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. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






2. 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






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






4. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






5. Also called that water cycle - this process describes the cycling of water throughout the environment. The stages of this cycle are evaporation - condensation - transportation - precipitation - infiltration and percolation - and run off.






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






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






8. The position of an organism on the food chain.






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






10. 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






11. Animals which eat grass and roots.






12. The rate at which producers create organic material.






13. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






14. Growing more than one crop at a time.






15. A type of symbiosis where one species will benefit while the other will be neither benefit or be harmed.






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






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






18. A community of similar living organisms largely affected by the area's climate.






19. Condensed water vapor which falls to earth. This comes in many forms - such as rain - snow - ice - and hail.






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






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






22. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






23. A UN conference held in Rio de Janeiro. The conference decided to protect biodiversity - reduce pollution emissions and greenhouse gasses - and promote sustainable development.






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






25. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






26. The spraying of pesticides to keep produce from any injuries or damage.






27. A variety of species living together.






28. An extinct hominid species believed to exhibit the first example of full-time bipedalism.






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






30. 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.






31. Integrating rows of trees alongside crops to provide mulch and shade - retain water in the soil - and promote sustainable land use.






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






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






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






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






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






37. Species which serve key roles in an ecosystem. The absence of these important organisms is detrimental to the surrounding area.






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






39. The spraying of pesticides to prevent a pest problem before it happens.






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






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






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






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






44. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






45. The biggest atmospheric layer. Without ozone - UV radiation causes ionization and the auroras in this layer.






46. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






47. An influential book by Rachel Carson which helped begin the environmental movement.






48. 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.






49. 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.






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