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. Different species living in close contact with each other.






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






3. 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.






4. A shubland found primarily in the South-Western United States and Mexico. Fire plays a predominant role in the life-cycle of the plants in this area - the seeds of which will sprout only after a fire.






5. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






6. The amount of variation among organisms living in a particular ecosystem. The loss of this key characteristic leads to a reduction in ecosystem efficiency and the ability of species to adapt to new situations.






7. Modern man.






8. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






9. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






10. The area between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Here the temperature reverses from decreasing to increasing with altitude.






11. The uppermost atmospheric layer. Here satellites orbit the earth.






12. All members of a species which live in the same area.






13. Species which serve key roles in an ecosystem. The absence of these important organisms is detrimental to the surrounding area.






14. Average expected birth rate for 1 -000 women.






15. The infiltration of harmful chemicals - particles - or biological matter into the atmosphere which endanger living organisms. Pollutants include sulfur and nitrogen oxides - ammonia - and chlorofluorocarbons. Although there are natural sources for th






16. A type of symbiosis where one species will benefit while the other will be neither benefit or be harmed.






17. The coexistence of two species using the same resource where the two will use the resource in different ways.






18. Integrating rows of trees alongside crops to provide mulch and shade - retain water in the soil - and promote sustainable land use.






19. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






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






21. An extinct hominid species believed to exhibit the first example of full-time bipedalism.






22. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






23. An extinct hominid species with near the same brain capacity as modern man believed to use fire and stone tools - live a hunter/gatherer lifestyle - and speak a language.






24. Organisms which thrive in low nutrient environments and usually have slow growth rates.






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






26. Organisms which produce their own food.






27. 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.






28. A UN conference held in Rio de Janeiro. The conference decided to protect biodiversity - reduce pollution emissions and greenhouse gasses - and promote sustainable development.






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






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






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






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






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






34. A principle that states that two species competing for a single resource cannot coexist. One species will inevitably gain an advantage over the other - causing the looser either to migrate or to become extinct.






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






36. An act requiring federal agencies to detail the impact of proposed environmental policies.






37. An act which required the EPA to set standards for drinking water.






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






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






40. The biggest atmospheric layer. Without ozone - UV radiation causes ionization and the auroras in this layer.






41. Areas with only enough rainfall for grasses to grow. As a result - most animals are grazers - such as buffalo.






42. Any living thing on earth.






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






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






45. 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.






46. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






47. Consumers which eat only other animals.






48. All of the water found on earth.






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






50. 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.