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






2. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






3. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






5. All of the water found on earth.






6. Biomes with less than 10 inches of rain a year. Foliage is scarce in these areas - and remaining plants and animals work hard to conserve the little water they receive.






7. 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.






8. 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.






9. A law designed to locate toxic waste sites - gauge their pollution level - and ensure these sites are taken care of properly.






10. Organisms with a nucleus.






11. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






13. The position of an organism on the food chain.






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






15. An extinct hominid species believed to have long - ape-like arms; have a brain capacity half that of modern men; and use primitive tools.






16. 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.






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






18. An extinct hominid species believed to be the last common ancestor between man and apes.






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






20. 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.






21. 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.






22. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






23. Growing more than one crop at a time.






24. 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.






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






26. The flow of water in the water table.






27. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






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






30. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






31. Political organizations not affiliated with the government which try to bring about social change.






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






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






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






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






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






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






38. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






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






40. The southern-most continent - of which 98% is ice. This continent includes 70% of the world's fresh water - and 90% of the world's ice. Although the average temperature is -49






41. A community of species interacting with their nonliving (abiotic) environment.






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






43. A forest characterized by clearly differentiated seasons - such as the trees loosing leaves in the fall and heavy snowfall in the winter.






44. 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.






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






46. 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






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






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






49. Any living thing on earth.






50. All of the ecosystems on earth.