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 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






2. A greenhouse gas which also plays a key role in regulating ozone levels.






3. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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. Biomes far north in North America - Europe - and Asia which - due to very low temperatures - cannot support tree growth.






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






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






8. A community of species interacting with their nonliving (abiotic) environment.






9. 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.






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






11. A greenhouse gas. Although it is a natural part of the carbon cycle - the atmospheric concentration of this gas has increased due to the burning of fossil fuels.






12. A theory that our current ecological problems are a product of deeper social problems.






13. The place of an organism in an ecosystem - such as what it eats and how it interacts with other organisms.






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






15. Different species living in close contact with each other.






16. Any living thing on earth.






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






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






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






20. The flow of water in the water table.






21. 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






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






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






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






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






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






27. A situation where a layer of warmer air traps lower - cooler air - causing pollution to collect near the ground.






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






29. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






30. The study of the interaction between organisms and their environment.






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






32. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






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 one species benefit at the expense of the other.






35. 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.






36. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






37. An unstable form of oxygen which protects the earth from UV radiation. Although naturally occurring in the stratosphere (upper atmosphere) - in the lower atmosphere this gas acts as a pollutant.






38. The amount of pests needed before spraying pesticides is economical.






39. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






40. The process of a gas transforming into a liquid.






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






42. An extinct hominid species believed to have long - ape-like arms; have a brain capacity half that of modern men; and use primitive tools.






43. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






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






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






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






48. 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.






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






50. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.