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






2. A rainforest in the temperate zone which receives heavy rainfall.






3. An act which protects certain lands as national parks.






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






5. 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.






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






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






8. 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.






9. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






10. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






16. 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.






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






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






19. An extinct hominid species believed to have the same brain capacity as modern man and use many different weapons.






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






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






22. A form of management which attempts to satisfy both the needs of humans and those of wildlife in the best way possible for both parties.






23. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






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






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






26. 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.






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






28. All of the water found on earth.






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






30. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






31. 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.






32. The flow of water in the water table.






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






34. Consumers which eat both plants and animals.






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






36. 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






37. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. 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.






45. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






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






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






48. Growing more than one crop at a time.






49. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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