Human Impacts on Ecosystems

Flashcards covering vocabulary and essential concepts related to human impacts on ecosystems, particularly focusing on aquatic environments.

Range of Tolerance

The range of environmental conditions, such as temperature, pH, or pollutants, within which an organism can maintain optimal physiological functioning.

Physiological Stress

The adverse effects experienced by organisms when environmental conditions are outside their range of tolerance, potentially leading to limited growth, reduced reproduction, or death.

Coral Bleaching

The loss of color in corals due to the expulsion of symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) when water temperatures rise, leading to coral stress and increased vulnerability to disease.

Acid Rain

Rainfall that is unusually acidic, having elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH), which can harm aquatic life by disrupting metabolic processes.

Hydrocarbons

Organic compounds made of hydrogen and carbon, often found in crude oil, which are toxic to marine organisms and can cause significant harm in oil spills.

Eutrophication

The process whereby water bodies receive excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), leading to excessive growth of algae that can deplete oxygen and harm aquatic life.

Indicator Species

Species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition, often used to assess the health of an ecosystem.

Bottom-trawling

A fishing technique that involves dragging heavy trawl nets across the ocean floor, which can damage coral reefs and stir up sediment.

Urban Runoff

Water from urban areas that flows into waterways and can carry pollutants such as sediments, oil, and chemicals, negatively impacting aquatic ecosystems.

Overfishing

The removal of fish populations from a body of water at a rate faster than they can reproduce, leading to diminished fish stocks and disrupted aquatic ecosystems.