Studied by 28 peopleFracking (hydraulic fracturing)
the extraction of oil or natural gas from dense rock formations by creating fractures in the rock and then flushing out the oil/gas with pressurized fluid
environment
the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
Environmental Science
The study of the natural processes that occur in the environment and how humans can affect them.
Ecosystem
A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment
Biotic
Describes living factors in the environment.
Abiotic
physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms.
Energy
The ability to do work or cause change
Power
the rate at which work is done
electromagnetic radiation
a form of energy that exhibits wavelike behavior as it travels through space
Photon
a particle of light
potential energy
stored energy that results from the position or shape of an object
chemical energy
A form of potential energy that is stored in chemical bonds between atoms.
kinetic energy
the energy an object has due to its motion
Temperature
A measure of the average energy of motion of the particles of a substance.
1st law of thermodynamics
The principle of conservation of energy. Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.
2nd law of thermodynamics
The principle whereby every energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe. Ordered forms of energy are at least partly converted to heat, and in spontaneous reactions, the free energy of the system also decreases.
energy efficiency
The ratio of the amount of work done to the total amount of energy introduced to the system
energy quality
the ease with which an energy source can be used for work
open system
a system in which exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries
closed system
a system in which matter and energy exchanges do not occur across boundaries
Inputs of a system
an addition to a system
output of a system
a loss from a system
negative feedback loop
A feedback loop in which a system responds to a change by returning to its original state, or by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring.
positive feedback loop
feedback loop that causes a system to change further in the same direction
Biosphere
Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere.
Autotroph
an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.
Heterotroph
organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer
Photosynthesis
process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
cellular respiration
Process that releases energy by breaking down glucose and other food molecules in the presence of oxygen
primary consumers (herbivores)
heterotrophs that consume producers
Carnivore
a flesh-eating animal
secondary consumer
An organism that eats primary consumers
tertiary consumer
a carnivore at the topmost level in a food chain that feeds on other carnivores; an animal that feeds only on secondary consumers.
trophic level
each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.
food chain
series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
food web
network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem
scavenger
A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms
Detritivore
an animal that feeds on dead organic material, especially plant detritus.
Decomposer
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.
GPP (Gross Primary Productivity)
The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time
NPP (Net Primary Productivity)
The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire
Biomass
the total mass of organisms in a given area
standing crop
the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time
ecological efficiency
the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another
trophic pyramid
A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels
biogeochemical cycle
process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another
hydrologic cycle
The cycle through which water in the hydrosphere moves; includes such processes as evaporation, precipitation, and surface and groundwater runoff
Evaporation
The change of state from a liquid to a gas
Transpiration
the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants
Runoff
Part of the water cycle where an excess of water runs down and does not sink into the soil and eventually makes it to the rivers, lakes, and oceans.
carbon cycle
The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again
limiting nutrient
single nutrient that either is scarce or cycles very slowly, limiting the growth of organisms in an ecosystem
Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, denitrification
nitrogen cycle steps
Leaching
Process in which various chemicals in upper layers of soil are dissolved and carried to lower layers and, in some cases, to groundwater.
Phosphorous Cycle
Over time, rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other minerals. This inorganic phosphate is then distributed in soils and water. Plants take up inorganic phosphate from the soil. The plants may then be consumed by animals. Once in the plant or animal, the phosphate is incorporated into organic molecules such as DNA. When the plant or animal dies, it decays, and the organic phosphate is returned to the soil. Within the soil, organic forms of phosphate can be made available to plants by bacteria that break down organic matter to inorganic forms of phosphorus. This process is known as mineralisation. Phosphorus in soil can end up in waterways and eventually oceans. Once there, it can be incorporated into sediments over time.
Eutrophication
excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.
sulfur cycle
The chemical and physical reactions by which sulfur moves into or out of storage and through the environment.
terrestrial biomes
Biomes on land (forests, taiga, tundra, etc.)
aquatic biomes
oceans, estuaries, lakes, and ponds
Tundra
a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.
Permafrost
permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground
boreal forest
Dense forest of evergreens located in the upper regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
temperate rainforest
The cool, dense, rainy forests of the northern Pacific coast; enshrouded in fog much of the time; dominated by large conifers
temperate seasonal forest
A biome with warmer summers and colder winters than temperate rainforests and dominated by deciduous trees.
woodland/shrubland
Hot, dry summers and mild rainy winters. 12 month growing season but restricted in summer and in winter.
temperate grassland
a community (or biome) that is dominated by grasses, has few trees, and is characterized by cold winters and rainfall that is intermediate between that of a forest and a desert
tropical rainforest
Forests in which rainfall is abundant - more that 200 cm (80 in) per year - and temperatures are warm or hot year-round
tropical seasonal forest
Semi-evergreen or partly deciduous forests tending toward open woodlands and grassy savannas dotted with scattered, drought-resistant tree species; distinct wet and dry season, hot year-round
subtropical desert
a biome prevailing at approximately 30 degrees N and 30 degrees S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation
Rivers
are large, natural streams of fresh water.
littoral zone
a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants
limnetic zone
In a lake, the well-lit, open surface waters farther from shore.
profundal zone
zone in a freshwater habitat that is below the limits of effective light penetration
benthic zone
bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms
oligotrophic lake
A lake with a low level of productivity as a result of low amounts of nutrients in the water
mesotrophic lake
Lake with a moderate supply of plant nutrients. Compare eutrophic lake, oligotrophic lake.
eutrophic lake
A lake that has a high rate of biological productivity supported by a high rate of nutrient cycling.
freshwater wetlands
An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation.
Salt Marsh
A marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates.
Estuary
A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean.
mangrove swamps
A swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water.
intertidal zone
the narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide
coral reef
A structure of calcite skeletons built up by coral animals in warm, shallow ocean water.
coral bleaching
the loss of color in corals that occurs when stressed corals expel the algae that live in them
photic zone
Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate.
aphotic zone
permanently dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone
community ecology
The study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization
symbiotic relationship
close interaction between species in which one species lives in or on the other
competition
the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources
competitive exclusion principle
Ecological rule that states that no two species can occupy the same exact niche in the same habitat at the same time
resource partitioning
The division of environmental resources by coexisting species such that the niche of each species differs by one or more significant factors from the niches of all coexisting species
Predation (+/-)
An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.
Commensalism (+/0)
A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
keystone species
a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.
Note
Flashcard