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174 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Adsorption
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the adhesion of materials to the surface of a solid
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Anadromous fish
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fish that hatch in freshwater, live their adult life in the ocean, and migrate back to the stream to reproduce
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Agnatha
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jawless fish
ex: Lampreys and Hagfish |
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Acid
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substances with a pH of less than 7
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Adipose fin
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the fatty fin on some species of fish
ex: catfish and bullheads |
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Anadromous
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any species of fish that lives in saltwater and spawns in freshwater
ex: salmon, shad, striped bass |
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Anaerobic
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an organism, like bacteria, that lives without the presence of oxygen
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Anal fin
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the fin found on the lower portion of a fish's body near the tail
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Angiosperm
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any class of flowering plants characterized by seeds that are fully enclosed by fruits
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Arid
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dry; recieves little precipitation
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Artesian wells
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free-flowing wells where confined aquifer's water is pushed to the surface
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Aquifer
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an undergroud layer of porous or fractured rock or soil that carries or holds water
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Artesian
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created when a well is drilled into a confined aquifer whose pressure is large enough to force water onto the land surface
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Aestivation
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dormancy; typically seasonal
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Aggregate
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to gather into a group or mass
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Alkalinity
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the alkali concentration or quantity
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Allantois
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part of an egg that recieves waste from the embryo
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Amnion
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a thin, fluid-like sack that encloses the embryo in an egg
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Aesthetic
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appealing to the senses; pertaining to art and beauty
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Abiotic
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non-living factor in an environment
ex: light, water, temp, rocks |
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Aerobic
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requiring oxygen
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Bacteria
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single celled microorganisms that lack chlorophyll
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Barbel
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a whisker-like projection for the jaws of some fish that help to taste and feel
ex: carp or catfish |
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Behavior
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what an animal does
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Benthic
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bottom dwelling
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Bioaccumulation
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the build-up of chemicals in a plant or animal
ex: DDT in birds |
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Biomass
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the total weights of all living matter in a particular habitat at a given moment in time
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Biosphere
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the part of the Earth's crust (water and atmosphere) where living organisms can exist
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Biota
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the animal and plant life of a region or period
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Bog
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a wetland formed in a former glacial depression by the accumulation of organic matter, known as peat, and which supports mosses tolerant of acidic conditions
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Bottomland
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a forest area near a stream, river, or other body of water. subject to periodic flooding.
have wetland hardwood species |
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Brackish
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mixture of fresh and salt water
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Braid
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a river that splits and then rejoins within its channel
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Bromeliad
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a member of the family of tropical American and epiphytic herbaceous plants
ex: pineapple |
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Brood
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the offspring of a bird or mammal
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Carcinogenic
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a property that makes a material more likely to cause cancer in humans or animals that are exposed to it
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Catadromous fish
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fish that hatch in the ocean, spend their adult life in freshwater rivers, and return to the ocean to reproduce
ex: American Eel |
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Chondrichthyes
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cartilaginous fish
ex: sharks, rays, skates |
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Carrion
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the bodies of dead animals, usually found in nature in the process of decay
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Caudal
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related to, or being a tail
the tail fin |
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Chorion
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the outer membrane enclosing the embryo
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Coastal plain
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large, nearly level areas of land near ocean shores
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Codominate
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to be one of 2 or more of the most characteristic species in a biotic community
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Commensalism
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a relationship between 2 organisms in which 1 benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed
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Confined aquifers
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these aquifers have an impermeable layer or layers, such as clay, over the aquifer that prevents free movement of water so the water is confined under pressure
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Conservation Reserve Program
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a federal program designed to remove highly erodible, marginal farmland from production through a cost-sharing payment to establish trees, grass, or other cover. landowner recieves 10 year annual rental payment to maintain cover
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Cove
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a small bay or inlet in a body of water
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Creel limit
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a term to indicate the number of fish, by species, that can be legally caught in 1 day
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Dabbling ducks
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ducks who frequent shallow marsheds, ponds, and rivers and "tip up" to feed.
feed with their body above water and take off vertically when startled |
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Daphnia
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any of many kinds of water fleas
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Decadent
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declining in health and/or productivity
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Decibel
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a unit of intensity of sound
50 - moderate 80 - loud 100 - intolerable |
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Denitrification
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to remove nitrogen or nitrogen-containing gases
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Detritus
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tiny pieces of decomposing plant or animal matter
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Depredation
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the act of preying upon; usually in relation to wildlife damage to people's crops or animals
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Discharge
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the amount of water flowing past a given pt. in a stream or river; measured in cubic meters per second
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Divide
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the point where 2 watersheds come together
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Diving ducks
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ducks that prefer to feed in deep water like lakes and bays
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Dorsal fin
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a fin located on the back or upper-most part of a fish
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Effluent
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the outflows from sewage or industrial plants
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Entomology
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the study of insects
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Ephemeral
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lasting a very short time; flow generally occurs during or shortly after extreme precipitation or snowmelt conditions
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Epilimnion
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the arm layer of water above the thermocline
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Epiphyte
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a plant that grows on the surface of another plant (not parasite)
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Estuary
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a surface area where fresh and salt waters mix
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Evaporation
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occurs when water is returned to the atmosphere in vapor form by the combined effects of solar radiation, the energy source, and wind
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Evapotranspiration
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the sum of water used by vegetation and water lost by evaporation
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Eutophic
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a type of body of water that has high levels of nutrients
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Fingerling
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a young fish
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Floodplain
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land that can be covered with water by a flood
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Flyway
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fly routes established by migratory birds
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Forage
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vegetation eaten by animals
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Fragmentation
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broken into small mparts or incomplete areas
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Groundwater
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all water beneath the surface of the ground
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Hypolimnion
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the cooler bottom layer of a lake during thermal stratification
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Habitat
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the place where a plant or animal naturally grows or lives
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Halophytes
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salt tolerant plants
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Herbaceous
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non-woody
ex: flowers |
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Homerange
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the area in which an animal travels in the scope of normal activities
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Hydrophytes
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water loving plants
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Inert
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a substance that is not reactive in the environment and does not contribute to the action of the active ingredient. they often function as carriers and for dilution of active ingedients
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Iceberg
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a large floating mass of ice detached from a glacier or polar ice cap
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Ichthyology
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branch of zoology that deals with fish
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IGFA
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international game fish association
keeps records on fish catches and supports sport fishing |
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Impoundment
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man-made body of water
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Infiltration
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movement of water into the soil
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Inorganic pollution
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suspended and dissolved solids
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Integuments
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the natural outer covering of an animal or plant
ex: skin, seedcoat, shell |
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Interior basin
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land areas that are generally bowl-shaped and surrounded by hills and mts.
usually drained by 1 river system and isolated from the ocean |
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Intermittent
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not continuous; coming and going at intervals; flows during wet season
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Island
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land surrounded by 2 channls of a river
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Limnetic zone
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the middle zone of a lake extending from the zone of open-water vegetation to the point at which light does not penetrate
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Lotic
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running waters; flowing water ecosystems
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Lentic
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still waters; standing water ecosystems
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Limnology
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scientific study of inland fresh water bodys
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Lateral line system
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a system of sense organs in fish; a series of pores or canals running along the body and head; detects pressure changes and vibrations
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Leaching
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movement of dissolved particles through soil by water
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Littoral
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of, relating to, or situated or growing on or near a shore
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Loess
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windblown deposit of fine-grained silt or clay
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Macrofauna
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large animals; extremely visable
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Marine deposits
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sediment deposits in oceans
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Marsh
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a wetland without trees which often has standing water
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Meander
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an S shaped curve
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Microfauna
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very small animals, barely visible to the eye
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Montane zone
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the band of vegetation that occurs at intermediate elevations an mts. regions between foothills and subalpine zones
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Mottled
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a variegated pattern of color
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Mutualism
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a close association between 2 species whereby each derives benefits
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Mycelium
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the mass of interwoven filaments that forms the vegetative portion of a fungus
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Mycorrhiza
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the symbiotic association between the mycelium of a fungus and the roots of certain plants
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Nares
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the nostrils in thee snoot of a fish, used for smelling
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Nymph
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a larval phase of an aquatic insect
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Octanol water partition coefficient
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a unit of measure of the tendency of materials to be attached to soil particle surfaces (soil absorption)
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Otoliths
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a fish's internal ears or ear bones, that assiat the fish in hearing distant sounds
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Osteichthyes
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bony fish; more than 95% of all fish
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Olfactory
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nerves involved in the sense of smell
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Oligotrophic
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lake type used to describe bodies of water characterized by low amounts of nutrients in proportion to their total volume of water
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Organic pollution
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comes from the decomposition of living materials and their byproducts or fertilizers
ex: plant residue, human sewage, pet waste |
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Oxbow
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a meander that has been cut off
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Pathogenic
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disease causing
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Peat
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moist, semi-decayed, organic matter
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Pectoral fins
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side fins
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Pelagic
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relating to or living in deep, open water
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Pelvic fins
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fins on each side of a fish's belly; aid in positioning and balance
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Percolation
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he slow seepage of water into and through the ground
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Perennial streamflow
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nearly year-round flow in a well defined channel
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Permeability
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the ability of rock or soil to transmit water
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Nonpoint source pollution
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does not come from a specific location
ex: runoff from farmland, forestland, and urban areas |
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pH
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a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration in liquids
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Photosynthesis
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a process by which plants use energy from the sun to make food and oxygen
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Plankton
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organisms suspended in an aquatic habitiat that control their own movements
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Playa
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the level area at the bottom of a basin that is often covered with water from rain runoff
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Point source pollution
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from a specific discharge point
ex: drain or pipes |
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Porosity
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the spaces between the rock or soil particles which can hold air or water; % of total volume
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Potentiometric water level or surface
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the level to which water will rise, in cased wells or other excavations into aquifers
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Predator
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an organism that feeds on other organisms
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Profundal
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zone of water at the bottom of deep, open water
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Riffles
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boulder or rock filled areas where the water flows faster due to a drop of elevation
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Recharge
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when water flows through unconfined zones or leaks slowly through a confined layer into an aquifer
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Redd
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a nest dug on the bottom of a body of water by spawning trout
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Residium
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rock that is altered either chemically or physically but not moved from its place of orgin
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Residual soils
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soils developed in 1 place from underlying rock formations and surface plant cover; closely related to the parent material from which they formed
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Rill
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a type of erosion
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Riparian habitat
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the life supporting area adjacent to rivers
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Riptarian zone
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extends as far as the riparian vegetation grows and is limited by agjacent land uses
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Rooting zone
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the only area where plants can absorb water with their roots
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Siltation
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to cover with silt or mud
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Salinity
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level of salt in a given substance
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Scouring
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gradual or rapid erosion of particles from the channel walls or bed caused by a concentration of current
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Sediment
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the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid
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Sinkhole
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an area where the surface of the land has subsided or collapsed as a result of the underlying limestone being dissolved
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Slope
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degree of deviation from the horizontal;
higher the %, greater and steeper the slope |
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Sloughs
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a swampy place or marsh inlet
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Stratification
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layering of water due to temperature
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Streamside management zone
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an area adjacent to a stream in which vegetation is maintained or managed to protect water quality
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Surface water
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all water on the surface of the ground
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Suspended particulate matter
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fine soil or mineral particles that are prevented from settling out by the movement of the water; creates turbidity
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Swamp
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a wetland dominated by trees
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Thermal enrichment
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beneficial effects in an aquatic ecosystem caused by a rise in water temp.
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Thermal shock
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sharp change in temp. that can kill aquatic organisms
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Thermal pollution
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"waste heat"
when water temp. is raised above its naturally occuring temp. |
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Toxic pollution
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pollution containing hazardous wastes or heavy metal
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Transpiration
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where water vapor is emitted or passes through plant leaf surfaces and is diffused into the atmosphere
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Transported soils
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soils transported by gravity, wind, or air
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Tributaries
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streams, creeks, or rivers that flow into a larger water system
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Turnover
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the complete mixing of the water, often triggered by temp. changes and wind action
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Undulating
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a regular and falling or side-to-side motion
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Unconfined aquifers
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an aquifer where the water is free to percolate through an unsaturated zone of soil or rock to the water table
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Velocity
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rate of stream flow measured in meters per sec.
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Vernal
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spring; fresh or new
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Watershed
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the land that is drained by the streams, creeks, and rivers that flow into the single major river
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Wetlands
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swamps, marshes, bogs, wet meadows, and tital water stands on the ground surface
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Water table
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the water level (or surface) above an impermeable layer of soil or rock
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To survive in a river or stream, organisms must be able to...? (5)
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1. maintain their position in moving water
2. absorb enough oxygen 3. obtain enough food even if water carries food downstream 4. avoid predators 5. reproduce successfully |
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Many dams or water control structures are built and operated for multiple purposes... (4)
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1. to control floods
2. to store water for irrigation 3. to regulate flow for navigation 4. to provide power generation |
