Test your basic knowledge |

AP Environmental Science

Subjects : science, ap
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 process in which soil becomes saltier and saltier until - finally - the salt prevents the growth of plants. Salinization is caused by irrigation because salts brought in with the water remain in the soil as water evaporates.






2. A semiconductor device that converts the energy of sunlight into electric energy.






3. An area in which a particular mineral is concentrated - mining -the excavation of the Earth for the purpose of extracting ore or minerals.






4. Transition in species composition of a biological community - often following ecological disturbance of the community; the establishment of a biological community in any area virtually barren of life.






5. Sunlight.






6. Pertaining to factors or things that are separate and independent from living things; nonliving.






7. An effect that results from long -term exposure to low levels of toxin.






8. When soil becomes water-logged and then dries out - and salt forms a layer on its surface.






9. Organisms that reproduce early in life and often and have a high capacity for reproductive growth.






10. A symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit.






11. Non-moving sources of pollution - such as factories.






12. A waste product produced by the burning of coal.






13. The amount that the population would grow if there were unlimited resources in its environment.






14. Poor nutrition that results from an insufficient or poorly balanced diet.






15. The amount of the Earth's surface that's necessary to supply the needs of - and dispose of the waste from a particular population.






16. The liquid that percolates to the bottom of a landfill.






17. The area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs.






18. Graphical representations of populations' ages.






19. An erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates.






20. The process of fusing two nuclei.






21. When physically treated sewage water is passed into a settling tank - where suspended solids settle out as sludge; chemically treated polymers may be added to help the suspended solids separate and settle out.






22. The uppermost horizon of soil. It is primarily made up of organic material - including waste from organisms - the bodies of decomposing organisms - and live organisms.






23. The finest soil - made up of particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter.






24. Ozone that exists in the trophosphere.






25. Formed from populations of different species occupying the same geographic area.






26. The gradual breakdown of rock into smaller and smaller particles - caused by natural chemical - physical - and biological factors.






27. Areas where cutting has occurred and a new - younger forest has arisen.






28. A system of vertical and horizontal air circulation predominating in tropical and subtropical regions and creating major weather patterns.






29. The process in which animals (and plants!) breathe and give off carbon dioxide from cellular metabolism.






30. A climate variation that takes place in the tropical Pacific about every three to seven years - for a duration of about one year.






31. An influential theory that concerns the long-term rate of conventional oil (and other fossil fuel) extraction and depletion. It predicts that future world oil production will soon reach a peak and then rapidly decline.






32. Smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels.






33. A plate boundary at which plates are moving away from each other. This causes an upwelling of magma from the mantle to cool and form new crust.






34. The coarsest soil - with particles 0.05 -2.0 mm in diameter.






35. When the majority of a building's occupants experience certain symptoms that vary with the amount of time spent in the building.






36. The more or less constant winds blowing in horizontal directions over the Earth's surface - as part of Hadley cells.






37. When trees and crops are planted together - creating a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between them.






38. The outermost shell of the atmosphere - between the mesosphere and outer space - where temperatures increase steadily with altitude.






39. Involves the sinking of shafts to reach underground deposits. In this type of mining - networks of tunnels are dug or blasted and humans enter these tunnels in order to manually retrieve the coal.






40. A model that's used to predict population trends based on the birth and death rates as well as economic status of a population.






41. States that matter can neither be created nor destroyed.






42. A tank filled with aerobic bacteria that's used to treat sewage.






43. A place where a large quantity of a resource sits for a long period of time.






44. Also known as transform faults - boundaries at which plates are moving past each other - sideways.






45. The layer of the Earth between the crust and the core.






46. The cleanest-burning coal; almost pure carbon.






47. When the signs and symptoms of an illness can be attributed to a specific infectious organism that resides in the building.






48. The broad category under which selective cutting and shelter-wood cutting fall; selective deforestation.






49. Power generated using water.






50. Bacteria - virus - or other microorganisms that can cause disease.