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






2. 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.






3. 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.






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






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






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






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






8. 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.






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






10. 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.






11. 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.






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






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






14. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






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






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






17. The process of planting different plant species right next to each other to maximize one's yield.






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






19. An international convention which created the framework for protecting the ozone layer.






20. The flow of water in the water table.






21. Organisms which produce their own food.






22. Growing more than one crop at a time.






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






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






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






26. 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.






27. A variety of species living together.






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






29. 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






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






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






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






33. Animals which eat grass and roots.






34. The process by which pollutants are carried by flowing water - such as a river.






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






36. 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.






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






38. The rate at which producers create organic material.






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






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






41. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






43. An American environmentalist who is famous for promoting the ideas of environmental ethics and wildlife management.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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