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 uppermost atmospheric layer. Here satellites orbit the earth.






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






3. 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.






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






5. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






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






7. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. Growing more than one crop at a time.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






27. 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.






28. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






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






31. An act which set standards for the amount of pollution in water.






32. 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.






33. Modern man.






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






35. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






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






37. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






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






40. 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.






41. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






42. 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.






43. 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.






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






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






46. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






48. 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






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






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