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






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






3. Modern man.






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






5. 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.






6. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






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






9. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






10. A variety of species living together.






11. A type of symbiosis where one species benefit at the expense of the other.






12. Consumers which eat both plants and animals.






13. The middle atmospheric layer. Meteors burn up after entering this layer.






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






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






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






17. The uppermost atmospheric layer. Here satellites orbit the earth.






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






19. Political organizations not affiliated with the government which try to bring about social change.






20. A UN conference that addressed the growing population problem.






21. Forests found in the northern regions of North America - Europe - and Asia characterized by freezing winters and warmer summers. These forests lie just below the tree line.






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






23. An extinct hominid species believed to be the last common ancestor between man and apes.






24. 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.






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






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






27. The rate at which producers create organic material.






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






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






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






31. The flow of water in the water table.






32. The process of a substance passing directly from the solid phase to the gaseous phase - and vice versa.






33. The coexistence of two species using the same resource where the two will use the resource in different ways.






34. All of the ecosystems on earth.






35. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






36. A philosophy that extends ethics to non-humans. Under this system - animals - plants - and other aspects of the environment are seen as being deserving of justice and consideration.






37. 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.






38. The process of planting different plant species right next to each other to maximize one's yield.






39. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






41. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






43. 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.






44. An extinct hominid species with near the same brain capacity as modern man believed to use fire and stone tools - live a hunter/gatherer lifestyle - and speak a language.






45. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






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






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. The rapid increase of harmful algae in a body of water.






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