APES Unit 5

Agricultural pollution

pollution from rural areas where few people live

Algae

a general term for small, chlorophyll-containing plants such as seaweed or pond scum

Ammonia

a colorless, pungent gas composed of nitrogen and hydrogen from animal waste

Aquaculture

the cultivation of aquatic organisms (as fish or shellfish) especially for food; fish farming

Aquatic

living or growing in water

Aquifer

an underground water system made of porous rock and sand

Bottom trawling

fishing method that involves towing trawl nets along the sea floor

By-catch

unwanted marine creatures that are caught in the nets while fishing for another species

Condensation

when water vapor (gaseous water) forms droplets of water in the atmosphere, making clouds; the change in water from gas to liquid form

Confining layer

a place in the aquifer where impermeable rock covers permeable rock

Evaporation

the change in water from liquid to gas

Eutrophication

when large amounts of nutrients enter the water and cause an increase in the amount of oxygen

Exotic Plant

a plant that is transported from its place of origin and introduced into a new environment

Groundwater

water that percolates through the surface and is retained in underlying rock and soil

Groundwater contamination

when any harmful substance enters the water underground and makes it unsuitable for use

Groundwater model

a representation of the underground water system

Groundwater system

holds the rock layers that make up an aquifer and the water that is stored and transported through the openings in the rocks

Herbicides

chemicals used to kill weeds

Hydrologic Cycle

the passage of water between reservoirs (oceans and atmosphere) by groundwater percolation, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation

Impermeable

something that does not allow liquid to run through it

Marine protected area (MPA)

officially, an MPA is any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein. In practice, MPAs are defined areas where natural and/or cultural resources are given greater protection than the surrounding waters

Native Plant

a plant that lives and thrives in its place of origin

Nitrate

a water-soluble molecule made up of nitrogen and oxygen, commonly found in agricultural fertilizers

Nitrogen

a colorless, odorless gas that is a non-metallic element which makes up almost four-fifths of the air

Non-point source

when the point of the pollution is difficult to identify

Organic Pollution

pollution that occurs when living things decompose

Percolation

when precipitation is absorbed into the ground and moves down through the soil

Permeable

ability of something to allow liquids to run through it

Pesticides

chemical substances applied to plants to keep insects away

Phosphates

phosphorus can come from natural sources such as phosphate-containing rocks and human sources such as fertilizers, pesticides, detergents, and industrial wastes

Photosynthesis

the process by which plants convert energy from the sun into food

Phytoplankton

single-celled algae

Point source

when the source of the pollutant is easily identified

Porous Rock

a rock with many spaces between grains

Precipitation

water that is released from the atmosphere as rain, snow, hail, etc.

Sediment Pollution

pollution that occurs when loose soil is carried into bodies of water by rain

Spring

water returning to the surface after being absorbed by the ground

Stormwater runoff

rainwater that does not soak into the ground and carries pollution into bodies of water

Surface Runoff

precipitation that drains across the land into lakes, streams, or rivers

Surface Water

water that lays on the earth’s surface, including rivers, lakes, streams, creeks, ponds, and wetlands

Transpiration

the process by which water is released from plant leaves

Watershed

an area of land over which water flows to reach a common body of water such as a lake or pond

Well

a hole that is drilled into the aquifer

Zooplankton

very small aquatic animals