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50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the trophic food chain?
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a sequence of levels in the feeding pattern
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What are the components of the global water budget?
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evaporation, precipitation, runoff
evap = precip - runoff evap = precip + runoff |
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THe actual rate of evapotranspiration at any given time.
(actual water loss from the atmosphere) |
actual evapotranspiration
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Amt. of water that could potentially evaporate from the atmosphere
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potential evapotranspiration
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3 major forms of water in the atmosphere?
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liquid (lakes, rivers)
solid (ice, snow) gas (air) |
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Is the total amt. of water in the hydrosphere constant?
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YES
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Major ABIOTIC components of the ecosystem?
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water, gases, rocks
(non living things) |
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What does the 2nd law of thermodynamics state?
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whenever energy is transformed from one state to another, there will be a loss of energy thru heat
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What does the 1st law of thermodynamics state?
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energy cannot be created or destroyed, energy can only be changed from one form to another
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what are autotrophs?
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plants and some bacteria
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What is the Biosphere? and who is the author of this term?
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Vladmir Vernadsky
the world community of all organisms populating earth that transforms & manages the abiotic environment for itself. |
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Major BIOTIC components of the ecosystem?
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Humans, plants, animals
(living things) |
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Major components of Biodiversity?
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Animals and plants
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Earths 4 major terrestrial Biomes?
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Desert
Forest Tundra Grasslands |
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What is soil science
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the science of soil as a natural surface layer compatible of supporting living plants.
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what is soil as a natural system?
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a result of integration of all of earths spheres.
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The common feature that links the Horizons?
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the plant roots that penetrate them
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What is soil composed of?
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inorganic and organic materials
-minerals, chemical solutions, gases -organic refuse, roots of plants, soil microorganisms |
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Major factors of soil formation?
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-climate
-parent material -biota -time |
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Soil Horizons are distinguished by the verticle differences in?
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color
texture structure porosity moisture presence /absence of certain materials |
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What does the soil texture define?
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texture of soil is based on the proportion of mineral particles of 3 size grades: sand, silt, clay
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What are soil colloids?
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They keep nutrients on their surface.
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What are the 4 soil nutrients important for plant growth?
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calcium (ca)
potassium (k) magnesium (mg) sodium (na) |
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What is soil structure?
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refers to presence, size, and form of soil particles
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What is soil ped?
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individual soil aggregate
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What are heterotrophs
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animals
(herbivores, carnivores, omnivores) |
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Name for : Water circulation among major resevoirs?
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Hydrologic cycle
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What determines the wilting pt. of soil?
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when the level of soil moisture content is below that of which plants wilt...no saturation.
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What is the definition of ground water
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The part of the sub surface water that fully saturates the pores.
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WHat are the factors controlling the amt. of movement in ground water?
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soil porosity affects the storage of gw
soil permeability affects ability of gw to move |
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What is an aquifer?
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The layer of soil that holds ground water
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% of water thats fresh?
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2.8 %
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How do you calculate stream discharge?
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by the volume of water per unit time passing through a cross section of a stream
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The average american uses water in his home by what?
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toilet, dishwasher, shower
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what are the 4 major soil forming processes?
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enrichment
removal translocation transformation |
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What does biogeography study?
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-geographic patters of distribution of organisms their communities & ecosystems
-processes which produce thos distributions -how those processes & distribution hae been changed by natural causes |
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What is the saltiest body of water on earth?
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The DEAD SEA, salinity is 7 times larger
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What is trophic structure?
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the pattern of feeding in an ecosystem
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What are the unsaturated and saturated zones of aeration?
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unsat.-perculates downward to the saturated zone and water does not fully saturate the pores.
sat.- bottomlevel (groundwater) where pores and spaces are filled with water. |
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What percent of the earth is covered by oceans?
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73%
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What are some casual factors of surface oceanic currents?
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-The coriolis effect
-Size, depth and shape of ocean -gyres (circular movements) |
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What are upwelling currents?
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upward motion of cold and nutrient rich ocean waters
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what are deep currents?
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they move the ocean waters from the surface downward
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What is El Niño?
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episodic cessation of the typical upwelling of cold deep water off the coast of Peru.
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List some major enviornmental effects of El Niño?
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-brought floods and droughts
-decline in fish production and death of sea animals |
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what is the water table?
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level of water saturation.
it is highest under hilltops and divides, it slopes to intersect the surface at lakes and streams. |
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What is salinity and what is its unit of measure?
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The certain amt. of salt in the water
unit of measure: 35 per million |
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What is the process by which green plants convert light energy to chemical energy and synthesize organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water?
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photosynthesis
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How is the drainage system defined?
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consists of a branched network of stream channels as well as the adjacent sloping ground surfaces that contribute overland flow to those channels.
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What are typically the 3 soil horizons
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A ..dark layer, top layer, humus concentration
E ..subsil, zone of eluviation B ..zone of illuviation |
