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 act which called for the careful examination of new chemicals to ensure they are safe for their intended uses.






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






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






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






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






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






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






8. 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.






9. An act which required the EPA to set standards for drinking water.






10. 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.






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






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






13. Growing only one crop at a time.






14. 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.






15. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






17. 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.






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






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






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






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






22. All of the water found on earth.






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






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






25. 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.






26. 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.






27. The middle atmospheric layer. Meteors burn up after entering this layer.






28. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






30. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






31. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






32. The infiltration of harmful chemicals - particles - or biological matter into the atmosphere which endanger living organisms. Pollutants include sulfur and nitrogen oxides - ammonia - and chlorofluorocarbons. Although there are natural sources for th






33. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






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






36. Organisms which produce their own food.






37. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






38. The flow of water in the water table.






39. A type of farming where the farmer will grow just enough crops to satisfy his family's needs for the next year.






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






41. 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.






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






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






44. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






45. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






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






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






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






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






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