving of justice and consideration.






4. An international protocol designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of CFCs and other harmful chemicals.






5. The process by which certain kinds of bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia - a form accessible to living creatures.






6. A community of similar living organisms largely affected by the area's climate.






7. A forest found in temperate regions with warm summers - cool winters - and plenty of rainfall. These kinds of forests are characterized by evergreens and deciduous trees.






8. Condensed water vapor which falls to earth. This comes in many forms - such as rain - snow - ice - and hail.






9. The rapid increase of harmful algae in a body of water.






10. An act which protects certain lands as national parks.






11. The study of the interaction between organisms and their environment.






12. A theory that our current ecological problems are a product of deeper social problems.






13. The second atmospheric layer. The ozone layer is found here - increasing the temperature with altitude.






14. Exceptionally acidic (low pH) rain. This phenomenon is caused mainly by emissions of carbon dioxide - sulfur dioxide - and nitrogen oxide which react with water particles in the air.






15. The spraying of pesticides to prevent a pest problem before it happens.






16. Different species living in close contact with each other.






17. A type of farming where the farmer will fell and burn down trees to grow crops. After a few years - he will move on and continue the process.






18. The cloudiness of a liquid due to small suspended particles.






19. All of the ecosystems on earth.






20. The process of planting different plant species right next to each other to maximize one's yield.






21. The cycling and reusing of elements and molecules (such as water - nitrogen - and phosphorus) that are essential to life.






22. Evolution in one organism due to change in a related organism.






23. Forests found in the northern regions of North America - Europe - and Asia characterized by freezing winters and warmer summers. These forests lie just below the tree line.






24. A greenhouse gas which also plays a key role in regulating ozone levels.






25. A form of management which attempts to satisfy both the needs of humans and those of wildlife in the best way possible for both parties.






26. The process by which pollutants are carried by flowing water - such as a river.






27. The process of a substance passing directly from the solid phase to the gaseous phase - and vice versa.






28. An act created to protect endangered and threatened species.






29. Also called that water cycle - this process describes the cycling of water throughout the environment. The stages of this cycle are evaporation - condensation - transportation - precipitation - infiltration and percolation - and run off.






30. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






31. Populations characterized by small size - short lifespan - and lots of offspring.






32. The rate at which producers create organic material.






33. Precipitation which does not reach the soil but is instead collected by plants.






34. Excess water which cannot be infiltrated into the soil and instead flows along the ground.






35. All of the water found on earth.






36. Organisms which create their own food out of inorganic (abiotic) substances.






37. The process of surface water entering the soil. This ensures that plants have adequate access to water.






38. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






39. The decomposition of organic nitrogen into inorganic ammonium. This process is also called mineralization.






40. Consumers which eat both plants and animals.






41. An influential book by Rachel Carson which helped begin the environmental movement.






42. A rainforest in the temperate zone which receives heavy rainfall.






43. A greenhouse gas. Although it is a natural part of the carbon cycle - the atmospheric concentration of this gas has increased due to the burning of fossil fuels.






44. An unstable form of oxygen which protects the earth from UV radiation. Although naturally occurring in the stratosphere (upper atmosphere) - in the lower atmosphere this gas acts as a pollutant.






45. An extinct hominid species believed to have the same brain capacity as modern man and use many different weapons.






46. Organisms which produce their own food.






47. The process of a gas transforming into a liquid.






48. The process of planting trees in between other crops.






49. A type of symbiosis where each species will benefit from interacting with the other.






50. The combination of evaporation from the ocean - lakes - and other bodies of water and transpiration - the loss of water from plants.