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 believed to exhibit the first example of full-time bipedalism.






2. The process by which the sun's energy converts liquid water to water vapor in the atmosphere.






3. 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.






4. Organisms which create their own food out of inorganic (abiotic) substances.






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






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






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






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






9. The process of a gas transforming into a liquid.






10. 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.






11. Modern man.






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






13. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






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






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






23. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






25. Organisms which produce their own food.






26. 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.






27. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






28. 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.






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






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






31. 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.






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






33. 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.






34. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






35. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






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






37. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






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






39. The process of surface water entering the soil. This ensures that plants have adequate access to water.






40. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






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






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






44. 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.






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






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






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






48. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






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