Unit 5 Land and Water Use Vocabulary

Unit 5 Land and Water Use Vocabulary

Agricultural pollution- pollution from rural areas where few people live 

Algae- a general term for small, chlorophyll-containing plants such as seaweed or pond scum 

Ammonia- a colorless, pungent gas composed of nitrogen and hydrogen from animal waste 

Aquaculture- the cultivation of aquatic organisms (as fish or shellfish) especially for food; fish farming.

Aquatic – living or growing in water 

Aquifer – an underground water system made of porous rock and sand 

Bottom trawling- fishing method that involves towing trawl nets along the sea floor.

By-catch-unwanted marine creatures that are caught in the nets while fishing for another species.

Condensation – when water vapor (gaseous water) forms droplets of water in the atmosphere, making clouds. The change in water from gas to liquid form. 

Confining layer- a place in the aquifer where impermeable rock covers permeable rock 

Evaporation – the change in water from liquid to gas 

Eutrophication- When large amounts of nutrients enter the water and cause an increase in the amount of oxygen 

Exotic Plant – A plant that is transported from its place of origin and introduced into a new environment  

Groundwater – water that percolates through the surface and is retained in underlying rock and soil. 

Groundwater contamination- when any harmful substance enters the water underground and makes it unsuitable for use Groundwater model- a representation of the underground water system 

Groundwater system- holds the rock layers that make up an aquifer and the water that is stored and transported through the openings in the rocks

Herbicides- chemicals used to kill weeds 

Hydrologic Cycle - the passage of water between reservoirs (oceans and atmosphere) by groundwater percolation, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. 

Impermeable- something that does not allow liquid to run through it 

Marine protected area (MPA): officially, an MPA is any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein. In practice, MPAs are defined areas where natural and/or cultural resources are given greater protection than the surrounding waters.

Native Plant – A plant that lives and thrives in its place of origin 

Nitrate- a water-soluble molecule made up of nitrogen and oxygen, commonly found in agricultural fertilizers

Nitrogen- A colorless, odorless gas that is a non-metallic element which makes up almost four fifths of the air 

Non- point source- when the point of the pollution is difficult to identify 

Organic Pollution- pollution that occurs when living things decompose 

Percolation – when precipitation is absorbed into the ground and moves down through the soil 

Permeable- ability of something to allow liquids to run through it 

Pesticides- chemical substances applied to plants to keep insects away 

Phosphates- Phosphorous can come from natural sources such as phosphate- containing rocks and human sources such as fertilizers, pesticides, detergents, and industrial wastes. 

Photosynthesis - the process by which plants convert energy from the sun into food 

Phytoplankton - single celled algae  

Point source- when the source of the pollutant is easily identified 

Porous Rock – a rock with many spaces between grains. 

Precipitation – water that is released from the atmosphere as rain, snow, hail, etc. 

Sediment Pollution- pollution that occurs when loose soil is carried into bodies of water by rain 

Spring – water returning to the surface after being absorbed by the ground 

Stormwater runoff- rainwater that does not soak into the ground and carries pollution into bodies of water 

Surface Runoff – precipitation that drains across the land into lakes, streams, or rivers 

Surface Water - water that lays on the earth’s surface. Surface water includes water in rivers, lakes, streams, creeks, ponds, and wetlands 

Transpiration – the process by which water is released from plans leaves 

Watershed - an area of land over which water flows to reach a common body of water such as a lake or pond 

Well- a hole that is drilled into the aquifer 

Zooplankton – very small aquatic animals