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






2. Any living thing on earth.






3. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






5. Species which react quickly to an environmental change and therefore can be used to diagnose a particular ecosystem.






6. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






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






8. 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.






9. A situation where a layer of warmer air traps lower - cooler air - causing pollution to collect near the ground.






10. A UN conference that addressed the growing population problem.






11. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






12. The UN's first major conference on environmental issues.






13. A forest near the equator with heavy rainfall and a great diversity of plant and animal life. Although a mere 2% of the earth is covered with these forests - they contain 50-80% of earth's land species.






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






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






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






17. The spraying of pesticides to keep produce from any injuries or damage.






18. 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.






19. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






20. Organisms which thrive in high nutrient environments - especially those with plenty of carbon.






21. The flow of water in the water table.






22. 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.






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






24. The oxification of ammonia by certain bacterium into nitrite and later into nitrates - which can then be used by plants.






25. Water found in estuaries. This water is a mixture of saltine ocean water and fresh water - usually from a river or stream.






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






27. Animals which eat grass and roots.






28. All of the water found on earth.






29. The process by which a new species is created. This process generally requires geographic isolation to prevent interbreeding between the newly emerging species and the parent species.






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






31. Organisms with a nucleus.






32. A partially enclosed part of the ocean with rivers or streams flowing into it.






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






34. 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.






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






36. A bloom of phytoplankton in a body of water caused by an abnormal increase in nutrients. This process depletes the water's oxygen level - killing off other aquatic organisms.






37. An act which set standards for the amount of pollution in water.






38. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






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






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






41. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






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






44. 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.






45. 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.






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






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






48. A variety of species living together.






49. An American environmentalist who is famous for promoting the ideas of environmental ethics and wildlife management.






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