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 with a nucleus.






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






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






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






5. 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.






6. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






7. 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.






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






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






10. An act requiring federal agencies to detail the impact of proposed environmental policies.






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






12. Consumers which eat only other animals.






13. An act which set standards for the amount of pollution in water.






14. 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.






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






16. Grasslands with short - widely spaced trees and no canopy - allowing for an unbroken layer of grasses beneath.






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






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






19. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






20. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






29. All of the water found on earth.






30. 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.






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






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






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






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






35. 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.






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






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






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






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






40. 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.






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






42. 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






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






44. 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.






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






46. The amount of variation among organisms living in a particular ecosystem. The loss of this key characteristic leads to a reduction in ecosystem efficiency and the ability of species to adapt to new situations.






47. 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.






48. A variety of species living together.






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






50. Modern man.