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75 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Abiotic Factors
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the non-living part of the environment
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Aquifer
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a body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater
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Artificial Eutrophication
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process that increases the amount of nutrients in a body of water through human acitivities, such as waste disposal and land drainage
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Biodegrable
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material that can be broken down by biological processes
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Biodiversity
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the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem
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Biological Magnification
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accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain
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Biomass Fuel
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plant material, manure, and any other organic matter that is used as an energy source
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Biome
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a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
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Biosphere
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the part of earth where life exists
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Biotic Factors
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the living parts of the environment
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Brackish Water
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slighty salty water (fresh and salt water)
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Captive Breeding Program
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a program where wildlife experts may attempt to restore the population of species
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Climate
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the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
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Climax Community
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a final, stable community in equilibrium with the environment
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Commensalism
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a relationship between 2 organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
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Community
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group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
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Condensation
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the change of state from a gas to a liquid
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Coniferous Forest
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characterized by cone-bearing needle-leaved trees
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Control
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in an experiment, a group that serves as a standard of comparison with another group to which the control group is identical except for one factor
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Decidious Forest
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trees drop their broad, flat leaves each fall
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Decomposer
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an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms; bacteria and fungi are examples
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Developed Country
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higher incomes, slower population growth, diverse industrial economies, and stronger social support systems
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Ecology
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the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment
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Ecosystem
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community of organisms and their abiotic environment
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Ecotourism
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a form of tourism that supports the conservation and sustainable development of ecologically unique areas
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El Nino
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the warm phase of El Nino-Southern Oscillation; a periodic occurence in the eastern pacific in which the surface-water temp. becomes unusually warm
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Electric Generator
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a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy
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Endangered Species Act
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an act that the US congress passed in 1973 to protect any plant or animal species in danger of extinction
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Environment
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a complex web of relationships that connects us with the world we live in.
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EPA
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they have the authority to regulate vehicle emissions in the US
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Estuary
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an area where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean; the part of a river where the tides meet the river current
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Food Chain
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the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms
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Food Web
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a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
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Fossil Fuels
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nonrenewable energy resources formed from the remains of organisms that lived long ago; examples include oil, coal, and natural gas
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Greenhouse Effect
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the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation
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Groundlevel Ozone
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a human-made air pollutant that at certain concentrations damages human health
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Heterotroph
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get their energy by eating other organisms
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Hydrosphere
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it makes up all of the water on or near the Earth's surface
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Keystone Species
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species that is critical to the functioning of the ecosystem in which it lives because it affects the survival and abundance of many other species in its community
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La Nina
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the cool phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation; a periodic occurence in the eastern pacific ocean in which the surface water temp. becomes unusually cool
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Landfill
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an area of land or an excavation where wastes are placed for permanent disposal
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Lithosphere
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the solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle
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Mangrove Swamp
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a tropical or subtropical marine swamp that is characterized by the abundance of low to tall trees
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Mutualism
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a relationship between 2 species in which both species benefit
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Natural Selection
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process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals
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Non-Point Pollution
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pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single specific site; example is pollution that reaches a body of water from streets and storm sewers
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Non-Renewable Resource
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a resource that forms at a much slower rate than the rate that it is consumed
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Nuclear Fission
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process by which the nucleus of a heavy atom splits into 2 or more fragments; the process releases neutrons and energy
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Nuclear Fusion
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process by which nulei of small atoms combine to form a new, more massive nucleus; the process releases energy
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Ozone Layer
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layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 15 to 40 km in which ozone absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation
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Parasitism
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relationship between two species in which one species, the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host, which is harmed
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Particulates
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fine particles that are suspended in the atmosphere and that are associated with air pollution
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Passive Solar Heating
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the use of sunlight to heat buildings directly
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Pathogen
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a microorganism, another organism, a virus, or a protein that causes disease; an infectious agent
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Percolation
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transports contaminants to the groundwater
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Petroleum
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a liquid mixture of complex hydrocarbon compounds; used widely as a fuel source
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Photovoltaic Cells
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they are solar cells that convert the sun's energy into electricity
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Phytoplankton
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one-celled. they are the initial source of food in most ocean and freshwater ecosystems
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Point-Source Pollution
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pollution that comes from a specific site
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Pollutants
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substances that are harmful to living organisms or by excessive wastes, heat, noise, or radiation
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Population
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group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific area and interbreed
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Primary Succession
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succession that begins in an area that previously did not support life
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Renewable Resource
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resource that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes
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Reservoir
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an artificial body of water that usually forms behind a dam
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Secondary Succession
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proces by which one community replaces another community that has been partiall or totally destroyed
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Solid Waste
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a discarded solid material, sich as garbage, refuse, or sludges
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Species
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group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring; also the level of classification below genus and above subspecies
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Symbiosis
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a relationship is which two different organisms live in close association with each other
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Transpiration
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a process where water evaporates from pores in plant leaves into the atmosphere
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Tropic Level
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one of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid
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Tundra
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a treeless plain that is located in the Artic or Antartic and that is characterized by very low winter temps; short, cool summers, and vegetation that consists of grasses, lichens, and perennial herbs.
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Variable
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a factor that changes in an experiment in order to test a hypothesis
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Water Table
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a level where the rocks and soil are saturated with water
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Watershed
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the area of land that is drained by a river
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Wetland
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an area of land that is periodically under-water or whose soil contains a great deal of moisture
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