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. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






8. 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.






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






11. 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.






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






13. 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.






14. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






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






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






17. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






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






19. Precipitation which does not reach the soil but is instead collected by plants.






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






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






22. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






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






24. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






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






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






27. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






33. 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.






34. Growing more than one crop at a time.






35. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






36. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






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






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






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






40. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






41. A variety of species living together.






42. Any living thing on earth.






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






44. A bloom of phytoplankton in a body of water caused by an abnormal increase in nutrients. This process depletes the water's oxygen level - killing off other aquatic organisms.






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






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






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






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






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






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