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






2. 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.






3. Any living thing on earth.






4. Organisms which produce their own food.






5. A forest characterized by clearly differentiated seasons - such as the trees loosing leaves in the fall and heavy snowfall in the winter.






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






7. Evolution in one organism due to change in a related organism.






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






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






10. 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.






11. The UN's first major conference on environmental issues.






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






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






14. 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.






15. The process by which the sun's energy converts liquid water to water vapor in the atmosphere.






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






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






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






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






20. The process by which certain kinds of bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia - a form accessible to living creatures.






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






22. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






23. All of the ecosystems on earth.






24. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






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






27. Exceptionally acidic (low pH) rain. This phenomenon is caused mainly by emissions of carbon dioxide - sulfur dioxide - and nitrogen oxide which react with water particles in the air.






28. The rate at which producers create organic material.






29. A type of farming where the farmer will fell and burn down trees to grow crops. After a few years - he will move on and continue the process.






30. Average expected birth rate for 1 -000 women.






31. Areas with only enough rainfall for grasses to grow. As a result - most animals are grazers - such as buffalo.






32. All of the water found on earth.






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






34. 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.






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






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






37. 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.






38. Populations characterized by large size - long lifespan - and few offspring.






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






40. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






41. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






42. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






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






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






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






46. The second atmospheric layer. The ozone layer is found here - increasing the temperature with altitude.






47. 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.






48. The combination of evaporation from the ocean - lakes - and other bodies of water and transpiration - the loss of water from plants.






49. A forest near the equator with heavy rainfall and a great diversity of plant and animal life. Although a mere 2% of the earth is covered with these forests - they contain 50-80% of earth's land species.






50. The area between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Here the temperature reverses from decreasing to increasing with altitude.