Chapter 12: Glossary

0.0(0)
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/237

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

238 Terms

1
New cards
acid deposition
refers to acid rain: primary pollutants= sulfates and nitrates combine with water in atmosphere to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid vapor
2
New cards
acute exposure
intense exposure to pollutants, toxins, or radioactivity over a brief period of time
3
New cards
aerosols
solid particles and droplets suspended in the atmosphere
4
New cards
age structure
number of organisms in each age range within a population
5
New cards
agricultural revolution
10,000 years ago when humans first began to grow crops and raise livestock
6
New cards
allopatric speciation
new species created due to physical separation
7
New cards
amensalism
one organism harmed, other unaffected
8
New cards
ammonification
nitrogen combined with hydrogen to form NH3 nitrogen fixed for use by plants
9
New cards
anthropogenic
events that result from human activities
10
New cards
aphelion
point in July where Earth is farthest from the sun
11
New cards
asbestos
carcinogen that is a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral previously used for insulation for pipes, soundproofing, roof tiles, fire retardant
12
New cards
asthenosphere
below lithosphere, above lower mantle, plastic-like layer within Earth, tends to flow
13
New cards
autumnal equinox
date with equal day and night that marks beginning of fall in northern hemisphere (September 23)
14
New cards
background extinction rate
the natural rate of extinction, as opposed to the accelerated rate due to human activity
15
New cards
bioaccumulation
the process of a toxin concentrating in muscle tissues of organisms
16
New cards
biogeochemical cycles
natural movement of nutrients/other products through ecosystems
17
New cards
biological weathering
process of rock material being changed chemically or physically by the activities of living organisms
18
New cards
biomagnifications
the buildup of toxins within an organism through the consumption of other organisms
19
New cards
biomass
total dry weight of all organic matter in an ecosystem; plant material and animal waste used as a fuel for energy production
20
New cards
biome
large ecological area defined by dominant plant type
21
New cards
piophilia
instinctive connection of humans to nature and other life
22
New cards
biosphere reserves
protected areas with the intention of preserving biodiversity while balancing with sustainable land use, education, scientific research
23
New cards
biotic potential
organism's potential to make offspring
24
New cards
boreal
taiga, coniferous trees, south of arctic tundra in North America, Europe, Asia
25
New cards
bottom-trawling
method of fishing where large net is dragged along the ocean bottom to capture benthic organisms
26
New cards
Bt-corn
GMO corn with insecticide, no chemical spraying needed
27
New cards
Bt-cotton
GMO corn with insecticide
28
New cards
by-catch
fish and other organisms caught unintentionally
29
New cards
carbon monoxide (CO)
fossil fuels are not fully combusted
30
New cards
carbonic acid (H2CO3)
water reacts with carbon dioxide, in carbonated drinks
31
New cards
carcinogen
causes cancer
32
New cards
chemical weathering
rocks get weathered because of chemicals
33
New cards
chemosynthesis
photosynthesis without the sun
34
New cards
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
involved in depletion of ozone, used as refrigerators, conditioners, aerosol propellants
35
New cards
chronic exposure
exposed to radioactivity for a long time, in small doses
36
New cards
cinder cone volcanoes
violently eruptive volcanoes, cinders form with eruptions, settle around opening of volcano
37
New cards
clear-cutting
cut down all the trees, nothing standing
38
New cards
clumped distribution
when organisms are organized into groups, usually around a necessary resource
39
New cards
command-and-control strategy
form of pollution control where legal limits are controlled strictly by government
40
New cards
commensalism
one benefits, other unaffected
41
New cards
composite volcanoes
tall, symmetrical steep volcanoes, alternating layers of ash, cinders, lava (stratovolcanoes)
42
New cards
compressed natural gas (CNG)
Natural gas that is compressed to less than 1 percent of the volume it occupies at standard atm, used in cars, trucks, buses as an alternate fuel
43
New cards
contour farming
plowing rows into the side of a hill, perpendicular to the slope, reduce erosion and disperse water evenly
44
New cards
convection currents
result of fluids/gases being heated (less dense), then cooled (more dense) and falling. Include currents in air, magma, water in ocean
45
New cards
conventional agriculture
large scale farming where crops are grown for many people aka industrial agriculture
46
New cards
conventional tillage
A form of farming in which soil is ploughed and turned, lead to soil erosion and soil compaction in deeper layers
47
New cards
Coriolis effect
deflection of a moving object due to the rotation of the earth. North = right; South = left
48
New cards
cost benefit analysis (CBA)
assess the costs and benefits of a decision, determine whether a particular action should be taken.
49
New cards
criteria pollutants
six common air pollutants monitored by the EPA, used as a way to gauge air quality
50
New cards
crude oil
liquid combustible fossil fuel refined into fuels and by-products used in manufacturing (plastics, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, other materials)
51
New cards
cultural eutrophication
ecosystem eutrophication due to excess nutrients added by human activity (algae bloom)
52
New cards
demographic transition
transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates, accompanies a country's industrialization
53
New cards
denitrification
bacteria converts nitrates to N2 gas which returns into atmosphere
54
New cards
denitrifying bacteria
bacteria that conducts denitrification
55
New cards
density dependent factors
depends on a population density= disease, availability of mates, predation
56
New cards
density independent factors
does not depend on pop density= natural disaster
57
New cards
detritivores
organisms that get energy from consuming nonliving organic matter, dead plants and animals
58
New cards
directional selection
one extreme
59
New cards
disruptive selection
two extremes
60
New cards
dose-response relationship
effect of an amount or concentration of a toxin on an organism or population
61
New cards
doubling time
amt for a pop to double (rule of 70= 70/annual percentage growth rate to get years it takes to double)
62
New cards
drift netting
dragging large nets through the water to catch fish
63
New cards
ecological pyramids
used to show relative biomass or productivity (energy loss) at each trophic level in an ecosystem (aka energy pyramids)
64
New cards
ecological succession
community of plants and animals replaces a less complex community of plants and animals or develops in an uninhabited area
65
New cards
ecosystem services
supports life on Earth
66
New cards
ED50
dose of substance where 50% of test population is affected
67
New cards
El nino
warming phase of ENSO in eastern pacific ocean, higher air surface pressure in western pacific ocean
68
New cards
El nino/la nina-southern oscillation cycle (ENSO)
periodic climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean with 5 year cycle with variations in the surface temp of the tropical eastern pacific ocean and air pressure in tropical western pacific ocean
69
New cards
emissions
gases from burning of fossil fuels = coal, nat gas
70
New cards
endemic
species that live in only one place
71
New cards
endocrine disruptor
substance that alters the hormone (endocrine) system by binding substance that normally bind to specific hormones, blocking hormone and impeding normal reactions
72
New cards
environmental resistance
limiting factors acting on a population, restricting organism's biological potential
73
New cards
equinox
day = night
74
New cards
eutrophication
nitrogen or phosphorus enters an aquatic system, algae bloom, consumes the oxygen
75
New cards
even-aged
trees planted and harvested @ the same time
76
New cards
extirpation
destruction or disappearance of a population from one area, remains elsewhere
77
New cards
Ferrell air circulation cell
air circulation cell that causes temperate convection current (bc tropical and polar convection currents)
78
New cards
focus
location which an earthquake originates within the Earth
79
New cards
Freon
The DuPont trade name for CFCs
80
New cards
generalists
Organisms that have a broad tolerance and can adjust to diff. situations
81
New cards
genetic pollution
unintended spread of altered genetic info from GMOs to natural
82
New cards
geologic time scale
4.54 billion years of Earth's history
83
New cards
geothermal energy
energy of hot underground rock formations, turn water into steam for energy generation
84
New cards
golden rice
GMO rice with vitamin A
85
New cards
Green Revolution
advent of industrialized agriculture in the mid and late 20th century, more effective farming combined with new methods of increasing crop production to create greater and more efficient output
86
New cards
green tax
tax on environmentally unfriendly stuff
87
New cards
ground-level ozone
secondary air pollutant found in the troposphere, usually near Earth's surface, pollutant and a human health hazard
88
New cards
growth rate
(birth + immigration) - (death + emigration)
89
New cards
habitat fragmentation
division of a habitat into smaller areas, migration is impossible, bc of human activities
90
New cards
Hadley air circulation cell
causes tropical convection current
91
New cards
halons
chemical compounds that include halogens
92
New cards
hazardous waste
flammable, corrosive, toxic or reactive waste
93
New cards
HIPPCO
acronym to summarize the important causes of premature extinction (H) habitat destruction and fragmentation (I) invasive species (P) population growth (P) pollution (C) climate change (O) overharvesting
94
New cards
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
react with stratospheric ozone, break down early
95
New cards
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
better alternative than CFCs
96
New cards
hydrogen fuel cells
use H2 and O2 to produce energy and water
97
New cards
hypoxic
aquatic enviro with on O2
98
New cards
ice core
drilled and removed from ice sheet, analyzed for trapped gas and deposits to represent historical climate
99
New cards
ice sheet
mass of ice that cover more than 50k square km
100
New cards
ice-minus strawberries
GMO strawberries that don't frost