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. 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.






2. The flow of water in the water table.






3. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






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






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






6. 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.






7. The rate at which producers create organic material.






8. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






18. Consumers which eat only other animals.






19. 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.






20. Organisms which thrive in high nutrient environments - especially those with plenty of carbon.






21. 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.






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






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






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






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






26. 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.






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






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






29. 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.






30. 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.






31. A type of farming where the farmer will grow crops both to fulfill his family's needs for the next year and to sell on the market.






32. 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.






33. The rapid increase of harmful algae in a body of water.






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






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






36. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






38. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






39. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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. 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.






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






49. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






50. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.