Water Quality Flashcards

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Ecology

the systematic study of how organisms interact with one another and with their environment

Watershed / Drainage basin

an area of land where water from rain and melting snow or ice drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, wetland.

Exponential Population growth formula

G=rN

(G=Total Growth, r=Rate of growth, N=current population size)

Logistic growth

when a population grows rapidly at first (like exponential growth) but then slows down and levels off as it reaches the environment's carrying capacity (s shaped growth)

Cohort

a group of individuals born at the same time

Age Structure

definies the relative proportions of individuals of each age. (pre, post, and reproductive)

Life Table

an age specific death schedule.

R-selected organisms

put most of energy into rapid growth and reproduction, like weeds.

K- selected organisms

puit most energy into stable growth

Intraspecific

a competitive interaction between two members of the same species.

Interspecific

a competetive interaction between different species

Competitive Exclusion

species who utilize the same resources cannot coexists successfully for a period of time.

Resource partitioning

the resources are divided, letting species with similar requirements to use the same resources in different areas, ways, or times

Ecosystem

a community of organisms interacting within a particular physical environment; a community with biotic and abiotic factors.

Autotrophs

the primary producers; they have the ability to make their own food.

Photoautotrophs

make their own food using light.

Detrivore

physically breaks down detritus - dead organisms and waste

Decomposer

chemically breaks down dead organisms and waste; which includes fungi and bacteria, obtain their energy by breaking down the remains or products of organisms

Food web

intricate pathways of energy flow and material cycling; contains multiple food chains

Trophic levels

feeding levels in an ecosystem

First trophic level

autotrophs, which absorb nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and other life molecules. creates an energy Fixation and nutrient concentration base for ecosystems.

Energy Fixation

how energy from an external source is captured and converted into organic compounds and molecules

Nutrient-concentration

the amount of a specific nutrient in a defined amount of something, like soil or water.

Chemoautotroph

produces own food by breaking down inorganic compounds.

Second Trophic Level

contains primary consumers that consume primary producers. herbivores, decomposers, and detrivores.

Third Trophic Level

contains secondary consumers, primary carnivores which eat the herbivores.

Fourth Trophic Level

contains tertiary consumers, or secondary carnivores who eat the primary carnivores

Food Chain

A linear order of trophic levels

Gross Primary activity

total amount of energy producers capture via photosynthesis

Net Primary Activity

energy left over after producers use some energy for their own respiration.

Ecological Pyramid

a graph representing level numbers within an ecosystem. The primary producer level is at the base with the consumer levels above it.

Biological Magnification/Biomagnification

shown by an energy pyramid; the tendency for toxic substances to increase in concentration at progressively higher levels of the food chain

Difference between energy and nutrients

Nutrients are cyclic (biogeochemical cycles), and energy flows in one way.

Ecological succession

a directional, cumulative change in the species that occupy a given area through time; the changes in communities over time

Primary Succession

starts in a completely lifeless or new area with no soil or life

Secondary Succession

occurs in areas with existing soil that have experienced a distrubance

Pioneer community

first organisms to occupy an area

Transitional community

a temporary community of species that colonizes an area following a disturbance after a pioneer community

Climax community

a stable species in equillibrium with one another and their environment; final stage of an ecosystem

Biodiversity

the number and variety of different species within an area that is greatest near the equator, and lowers towards the poles.

Biome

a large region of land categorized by the climax vegetation of the ecosystems within its boundaries; a large, naturally occurring community of organisms that occupy a major habitat

Weather

condition of the atmosphere at any given time; short term

Climate

accumulation of weather events over a long period of time. dependent on solar radiation, earth;s daily rotation, earth rotation around the sun, and distribution of continents and oceans.

Home Septic Tank

miniature waste treatment facilities

Uses of Microbes in sewage treatment

nutrient recycling, methane recovery, and disease control

Primary Treatment of Sewage

The treatment step of sewage for physical removal of particles - large and small - from the sewage through filtration and sedimentation.

Secondary / Biological Treatment of Sewage

after primary treatment the primary effluent (liquid waste or sewage discharged into a body of water) is passed into large aeration tanks where it is constantly agitated mechanically and the air is pumped associated with fungal filaments to form mesh structures.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand, or BOD

a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen required by microorganisms to break down organic matter present in the water.

Activated Sludge

Once the BOD of the sewage/waste water is significantly reduced, the waste water is then passed into a settling tank were the bacterial flocs are allowed to the sediment. This sediment is called ___. / a mixture or microorganisms and organic matter in wastewater, grown in aerated tanks to consume pollutants, making wastewater cleaner.

Anaerobic Sludge Digester

- A small part of the activated sludge is pumped back into the aeration tank to serve as the inoculum(small sample of biological substance introduced to a new environment). The remaining major part of the sludge is pumped into large tanks called ___ ___ ___ where anaerobic bacteria and the fungi digest the sludge.

Tertiary Treatment

the fluid from the secondary treatment is cleansed of phosphate and nitrate products that could cause pollution before the water is returned to a natural water source

Individual

individual organisms

Population

oganisms of the same species in the same area

Community

several populations in the same area

Biosphere

all ecosystems on earth

Lotic Ecosystems

flowing water; streams and rivers

Lentic ecosystems

still bodies of water; ponds, lakes, and wetlands

Homeostasis

delicate balance of physiological ecology, temperature/water balance, light/Biological cycles, and physiological ecology and conservation.

Ecology of populations

Properties of populations, patterns of distribution and density, intraspecific competition, population dynamics, growth and regulation, altering population growth, and human impact.

Properties of Populations

Size, density, dispersion (spacing pattern - clumped, uniform, or random), age structure (age/gender distribution), birth and death rates(natality/mortality), and movement (immigration and emigration)

Patterns of Distribution

the spatial arrangement of individuals within a habitat, revealing how they’re spread out, most commonly referred to as clumped(grouped), uniform(evenly spaced), or random(unpredictable)

Population Dynamics

how and why populations change in size, density, structure, births and deaths, and immigration/emigration are influenced by factors like resources predators, diseases, and environment.

Growth and Regulation

the change in size of a population and the factors/mechanisms that limit and control this change.

Altering Population Growth

undertanding how factors like resources availability, density dependent factors, and density independent factors shift growth patterns in a population.

Density Dependent Factor

a factor that controls population which occurs due to particular traits of a population; competition and predation.

Density Independent Factor

a factor that controls population that happens regardless of the certain qualities of a population; natural disasters, climate.

Human Impact

the way in which humans positively or negatively affect ecosystems. examples include deforestation, pollution, and climate change.

Open Community

a community that lacks defined boundaries

Closed Community

a community that has defined boundaries

Interactions

Relationships between different species or members of the same species in a community that affects their survival, growth and evolution.

Exploitation

one species or organism benefits by using another while the other suffers negative impacts.

Symbiosis

a close long term interaction between organisms where they live together and have relationships that benefit one or both, or harms one.

Numbers Pyramid

compares the number of individuals in each trophic level. (can be inverted to depict size of individuals).

Biomass Pyramid

compares the total dry weight of the organisms in each trophic level

Hydrologic cycle / water cycle

the continuous journey of water as it circulates between he earth’s surface, atmosphere, and underground

Phosphorus Cycle

a biogeochemical journey of phosphorus through the earth’s systems (land, water, and living things)

Nitrogen Cycle

a continuous process where nitrogen moves between the atmosphere, soil, water, plants, and animals, converting it from an unusable atmospheric gas into essential forms like ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. organisms use these as building blocks for DNA. Can be found through nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.

Nitrogen fixation

The process of converting inert atmospheric nitrogen gas into reactive, usable forms like ammonia.

Nitrification

process in which ammonia is converted into nitrite, then to nitrate.

Denitrification

a process in the nitrogen cycle in which bacteria converts nitrites and nitrates in soil or water into nitrogen gasses to be released back into the atmosphere.

Carbon cycle

process where carbon atoms move between the earth’s atmosphere, oceans, land, and living organisms through Biological and geological exchanges such as photosynthesis, burning, respiration, and decomposition. recycles carbon.

Class 1 -Pollution Sensitive Indicator Species

Caddisfly, Dobsonfly, Gilled Snails, Mayfly, Rifle Beetle, Stonefly, Water Penny, Water Scorpion

Class 2 - Moderately Sensitive Indicator Species

Aquatic snowbug, Crane Fly, Damsefly, Dragonfly, Scuds

Class 3 - Moderately Tolerant Indicator Species

Blackfly, Flatworm, Leeches, Midge, Water Mite

Class 4 - Pollution Tolerant Indicator Species

Air Breathing Snail, Blood midge, Deer/Housefly, Tubiflex

Class 5 - Air Br. Indicator Species

Back Swimmer, Giant Water Bug, Mosquito, Predacious Diving Beetle, Water Boatman, Water Strider, Whirlgig Beetle

Aquatic Nuisance Plants

Purple Loosestrife, Eurasian Water Milfoil, and Water Hyacinth

Aquatic Nuisance Animals

Zebra Mussel, Spiny Water Flea, Asian Tiger Mosquito, Asian Carp, Crayfish/Crawdads

pH

part of a chemical analysis that determines how acidic or basic water is, which determines the sollubility and toxicity of chemicals. sweet spot for aquatic life is 6.5-8.5.

Phosphorus

part of a chemical analysis that determines the density of ___ containing compounds that are essential nutrients for plant and animal life. excess of this material can be bad for water quality because it can promote growth too much, blocking sunlight and flow of nutrients.

Dissolved Oxygen

part of a chemical analysis that measures the amount of free, unbounded oxygen gas in water. low levels can result in stress, disease, and death among aquatic life. too high of levels can have similar effects.

Temperature

part of a chemical analysis that measures the degree of hotness or coldness or water. this factor can alter chemical reactions and biological activity as well as dissolves oxygen levels.

Nitrates

part of a chemical analysis that indicates the presence of nitrogen within water. this factor poses risk to humans(pregnant women and babies) and aquatic life the more it is found, and it also stimulates too much plant growth.

Fecal Coliform

part of a chemical analysis of water that indicates the recent contamination of water by human or animal feces. this introduces harmful bacteria and pathogens into the water.

Measured in CFU or MPN per 100mL

Total Solids

part of a chemical analysis of water that refers to the material left in a water sample after its been evaporated in an oven and dried to a constant weight that has both organic and inorganic substances. these reduce turbidity (clarity) and negatively effect water quality.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (Water Quality)

part of a chemical analysis of water used to measure the amount of organic pollution in a water sample by seeing how much dissolved oxygen microorganisms use up . a high measure of this factor indicates a lot of organic matter is present while a low one suggest the opposite. a high amount of this factor is considered bad.

Bioaccumulation

gradual buildup of chemicals, like toxins or pollutants, in an organisms’s tissues over time. this occurs because the substance is absorbed faster than it can be broken down or excreted.

Eutrophication

the process in which a body of water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, primarily nitrogen or phosphorus, leading to excessive growth algae and other aquatic plants.

Troposhphere

1st layer of the atmosphere, 0-12 km. contains most atmospheric mass, water vapor/clouds, and weather. temperature decreases with altitude.

Stratosphere

2nd layer of atmosphere. contains the ozone layer, which absorbs UV radiation. temperature increases with altitude. 12-50km