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 conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






2. 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.






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






4. 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.






5. Organisms with a nucleus.






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






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






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






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






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






11. The flow of water in the water table.






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






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






15. 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.






16. 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.






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






18. Organisms which eat other organisms.






19. 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.






20. 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






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






22. Any living thing on earth.






23. 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.






24. An act which established and enforced acceptable levels of air pollution.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






32. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






33. 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.






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






35. Exceptionally acidic (low pH) rain. This phenomenon is caused mainly by emissions of carbon dioxide - sulfur dioxide - and nitrogen oxide which react with water particles in the air.






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






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






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






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






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






41. 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.






42. 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.






43. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






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






45. Organisms which produce their own food.






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






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






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






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






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