Earth Systems and Resources Review

These flashcards cover essential concepts from Earth Systems and Resources, focusing on definitions and critical terms from units 1-5.

The layer of gases surrounding Earth is called the __.

Atmosphere

The term for all water on or near Earth's surface is __.

Hydrosphere

The solid outer layer of Earth is known as the __.

Lithosphere

The interactive system of all living organisms is referred to as the __.

Biosphere

An system allows for the exchange of energy and matter, while a system has limited exchange.

Open; Closed

A system in __ equilibrium is said to be in a steady state.

dynamic

The average time a substance stays in a reservoir is called its __.

Residence time

The rate of flow between reservoirs is known as __.

Flux

The __ of a surface indicates its reflectivity.

Albedo

A naturally occurring inorganic solid with a defined composition is called a __.

Mineral

An __ is a rock with economically useful concentrations of minerals.

Ore

The breakdown of rock, whether mechanical or chemical, is termed __.

Weathering

Distinct layers in a soil profile are known as __.

Soil horizons

The of a soil refers to the space between pores, while refers to the ease of fluid flow in soils or rock.

Porosity; Permeability

An is a permeable groundwater reservoir, while an is a low-permeability layer.

Aquifer; Aquitard

The top of the saturated zone in groundwater is called the __.

Water table

__ is the nutrient enrichment of water bodies that can lead to algal blooms.

Eutrophication

The movement of elements through living and nonliving systems is called a __.

Biogeochemical cycle

The key processes in the nitrogen cycle are nitrogen fixation, __, and __.

Nitrification; Denitrification

A is a reservoir that absorbs carbon dioxide, while a releases it.

Carbon sink; Carbon source

An ecosystem is a community of organisms plus the __ environment interacting as a system.

abiotic

A __ is a group of individuals of one species in a specific area.

Population

The role and position a species has in its environment is known as its __.

Niche

The physical environment where a species lives is called its __.

Habitat

The difference between a fundamental niche and a realized niche lies in competition; fundamental is __, while realized is __.

potential; actual

__ refers to the variety of life in terms of genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Biodiversity

The position in a food chain that includes producers, consumers, and decomposers is known as a __.

Trophic level

The total mass of living material in a given area is known as __.

Biomass

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain is referred to as __.

Carrying capacity (K)

The __ of the commons describes resource overuse when resources are shared.

Tragedy

__ is the practice of combining various methods to control pests sustainably.

Integrated pest management (IPM)