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. A bloom of dinoflagellates that causes reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters. Certain dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyamfox produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish.






2. Also known as plantations - these are planted and managed tracts of trees of the same age that are harvested for commercial use.






3. The degree to which a substance is biologically harmful.






4. A soil horizon; the layer below the O layer is called the A layer. The A layer is formed of weathered rock - with some organic material; often referred to as topsoil.






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






6. A program funded by the federal government and a trust that's funded by taxes on chemicals; identifies pollutants and cleans up hazardous waste sites.






7. When a species occupies a smaller niche than it would in the absence of competition.






8. The result of vibrations (often due to plate movements) deep in the Earth that release energy. They often occur as two plates slide past one another at a transform boundary.






9. Using strategies to reduce the amount of risk (the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or pathogen).






10. Species that originate and live - or occur naturally - in an area or environment.






11. A soil horizon; B receives the minerals and organic materials that are leached out of the A horizon.






12. Energy at rest - or stored energy.






13. A long - relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland-built up by the action of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges.






14. An estimate of the amount of fossil fuel that can be obtained from reserve.






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






16. A lowland area - such as a marsh or swamp - that is saturated with moisture - especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife.






17. When each family in a community grows crops for themselves and rely on animal and human labor to plant and harvest crops.






18. Organisms that consume secondary consumers or other tertiary consumers.






19. A group of modern windmills.






20. The unit used to describe the volume of fossil fuels.






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






22. The bedrock - which lies below all of the other layers of soil - is referred to as the R horizon.






23. A platinum - coated device that oxidizes most of the VOCs and some of the CO that would otherwise be emitted in exhaust - converting them to CO2.






24. The process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in each successive link in the food chain.






25. The process by which - according to Darwin's theory of evolution - only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generations - while those less adap






26. Acid rain - acid hail - acid snow; all of which occur as a result of pollution in the atmosphere.






27. Smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels - especially coal.






28. Sunlight.






29. Any compound that releases hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Also - a water solution that contains a surplus of hydrogen ions.






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






31. An organism that is capable of converting radiant energy or chemical energy into carbohydrates.






32. The form petroleum takes when in the ground.






33. The edges of tectonic plates.






34. Calculating risk - or the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or pathogen.






35. The movement of individuals into a population.






36. The number of children a couple must have in order to replace themselves in a population.






37. A hydrocarbon that forms as sediments are buried and pressurized.






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






39. A high-speed - meandering wind current - generally moving from a westerly direction at speeds often exceeding 400 km (250 miles) per hour at altitudes of 15 to 25 km (10 to 15 miles).






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






41. Any water that has been used by humans. This includes human sewage - water drained from showers - tubs - sinks - dishwashers - washing machines - water from industrial processes - and storm water runoff.






42. The process by which specialized bacteria (mostly anaerobic bacteria) convert ammonia to NOy NO2 - and N2 and release it back to the atmosphere.






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






44. When mature trees are cut over a period of time (usually10 -20 years); this leaves mature trees - which can reseed the forest - in place.






45. When ecological succession begins in a virtually lifeless area - such as the area behind a moving glacier.






46. Is the practice of planting bands of different crops across a hillside.






47. In tectonic plates - the site at which an oceanic plate is sliding under a continental plate.






48. To convert or change into a vapor.






49. Piles of gangue - which is the waste material that results from mining.






50. The dosage level of a toxin at which a negative effect occurs.