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. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






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






4. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






10. 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.






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






12. All of the water found on earth.






13. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






23. Growing more than one crop at a time.






24. 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.






25. The biggest atmospheric layer. Without ozone - UV radiation causes ionization and the auroras in this layer.






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






27. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






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






30. A variety of species living together.






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






32. 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






33. 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.






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






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






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






37. 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.






38. The spraying of pesticides to keep produce from any injuries or damage.






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






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






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






42. 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.






43. 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.






44. Organisms which produce their own food.






45. The rate at which producers create organic material.






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






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






48. 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.






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






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