NRC 260 Module 1 Exam

studied byStudied by 4 people
0.0(0)
Get a hint
Hint

How much of Earth's surface is covered by water?

1 / 117

encourage image

There's no tags or description

Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.

118 Terms

1

How much of Earth's surface is covered by water?

71%

New cards
2

***What does high specific heat/thermal mass mean in terms of water?

Water must gain or lose large amounts of heat energy before changing temperature

New cards
3

***At what temperature and state is water most dense?

4 degrees C and liquid

New cards
4

***What important property of water allows it to contain nutrients for life?

It is a universal solvent

New cards
5

What is a watershed?

A geographic area of land in which precipitation drains to a common point or body of water; includes surface and groundwater flow

New cards
6

***What type of systems are rivers and streams and what does that mean?

Lotic systems - they are continuously flowing

New cards
7

***What are properties of 1st order or lower order streams?

High on the landscape, fast-flowing, narrow

New cards
8

***What are properties of higher order streams?

Lower on the landscape, slower, deeper, wider

New cards
9

Name 7 different ways streams and rivers are described

Width, depth, flow rate, areas of erosion, areas of deposition, influence of geology, shape

New cards
10

Name the 3 shapes of streams and rivers

Straight, sinuous, meandering

New cards
11

Name the two properties of headwaters and riffles (in streams and rivers)

Swift and erosional

New cards
12

Name the two properties of lower reaches and pools (in streams and rivers)

Slower and depositional

New cards
13

Is the inside of a river/stream bend usually erosional or depositional? What about the outside?

The inside is usually depositional and the outside is usually erosional

New cards
14

***What 3 chemical properties of water are important to fish?

Temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients

New cards
15

***What is the name for external nutrient loading?

Allochthonous loading

New cards
16

***What is the name for internal nutrient loading?

Autochthonous loading

New cards
17

***What type of system is a lake and what does that mean?

Lentic system - a standing body of water

New cards
18

Name 5 parts of lake morphometry

Length, width, depth, surface area, volume

New cards
19

What 5 things does lake morphometry influence?

Water movements, dissolved oxygen, temperature, light, nutrient cycling

New cards
20

What 4 wind factors influence surface waves and Langmuir circulation?

Fetch, strength of wind, duration of wind, orientation to prevailing winds

New cards
21

What does seiche mean?

water movement back and forth as a result of wind

New cards
22

***Name the 3 layers of lakes in summer and their corresponding position and temperature

  1. Epilimnion - top and warm

  2. Metalimnion (thermocline) - mid and rapid temp change

  3. Hypolimnion - bottom and cold

New cards
23
  1. Metalimnion (thermocline

New cards
24

) - mid and rapid temp change

New cards
25
  1. Hypolimnion - bottom and cold

New cards
26

***What is the state of lake stratification in early summer?

warm forming on top, thick layer of cold below

New cards
27

***What is the state of lake stratification in late summer?

warm on top, cold below, layers are more even

New cards
28

***What is the state of lake stratification in early fall?

thick layer of warm on top, thin layer of cold below

New cards
29

***What is the state of lake stratification in later fall?

Water turnover occurs as layer temps get closer and densities get closer; warm water mixing

New cards
30

***What is the state of lake stratification in winter?

All cold water

New cards
31

***What is the state of lake stratification in spring?

Turnover with cold water mixing

New cards
32

***What is the general, but not constant, relationship between water temp and DO content?

There is higher dissolved oxygen at colder water temps

New cards
33

***What process strips oxygen from water? What is the significance of this?

Decomposition; the bottom layer of water does not always have the highest DO content even though it is usually coldest

New cards
34

***What helps introduce oxygen? What is the significance of this?

Turbulence; even though the top layers of water are usually warmer, this is one factor that could lead to them still having more DO than the bottom layers

New cards
35

***Name the 2 bio-limiting factors in water

Nitrogen and Phosphorus

New cards
36

What 2 cell products are phosphorus needed for?

ATP and DNA

New cards
37

What cell product is nitrogen needed for?

Amino acids/proteins

New cards
38

Name the 3 nutrient classifications of a lake

Oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic

New cards
39

What are some properties of an oligotrophic lake?

clear water, deep thermocline

New cards
40

What are some properties of a mesotrophic lake?

some algae late summer, shallow plants, sediment buildup, thermocline at mid depth

New cards
41

What are some properties of a eutrophic lake?

shallow and murky water, plants dominate buildup, lots of sediment buildup

New cards
42

What is the world average ocean salinity?

3.5% or 35 ppt

New cards
43

Is freshwater or saltwater more dense?

Saltwater is more dense

New cards
44

What 4 things create and maintain the salinity of the ocean?

Geological time and weathering, evaporation, hydrothermal vents, volume in relation to freshwater sources

New cards
45

***What are Coriolis forces?

Forces from Earth's rotation that deflect objects to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere (no matter which direction they are facing to start)

New cards
46

***What are convection currents?

Heat/density driven cycles in the atmosphere that are divided by latitude

New cards
47

***What is the biological pump?

Sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere into the ocean that drives primary production through photosynthesis

New cards
48

***Where does nitrogen in the ocean primarily come from?

The atmosphere

New cards
49

***Where does phosphorus in the ocean primarily come from?

The ground

New cards
50

What is an ecotone?

A transition zone between biotic communities

New cards
51

What is a wetland?

An area of land where the soil is saturated with moisture, either permanently or seasonally

New cards
52

***Name the 3 important characteristics of bogs

Low nutrients, precipitation-dominated, often underlain by permafrost

New cards
53

***Name 4 precipitation-dominated wetlands other than bogs and 2 of their other important characteristics

Vernal pool, wet meadow, wet prairie, prairie pothole; they're depressions formed by the last glaciation and they have more open water than bogs

New cards
54

***Name some important characteristics of fen

groundwater-dominated, less acidic than bogs, higher nutrients than bogs, higher diversity than bogs, peat-forming

New cards
55

***Name some important characteristics of marshes

surface water dominated, frequently inundated with water, open water, high nutrients, neutral pH, higher biodiversity

New cards
56

What is a tidal freshwater marsh?

A marsh where the water level is influenced by tides but it is too upstream to be inundated by salt water

New cards
57

What are the hydrological functions of wetlands?

Flood prevention and groundwater recharge/discharge

New cards
58

What are the nutrient transformation functions of wetlands?

Nitrification, microbial removal of phosphorus, filtration of organic material, carbon storage, reduction of sulfate to sulfide, binding of metals

New cards
59

What are the 3 types of wetland flora?

Emergent, floating, and submerged

New cards
60

What is the quality of wetlands that is beneficial to fauna?

Diversity of habitats and niches

New cards
61

What are the two types of wetland fauna?

Permanent/frequent inhabitants and transient/seasonal inhabitants

New cards
62

What is an estuary?

A semi-enclosed coastal embayment with river discharge

New cards
63

What are some characteristics of estuaries?

Typically tidal, many types of estuaries, salinity is not static, either tide-dominated or wave-dominated

New cards
64

How do estuary plants vary?

Some are more salt-tolerant than others

New cards
65

What level of biodiversity is there in estuary fauna?

High

New cards
66

Name the 4 locations of deposition on shorelines

River delta, mud flats, cuspate foreland, barrier island

New cards
67

Name the 2 locations of erosion on shorelines

bluffs and rocky shores

New cards
68

***Name the 4 factors that influence zonation and whether they are more important higher or lower in the rocky intertidal zone

Desiccation and salt spray - higher; competition/predation and wave energy - lower

New cards
69

Name 4 characteristics of fish

Cold-blooded, craniate vertebrates, 2-chamber hearted, gilled

New cards
70

***Name the fish body parts, excluding fins, present on both bass and trout

Eye, mouth, nares, operculum, lateral line, scales, peduncle, vent, branchiostegal rays (not labeled on bass)

New cards
71

***Name the fins present on a bass

Spiny dorsal fin, soft dorsal fin, pectoral fin, pelvic fin, anal fin, caudal fin

New cards
72

***Name the fins present on a trout

Dorsal fin, adipose fin, pectoral fin, pelvic fin, anal fin, caudal fin

New cards
73

What percent oxygen is the atmosphere? What about water?

Atmosphere - 21%; water - <1%

New cards
74

***Where is oxygen absorbed on a fish?

Gills

New cards
75

How does buccal pumping work?

Mouth opens and takes in water while operculum is closed, mouth closes and operculum opens, pressure of this system pushes water out operculum and over the gills

New cards
76

How does oxygen enter the bloodstream and flow through the body?

Oxygen enters through a thin membrane over the blood vessels in the gills, heart pumps deoxygenated blood to the gills, the blood is then oxygenated and flows through the rest of the body

New cards
77

Do fish respire at a higher or lower rate than humans?

Higher

New cards
78

What is the relationship between body size and oxygen fish need?

As body size increases, more oxygen is needed

New cards
79

What is the relationship between water temperature and oxygen fish need?

As temperature increases, more oxygen is needed

New cards
80

How is water gained and lost in freshwater fish?

Gained through osmosis and food/drink; lost through lots of urine

New cards
81

How are ions gained and lost in freshwater fish?

Gained through food/drink and gill salt pumps; lost by diffusion and urine

New cards
82

How is water gained and lost in salt water fish?

Gained through food/drink; lost through osmosis and small amounts of urine

New cards
83

How are ions gained and lost in salt water fish?

Gained through diffusion and food/drink; lost through gill salt pumps and urine

New cards
84

***What is the sixth sense of fish?

The lateral line functions as a sixth sense because there are tons of cells with fine cilia on them that allow the fish to feel change in pressure

New cards
85

Other than the lateral line, how are fish senses heightened?

Otoliths in the inner ear are very sensitive to vibrations

New cards
86

What 3 factors must energy be balanced between?

Maintenance, growth, and reproduction

New cards
87

What is the relationship between temperature and metabolism?

As temperature increases, metabolism increases

New cards
88

***What type of growth do fish have?

Indeterminate growth

New cards
89

What is the number of eggs in a fish called?

Fecundity

New cards
90

How are fecundity and body size related?

The number of gametes increases with female body size

New cards
91

What happens with egg number and size in fish?

These two factors have an inverse relationship because of volume limits and sometimes there is evolutionary strategy to favor either more eggs or larger size

New cards
92

What is the word for fish spawning only once?

Semelparity

New cards
93

What is the word for fish spawning multiple times?

Iteroparity

New cards
94

Name the 3 modes of reproduction

Oviparity, ovoviviparity, viviparity

New cards
95

What is oviparity?

Egg laying; can have external fertilization (common) or internal fertilization (uncommon)

New cards
96

What are the similarities and differences between ovoviviparity and viviparity?

Similarities - livebearing with internal fertilization; Differences - viviparity has direct maternal nourishment while the other does not

New cards
97

Name the 2 sexual strategies

Gonochromism and hermaphroditism

New cards
98

Name the 2 interesting examples of oviparity

Nest guarding and mouth-brooders

New cards
99

***Name 3 ways to determine fish age

Direct observation, length-frequency distribution, calcified structures

New cards
100

What is the direct observation method of aging?

Mark-recapture over time to measure length increase

New cards

Explore top notes

note Note
studied byStudied by 15 people
... ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 57 people
... ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 3 people
... ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 13 people
... ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 34 people
... ago
5.0(1)
note Note
studied byStudied by 999 people
... ago
5.0(6)
note Note
studied byStudied by 10 people
... ago
5.0(2)
note Note
studied byStudied by 6752 people
... ago
4.1(15)

Explore top flashcards

flashcards Flashcard (95)
studied byStudied by 70 people
... ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (32)
studied byStudied by 61 people
... ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (42)
studied byStudied by 21 people
... ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (35)
studied byStudied by 7 people
... ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (135)
studied byStudied by 95 people
... ago
5.0(2)
flashcards Flashcard (59)
studied byStudied by 87 people
... ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (22)
studied byStudied by 79 people
... ago
5.0(1)
flashcards Flashcard (130)
studied byStudied by 6 people
... ago
5.0(1)
robot