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 UN conference that addressed the growing population problem.






2. Modern man.






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






4. The spraying of pesticides to keep produce from any injuries or damage.






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






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






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






8. 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.






9. The process of surface water entering the soil. This ensures that plants have adequate access to water.






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






11. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






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






13. The flow of water in the water table.






14. 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.






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






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






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






18. 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.






19. 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.






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






21. The rate at which producers create organic material.






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






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






24. Water found in estuaries. This water is a mixture of saltine ocean water and fresh water - usually from a river or stream.






25. All of the water found on earth.






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






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






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






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






30. Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.






31. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






32. Organisms which eat other organisms.






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






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






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






36. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






37. A community of species interacting with their nonliving (abiotic) environment.






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






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






40. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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 found in temperate regions with warm summers - cool winters - and plenty of rainfall. These kinds of forests are characterized by evergreens and deciduous trees.






48. 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.






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






50. Organisms with a nucleus.