intro for environmental science

Plankton

Weakly swimming, free-floating organisms in saltwater and freshwater life zones that are carried by currents.

Phytoplankton

Plant plankton (from the Greek for drifting plants) and algae that serve as producers supporting most aquatic food chains and food webs.

Zooplankton

Animal plankton (from the Greek for drifting animals) consisting of primary consumers (herbivores) that feed on phytoplankton and secondary consumers that feed on other zooplankton, ranging from single-celled protozoa to large invertebrates such as jellyfish.

Ultraplankton

Extremely small photosynthetic bacteria no more than $2\,\text{micrometres}$ ($40\text{ millionths of an inch}$) wide that are estimated to be responsible for $70\%$ of the primary productivity near the ocean surface.

Nekton

Strongly swimming aquatic consumers, such as fish, turtles, and whales.

Benthos

Bottom-dwelling aquatic organisms, such as barnacles, oysters, burrowing worms, lobsters, and crabs.

Decomposers

Aquatic organisms (mostly bacteria) that break down organic compounds in the dead bodies and wastes of aquatic organisms into simple nutrient compounds.

Biological evolution

The change in a populations genetic make up through successive generations.

Microevolution

The small genetic changes that occur in a population.

Macroevolution

Long term, large scale evolutionary changes through which new species form from ancestral species and other species are lost through extinction

Fundamental niche

The full potential range of physical, chemical and biological conditions and resources it could theoretically use if there were no direct competition from other specie.

Convergent evolution

Occurs when two distantly related groups of organisms develop similarities because they are adapting adapting similar environmental constraints or opportunities

Climate

The long term atmospheric conditions. Ex. Temperature and precipitation.

Weather

The short term atmospheric conditions.

A front

The boundary between two air masses with different temperatures and densities.

A cold front

The leading edge of an advancing mass of cold air.

A warm front

The boundary between an advancing warm air mass and the cooler one it is replacing.

Jet stream

Powerful winds near the top of the troposphere, 7-16 km above sea level.

Explain the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect is the natural process where greenhouse gasses in the earth’s atmosphere absorb and re radiate some of the infrared energy released by the surface. This keeps the planet warm enough to support life.

Importance of carbon dioxide GHG.

Carbon dioxide is the primary concern, over produced by human interference.

Explain the importance of methane GHG

Methane is released through natural decomposition and has a heat trapping ability of 23.

Explain the importance of ozone GHG

Ozone is best known for filtering uv light and radiation.

Explain the importance of halocarbons "(Cfc") GHG

Best known for depleting the ozone layer.

Explain the importance of nitrous oxide GHG

Nitrous oxide has a heat trapping ability of 298 times c02

Explain the importance of water vapor GHG

Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas.

Tropical dessert

Hot and dry most of the year, few plants, a hard windblown surface with rocks and some sand.