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






2. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






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






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






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






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






7. 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.






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






9. The rate at which producers create organic material.






10. 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.






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






12. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






14. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






20. 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.






21. 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.






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






23. Consumers which eat both plants and animals.






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






25. 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.






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






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






28. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






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






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






31. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






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






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






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






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






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






38. 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.






39. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






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






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






42. A situation where a layer of warmer air traps lower - cooler air - causing pollution to collect near the ground.






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






44. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






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






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






47. 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.






48. Growing only one crop at a time.






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






50. 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.