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






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






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






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






5. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






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






7. 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.






8. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






9. Growing only one crop at a time.






10. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






16. Consumers which eat both plants and animals.






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






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






19. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






21. 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.






22. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






23. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






24. 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.






25. 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.






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






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






28. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






29. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






31. 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.






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






33. Growing more than one crop at a time.






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






35. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






36. 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.






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






38. 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






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






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






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






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






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






44. The rate at which producers create organic material.






45. Organisms which produce their own food.






46. The flow of water in the water table.






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






48. Animals which eat grass and roots.






49. Different species living in close contact with each other.






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