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 layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






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






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






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






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






6. Any living thing on earth.






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






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






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






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






11. An unstable form of oxygen which protects the earth from UV radiation. Although naturally occurring in the stratosphere (upper atmosphere) - in the lower atmosphere this gas acts as a pollutant.






12. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






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






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






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






16. The process by which a new species is created. This process generally requires geographic isolation to prevent interbreeding between the newly emerging species and the parent species.






17. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






27. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






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






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






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






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






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






35. 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






36. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






38. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






40. Animals which eat grass and roots.






41. 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.






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






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






44. 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.






45. All of the ecosystems on earth.






46. 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.






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






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






49. Organisms which produce their own food.






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