| Terms |
Definitions |
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producers
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autotrophs
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omnivore
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an omnivorous animal.
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The 3 greenhoue gases
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CO2methaneCFC's
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commensalism
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one organism benefits, other unaffected; sharks and remoras, epiphytes-tropical trees
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Antagonistic reactions are mostly beneficial
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true
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intrumental records
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direct measurements of climate variables, in use since the 1700's in England
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Condensation
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When water molecules become liquid again
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extremophile
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organism that thrives in extreme habitats
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biomass
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quantitative estimate of total mass, or amount, of living material
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rural area
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area that produces natural resources
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commensalisms
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the relationship between two species where one organism is benefitted and the other is unaffected
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abiotic
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referring to the nonliving components of an ecosystem
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petrochemicals
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a chemical substance obtained from petroleum or natural gas, as gasoline, kerosene, or petrolatum.
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interglacial periods
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warm periods that followed glacial periods and lasted 10,000 to 12,500 years. period we're in right now.
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Emigration
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The departure of individuals from a given area.
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Population Density
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number of individuals per unit area
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biosphere
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the narrow layer of Earth's surface where life can exist.
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food web
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a complex of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem
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Lithosphere
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Outermost rigid rock layer composed of plates
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Bioaccumulation
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The buildup of a persistent toxic substance in an organism's body, often in fatty tissues Synthetic chemical do not metabolize well They remain in the body for extended periods of time
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Consumption overpopulation
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Each person consumes too much, HDC
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vector
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an organism that carries a disease from one host to another
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The composition and behavior of the troposphere control what?
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weather
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biodiversity
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diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment.
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encephalitis
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inflammation of the substance of the brain.
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Population Size
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The description of the number of individual organisms present in a given population at a given time.
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Pioneer Species
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first species to populate an area during primary succession
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ozone
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a molecule made up of 3 oxygen atoms
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modern synthesis
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an attempt to explain variation among offspring (mutation); includes knowledge from genetics, classification, developmental biology, fossils and ecology
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energy flow
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passage of energy in a one-way direction through an ecosystem
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Benthic Zone
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Ocean floor, extending from tidal zone to deep sea trenches Sediment is mostly mud Burrowing worms and clams
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limiting factor
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the one primary condition of the environment that determines the population size of an organism
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what are mutagens?
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agents that dmage or alter DNA-radiation
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keystone species
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a species that is critically important to the balance and survival of the particular ecosystem in which it lives
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organism
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a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes.
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ecosystem
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a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.
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precipitation
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the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist)
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Global Convection currents
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sun heats earth over equator- air rises
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Acid Rain
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caused by vapor in atmosphere; pH 5.5 - over time can cause wear down of stone
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boreal forest
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A region of coniferous forests in the northern hemisphere Just south of tundra Covers 11% of Earth's land Growing Season A little longer than tundra Precipitation ~ 50 cm/yr Soils are acidic and mineral poor Vegetation comprised of drought resistant conifers
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endoparasite
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a parasite that is adapted to live on the inside of a host
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The irreversible disappearance of a population or species.
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What is Extinction?p. 46.
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global climate models
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look at future and how climate models are used to predict what is going to happen
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free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria
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bacteria that live in the soil and can convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere into forms that plants can use
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A relationship between two species in which both benefit.
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What is Mutualism?p. 41.
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What is the most harmful UV rays?
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UVB's which are partially absorbed
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List the four types of consumers.
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1) herbivores (primary consumers) 2) carnivores (secondary consumers) 3) tertiary consumers (including omnivores, scavengers, and detritus feeders) 4) decomposers
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Succession that occurs in areas where no ecosystem has existed previously.
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What is Primary Succession? p. 69.
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Green water
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watervapor
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Brownfields
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Urban areas abandoned industrial/residential sites that may be contaminated from past use
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extinction
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the act of extinguishing.
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atmosphere
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gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth
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Troposphere
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where weather occurs, temperature decreases with altitude (0-10km)
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Summary
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Population Growthis described by:the theory of demographic transition and is devided into three phases:1. hunter-gatherer societies2. agricultural revolution3. industrialization
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ribosomes
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a tiny, somewhat mitten-shaped organelle occurring in great numbers in the cell cytoplasm either freely, in small clusters, or attached to the outer surfaces of endoplasmic reticula, and functioning as the site of protein manufacture.
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Developing
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water is untreated to downstream people are left with contaminated water
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Ecology
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the study of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their abiotic environment.
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ecological pyramids
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graphically represent the relative energy values of each trophic level
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Toxicant
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chemical with adverse human health effects
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T or FAgriculture accounts for largest single share of global H20 use
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True
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cell membrane
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the semipermeable membrane enclosing the cytoplasm of a cell.
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diphtheria
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a febrile, infectious disease caused by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and characterized by the formation of a false membrane in the air passages, esp. the throat.
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Ozone layer
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A concentrated area of the Troposphere
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Sex Ratio
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The proportion of males to females.
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Humidity
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amount of water vapor in the air
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asthenosphere
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plastic, solid layer of the mantle, allows tectonic plates to move on top of it
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symbiosis
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two or more species very closely related, dependence involved
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secondary succession
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succession that begins in an environment following destruction of all or part of the earlier community (abandoned farmland, open area after fire)
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Tropical Rainforest
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Lush, species-rich biome that occurs where climate is warm and moist throughout the year Precipitation 200-450 cm/yr Very productive biome Most species-rich biome Ancient, weathered, nutrient-poor soil Nutrients tied up in vegetation, not soil Vegetation 3 distinct canopy layers Animals Most abundant insect, reptiles and amphibians on earth
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Grassland
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Treeless land with hot summers, cold winters and too little precipitation to support trees Precipitation 25-75 cm/yr Tall grass prairies Short grass prairies 90% of this biome has been lost to farmland Soil has thick, organic material rich organic horizon Periodic fires keep the dominant vegetation Animals Once covered with bison - no longer true Smaller animals are still present (ex: prairie dogs)
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consumer
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organism that uses other organisms as food
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chemotroph
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a producer that converts the energy found in organic chemical compounds into other forms of energy without the use of sunlight e.g., special group of eubacteria
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indigenous
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originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often fol. by to):
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water cycle
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the continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back
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Logistic Growth
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A description of how a population's initial exponential increase is slowed and finally stopped by limiting factors.
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Consumptive
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water does not return to other water resource
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magnitude
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the measure of energy released by an earthquake
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Negative feedback
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result keeps cause in check / regulates cause
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Freshwater Ecosystems
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Includes: Rivers and streams Lakes and ponds Marshes and swamps Represent 2% of earth's surface Assist in recycling water back to the oceans
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Limiting Resources
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The resources that limit the growth of a population.
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host
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the organism a parasite uses for its source of food
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Relationship between two species in which one specie benefits and the other is neither harmed/helped.
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What is Commensalism?p42.
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habitat
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the place or type of environment where an organism or a population or organisms live
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natural resources
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the natural wealth of a country, consisting of land, forests, mineral deposits, water, etc.
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niche
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function of an organism in a community of plants and animals.
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Relative humidity
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Ratio of water vapor in the air contains to the maximum armount it could have at that temperature
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Conduction
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the flow of heat from a warmer object to a colder object
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Reemerging Disease
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disease existed in the past and are recently increasing in incidence Ex: tuberculosis, yellow fever, malaria
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nitrogen-fixing bacteria
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bacteria that are able to convert the nitrogen gas in the atmosphere into forms that plants can use
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An organism's way of life
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What is Niche? p. 38.
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Great Ocean Conveyor Belt
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Cold water gets saltier and sinks, draws warmer water from the equator over
*If we shut it down by getting rid of ice caps, and don't have the formation of the cold water, there is no movement of the warm water up top; decrease in temperature variation would cause an ice age
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When dose is given and it 50% of pop die
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LD50
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pyramid of numbers
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a model that illustrates the number of organisms of a particular type that can be supported at each trophic level
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A group of interacting populations of different species.
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What is a Community?p. 37.
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Persistance deals with some chemicals that are unstable and degrade quickly and what else?
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Chemicals that are stable, toxic, and stored for a long period of time
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An organism that lives in or on another organism and feeds on it without immediately killing it.
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What is a Parasite? p.41.
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Permafrost
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wildlife
refuges
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Aquatic ecosystems
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U.S
Forest
Service
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soil
horizon
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primary standards
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human health
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Environmental Limits/Resistance
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Prevent indefinite reproduction.
Includes unfavorable food, water, shelter, predation, waste accumulation, competition, etc.
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Smelting
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Heating ores to extract metals.
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environmental resistance
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unfavorable environmental conditions that prevent organisms from reproducing indefinitely at their biotic potential.
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artesian
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pressurized aquifer intersects the surface (water flows without pumping)
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Hypothesis
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An educated guess that provides an explanation for an ovbservation that can be tested.
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Describe various toxicants (i.e. carcinogens, neurotoxins, etc.), and their effects
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Erosion
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an important natural process, resulting in redistribution of the products of geologic weathering, and is part of both soil formation and soil loss
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Tornados
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A violent storm characterized by strong swirling winds and updrafts; tornados form when a strong cold front pushes under a warm, moist air mass over the land.
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Adaptation
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A behavior or physical characteristic that allows an organism to live successfully in its environment.
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soil
profile
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cross-sectional viewof the horizons in a soil
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Fuel cells are usually fueled by
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hydrogen
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A country can have replacement-level fertility and still experience population growth if the largest percentage of the population is in the prereproductive years. In contrast to developing countries, highly developed countries have low infant mortality
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Matter-rrcycling-and-reuse
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Mimics nature by reckycking and reusing most of our matter outputs instead of dumping thrm into the environment.
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pfiesteria piscicida
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a poisonous dinoflagellate recognized as killer of fish and shellfish; caused neurological problems with fishermen
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soil moisture
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2% of liquid fresh water
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Biomagnification
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The increased concentration of toxic chemicals, such as PCBs, heavy metals, and certain pesticides, in the tissues of organisms that are at higher levels in food webs.
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Survivorship
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The probablity that an given individual in a population will survive to a particular age.
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What is the problem with deforestation? Where is it occurring? What happens to loggers’ jobs?
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What is the prognosis for “organic” foods? What are the benefits? How does Community-supported agriculture work?
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What role does mass transportation play in sustainable cities? Describe some mass transit systems, their advantages and problems
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Soil Conservation
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land management, ground cover, climate, soil type, and tillage system are important elements in ___________
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Mesosphere
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middle layer; minimum temperature is about -80 degrees C
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Core
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The dense, intensely hot mass of molten metal, mostly iron and nickel, thousands of kilometers in diameter at the earth’s center.
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Natural Selection
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A process by which characteristics that make an individual better suited to its environment become more common in a species.
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Geosphere
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Consists of the earth's intensely hot core.
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divergent plate
boundary
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area where the earth's lithospheric plates move apart in opposite directions.
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Wealth results in more solid waste, because wealthy people need more products like cars in order to survive, compared with people in poor countries. T/F
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False
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The taiga in the southern hemisphere is equivalent to the tundra of the North? T/F
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False
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According to the theory of natural selection only the strongest individuals survive to reproduce. T/F
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False
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The Edward's Aquifer is recharged by water flowing in the drainage area. T/F
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False
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A very serious shortcoming of the Western Worldview is the limited consumption of goods and services by all nations. (True/False)
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False
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slash-and-burn agriculture
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patches of tropical forests are cleared to plant crops.
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Low waste
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Building conceots of recycking and reusing as much matter as possiboe by also reducing the throughput of matter and enegy through an economy.
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non-point sources
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scattered or diffuse having no specific location of discharge; agricultural fields, feedlots, atmospheric deposition
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primary pollutants
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pollutants released in harmful form; cause damage right away
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Plankton
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One of the main categories of aquatic ecosystems.
--Small microscopic organisms that are relatively feeble swimmers.
--They are carried about at the mercury of currents and waves.
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Risk assessment
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The scientific process of estimating the threat a hazard poses to human health.
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Bioaccummulation
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The buildup of a presistent toxic substance, such as certain pesticides, in an organism's body, often in fatty tissues.
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Mass extinction
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The extinction of numerous species during a relatively short period of geological time.
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Minerals
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Elements or compounds of elements that occur natrually in Earth's crust.
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Describe in detail these causes of biodiversity loss: habitat alteration, invasive species, human population growth, pollution, overharvesting, consumption and climate change
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What are causes and consequences of overgrazing?
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Discuss the impact of diseases, and whether they are increasing or decreasing
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How are poverty and population growth related?
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Nitrogen
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plant nutrient that is needed more than any other
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Milankovitch Cycles
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the natural causes of temperature change; periodic shifts in earth's orbit and tilt; change distribution and intensity of sunlight reaching the Earth
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Piedmont Soils
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the Appling series, the Badin series
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Rock
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A solid, cohesive aggregate of one or more crystalline minerals.
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porosity
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percentage of space in rock or soil occupied by voids, whether the voids are isolated or connected
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A form of biological control is the movement of pesticides up the food chain.T/F
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False
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What is necessary for populations to reach their biotic potential?
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unlimited resources
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Nomadic herding
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carried out on arid land, requires herders to move livestock continually to find food for them.
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Emigration (e)
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), the number of individuals leaving an area
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Persistance
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A measure of how long the pollutant stays in the air, water, soil or body.
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eutrophic
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bodies of water that are rich in organisms and organic material
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hydrologic cycle
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describes the circulation of water as it evaporates from land, water and organisms, transpires from plants, enters the atmosphere, condenses and precipitates back to earth's surfaces, moves underground by infiltration or overland into rivers, lakes and seas
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Rain shadow
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Dry conditions, often on a regional scale, that occur on the leeward side of a mountain barrier; the passage of moist air across the mountains removes most of the moisture.
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Food Insecurity
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The condition in which people live with chronic hunger and malnutrition.
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Soil horizons
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The horizontal layers into which many soils are organized, from the surface to the underlying parent material.
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Mineral reuse
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Conservation of the resources in used itesm by using them over and over again.
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What is the foremost goal for U.S. Parks? National Reserves?
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AGE
STRUCTURE
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The relative numbers of organisms of each age within a population.
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industialized
agriculture
|
a form of agriculture that uses large-scale mechanization and fossil fuel combustion, enabling farmers to replace horses and oxen with faster and more powerful means of cultivating, harvesting, transporting, and processing crops.
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What is the multiple use policy for forests? Which use, realistically, is paramount?
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O Horizon (Organic Layer)
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leaf litter; partially decomposed organisms
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La Nina
|
The part of a large scale oscillation in the Pacific in which trade winds hold warm surface waters in the western part of the basin and cause an upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich, deep water in the eastern part of the ocean.
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Solar Energy
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Direct radiant energy from the sun and a number of indirect forms of energy.
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Oxygen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere of our Earth. T/F
|
False
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Temperate Rain Forest
|
is a coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog, and high precipitation.
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Low quality
|
Is dispersed and has little ability to do useful work.
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renewable water supplies
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made up of surface runoff and infiltration into accessible freshwater aquifers
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Family Planning
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Services that enable men and women to limit family size, safeguard individual health rights, and improve the quality of life for themselves and their children.
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Phytoremediation
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Way to restore mining land by use of specific plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials in soil.
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topsoil
|
that portion of the soil that is most nutritive for plants and is thus of the most direct importance to ecosytems and to agriculture.
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maximum
sustainable
yield
|
the maximal harvest of a particular renewable natural resource that can be accomplished while still keeping the resuorce available for the future.
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Sub-Saharan Africa
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food production has not kept pace with rapid population growth
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Primary Succession
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The series of changes that occur in an area where no soil or organisms exist.
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What are three types of biomass?
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1. municipal, animal, and industrial waste
2. soybeans, corn, sugar cane
3. wood chips & saw dust
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Who manages federal lands in the United States? 1. National Park Service2. U.S. Forest Service3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service4. Bureau of Land Managemen5. all the above
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all of the above
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Farmers and ranchers strive to increase yields in many ways, including administering
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hormones and antibiotics to livestock.
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Second law of energy
|
Whenevee energy changes from one form to another, wew alys end up with less usable energy that wwe had intially.
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zone of aeration
|
upper soil layers that hold both air and water
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Passive Solar Energy
|
Technique that makes the best use of regular building materials to trap heat with no mechanical devices to distribute the collected heat.
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List two advantages and two disadvantages to wind power
|
advantages:
1. wind is free
2. the wind turbine energy doesn't cause pollution
disadvantages:
1. wind strength is not consistant (un-reliable)
2. wind turbines are noisy
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Which of the following statements about wildfires are true? 1. They are damaging for natural environments. 2. They encourage the growth of shade-resistant plants.3. They result in the destruction of the underground stems and buds of grasses.4. They relea
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They release nutrient minerals that were locked in dry organic material.
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Clearing grasslands and forests and draining wetlands to grow crops have resulted in
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habitat fragmentation, the breakup of large areas of habitat into small, isolated patches.
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Describe human population growth through time and the effects of this growth on the environment. What are future population projections?
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people are living longer so the poplation is booming and it doubles each decade
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Which of the following statements best describes a significant difference between erosion and weathering processes? 1.Erosion results in soil loss while weathering results in soil formation.2. Both are forms of weathering.3. Erosion results in soil creati
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Erosion results in soil loss, weathering results in soil formation.
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Watershed or drainage basin
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A land are that delivers water into a stream or river system.
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What is the main source of the pollutants nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and carbon oxides?
|
Burning fossil fuels at high temperatures
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Difference between food web and food chain
|
Food chain makes up the food web
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Why is livestock an expensive source of food?
|
animals are fed a large amount of grain
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