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. The process of a gas transforming into a liquid.






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






3. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






5. A type of farming where the farmer will grow just enough crops to satisfy his family's needs for the next year.






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






7. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






8. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






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






10. An especially potent greenhouse gas emitted during production and transportation of fossil fuels - decomposition of organic matter - and herds of livestock.






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






12. The first atmospheric layer. Most weather and pollution occurs here - and the temperature decreases with altitude.






13. 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.






14. 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.






15. Populations characterized by large size - long lifespan - and few offspring.






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






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






18. 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.






19. The middle atmospheric layer. Meteors burn up after entering this layer.






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






21. 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






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






23. The amount of pests needed before spraying pesticides is economical.






24. Organisms with a nucleus.






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






26. 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.






27. Organisms which produce their own food.






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






29. Grasslands with short - widely spaced trees and no canopy - allowing for an unbroken layer of grasses beneath.






30. The place of an organism in an ecosystem - such as what it eats and how it interacts with other organisms.






31. All of the water found on earth.






32. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






33. 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.






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






35. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






36. A variety of species living together.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. An agency created to establish regulations concerning pollutants to protect humans and the environment.






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






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






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






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






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






50. Growing only one crop at a time.