APES | Unit 4

Ecological Succession

The predictable replacement of one group of species by another group of species over time

Primary Succession

Ecological succession occurring on surfaces with bare rock and no soil

Pioneer Species

In primary succession, species that can survive with little or no soil

Secondary Succession

The succession of plant life that occurs in areas that have been disturbed but have not lost their soil

Climax Community

Historically described as the final stage of succession

Indicator Species

A species that demonstrates a particular characteristic of an ecosystem

Divergent Boundary

An area below the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other

Seafloor Spreading

Caused by a divergent boundary, in which rising magma forms new oceanic crust on the seafloor at the boundaries between those plates

Convergent Boundary

An area where one plate moves toward another plate and collides

Subduction

The process in which the edge of an oceanic plate moves downward beneath the continental plate and is pushed toward the center of Earth

Island Arc

A chain of islands formed by volcanoes as a result of two tectonic plates coming together and experiencing subduction

Collision Zone

An area where two continental plates are pushed together and the colliding forces push up the crust to form a mountain range

Transform Boundary

An area where tectonic plates move sideways past each other

Fault

A fracture in rock caused by a movement of Earth’s crust

Igneous Rock

Rock formed directly from magma

Sedimentary Rock

Rock that forms when sediments such as muds, sands, or gravels are compressed by overlying sediments

Metamorphic Rock

Rock that forms when sedimentary rock, igneous rock, or other metamorphic rock is subjected to high temperature and pressure

Rock Cycle

The geologic cycle governing the constant formation, alteration, and destruction of rock material that results from tectonics, weathering, and erosion, among other processes

Physical weathering

The mechanical breakdown of rocks and minerals

Chemical weathering

The breakdown of rocks and minerals by chemical reactions, the dissolving of chemical elements from rocks, or both these processes

Acid Precipitation (Acid Rain)

Precipitation high in sulfuric acid and nitric acid

Erosion

The physical removal of rock fragments from a landscape or ecosystem

Parent Material

The underlying rock material from which the inorganic components of a soil are derived

Horizon

A horizontal layer in a soil defined by distinctive physical features such as color and texture

O Horizon

The organic horizon at the surface of many soils, composed of organic detritus in various stages of decomposition

Humus

The most fully decomposed organic matter in the lowest section of the O horizon

A Horizon

Frequently the top layer of soil, a zone of organic material and minerals that have been mixed together

E Horizon

A zone of leaching, or eluviation, found in some acidic soils under the O horizon, or, less odten, the A horizon

B Horizon

Commonly known as subsoil, a soil horizon is composed primarily of mineral material with very litttle organic matter

C Horizon

The least-weathered soil horizon, which always occurs beneath the B horizon and is similar to the parent material

Porosity

The size of the air spaces between particles

Water holding capacity

The amount of water a soil can hold against the draining force of gravity

Permeability

The ability of water to move through the soil

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

The ability of a particular soil to absorb and release cations

Base Saturation

The proportion of soil bases to soil acids, expressed as a percentage

Watershed

All the land in an area that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland

Crustal Abundance

The average concentration of an element in Earth’s crust

Ore

A concentrated accumulation of minerals from which economically valuable materials can be extracted

Metal

An element with properties that allow it to conduct electricity and heat energy and to perform other important functions

Reserve

In resource management, the known quantity of a resource that can be economically recovered

Strip Mining

The removal of overlying vegetation and “strips” of soil and rock to expose underlying ore

Mine Tailings

Unwanted waste material created during mining including mineral and other rock residues that are left behind after the desired metals are removed from the ores

Open-pit Mining

A mining technique that creates a large visible pit or hole in the ground

Mountaintop Removal

A mining technique in which the entire top of a mountain is removed with explosives

Placer Mining

The process of looking for minerals, metals, and precious stones in river sediments

Subsurface Mining

Mining techniques used when the desired resource is more than 100m (328 ft) below the surface of earth

Core

The innermost zone of Earth’s interior, composed mostly of iron and nickel. It includes a liquid outer layer and a solid inner layer

Mantle

The layer of Earth above the core, containing magma, the asthenosphere, and the solid upper mantle

Magma

Molten rock

Asthenosphere

The layer of Earth located in the outer part of the mantle, composed of semi-molten rock

Lithosphere

The outermost layer of Earth, including the solid upper mantle and crust

Plate tectonics

The theory that the lithosphere of Earth is divided into plates, most of which are in constant motion

Earthquake

A sudden movement of Earth’s crust caused by a release of potential energy from the movement of tectonic plates

Hot Spot

In geology, a place where molten material from Earth’s mantle reaches the lithosphere

Volcano

A vent in the surface of Earth that emits ash, gases, or molten lava

Tsunami

A series of waves in the ocean caused by seismic activity or an undersea volcano that causes a massive displacement of water

Divergent boundary

An area below the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other

Seafloor spreading

Caused by a divergent boundary, in which rising magma forms new oceanic crust on the seafloor at the boundaries between those plates

Convergent boundary

An area where one plate moves toward another plate and collides

Subduction

The process in which the edge of an oceanic plate moves downward beneath the continental plate and is pushed toward the center of Earth

Island Arc

A chain of islands formed by volcanoes as a result of two tectonic plates coming together and experiencing subduction

Collision Zone

An area where two continental plates are pushed together and the colliding forces push up the crust to form a mountain range

Transform Boundary

An area where tectonic plates move sideways past each other

Fault

A fracture in rock caused by a movement of Earth’s crust

Cyanide

Extracting and separating gold in remote regions often results in environmental contamination with what?

Sand

Which has the greatest permeability

Clay, silt, sand

Increasing size of soil particles

Japan

Convergent Boundary (Subduction)

Hawaii

Hor Spot (Volcano Chain)

South America

Convergent (Subduction)

Antarctica

Divergent Boundary (Seafloor spreading)

Divergent Boundary

Atlantic Ocean