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. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






2. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






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






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






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






6. 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.






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






8. Any living thing on earth.






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






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






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






12. 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.






13. 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.






14. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






15. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






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






17. 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.






18. Organisms which produce their own food.






19. Organisms with a nucleus.






20. The flow of water in the water table.






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






22. Growing more than one crop at a time.






23. Modern man.






24. 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.






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






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






27. 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.






28. Organisms which eat other organisms.






29. 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.






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






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






32. An international protocol designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of CFCs and other harmful chemicals.






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






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






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






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






37. The process by which the sun's energy converts liquid water to water vapor in the atmosphere.






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






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






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






41. 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.






42. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






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






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






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






46. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






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






48. 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.






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






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