Key Environmental and Natural Resource Exam 2023

These flashcards cover key concepts and questions from the lecture notes on environmental and natural resources.

What do we call all the ecosystems of the Earth as a whole?

Biosphere

What is a group of similar organisms found in a defined area known as?

Population

Which of the following is an abiotic feature of a particular ecosystem?

Water

What branch of science deals with the complex relationships among living things and their environment?

Ecology

What occurs when an ecosystem is damaged or partly destroyed?

Primary succession

What is it called when an organism has a survival advantage in a shared environment?

A competitive advantage

What demonstrates an organism's ability to survive changes in its environment?

Range of tolerance

Which form of energy results from photosynthesis?

Chemical energy

What is the process by which organic matter is reduced to organic compounds?

Decomposition

Herbivores are also considered what?

Primary consumers

What is a secondary consumer?

Carnivore

Population levels in an ecosystem cannot typically exceed what for a sustained period of time?

Carrying capacity

What is a resource that is capable of replacing itself through reproduction or new growth called?

Renewable resource

What exemplifies the number of a particular species of plant or animal in a given area at a specific point in time?

Population level

Which of the following is not a renewable resource?

Soil

What element combines with moisture to form acid rain?

Sulfur

What is produced from decaying plant or animal matter?

Methane

What percentage of air is nitrogen?

21% nitrogen

What is pure water composed of?

One part hydrogen to two parts oxygen

What measurement assesses the total concentration of ions in water?

Salinity

What does a Secchi disk measure?

Turbidity of water

What is a clinometer used to measure?

Slope

What is the function of a watershed?

Release a consistent flow of water throughout the year

Which of the following is not considered a natural water treatment facility?

Golf course ponds

When does water lose its oxygen holding capacity?

As water warms

Groundwater that is unavailable to plant roots is called what?

Hygroscopic water

What is the process by which water changes from liquid form to vapor?

Evaporation

What support function does soil provide for plants?

Anchorage

What is the tendency of soil particles to break apart as erosion occurs called?

Erodibility

What accounts for 40% of soil loss in the United States?

Wind erosion

What type of soil parent material is deposited by wind?

Loess deposits

Which term is not considered a physical property of soil?

Soil solution

What is a learned behavior that enhances survival chances for wild animals called?

Adaptive behavior

When wildlife species coexist without helping or harming each other, the relationship is called?

Commensalism

What is the greatest single cause of extinction?

Destruction or modification of habitat

What defines low biotic potential?

Slow reproductive rate

Which biome is the largest?

Marine biome

A water habitat where water stands for long periods is known as a __ habitat?

Lentic habitat

An organism that reproduces only once in its lifetime is called?

Semelparous

What does fecundity refer to?

How fertile a species is

What is a group of ecosystems with similar vegetation and climatic conditions called?

A biome

What is the biggest component of municipal waste?

Paper

What occurs during attenuation except for which?

Containment

What is the most important characteristic of containment landfills?

Minimum seepage

What type of pollution can be traced back to a specific source?

Point source pollution

The pH of a toxic material relates to which term?

Corrosivity

What is it called when waste material gives off fumes that you inhale or absorb?

Direct exposure pathway

What is an organism called that is sensitive to pollution?

Indicator species

What do lines of latitude represent?

Known as parallels

Which soil type has the most water holding capacity?

Soils that have a high clay content