Ecological Physical Environment and Environmental Chemistry Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards defining physical environment, atmospheric, and environmental chemistry terms introduced in the lecture.

Topography

The shape of the land, including its elevations, bumps, and physical surface features.

Specific heat

The amount of heat energy required to change a substance's temperature; water has a high specific heat, absorbing significant energy with minimal temperature variation due to hydrogen bonding.

Lapse rate

The atmospheric temperature pattern in which air temperature decreases as altitude or elevation increases within the troposphere.

Adiabatic cooling

The cooling process that occurs as air moves up in elevation, experiences reduced pressure and density, and expands to release heat.

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)

A large-scale climate cycle lasting $20$ to $30$ years in the Pacific Ocean, characterized by alternating warming and cooling phases that influence species distribution and abundance.

Hadley cells

Atmospheric circulation patterns near the equator where warm air rises, causes high evaporation and heavy precipitation, and leaves drier conditions on either side of the equator.

Salinization

The accumulation of soluble salts in soil caused by water evaporation; it occurs naturally in hot, dry regions or artificially through persistent agricultural irrigation.

Acidity

A chemical measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions ($H^+$) present in a liquid or soil system.

Alkalinity

A measure of a solution's capacity to act as a base and neutralize acids by binding hydrogen ions ($H^+$).

pH

The negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration ($pH = -\text{log}[H^+]$), where each single-unit change represents a $10$\times difference in hydrogen ion concentration.

Limestone

A basic rock composed of calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) that produces carbonate and bicarbonate ions, which bind hydrogen ions and buffer acidity.

Granite

A rock type that breaks down into aluminum ions ($Al^{3+}$), which react with water via hydrolysis to release hydrogen ions and create highly acidic soils.

Hypoxic

A term describing environmental conditions or habitats that suffer from low oxygen concentration.

Photorespiration

A metabolic pathway in plants where the photosynthetic enzyme Rubisco accidentally binds oxygen ($O_2$) instead of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$).