All Terms

Hydrologic Cycle

the movement of water in its various solid, liquid, and gaseous phases between sources and sinks

Ocean; Atmosphere; Groundwater; Ice; Rivers/Lakes

_____ are sinks for water

Percolation/Infiltration

the process by which water moves downward through the soil under gravitational forces

Evapotranspiration

the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants.

3%

_____ of water is fresh water:

30%

_____ of freshwater is groundwater:

1%

_____ of water is available for use:

Aquifer

groundwater that exists in the multitude of small spaces found within permeable layers of rock and sediment

Water Table

uppermost level of ground water; dynamic

Groundwater Mining

removal of groundwater for agricultural, municipal, and industrial use

Recharge

water from precipitation can percolate through soil and replace water that has been withdrawn

Ogallala Aquifer

formed about 10 mya when water flowed onto the highly permeable sand and gravel of the plains from retreating glaciers and streams from the Rocky Mountains. Because of climate change, changes due to erosion, and the lack of glacial meltwater, the aquifer is no longer being recharged

Freshwater Biomes

Streams, rivers, pond, and lakes are all:

Floodplain

a flat stretch along rivers that becomes flooded when rivers overflow banks during snowmelt or heavy rain; deposit nutrient rich sediment

Watershed/Drainage Basin

the land area surrounding a river that drains into the river; defined by higher elevations

Ponds/Lakes

depressions that are filled by precipitation runoff that is not absorbed into groundwater; often formed from glaciation or tectonic activity

Wetlands/Mangroves

an area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem

Nutrient storage, erosion control, water purification, flood control

Benefits of wetlands:

Fishing, hunting, agriculture, and recreation

Wetlands and mangroves are important to the economy through:

water purification, flood control, habitat, erosion control, coastline stability

Benefits of mangroves:

commercial development, dam construction, overfishing, agriculture/industrial pollutants

Threats to mangroves/wetlands:

Marine Biomes

Oceans, coral reefs, marshlands, and estuaries are all:

Algae

_____ biomass produces a large portion of oxygen and stores a large portion of carbon dioxide:

Water diversions

dams, canals, levees; impact natural sedimentation process and water flow/level

↑ ; ↑

↑ Temp = _____ Evaporation = _____ Drought

↑ ; ↓

↑ Temp = _____ Glacial Melt/Runoff = _____ Aquifer Recharge

↑ ; ↑

↑ Temp = _____ Evaporation = _____ Storm Severity

5x water use than 1950; US highest per capita use; 70% irrigation/20% industry/10% domestic global use

Water shortage stats:

Water efficient appliances, graywater reuse, full cost pricing, permeable pavers, rain barrels

Water shortage solutions:

Aquatic Polltion

any physical, chemical, or biological addition to water that makes it unsuitable for use

Point Source Pollution

a single, identifiable source of a pollutant; smokestack or discharge pipe

Nonpoint Source Pollution

diffused and can be difficult to identify the source; pesticides or fertilizer runoff; difficult to regulate

Pathogens

disease cause organisms; bacteria, viruses, parasites

Oxygen Demanding Waste

organic matter that must be broken down (vegetation/animal); aquatic decomposers use the oxygen in respiration, depleting dissolved oxygen levels

Inorganic Plant Nutrients

nitrogen (NO3-) and phosphorus (PO4³-) that haven been applied to agricultural fields or lawns which runs off; often limiting nutrients, runoff cause explosive algae growth

Algal Bloom

rapid growth of algae or cyanobacteria that can cause harm to people, animals, or the local ecology; caused by an excessive quantity of nutrients

Organic Chemicals

synthetic chemicals used in manufacturing and industrial agriculture; pesticides, herbicides, BPA, PFAS

Sediments/Suspended Matter

increased levels in waterways reduces light infiltration, which can affect producers and visual predators; settling can disrupt habitats

Heavy Metals

when elemental sources of certain elements (Hg, Pb, Cd, As) enter aquatic habitats, bacteria convert it to highly toxic substances, such as methylmercury

Thermal Pollution

occurs when heat released into the water produces negative effects to the organisms in that ecosystem; variations in water temperature decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

inorganic salts; calcium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate

Range of Tolerance

optimum range for organisms for each factor where homeostasis is maintained

Eutrophication

process whereby excess nutrients in a body of water support an algal bloom, which become oxygen demanding waste after their death, depleting dissolved oxygen in the water due to decomposition

Oligotrophic

refers to a body of water containing low nutrient content, stable algal population, and high levels of dissolved oxygen

Fertilizer runoff and wastewater release

_____ are anthropogenic causes of eutrophication:

Dead Zone

an area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life

Gulf Dead Zone

A large, seasonal dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico due to excessive quantities of nutrient runoff off the large Mississippi watershed because of prevalent agricultural use

Oxygen Sag Curve

a plot of dissolved oxygen levels versus the distance from a source of pollution, usually excess nutrients and biological refuse

Septic Tank

a large container that receives wastewater from a house as part of a septic system

Primary Sewage Treatment

physical removal of large objects, often through use of screens and grates, followed by the settling of solid waste in the bottom of the tank

Secondary Sewage Treatment

biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge, which settles in the bottom of a tank; the tank is aerated to increase the rate of bacteria break down

Tertiary Sewage Treatment

the use of ecological or chemical processes to remove any pollutants left in the water; treated water is exposed to disinfectants like chlorine, ozone, or UV radiation to kill bacteria

Pharmaceuticals

Sewage treatment does not remove _____ from wastewater:

Biosolids

_____ are often stored and used as fertilizer:

Impervious Surfaces

materials like asphalt, concrete, and plastic that do not allow water to infiltrate, worsening the effects of flooding in urban areas

Permeable Paver

a porous urban surface composed of open pore pavers, concrete, or asphalt with an underlying stone reservoir

Groundwater Pollution

leaching of toxins into soil and groundwater rendering it unsuitable for use

Combined Overflow Sewage

mixing of municipal wastewater and stormwater runoff in municipal sewer systems; too much water causes pollutant overflow into nearby bodies of water

Solar Energy

The hydrologic cycle is powered by _____ :

area, length, slope, soil, vegetation types, and divides with adjoining watersheds

Watershed Characteristics:

permeable pavement, planting trees, increased public transportation use, and vertical construction

How can urban runoff mitigated:

physiological stress, limited growth, reduced reproduction, and death

Organisms outside their range of tolerance experience _____ :

Ecosystem

particular location on Earth distinguished by mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components

Biogeochemical Cycle

the facilitation of acquisition and transfer of energy into usable forms

Carbon Cycle

the movement of atoms and molecules containing the element carbon between sources and sinks

Carbon dioxide; Cellulose; Calcium carbonate; Bicarbonate

_____, _____, _____, and _____ are all common forms of carbon:

Air

_____ is a carbon sink in the atmosphere:

Vegetation; Soil; Terrestrial/Marin Life

_____ are carbon sinks in the biosphere:

Upper Ocean; Deep Ocean

_____ are carbon sinks in the hydrosphere:

Fossil Fuels; Continental Crust; Oceanic Crust

_____ are carbon sinks in the geosphere:

Photosynthesis as a flux

Transfer of inorganic atmospheric carbon to organic carbon:

Respiration as a flux

Transfer of organic carbon to inorganic atmospheric carbon:

Diffusion/Dissolution as a flux

Transfer of inorganic carbon between mediums:

Combustion as a flux

Transfer of sequestered organic carbon to inorganic atmospheric carbon:

Rapid Carbon Cycling

processes associated with living organisms

Geologic Time Scale Carbon Cycling

slow processes associated with carbon stored in rock

Nitrogen Cycle

the movement of atoms and molecules containing the element nitrogen between sources and sinks

Short

Nitrogen is stored in sinks for relatively _____ periods of time

The atmosphere

_____ is a major sink for nitrogen:

Nitrogen Fixation

the process in which atmospheric nitrogen is converted into a form of nitrogen that is able to be used by plants through symbiotic bacteria found in legume plant roots

Assimilation

process where fixed nitrogen is synthesized into plant tissue

Denitrification

process where fixed nitrogen is turned back to an unusable forms by certain bacteria

Phosphorus Cycle

the movement of atoms and molecules containing the element phosphorous between sources and sinks

Long

Phosphorus is stored in sinks for relatively _____ periods of time

Rock/sediment

_____ is a major sink for phosphorus:

Atmospheric

There is not an _____ component to the phosphorus cycle

Producers/Autotrophs

an organism that produces its own energy using solar radiation and nutrients

Ecological Efficiency

only about 10% of the consumed energy transfers to the higher trophic level due to loss of thermal energy

Scavenger

consumes dead organisms

Detrivore

consumes detritus/decomposing matter

Decomposers

break organic compounds down into inorganic substances

Trophic Cascade

an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a food chain

Biomass

total mass of all living matter

Primary Productivity

the rate at which solar energy is converted into organic compounds via photosynthesis over a unit of time; kcal/m²/yr

Gross Primary Productivity

the total rate of photosynthesis in a given area; only 1% of energy is captured by photosynthesis

Net Primary Productivity

the rate of energy storage by photosynthesizers in a given area, after subtracting the energy lost to respiration

GPP - R = NPP

R + NPP = GPP

Greater

_____ levels of solar radiation and temperature are beneficial to producers

Generalist

a species that is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of different resources; fills a broad niche

Changing

Generalists thrive in a _____ environment: