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






2. 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.






3. 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.






4. A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding.






5. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






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






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






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






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






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






12. 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.






13. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






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






15. 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.






16. 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.






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






18. The rate at which producers create organic material.






19. 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.






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






21. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






27. 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






28. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






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






31. Organisms which produce their own food.






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






33. 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.






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






35. 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.






36. The southern-most continent - of which 98% is ice. This continent includes 70% of the world's fresh water - and 90% of the world's ice. Although the average temperature is -49






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






38. Organisms which thrive in high nutrient environments - especially those with plenty of carbon.






39. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






40. The flow of water in the water table.






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






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






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






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






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






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






47. Organisms with a nucleus.






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






49. 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.






50. The loss of water vapor from leaves.