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






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






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






4. 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.






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






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






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






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






9. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






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






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






12. 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






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






14. Modern man.






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






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






17. 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.






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






19. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






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






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






22. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






24. 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.






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






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






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






28. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






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






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






32. All of the water found on earth.






33. Organisms with a nucleus.






34. 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.






35. Any living thing on earth.






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






37. The flow of water in the water table.






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






39. A type of symbiosis where one species benefit at the expense of the other.






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






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






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






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






44. 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.






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






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






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






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






49. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






50. Consumers which eat only other animals.