DSST Environmental Science Practice Test Questions and Answers

Which of the following is a worldview holding that humans are separate from nature, that nature exists mainly to meet our needs and increasing wants, and that we can use ingenuity and technology to manage the earth's systems to meet our needs? Planetary management worldview Reducing topsoil erosion and restoring fertility is the goal of which of the following? Soil conservation Which of the following is a chemical that specifically kills plants? Herbicide Which of the following is a natural process that recycles nutrients in various chemical forms from the abiotic environment to biotic organisms and then back to the abiotic environment? Biogeochemical cycle Hazard identification, determining probability of risk, and considering the consequences of risk are all components of what? risk assessment Which of the following terms describes unwanted or discarded material we produce, including garbage or sludge from a wastewater treatment plant? Solid waste Which of the following terms describes a species, such as raccoons, that can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, or tolerate a range of environmental conditions? Generalist species Carnivores that feed on the flesh of other carnivores are known as what? Tertiary consumers Which of the following terms describes the normally gradual change and development of a species structure over time in a given area? Ecological succession Which of the following used the threat of trade sanctions to cut CFC production dramatically? Montreal Protocol Which of the following terms describes the general pattern of atmospheric conditions, such as precipitation and temperature patterns, in a given area over periods ranging from at least 30 years to thousands of years? Climate Which of the following soil conservation practices involves planting alternating rows of two different crops along the contours of the land—when one crop is harvested, the other remains to prevent water from running off and carrying soil with it? Strip farming