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. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






3. 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.






4. 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.






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






6. 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.






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






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






9. 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.






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






11. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






13. 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.






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






15. Growing more than one crop at a time.






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






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






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






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






20. 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.






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






22. An agency created to establish regulations concerning pollutants to protect humans and the environment.






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






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






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






26. Animals which eat grass and roots.






27. Modern man.






28. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






29. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






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






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






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






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






34. The flow of water in the water table.






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






36. An American environmentalist who is famous for promoting the ideas of environmental ethics and wildlife management.






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






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






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






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






41. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






42. 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.






43. All of the water found on earth.






44. 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.






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






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






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






48. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






49. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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