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. Organisms which produce their own food.






2. The flow of water in the water table.






3. Animals which eat leaves and shoots.






4. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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. Animals which eat grass and roots.






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






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






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






19. 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.






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






21. The crust and upper mantle of the earth.






22. 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.






23. 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.






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






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






26. A variety of species living together.






27. 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.






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






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






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






31. Plants taking in nitrates from the soil.






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






33. 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.






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






35. An especially potent greenhouse gas emitted during production and transportation of fossil fuels - decomposition of organic matter - and herds of livestock.






36. An extinct hominid species believed to exhibit the first example of full-time bipedalism.






37. Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.






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






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






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






41. 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.






42. All of the ecosystems on earth.






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






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






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






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






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






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






49. Consumers which eat only other animals.






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