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 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.






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






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






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






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






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






7. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






8. Integrating rows of trees alongside crops to provide mulch and shade - retain water in the soil - and promote sustainable land use.






9. The area between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Here the temperature reverses from decreasing to increasing with altitude.






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






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






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






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






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






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






16. 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.






17. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






18. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






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






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






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






23. 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.






24. A variety of species living together.






25. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






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






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






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






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






31. Growing more than one crop at a time.






32. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






33. 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.






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






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






36. 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.






37. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






39. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






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






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






42. Also called that water cycle - this process describes the cycling of water throughout the environment. The stages of this cycle are evaporation - condensation - transportation - precipitation - infiltration and percolation - and run off.






43. 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.






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






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






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






47. 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.






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






49. A greenhouse gas which also plays a key role in regulating ozone levels.






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