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. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






3. Animals which eat grass and roots.






4. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






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






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






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






9. 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.






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






11. 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






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






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






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






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






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






17. 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.






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






19. Any living thing on earth.






20. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






21. 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.






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






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






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






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






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. An act which called for the careful examination of new chemicals to ensure they are safe for their intended uses.






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






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






30. A variety of species living together.






31. An international organization designed to promote free trade between countries.






32. Biomes far north in North America - Europe - and Asia which - due to very low temperatures - cannot support tree growth.






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






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






35. 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.






36. Organisms which eat other organisms.






37. 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.






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






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






40. Organisms which produce their own food.






41. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






49. 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.






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