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






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






3. An international protocol designed to stabilize global warming.






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






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






6. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






7. The rate at which producers create organic material.






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






9. 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.






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






11. Any living thing on earth.






12. Grasslands with short - widely spaced trees and no canopy - allowing for an unbroken layer of grasses beneath.






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






14. A variety of species living together.






15. All of the water found on earth.






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






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






18. Organisms with a nucleus.






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






20. 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.






21. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. Organisms which eat other organisms.






29. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






30. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






31. Consumers which eat both plants and animals.






32. Consumers which eat decomposing organic material.






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






34. 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.






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






36. An extinct hominid species with near the same brain capacity as modern man believed to use fire and stone tools - live a hunter/gatherer lifestyle - and speak a language.






37. A type of symbiosis where each species will benefit from interacting with the other.






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






39. 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






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






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






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






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






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






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






46. The loss of water vapor from leaves.






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






48. 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.






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






50. The flow of water in the water table.