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






2. Organisms which create their own food out of inorganic (abiotic) substances.






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






4. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






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






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






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






8. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






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






11. 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






12. 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.






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






14. Organisms which eat other organisms.






15. Growing more than one crop at a time.






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






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






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






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






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






21. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






29. 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.






30. Modern man.






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






32. 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.






33. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






35. 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.






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






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






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






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






40. 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






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






42. Any living thing on earth.






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






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






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






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






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






48. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






49. 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.






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