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






2. The rate at which producers create organic material.






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






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






5. 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.






6. 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.






7. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






9. An international protocol designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of CFCs and other harmful chemicals.






10. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






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






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






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






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






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






16. 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.






17. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






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






20. 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.






21. The first atmospheric layer. Most weather and pollution occurs here - and the temperature decreases with altitude.






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






23. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






24. Modern man.






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






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






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






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






29. 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.






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






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






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






33. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






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






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






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






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






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






39. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






40. 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.






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






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






43. 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.






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






45. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






47. The process by which pollutants are carried by flowing water - such as a river.






48. A law designed to locate toxic waste sites - gauge their pollution level - and ensure these sites are taken care of properly.






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






50. Growing more than one crop at a time.