Human Impacts on Ecosystems

Flashcards covering key concepts related to human impacts on ecosystems, specifically focusing on aquatic environments and pollution.

Range of Tolerance

The optimal range of conditions (such as pollutants) that organisms thrive within, beyond which they may experience stress or death.

Coral Reefs

Diverse marine ecosystems formed by colonies of coral polyps, providing habitat for many species and protecting coastlines.

Oxygen Sag Curve

Graph depicting dissolved oxygen levels in water as they change with distance from a pollution source.

Eutrophication

The process by which water bodies receive excess nutrients, leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Cultural Eutrophication

Eutrophication accelerated by human activities that introduce nutrients into bodies of water.

Hypoxic Zones

Areas in water bodies that have low oxygen levels, unable to support most aquatic life.

Oil Spills

Release of petroleum hydrocarbons into the environment, often due to human activities, leading to significant ecological damage.

Methylmercury

Highly toxic form of mercury that accumulates in aquatic food chains, particularly harmful to humans and wildlife.

Heavy Metals

A group of metals that can be toxic to organisms at low concentrations, including lead, mercury, and cadmium.

Microplastics

Small plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm, prevalent in aquatic ecosystems and harmful to marine life.

Dead Zones

Regions in oceans or freshwater systems where oxygen levels are low enough to cause massive die-offs of aquatic life.

Oxygen Demanding Waste

Organic waste that consumes oxygen in the water as it decomposes, leading to potential hypoxic conditions.