Earth/Environmental Science Final Exam Key Concepts: Biomes, Ecology, Energy, Pollution, Climate Change

What are the characteristics of the tundra biome?

Low temperatures and short growing seasons.

What are the characteristics of the grassland biome?

Dominated by grasses and herbs.

What are the characteristics of the marine biome?

Seas and oceans; high salt content/biodiversity.

What are the characteristics of the forest biome?

Area of land dominated by trees.

What are the characteristics of the desert biome?

Barren with little precipitation and hostile living conditions for plants and animals.

What are the characteristics of the freshwater biome?

Very little salt content; lakes, rivers.

What are the levels of ecological organization from smallest to largest?

Individual, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere.

What does a climograph show?

A graphical representation of a location's climate.

What is a producer?

Autotrophs that can make their own food; examples include grass, shrubs, algae.

What is a primary consumer?

Heterotrophs that eat producers; examples include grasshoppers and rabbits.

What is a secondary consumer?

An organism that eats primary consumers.

What is a tertiary consumer?

An organism that eats secondary consumers.

What is the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph?

Autotrophs produce their own food; heterotrophs rely on others for food.

What is the difference between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores?

Herbivores rely on plants, carnivores rely on other consumers, omnivores rely on both.

What is a trophic pyramid?

A pyramid that shows each organism's position in a sequence of energy transfers.

How does energy flow through trophic levels in an ecosystem?

Energy flows up to the consumer at the top; only 10% of energy gets transferred.

Why is only 10% of energy transferred between trophic levels?

The other 90% is lost as heat or used for metabolic processes.

What role do producers play in supporting ecosystem stability?

They support all other living things and are the essential base for the food web.

What is mutualism?

An interaction where both organisms benefit; example: honeybee and a flower.

What is commensalism?

A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected; example: remora fish and sharks.

What is parasitism?

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another; example: tick and a dog.

What is competition in ecology?

An interaction where organisms compete for limited resources.

What is predation?

An interaction where one organism (predator) captures and eats another (prey); example: snake and a mouse.

What are limiting factors?

Environmental factors that affect the growth of a population.

What is carrying capacity?

The maximum population size an area can support over time.

What are the different types of population dispersion?

Clumped, Uniform, Random.

What is biodiversity?

The variety of all life on Earth; important for ecosystem stability and resilience.

What are the three ways to measure biodiversity?

Species evenness, species richness, genetic diversity.

What is ecological succession?

A change in the species composition of a community over time.

What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?

Primary succession starts from scratch; secondary succession starts with some soil and nutrients.

What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources?

Renewable sources replenish quickly; nonrenewable sources run out easily.

What are fossil fuels?

Non-renewable energy sources formed from remains of ancient organisms.

What are examples of renewable energy?

Hydropower, Wind, Geothermal.

What are the disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Expensive, disruptive, and low energy density.

What are the advantages of geothermal energy?

Clean, can operate 24/7, infinite supply.

What are the disadvantages of solar energy?

High storage cost, weather dependent, manufacturing process.

What are the advantages of solar energy?

Accessible, low maintenance cost, and no emissions.

What are the disadvantages of biomass energy?

Releases carbon emissions, low energy density, and transport costs.

What are the advantages of biomass energy?

Versatile, reliable, can be used anytime/anywhere.

What are the advantages of nuclear energy?

No emissions, massive output, high energy density.

What are the disadvantages of nuclear energy?

Radioactive waste, high risk factor, expensive.

What are the advantages of coal energy?

Easy transport, abundant supply, affordable.

What are the disadvantages of coal energy?

High emissions, finite, solid waste.

What are the advantages of natural gas?

Lower emissions, cost efficient, abundant supply.

What are the disadvantages of natural gas?

Finite, methane leaks, fracking earthquakes.

What are the advantages of oil energy?

High energy density, job creation, versatility.

What are the disadvantages of oil energy?

Finite, climate impact, spill catastrophes.

What is the waste-to-energy process?

Involves burning non-hazardous waste and using the heat produced to generate electricity.

What is recycling?

The reprocessing of discarded materials into new, useful products.

What are the benefits of recycling?

Creating jobs, reducing carbon emissions, and reducing landfill overflow.

What are the drawbacks of recycling?

High costs, chemical pollution, and energy-heavy processes.

What causes air pollution?

Human activity like burning fossil fuels and natural sources like volcanic ash.

What are some effects of air pollution?

Harm to human health, visibility issues from smog.

What is the difference between primary and secondary pollutants?

Primary pollutants are directly emitted into the air; secondary pollutants form from reactions between primary pollutants.

What are some potential solutions for reducing air pollution?

Using more public transportation, planting trees, and using renewable energy sources.

What are the main types of water pollution?

Bacterial, thermal, nutrient, and sediment pollution.

What is the difference between point source and nonpoint source pollution?

Point-source pollution comes from a single identifiable source; non-point source pollution comes from runoff.

What is eutrophication?

When too many nutrients build up in a pond, causing rapid algae growth that blocks sunlight and depletes oxygen.

What is the greenhouse effect?

When greenhouse gases warm the Earth by trapping the sun's heat in the atmosphere.

What are greenhouse gases?

Gases that can trap heat in the atmosphere, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrous oxide, and methane.

What is the Paris Agreement?

A global climate treaty where 190+ countries aim to limit global warming below 2C.

Why is it warmer at the equator than near the poles?

The sun strikes the Earth unevenly at different angles due to the tilt of the Earth.

What is proxy data?

Indirect evidence used to reconstruct past climates, such as ice cores.

What is the difference between adaptation and mitigation in climate change?

Adaptation involves adjusting to climate change; mitigation involves preventing climate change.

How does climate change affect habitats and ecosystems?

It can cause species to move, creating competition and habitat destruction.

How are environmental pollution and climate change connected?

Both stem from burning fossil fuels, leading to carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.