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 cloudiness of a liquid due to small suspended particles.






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






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






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






5. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






7. 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.






8. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






10. 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.






11. 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.






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






13. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






14. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






15. The coexistence of two species using the same resource where the two will use the resource in different ways.






16. The flow of water in the water table.






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






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






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






20. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






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






23. 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.






24. 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.






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






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






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






28. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






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






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






31. Organisms which produce their own food.






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






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






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






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






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






37. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






38. The spraying of pesticides to keep produce from any injuries or damage.






39. 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.






40. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






41. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






42. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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