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






2. Biomes with less than 10 inches of rain a year. Foliage is scarce in these areas - and remaining plants and animals work hard to conserve the little water they receive.






3. Modern man.






4. 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.






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






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






7. Consumers which eat both plants and animals.






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






9. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






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






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






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






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






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






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






16. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






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






18. Organisms which produce their own food.






19. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






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






22. A variety of species living together.






23. 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.






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






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






26. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






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






28. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






29. 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.






30. All members of a species which live in the same area.






31. 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.






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






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






34. 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.






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






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






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






38. 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.






39. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






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






41. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






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






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






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






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






46. An act created to protect endangered and threatened species.






47. A principle that states that two species competing for a single resource cannot coexist. One species will inevitably gain an advantage over the other - causing the looser either to migrate or to become extinct.






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






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






50. An international organization designed to promote free trade between countries.