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 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.






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






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






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






5. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






13. 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.






14. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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






16. 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.






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






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






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






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






21. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






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






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






24. 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.






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






26. The process of planting different plant species right next to each other to maximize one's yield.






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






28. 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.






29. 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.






30. An especially potent greenhouse gas emitted during production and transportation of fossil fuels - decomposition of organic matter - and herds of livestock.






31. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






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






33. 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.






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






35. A UN conference held in Rio de Janeiro. The conference decided to protect biodiversity - reduce pollution emissions and greenhouse gasses - and promote sustainable development.






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






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






38. 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.






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






40. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






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






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






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






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






45. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






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






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. An international organization designed to promote free trade between countries.






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






50. The cycling and reusing of elements and molecules (such as water - nitrogen - and phosphorus) that are essential to life.