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 soil horizon - horizon C is made up of larger pieces of rock that have not undergone much weathering.






2. Air currents caused by the vertical movement of air due to atmospheric heating and cooling.






3. The amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive sample to disappear.






4. Close - prolonged associations between two or more different organisms of different species that may - but do not necessarily benefit the members.






5. 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






6. The place where two plates abut each other.






7. Is equal to the number of deaths per 1 -000 members of the population in a year.






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






9. The atmospheric pressure conditions corresponding to the periodic warming of El Nino and cooling of La Nina.






10. The part of the mantle that lies just below the lithosphere.






11. The total sum of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment.






12. Devices containing alkaline substances that precipitate out much of the sulfur dioxide from industrial plants.






13. Graphical representations of populations' ages.






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






15. 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.






16. Soil composed of a mixture of sand - clay - silt - and organic matter.






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






18. This category includes organisms that consume producers (plants and algae).






19. 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.






20. The number of individuals of a population that inhabit a certain unit of land or water area.






21. Says that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transferred and transformed.






22. The phenomenon whereby the Earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation - caused by the presence in the atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide - water vapor - and methane that allow incoming sunlight to pass through - but absorb heat radiated back fr






23. Says that the entropy (disorder) of the universe is increasing. One corollary of the Second Law of thermodynamics is the concept that - in most energy transformations - a significant fraction of energy is lost to the universe as heat.






24. When one species feeds on another.






25. 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.






26. 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.






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






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






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






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






31. Radioactive wastes that produce low levels of ionizing radiation.






32. The least pure coal.






33. When photochemical smog - NOx compounds - VOCs - and ozone combine to form smog with a brownish hue.






34. Countries that have a renewable annual water supply of about 1 -000 -2 -000 m3 per person.






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






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






37. Refers to resources - such as plants and animals - which can be regenerated if harvested at sustainable yields.






38. A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area.






39. The industry or occupation devoted to the catching - processing - or selling of fish - shellfish - or other aquatic animals.






40. A group of modern windmills.






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






42. The maintenance of a species or ecosystem in order to ensure their perpetuation - with no concern as to their potential monetary value






43. The random fluctuations in the frequency of the appearance of a gene in a small isolated population - presumably owing to chance - rather than natural selection.






44. Can consist of hazardous waste - industrial solid waste - or municipal waste. Many types of solid waste provide a threat to human health and the environment.






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






46. A region of the ocean near the equator - characterized by calms - light winds - or squalls.






47. The use of devices - such as solar panels - to collect - focus - transport - or store solar energy.






48. Any substance that has an LD50 - of 50 mg or less per kg of body weight.






49. 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).






50. The right - as to fishing or to the use of a riverbed - of one who owns riparian land (the land adjacent to a river or stream).