Environmental Science Midterm Master Study Guide Flashcards

A set of 42 fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards covering environmental science midterm concepts including the rock cycle, population growth patterns, and climate mechanisms.

A scientific __________ is a well-substantiated explanation of a natural phenomenon supported by a great deal of evidence and repeated testing.

theory

The reflectivity of a surface is measured by its __________, and fresh snow has the highest value of any natural surface.

albedo

The delay between a stimulus and the full manifestation of its ecological consequence, such as forest recovery after harvesting, is called __________.

lag time

A forest developing on a brand-new volcanic lava flow is a primary example of _______ succession.

primary

During the Northern Hemisphere summer, the North Pole is __________ the sun, resulting in more direct solar radiation.

tilted toward

__________ reasoning starts with generalized premises and apply them to specific situations to derive a logically certain conclusion.

Deductive

The rock cycle is a cyclic process that is fundamentally dependent on the __________ and _______ cycles.

tectonic, hydrologic

Climate scientists use highly sophisticated computer models known as __________ to simulate and predict global atmospheric changes.

GCMs

The __________ procedure of the scientific method allows scientists to compare data and ensure repeatability across the global community.

standardized

Visible light represents a small band of energy within the __________ spectrum.

electromagnetic

The formation and escalation of hurricanes are fueled by heat and moisture from __________ waters.

warm ocean

Atmospheric circulation is ultimately driven by __________ between the equator and the poles.

unequal solar heating

Species richness in a habitat is universally influenced by elevation gradients, topographic diversity, and geographic __________.

latitude

While CO2 has a higher long-term impact, __________ is a much more potent greenhouse gas over a short timescale such as $10$ years.

Methane

The principle of __________ states that aspects of the natural environment are closely linked, meaning "you can never do just one thing."

environmental unity

The gas __________, which makes up $78\%$ of the atmosphere, is not considered a greenhouse gas.

Nitrogen

Human population growth in the United States has slowed partly because the age of __________ has increased, delaying generation time.

first childbirth

In an ecosystem, matter cycles cyclically while energy __________ through a one-way system.

flows linearly

Biologically speaking, a species lives in its __________, but its functional role within the community is its __________.

habitat, ecological niche

The dilution of radioactive Carbon-14 in the atmosphere is a piece of evidence for burning fossil fuels known as the __________ effect.

Suess

The substantial recovery of multiple whale species was facilitated by a moratorium on commercial whaling implemented in __________.

$$1986$$

Measuring the __________ signature of carbon dioxide helps identify its source but does not estimate climate sensitivity to radiative forcing.

isotopic

While birth and death rates are dynamic metrics of a population, __________ is an individual physiological characteristic.

maximum lifetime

The least controversial and simplest way to slow population growth is __________ the age of first childbearing.

delaying

Charles Darwin's principle of __________ refers to the tendency for organisms with favorable adaptations to survive and leave more descendants.

natural selection

The self-regulating system where a planet emits more energy as it heats up is known as a __________ feedback loop.

negative

The correct sequence for the scientific method is: __________ → hypothesis → controlled experiment → conclusions.

observations

Standard social themes of environmental science include human population and global perspective, but not ecosystem __________ cycling.

nutrient

Cellular respiration breaks down stored chemical potential energy from food into mechanical __________ energy for movement.

kinetic

Frameworks for valuing __________ include intrinsic rights, aesthetic beauty, and direct economic value.

biodiversity

Major ocean currents act as a conveyor belt that transports __________ energy from the equator toward the poles.

heat

Warming climates allow disease-carrying vectors like __________ mosquitoes to expand their geographical range.

Aedes

The relationship where __________ algae live inside coral polyps and provide them with energy is an example of mutualism.

zooxanthellae

Geological history shows that over __________ percent of all species that ever lived on Earth are now extinct.

$$99$$

A __________ growth curve is S-shaped and depicts rapid growth that eventually flattens out around the carrying capacity.

logistic

Orbit variations such as eccentricity, obliquity, and axial precession are known as __________ cycles.

Milankovitch

The structural, behavioral, and functional placement of a species within an ecosystem is its ecological __________.

niche

The status of __________ was elevated to a scientific theory because it provided a unified explanation for fossil patterns, earthquakes, and continental shapes.

Plate tectonics

Invasive zebra mussels cause zooplankton populations to decline by outcompeting them for __________.

phytoplankton

Age structure diagrams that display a very wide baseline of young children are characteristic of __________ growth profiles.

Rapid

Pre-existing rocks that are deeply modified by high heat and pressure without completely melting are classified as __________.

Metamorphic

The fundamental mathematical equation for the growth rate of a population in an exponential phase is __________.

$$dN/dt = rN$$