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






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






3. All of the water found on earth.






4. 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.






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






6. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






7. 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.






8. 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.






9. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






15. Growing more than one crop at a time.






16. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






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






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






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






21. 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.






22. 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.






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






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






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






26. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






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






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






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






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






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






32. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






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






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






36. The process by which certain kinds of bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia - a form accessible to living creatures.






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






38. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






40. 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.






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






42. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






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






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






45. 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.






46. The rate at which producers create organic material.






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






48. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






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






50. A situation where a layer of warmer air traps lower - cooler air - causing pollution to collect near the ground.