🌊 7th Grade Watershed Studies Unit Test Study Guide 🌊

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Watershed

The entire land area that drains into a particular water body, such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.

River Basin

All land drained by streams flowing into a major river.

Ecosystem

Interaction of living organisms with their environment.

Habitat

The specific environment where an organism lives.

Aquifer

Underground layers holding groundwater.

Groundwater

Water below the Earth's surface.

Water Table

Level below which the ground is saturated with water.

Perennial Stream

A stream that always flows.

Ephemeral Stream

A stream that flows only after precipitation.

Tributary

Small streams feeding into larger water bodies.

Meander

Curves in rivers.

Oxbow Meander/Lake

Extreme river curves; lakes formed when curves get cut off.

Confluence

Point where rivers join.

Pools

Deep, slow-moving sections of a stream.

Riffles

Shallow, fast-moving, rocky sections of a stream.

Bed Load

Sediments moving along the stream bottom.

Dissolved Load

Soluble materials in water.

Suspended Load

Particles carried in the water column.

Erosion

Movement of weathered materials by wind, water, gravity.

Weathering

Breakdown of rock into sediment.

Infiltration

Water seeping into permeable soil.

Runoff

Water flowing across impermeable surfaces.

Water Cycle

Movement of water including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

Transpiration

Water vapor released from plants.

Aerobic

Conditions or organisms requiring oxygen.

Anaerobic

Conditions or organisms not requiring oxygen.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Oxygen present in water; vital for aquatic life.

Hypoxia

Low oxygen conditions harmful to organisms.

Nutrients

Chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorus essential for plant growth.

Eutrophication

Excess nutrients causing algal blooms and low oxygen.

Algae

Photosynthetic aquatic organisms without true roots or stems.

Algal Bloom

Rapid algae growth due to excess nutrients.

Decomposition

Breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms.

Benthos

Bottom-dwelling organisms.

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Organisms that indicate water quality.

Floodplain

Land beside rivers that is flooded periodically.

Wetlands

Saturated areas like bogs, marshes, swamps; important for water purification.

Riparian

Areas along banks of water bodies.

Estuary

Coastal areas where freshwater mixes with saltwater.

Delta

Landform at river mouths formed by sediment deposits.

Impervious Surfaces

Surfaces that prevent infiltration and increase runoff.

Human activities

Can accelerate eutrophication and erosion.

Healthy watersheds

Have diverse habitats, stable banks, and good infiltration.

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Help scientists assess ecosystem health.