Fraser Pandit Mid-Year Geography Intertidal Wetland Notes - 2025

A series of vocabulary flashcards based on the characteristics, importance, and management strategies of intertidal wetlands, focusing on Homebush Bay.

Intertidal Wetlands (ITW)

Coastal ecosystems that are flooded and drained by tidal action.

Mangroves

Trees that grow in coastal intertidal zones, known for their salt tolerance and importance in biodiversity.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits that ecosystems provide to humans, including clean water, fishery resources, and climate regulation.

Brackish Water

Water that has more salinity than freshwater but less than seawater, typically found in estuaries.

Urban Expansion

The growth of urban areas into previously rural or undeveloped areas.

Vulnerability

The susceptibility of ecosystems to harm from various environmental stressors, including climate change.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Eco-tourism

Travel that focuses on experiencing natural areas in a way that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.

Trophic Structure

The hierarchical feeding relationships in an ecosystem, defining how energy and nutrients flow through various consumer levels.

Salinity Fluctuations

Changes in salt concentration in the water, which can negatively affect aquatic species.

Phytoremediation

The use of plants to remove, transfer, stabilize, or destroy contaminants in soil and water.

Nutrient Cycling

The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter.

Habitat Fragmentation

The process by which large habitats are broken into smaller, isolated patches.

Sustainable Management

Practices that meet current ecological, social, and economic needs without compromising future generations.

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)

Evaluations of the likely environmental impacts of proposed projects before they are carried out.

Restoration Projects

Initiatives designed to recover ecosystems to a healthy, functioning state after degradation.

Seagrass Beds

Underwater plant communities that provide habitat, stabilize sediment, and improve water quality.

Citizen Science

Public participation in scientific research, allowing non-professionals to contribute to data collection and analysis.