S2 APES

Ammonification

is the conversion of organic nitrogen compounds into ammonia (NH3) by decomposer bacteria.

Competitive Exclusion principle

two species competing for the same limited resources cannot coexist in the same niche.

Keystone species

an organism that helps hold the system together.

Doubling Time

the time it takes for a population to double in size

Ecosystem service

naturally occurring benefits that we obtain from ecosystems

Aquifer

underground layers of permeable rock or sediment that hold and transmit water

Surface mining control and reclamation act

the primary federal law that regulates the environmental effects of coal mining in the United States

Fossil fuel

non-renewable energy sources, primarily coal, oil, and natural gas

Nuclear fusion

the result of two or more smaller subatomic particles combining to form different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles.

Kyoto protocol 2005

an international agreement that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.

Assimilation

the process in which plants and animals take up nutrients from their environment and incorporate them into their own tissues for growth and development.

Ecological Heirarchy

organizes life from individual organisms to the global biosphere, encompassing levels like population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere. 

Positive feedback

ecosystems can lead to explosive population growth (amplify changes) or depletion of resources, causing significant shifts in food webs.

Demographic transition

a theoretical framework that describes the transition of a society from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as it develops economically.

Mid-Ocean Ridge

an underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics, where tectonic plates diverge and new oceanic crust is created as magma rises from the mantle.

Bottom trawling

a fishing method where a large, weighted net is dragged along the seafloor to catch fish and other marine life.

Particulate matter

a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles in the air, is a significant environmental and health concern, classified by size (PM10, PM2.5, etc.)

Renewable Resource

one energy form that can be replenished at or near the rate of consumption.

Greenhouse gasses

gases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, leading to a warming effect and contributing to climate change. (Methane, water vapor, nox)

Mutagen

a chemical, physical, or biological agent that causes DNA mutations.