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 UN conference that addressed the growing population problem.






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






4. 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.






5. A transitional area between two different ecosystems.






6. Modern man.






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






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






9. A layer of gasses surrounding the earth.






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






11. 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






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






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






14. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






15. 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.






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






17. 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.






18. The spraying of pesticides to prevent a pest problem before it happens.






19. 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.






20. The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas.






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






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






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






24. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






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






26. Surface run-off caused by melted snow.






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






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






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






30. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






31. 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.






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






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






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






35. 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.






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






37. An international protocol designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of CFCs and other harmful chemicals.






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






39. The combination of evaporation from the ocean - lakes - and other bodies of water and transpiration - the loss of water from plants.






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






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






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






43. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






49. Forests found in the northern regions of North America - Europe - and Asia characterized by freezing winters and warmer summers. These forests lie just below the tree line.






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