Evs Final Review Vocab

Front 1

Acute toxicity

Back 1

occurs shortly after exposure to a substance

Front 2

Alpha radiation

Back 2

radiation with a particle with two neutrons and two protons

Front 3

Aquiclude

Back 3

impervious confining layer of an aquifier

Front 4

Aquifer

Back 4

porous layer of earth material that becomes starated with water

Front 5

Aquitard

Back 5

partially permeable layer in an aquifer

Front 6

Artesian well

Back 6

result of pressurized aquifer being penetrated by a pipe of conduit, within which water rises without being pumped

Front 7

auxins

Back 7

plant hormone that stimulates growth

Front 8

beta radiation

Back 8

radiation that has electrons that are released from the nuclei of many fissionable atoms

Front 9

bioaccumulations

Back 9

buildup of a meterial in the body of an organism

Front 10

biochemical oxygen demand

Back 10

the amount of oxygen required by microbes to degrade organic molecules in aquatic ecosystems

Front 11

biocides

Back 11

kind of chemical that kills many different types of living things

Front 12

biodegradable

Back 12

able to be broken down by natural processes

Front 13

biodiversity

Back 13

measure of the variety of kinds of organisms present in the ecosystem

Front 14

biomagnification

Back 14

increses in the amount of material in the bodies of organisms at successively high trophic levels

Front 15

biomass

Back 15

accumulation of organic material produced by living things

Front 16

biotechnology

Back 16

the selective transfer of genes from one organism to another

Front 17

brownfields

Back 17

buildings and land that have been abandoned because they are contaminated and the cost of cleaning up the site is high

Front 18

carbamates

Back 18

soft pesticides taht work by interfering with normal nerve impulses

Front 19

carcinogen

Back 19

cancer causing agent

Front 20

chemical weathering

Back 20

the chemical alteration of rock in such a manner that it is more likely to fragment or to be dissolved

Front 21

chronic toxicity

Back 21

occurs after prolonged exposure to small doses of a toxic substance

Front 22

clear-cutting

Back 22

forest harvesting method in which all the trees in a large area are cut and removed

Front 23

composting

Back 23

waste disposal system where organic matter is allowed to decap to a usable product

Front 24

conservation tillage

Back 24

Leaves over 30% of the soil surface covered with crop residue

Front 25

contour farming

Back 25

method of tilling and planting at right angles to the slope which reduces soil erosion by runoff

Front 26

corrosiveness

Back 26

ability of a chemical to degrade standard materials

Front 27

crust

Back 27

this outer solid surface of the earth

Front 28

desertification

Back 28

conversion of arid and semiarid lands into deserts by inappropriate forming practies or overgrazing

Front 29

economic cost

Back 29

monetary costs that are necessary to exploit a natural resource

Front 30

endangered species

Back 30

species that are present in such small numbers that they ar ein immediate jeopardy of becoming extinct

Front 31

energy cost

Back 31

amount of energy required to exploit a resource

Front 32

environmental cost

Back 32

damage done to the environment as a resource is exploited

Front 33

erosion

Back 33

processes that loosen and move particles from one place to another

Front 34

eutrophication

Back 34

the enrichment of water (natural or cultural) with nutrients

Front 35

extinction

Back 35

the death of a species

Front 36

fecal coliform bacteria

Back 36

bacteria found in the intestines of umans and other animals, often used as an indicator of water pollution

Front 37

fissionable

Back 37

allows some atoms to split into smaller particles

Front 38

floodplains

Back 38

lowland area on either side of a river that is periodically covered by water

Front 39

friable

Back 39

a soil characteristic that describes how well a soil crumbles

Front 40

fungicides

Back 40

a pesticide designed to kill or control fungi

Front 41

gamma radiation

Back 41

electromagnetic radiation that comes from disintegrating atomic nuclei

Front 42

genetic engineering

Back 42

Insert certain DNA into the plant

Front 43

geothermal energy

Back 43

the heat energy from the Earth's molten core

Front 44

greenhouse effect

Back 44

property of carbon dioxide that allows light energy to pass through the atmosphere but prevents heat from leaving

Front 45

greenhouse gas

Back 45

carbon monoxide, cfc's, nitrous oxide, methane

Front 46

groundwater

Back 46

water that infiltrates the soil and is stored in the spaces between particles in the earth

Front 47

habitat management

Back 47

the process of changing the natural community to encourage the increase in populations of certain desirable species

Front 48

half-life

Back 48

the time it takes for half of the radioactive material to spontaneously decompose

Front 49

herbicides

Back 49

pesticide designed to kill or control plants

Front 50

horizon

Back 50

a horizontal laer in the soil

Front 51

humus

Back 51

partially decomposed matter typically found in the top layer of the soil

Front 52

ignitablity

Back 52

ability to combust

Front 53

infrastructure

Back 53

includes all physical, social, and economic elements needed to support the population

Front 54

insecticides

Back 54

designed to kill or control insects

Front 55

in-stream water use

Back 55

use of a stream's water flow for such purposes as hydroelectric power, recreation, and navigation

Front 56

integrated pest management

Back 56

method of pest management in whcih many aspects of the pest's biology are exploited to control it's numbers

Front 57

irrigation

Back 57

adding water to an agricultural field to allow certain crops to grow where the lack of water would normally prevent their cultivation

Front 58

land-use planning

Back 58

process of evaluating the needs and wants of the populatuion, the characteristics and values of the land, and various alternative solutions before changes in land use are made

Front 59

leachate

Back 59

product of leaching

Front 60

leaching

Back 60

movement of minerals from the top layers of the soil to the B horizon by the downward movement of soil water

Front 61

limiting factor

Back 61

the one primary condition of the environment that determines population size of an organism

Front 62

lithosphere

Back 62

combination of the crust and outer layer of the mantle that forms the plates that move over the Earth's surface

Front 63

litter

Back 63

layer of undecomposed or partially decomposed organic matter on the soil surface

Front 64

loam

Back 64

soil type with good drainage and good texture that is ideal for growing crops

Front 65

macronutrient

Back 65

nurient that is required in relatively large amounts by plants

Front 66

mantle

Back 66

layer of th Earth between the crust and the core

Front 67

mechanical weathering

Back 67

physical forces that reduce the size of rock particles without changing the chemical nature of the rock

Front 68

megalopolis

Back 68

large, regional urban center

Front 69

micronutrient

Back 69

nutrient needed in extremely small amounts for proper plant growth

Front 70

moderator

Back 70

material that absorbs the energy from neutrons released by fission

Front 71

monoculture

Back 71

system of agriculture in which large tracts of land are planted with the same crop

Front 72

natural resources

Back 72

structures and processes that can be used by humans for their own purposes but cannot be created by them

Front 73

nature centers

Back 73

teaching institutions that provide a variety of methods for people to learn about and appreciate the natural world

Front 74

nonpersistent pesticides

Back 74

pollutants that do not remain in the environment for long periods

Front 75

nonpoint sources

Back 75

pollutants that are not from a confined source

Front 76

nontarget organisms

Back 76

organism whose elimination is not the purpose of pesticide application

Front 77

nuclear fission

Back 77

decomposition of an atom's nucleus with the release of particles and energy

Front 78

nuclear fusion

Back 78

the union of smaller nuclei to form a heavier nucleus accompanied by the release of energy

Front 79

nuclear reactor

Back 79

device that permits a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction

Front 80

organic agriculture

Back 80

growing plants without the use of chemicals

Front 81

parent material

Back 81

material that is weathered to become the mineral part of the soil

Front 82

passive solar system

Back 82

design that allows for the entrapment and trasfer of ehat from the sun to a building without the use of moving parts or machinery

Front 83

patchwork clear-cutting

Back 83

forest harvest method in which patches of trees are cear-cut among patches of timber that are left untouched

Front 84

pesticides

Back 84

used to eliminate pests

Front 85

pests

Back 85

unwanted plant or animals that interferes with domesticicated plants and animals or human activity

Front 86

pheromone

Back 86

chemical produced by one animals that changes the behavior of another

Front 87

photochemical smog

Back 87

yellowish-brown haze that is the result of the interaction of hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, and sunlight

Front 88

photovoltaic cell

Back 88

means of directly converting light energy into electricity

Front 89

plate tectonics

Back 89

concept that the outer surface of the Earth consists of large plates plates that are slowly moving over the surface of a plastic layer

Front 90

point source

Back 90

pollution that can be traced back to a single source

Front 91

pollution

Back 91

any addition of matter or energy that degrades the environment for humasn and other organisms

Front 92

polyculture

Back 92

a system of agriculture that mixes different plant species in the same plots of land

Front 93

potable water

Back 93

unpolluted freshwater supplies suitable for drinking

Front 94

radiation

Back 94

energy that travels through space in the form of waves or particles

Front 95

reactivity

Back 95

the property of materials that indicates the degree to which a material is likely to react vigorously to water or air

Front 96

reforestation

Back 96

process of replanting areas after the original trees are removed

Front 97

REMs

Back 97

measure of the biological damage to tissue cause by certain amounts of radiation

Front 98

reserves

Back 98

known deposits from which materials can be extracted profitably with existing technology under present economic conditions

Front 99

resources

Back 99

naturally occurring substances that can be utilized by people but may not be economic

Front 100

ribbon sprawl

Back 100

development along trasportation routes that usually consists of commercial and industrial building

Front 101

rodenticides

Back 101

designed to kill rodents

Front 102

salinzation

Back 102

increase in the amount of salt in the soil due to the evaporation of irrigation water

Front 103

secondary recovery

Back 103

techiniques used to obtain the maximum amount of oil or natureal gas from a well

Front 104

selective harvesting

Back 104

individual high-value trees are removed from the forest, leaving the majority of the forest undisturbed

Front 105

soil profile

Back 105

series of layers seen as one digs down into the soil

Front 106

soil structure

Back 106

refers to the way that soil particles clmp together

Front 107

soil texture

Back 107

size of the particles that make up the soil

Front 108

source reduction

Back 108

reducing the amount of solid waste generated by using less

Front 109

strip farming

Back 109

planting of crops in strips that alternate with other crops

Front 110

sustainable agriculture

Back 110

able to continue agriculture indefinately

Front 111

synergism

Back 111

the interaction of materials or energy that increases the potential for harm

Front 112

terraces

Back 112

level area constructed on steep slopes to allow agriculture without extensive erosion

Front 113

thermal inversion

Back 113

condition in which warm air in the valley is sandwhiched between two layers of cold air and acts like a lid on the valley

Front 114

thermal pollution

Back 114

waste heat that industries release into the environment

Front 115

threatened species

Back 115

species that could become extinct if a critical factor in their environemtn were changed

Front 116

toxicity

Back 116

measure of how toxic a substance is

Front 117

tract development

Back 117

construction of similar residential units over large areas

Front 118

transuranic waste

Back 118

nuclear wastes of the US weapons program that consist primaryily of isotopes of plutonium

Front 119

urban growth limit

Back 119

boundary established by municipal govenrment ath encourages development within the boudary and prohibits it outside the boundary

Front 120

urban sprawl

Back 120

development that takes place on undeveloped land

Front 121

wetlands

Back 121

areas that include swamps, tidal marshes, coatsal wetlands, and estuaries

Front 122

wilderness

Back 122

land that is under protection and cannot be used for development

Front 123

windbreaks

Back 123

plants of trees or stips of grasses at right angles to the prevailing wind to reduce erosion of osil by wind

Front 124

zoning

Back 124

land is designated for specific potential uses