AP Environmental Science Review

Archaebacteria and Eubacteria

What kingdoms do not have a nucleus

Illuviation

When minerals are deposited

extinction

When the environment changes to rapidly for animals to evolve this leads to

Wastewater reuse

When water is collected and treated before being redistributed for use. Israel probably has the most advanced program in the world

N Canada and Siberia

Where might we dig next?

General Electric

between the years of 1947 and 1977, _______ _______ dumped 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River, causing the river to classified as a Superfund Site

T

biodiversity includes species richness (T/F)

methanol, ethanol, 10

biomass can be converted to liquid fuels, especially ______ (methyl alcohol) and _____ (ethyl alcohol), which can then be used in internal combustion engines. Mixing gasoline with _____ percent ethanol produces a cleaner-burning mixture known as gasohol

Desert

biome characterized by an extremely dry climate, rough/infertile soil (sand), drought adapted plants (thick leaves prevent water loss, deep roots, short/scrubs), temperature extremes in the night and day (no moisture to retain/moderate heat creates extremely hot days and cold nights), nocturnal animals (come out when temperatures are cooler), and typically found 30 degrees north or south of the equator (all precipitation in air is dropped over the equator, creating dry conditions)

Taiga

biome characterized by coniferous/boreal forest, extremely cold winters, acidic soil, conifers, patchy permafrost, and drought-resistant plants (cones/needles have minimal surface area for water loss). Yields lumber and pulpwood for paper products

Flowing Water Ecosystem

a freshwater ecosystem such as a river or stream in which the water flows in a current and eventually empties into a larger body of water

Seed Bank

a genetic diversity vault of plant genetic material; allows people to restore decimated areas

Agent Orange

a herbicide used in the Vietnam War to defoliate forest areas. This dioxin is a persistent organic pollutant that causes cancer and birth defects

Spoil Bank

a hill of loose rock created when the overburden from a new trench is put into the already excavated trench during strip mining

spoil bank

a hill of loose rock created when the overburden from a new trench is put into the already excavated trench during strip mining

Biomining

a kind of mining in which microorganisms are used to extract minerals from low-grade ores to be used for something else

Reservoirs

a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.

Biome

a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities regardless of where it occurs in the world. Encompasses many interacting ecosystems

Marcellus Shale

a large shale in North America which provides a lot of natural gas

inherent edge

a long term natural feature of a landscape

mulch

a material (such as decaying leaves, bark, or compost) spread around or over a plant to enrich or insulate the soil.

Turbidity

a measure of the cloudiness of water from sediments, microscopic organisms, or pollutants

microcosm

a miniature world or universe within our planet (Easter island was a microcosm)

Estivation

a period of inactivity and lowered body temperature that some animals undergo in summer as a protection against hot weather and lack of food

Phototrophism

a plant movement in response to light coming from one direction

Tropism

a positive or negative involuntary reaction of a plant to a stimulus

Negative Feedback

a primary mechanism of homeostasis, whereby a change in a variable triggers a response that counteracts the initial fluctuation

Tritium

a radioactive isotope of hydrogen with 1 proton and 2 neutrons; usually man-made

vapor extraction

a technique of soil remediation that involves injecting or pumping air into soil to remove organic compounds that are volatile (evaporate quickly).

Aqueducts

canals or ditches used to carry water from one location to another; used in the arid American Southwest to transport water to an ever-growing population

benzene can cause

cancer and lukemia

k strategy

caring for a few children

vegetable oil

cars can run on waste _______ ______ from restaurants

lightning

causes natural wildfires

H(abitat)I(nvasive)P(ollution)P(oaching)O(verhunting)

causes of species destruction

Anthracite

cleanest-burning and hardest coal, releases the most energy and sulfur, found in Pennsylvania and West Virginia

Final stage in primary succession is

climax community

Lianas

climbing woody vines that drape rainforest trees. Sunlight is blocked out on the rainforest floor, which prevents undergrowth. Many plants have adapted to a lack of sunlight by becoming epiphytes that live on taller trees

Fuel Rods

closed pipes where uranium dioxide pellets are placed in a nuclear reactor

urban heat island

cloud of heat accumulating over a city

same

coal and petroleum are usual found in the _____ places

CO2, mercury

coal releases more _____ than other fossil fuels, and also releases ______, which moves to water and land (harms humans and wildlife)

Subbituminous

coal that is intermediate between lignite and bituminous, relatively low heat value and sulfur content

Estuary

coastal body of water, partially surrounded by land, in which freshwater from a river and salt water from the ocean mix. Salinity fluctuates with tidal cycles, time of year, and precipitation. River entrance is fresh water, brackish in between, and salty at mouth of ocean

Properties of Soil

color, texture, structure, porosity, consistence, moisture,

Fluidized beds

combine limestone and coal before burning them together

Combined Sewer Overflow

combined sewers can cause serious water pollution when combined sewage and surface runoff exceed the capacity of the sewage treatment plant. Results in untreated wastewater being released into waterways

Silverfish and army ants, barnacles and mussels, epithets and trees

commensalism example

The number of landfills are

decreasing causing an increase in tipping fees

UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)

defines responsibilities and rights for marine resources. Prohibits mining on seafloor but US has not ratifies

In Madagascar

deforestation has led to erosion and desertification

Carboniferous Forest

describes the type of forest that formed the coal and oil that we use today

aridosol

desert, dry (arid), bad agriculture

conservation, efficiency

despite a growing population, California's energy use has stayed the same due to _______ and energy _______ efforts

light, temperature, salinity, flow rate, oxygen, nutrients

determining factors of aquatic ecosystems (6)

developing

developed countries have drastically lower infant mortality rates than _____ countries, such as those in Africa

transitional

developing countries are still in the ______ stage, where lowered death rates and continually high birthrates are causing population explosions. In order to stop this population growth, developed countries should help other countries move through this stage quickly (introduce birth control, women's rights, etc.)

Annie Leonard, from the Story of Stuff video, repeatedly states that "you cannot run a linear system on a __ planet."

finite

taiga, chaparral, savanna

fire adapted biomes

grassland, chaparral, and savanna

fire-adapted biomes (3)

by opening the cones of the conifers and dropping their seeds

fires can help biomes like the taiga

Primary Treatment

first step of sewage treatment; eliminates most particulate material from raw sewage using grates, screens, and gravity (settling)

Grunions

fish that live near coastal California and mate according to the lunar cycle

Standing Water Ecosystems

lakes and ponds; characterized by zonation of depths

derilict lands

lands severely degraded by mining

Xeriscaping

landscaping using native plants, which minimize the need for additional water; way to conserve water in California and other drought-prone areas

Hydrothermal Reservoir

large underground reservoir of hot water and possibly also steam; some of the hot water or steam may escape to the surface, creating hot springs or geysers

Big branch mine disaster

larges mine disaster in recent us history

Bingham Canyon copper mine

largest copper mine in the world

Chesapeake Bay

largest estuary in the US and largest source of blue crabs in the world. Suffers from deteriorating water quality due to agricultural runoff (much of this comes from Pennsylvania farms) and overfishing. Federal and state agencies have joined together to restore the bay to a healthy and productive state and prevent further harm from factory farming

bucketwheel excavator

largest land vehicle, used to mine coal

Yucca Mountain

national geologic depository planned to be built to store radioactive waste in Nevada; chosen due to its geographic isolation and stability. However, it was highly opposed by residents of Nevada and additional problems with transportation of nuclear wastes across the country led to the plan being scrapped

habitat fragmentation

natural areas being broken into sections because of human development and involvement

water and oxygen

natural gas in transportation gives off

transportation

natural gas is beginning to be used for ______; just gives off H2O and CO2 instead of all the other pollutants that gasoline releases and cheaper than gas, but is less commercially available

Methane

natural gas is mostly _____ (CH4)

stabilizing, directional, disruptive

natural selection can be _______ (maintaining "average"), _______ (favoring only one extreme of a characteristic), or _______ (favoring both extremes and resulting in separate species

mineral deposit processes

naturally concentrate mineral

Radon

naturally occurring radioactive gas that is produced in the earth's crust; increases risk of lung cancer if inhaled over long periods of time. Seeps through the basements of homes through groundwater and contaminates homes

threatened

near the cms

isolation

neither terrestrial or aqatic environments exist in

scavenger; herbivore

niche example (water boatman)

Renewable Energy Sources

sources of energy that are replenished by natural processes so that they can be used indefinitely

bleach, drain, 2, 5

special care needs to be taken with individual septic systems: ______ and ______ cleaners should be avoided, as they kill the bacteria that break down waste. The sludge should be taken to a municipal sewage treatment plant for disposal every _____ to _____ years

pre-zygotic, behavioral, habitat, ecological, temporal, mechanical

speciation is maintained by _____-______ (before fertilization) mechanisms: _______ isolation involves courtship or mating rituals that ensure that organisms are the same species and the mate is suitably fit to reproduce, ______ or ______ isolation means that species that live in different habitats will not interbreed (geological barriers), ______ isolation involves differing activity levels in different seasons or times of day, and ______ isolation prevents pollination or copulation

bellwether species

species indicating signals of environmental damage

resilience

species richness provides an ecosystem with ______, the ability to recover from environmental changes or disasters

endemic

species specifically associated with a region

Endemic

species that are only found in that specific geographic area. These organisms are often more vulnerable to extinction because they evolved in isolation from competitors, predators, and disease and have few defenses against such threats

Horseshoe Crabs

species that lives on the east coast in which all individuals mate on the same night

adventitious roots

spread out

New York

state that has banned fracking

scrubbers and fluidized beds

take sulfur out of the air using limestone and chalk

bitumen

tar sands contain

50

tar sands contain ____ percent more petroleum as other world oil reserves

leaching

when materials leave to go to a lower layer from an upper layer. Also known as eluviation

zero population growth

when r=0. equilibrium is reached

1859

when was the first oil well founded?

high

where fertility rate is high, infant mortality rate tends to be ______

desert, tundra, ocean floor

which biomes and ecosystems are slow to recover

temperate-deciduous and grassland

which biomes have fertile soil

Circadian Rhythms

the 24-hour biological cycles found in humans and many other species. Innate sense of time stimulated by light, moisture, and temperature

China, India, USA, Indonesia, Brazil

the 5 most populous nations

Peru

the US is hesitant to decrease the amount of chlorine used to disinfect drinking water because of a cholera outbreak in _______ that happened as a result of a decision to stop chlorinating much of the country's drinking water

pressurized water

the US uses _____ _____ reactors

20

the US uses around ____ million barrels of oil per day

24

the USA uses about _____ times as much energy per person as India

Genetic Diversity

the genetic variety within all populations of a given species

Much oceanic waste ends up in

the great pacific vortex

kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

the hierarchy sequence (King Philip came over from great Spain)

5-Hour Energy

the inventor of _____ _____ _____ drink wants to secure limitless geothermal energy using graphene cords

Critical Minimum Size

the smallest a population can become and still remain viable (able to reproduce without inbreeding)

Primary Sludge

the solid material that settles out during primary treatment

Schistosomiasis

tropical disease caused by a parasitic worm that can damage the liver, urinary tract, nervous system, and lungs. Reservoirs created by hydropower dams provide a habitat for the worm, which can infect humans during bathing, swimming, walking barefoot along water banks, or drinking infected water; disadvantage of hydropower

an aquifer made of porous rock covered by soil out of which water can easily flow, within the water table

unconfined aquifer

55

under the surface of the earth, it is always ______ degrees; earth-sheltered structures stay at a constant temperature year round, mitigating the need for heating and cooling

wood, coal, oil

until 1890, ___ was the main energy source, ____ was from 1890-1970, now ____ is the main energy source

what do we do with methane

use it to heat homes or burn it off

steel

used in buildings and cars

aluminum

used in cans, planes, cars

copper

used in wiring

sand and gravel

used to make concrete

sulfur

used to make fertilizers and plastics

Phytoremediation

uses plants to remove specific minerals from soil by concentrating them

Canada

uses the most energy per capita

Bacterial Source Tracking

using molecular biological techniques to identify the source of dangerous bacteria in a stream or other body of water

Fracking

using pressurized fluid to create fractures in rock and release natural gas or petroleum; releases everything beneath the surface (radioactive chemicals, etc.) and leaches into groundwater

Energy Efficiency

using technology to accomplish a particular task with less energy

Cogeneration

using waste heat to make electricity/producing two forms of energy at the same time

Symbiosis

A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

coke

A form of coal at high head so it has been dried. It burns much easier. 1500 degrees

Coke

A form of coal with water removed

Succession

A series of predictable and orderly changes within an ecosystem over time.

8,000

In India, approximately ________ villages have no local water

Ontario

In ________, Canada, there was a deadly outbreak of rare waterborne E. Coli (usually carried through food, not water)

dragline

In coal mining, huge shovel that takes enormous chunks out of a mountain to reach underground coal seams.

dragline

In coal mining, huge shovel that takes enormous chunks out of a mountain to reach underground coal seams. May cost up to 100 million dollars

Irrigation

Population growth diverts water to ______ to provide food for the growing numbers of people, which decreases the amount of water available for individual use. Also, increased agriculture encourages the removal of natural plant cover that absorbs precipitation (increased runoff). Results in dry, unproductive soil and a cycle of crop failure

strip cropping

Planting regular crops and close-growing plants, such as hay or nitrogen-fixing legumes, in alternating rows or bands to help reduce depletion of soil nutrients.

Plasmolyze

Plants _______ (water moves out of cell) and die in salty soil because the concentration of water outside the cell is lower

acid mine drainage

Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dangerous dissolved materials such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium wash from coal and metal mines into nearby lakes and streams.

coal, not minerals

SMCRA only protect ecosystem damage from

45% of California is in what watershed

San Francisco

Rhine river cleanup occurred after the

Sandoz Chemical Spill. It was stated after a fire arose in 1986 by a chemical company.

Desalinization is well under way in this California City

Santa Barbara

what did they do to fix the dust bowl

Soil Conservation Service of 1935 (now called the national resource conservation service), irrigation introduced, shrubs planted, reseeding of native grasses

non-municipal waste

Solid waste generated by industry, agriculture, and mining

habitat fragmentation

Splitting of ecosystems into small fragments

Nile Perch

The chichinds in lake Victoria died out due to the introduction of

Great Green Wall

The giant wall of trees that stop the dust and sand from the Gobi Desert from spreading.

sanitary landfill has

a thick lining and a leachate collecting system

50

We have about __ years of oil left

Industry (42%), Buildings (33%), transport (25%)

We use energy for

Weathering

Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soil, and minerals

integrated waste management

an approach to waste disposal that employs several waste reduction, management, and disposal strategies in order to reduce the environmental impact of MSW

Freshwater Wetlands

an aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation. Provide important ecosystem services

Confined aquifer

an aquifer surrounded by a layer of impermeable rock or clay that impedes water flow; the water is trapped and often under pressure. Slow to re-accumulate (thousands of years)

Fukushima Meltdown

an earthquake directly followed by an enormous tsunami caused a nuclear meltdown. Backup systems that were contained within a 5 m wall (despite prior suggestion of an 8 m wall) were knocked out by the wave and emergency systems necessary to cool the reactors were also destroyed (kept in the basement). Ocean currents still carry nuclear radiation to the coast of California (2nd worst disaster in history)

induced edge

an edge created by humans

Fuel Cell

an electrochemical cell similar to a battery; differs from a battery in that it produces power as long as it is supplied with fuel (oxygen and hydrogen) from an external reservoir, whereas batteries store a fixed amount of energy

Kuwaiti Oil Fires

an estimated one to 1.5 billion barrels of oil were released into the environment after Iraqi forces (Occupying Kuwait) set fire to over 650 oil wells and damaged almost 75 more, which then spewed crude oil across the desert and into the Persian Gulf; biggest spill in history

HDVE

2-high density polyethlylene (milk jugs, detergent bottles, water bottles)

avg cost of a single cleanup site

20 million

it takes the same amount of energy to make 1 new can as

20 recycled cans

Loam is composed of __ clay, __ silt, ___ sand

20%, 40%, 40%

PP

5-polypropylene plastic (margarine and yogurt containers caps for containers, medicine bottles, and car seats)

increases, destroys

Tar sands ___ oil production but ___ the environment

150

Tarsands have ___ % times the amount of patroleum on earth

1997 Noranda Company

Was paid 65 million in return for a few hundred to avoid Yellowstone Contamination

What ensure a constant water supply at the cost of an environmental impact

dams

marine snow

dead matter that sink to the bottom and provides nutrients in deep ocean

# of deaths/entire population

deathrate calculation

alfisol

deciduous forest, good soil for farming

N Alaska, artic national wildlife refuge (ANWR)

Lots of oil in suspected in ___ and in the ____ refuge

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Major tanker accident in Alaska in 1989, that resulted in a major oil spill in Prince William Sound.

Electrical utilities 88%

Major uses of coal

Lower

Many studies show that ________ the cost of water to reflect the actual cost of extracting, purifying, and transporting the water helps to ______ water consumption

WWII

More minerals have been used since ___ than since all of our previous history

Southwest, Texas, High Plains

Most severe water shortages in three regions of the US

canopy, sunlight

Most species in a tropical rainforest are found in _____ due to ____

Missouri River

Most threatened river in the US. According to environmentalists, the river will continue to deteriorate unless its natural flow is restored and it is reconnected to its flood plain. However, conflicting interests downstream and upstream complicate the rivers restoration

combined

Pittsburgh has a ________ sewer system, despite it being a violation of the Clean Water Act, because building a separate system would be too expensive

habitat

Place where an organism lives

pollutants and the mixing of nutrients at the bottom

Water becomes less oxygenated in streams due to

Sublimation

Water can change directly from a solid to vapor without going through the liquid phase

Reverse osmosis

Water desalination process that involves forcing salt water through a membrane that is permeable to water but not to salt

Polar

Water forms hydrogen bonds because it is ______

Public

Water has always been considered a ________ resource

4, 0

Water is densest at _______ degrees Celsius, and least dense at _________ degrees Celsius, when it is in its solid state. This means that ice floats on the surface of water, allowing organisms to survive beneath it

Universal

Water is often called the ________ solvent. This is a major asset of water. However, it is also a major drawback, as many substances that dissolve in water pollute it

Mekong River Basin

Water source shared by Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam where tensions are rising over water use

Gray water

Water that has already been used in sinks, showers, washing machines, and dishwashers; can be recycled to flush toilets, wash cars, or sprinkle the lawn

Twice

Water use during the 20th century grew at more than ______ the rate of population growth

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

average number of children born to each woman

mainly to landfills, but scrubber sludge can be used in drywall, fly ash can make concrete, and caso4 can be used in soil conditioner

byproducts of coal production go

life expect of a mineral

calculated by diving the known reserves by the annual production

four types of particles from smallest to largest

clay, silt, sand

Differential reproduction

favorable combos survive

aggregation

grouping of a large number of adults of a species. usually occurs in insects

Fuel Assemblies

groupings of fuel rods within a nuclear reactor

r = (b - d) + (i - e)

growth rate equation

slope mine

has a slanting passage that makes it possible to haul the broken ore out of the mine in cars rather than hoisting it up in buckets

Emerald Ash Bover

invasive beetle larvae that burrows in the bark of ash trees, killing entire forests

Infrared Radiation

invisible waves of heat energy given off by surfaces; cannot penetrate glass like visible light

behavioral isolation

involves courtship or mating rituals

strip mining

involves the removal of the Earth's surface all the way down to the level of the mineral seam.

temporal isolation

isolated by activity in different seasons or times of day

resources

have potential to be used by humans and are naturally occurring. Not economical due to lack of demand/tech.

Russia, China, India

have the most coal

Persistent Organic Pollutant

hazardous chemical that is resistant to environmental degradation (remain in the environment for a long time and bioaccumulate). Ex: PCBs

toxic waste goes to

hazardous landfill

Thomas Malthus

he theorized that the human population will continue to increase without factors like war or famine

natural gas

microscopic organisms under sedimentary rock at higher temperatures form

oil

microscopic organisms under sedimentary rock from

tin

mineral concentrated in China

Sedimentation

minerals flow in fast water deposit in slow water (FE, MN, P, S, CU)

calcium sulfate, drywall, concrete, fertilizer

mixing limestone with sulfur in pollution control devices creates ______ ______, which is used for products like ________, ________, and _______

Biogas

mixture of methane and carbon dioxide produced by bacterial degradation of organic matter and used as a fuel; combustion produces fewer pollutants than coal or biomass. Used primarily in developing countries

Energy Conservation

moderating or eliminating wasteful or unnecessary energy-consuming activities

magmatic

molten rock separates by density (FE, CR, CI, and N)

waste produced in blast furnaces

molten slag, air pollution (CO2 and smoke)

mimicry

morphological adaptation in which one species evolves to resemble another species for protection or other advantages.

external costs

most companies consider environmental costs

LED

most efficient type of lightbulb

immigration

most of the USA's population growth comes from _________

Immigration

movement of individuals into a population

Emigration

movement of individuals out of a population

Zooanthelae and coral, mycorrhizae and plant roots, bees and flowers

mutualism example

pursuit and ambush

name the two types of predatation

what is a deposit fee

in certain states, you can get your money back on recyclable containers

wetlands

in recognition of their ecosystem services, Pennsylvania law bans the development of _______. Farmers are required to allow wetlands to purify agricultural runoff before it enters waterways (cannot farm too close to streams)

pronatalists

in support of birth and population

90000 Americans

in the 20th century ____ died in mining accidents

90,000

in the 20th century, ________ US coal miners died in mining accidents

south

in the Northern Hemisphere, ______ facing windows receive more total sunlight during the day than windows facing other directions; the most energy efficient homes have windows facing in this direction to facilitate passive solar heating

Preindustrial

in the _______ stage, both birth and death rates were high and population growth was stable

Transitional

in the ________ stage, modern medicine and other technologies had caused a drastic decline in death rate, but tradition kept birth rates high. This caused massive population growth

Postindustrial

in the ________ stage, the population may begin to decrease as birthrates decline due to birth control and new social norms

hormones

in vertebrates, internal rhythms are maintained by ______ which can influence blood sugar levels, body temperature, nervous system activity, and sleep cycles

Florida, California, Hawaii

in which three states is declining biological diversity the most serious?

innate behavior

inherent behavioral tendencies

free-running clock

innate sense of time

circadian rhythm

innate sense of time via free-running clock, triggered by stimuli

86 (41% patroleum, 25% coal, 20% natural gas)

percentage of us energy that comes from fossil feuls

mechanical isolation

physical isolation prevents coevolution

toxins can be removed from the soil using plants in a process called

phytoremediation

seed banks

place where plant biodiversity is stored

Allelopathy

plant roots secret chemical to keep others from growing

spines, thick waxes, tough leaves, chemicals

plants protect themselves from herbivores with

coal

plants under sedimentary rock form

hyperaccumulators

plants which accumulate extremely high amounts of heavy metals

in hypertonic solutions, plant cells will

plasmolyze

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

platform exploded, causing history's largest accidental marine oil spill as of mid-2010. BP was the owner

contour plowing

plowing fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss

having opposite charges at opposite ends

polar covalant bond

Phosphorous, Nitrogen

pollution by ______ and ______ stimulates the growth of plants and algae in a body of water. These nutrients are essential in normal concentrations but are extremely harmful in excess. The contamination of water with human and animal wastes, plant residues, atmospheric deposition, and fertilizer all introduce too much of these nutrients into bodies of water. Create high BOD by causing algae blooms/excessive plant life, which microorganisms use too much oxygen to decompose

Organic Compounds

pollution by _______ usually consists of synthetic chemicals produced by human activities, including pesticides, solvents, industrial chemicals, and plastics. These pollutants seep from landfills, leach downward from the soil, runoff from fields and urban areas, and are dumped directly into waterways. Many of these synthetic chemicals have hormonal impacts (include steroids and birth control pills) and other negative health effects

Disease-Causing Agents

pollution by ________, infectious organisms that cause diseases, results from water being contaminated by the wastes of infected individuals. Diseases carried by water include typhoid, cholera, bacterial dysentery, polio, and infectious hepatitis. Tested by the fecal coliform test

Fluidized Beds

pollution control device in which coal is mixed with limestone to neutralize the sulfur

climate

pollution from fossil fuels is much worse in Asia because there are no ______ controls or regulations to protect air or water quality

Nonpoint-Source Pollution

pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site; discharged from a large area due to runoff. Difficult to curb with legislation because it requires cooperation from a number of industries and interest groups

Point-Source Pollution

pollution that enters a body of water from a specific source; discharged into the environment through pipes, sewers, or ditches. Easier to control legislatively

hazardous waste facilities, sanitary landfill, and sewage treatment plants are most likely located near

poor minority landfills

Uniform

population dispersion that occurs in organisms that are repelled by each other; likely territorial or protective of scarce resources (birds nesting on a beach)

Random

population dispersion that occurs in organisms that do not interact or care whether they are close to another member of their species; dandelions

Clumped

population dispersion that occurs with social species that live in groups

crash

populations rarely stabilize at carrying capacity, but shift slightly above and below. Only a huge spike creates a _____

other names for grasslands

praries, pampas, steppe, outback

Runoff

precipitation that flows over land and enters waterways; replenishes surface water

thigmotropism

response to touch stimulus. example: Venus fly trap

A desalinization process that involves forcing salt-water through a membrane permeable to water but not to salt

reverse osmosis

The army and Japan use this filtration type

reverse osmosis

coral atoll

ring-shaped coral island

Dillusion

rinses pollution out of soil but causes polluted water

The three way to manage hazardous waste

source reduction (most effective), conversion to less hazardous materials (high-temp incineration or plasma torch), long term storage

Diapause

seasonal dormancy

Bituminous

second-purest form of coal, highest sulfur content, most common

Population Density

the number of individuals per unit area (or unit volume) at a certain time

Atomic Mass

the number of protons and neutrons

Atomic Number

the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom; characteristic of an element

Doubling Time

the number of years it takes for a population to double

benthic environment

the ocean floor, which extends from the intertidal zone to the deep ocean trenches

abyssal benthic zone

the ocean's benthic environment that extends from a depth of 4000 to 6000 meters

Cogeneration

the production of two useful forms of energy from the same fuel; also known as combined heat and power

municipal waste

the waste materials produced in homes, businesses, schools, and other places in a community

Immigration and Nationality Act

(1965) this law made it easier for entire families to migrate and established "special categories" for political refugees. This act increased the amount of immigration and abolished national quotas

Endangered Species Act

(1973) identifies threatened and endangered species in the U.S. and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations. Law does not compensate land owners who cannot develop their property

other names for taiga

- boreal forest - coniferous forest

Aral Sea problems

-95% of water is diverted to agriculture -24 fish species are gone -Fishing industries dried up -toxic salt storm kill agriculture and cause health problems -Anthrax/biological weapons buried on a island are now accessable

disadvantages of desalinization

-destruction of life at intake -increase brine with discharge -construction damage to land -harmful purification chemicals -high cost

top ways to save water

-full loads of laundry and dishes on economy setting -eat less beef -low flow toilets -don't throw away water

Humans tried to help salmon migrations through

-hatcheries -fish ladders -transport trucks -releasing excess water and turning off turbines

wetlands

-highly productive -provide habitat for migrating birds -filter and retain pollutants from the water -act as resevoirs and minimize flooding

solution to Tragedy of the Commons

-laws -privatize resources

Darwin Theories

-over reproduction -Variation among offspring -survival of fittest -best genetics survive

Avg person recycle to trash ratio

.75 lb (recycle) : 4.5 lbs (trash)

fraction of smolts that make it to the ocean

1 in 5

1 gallon of oil can contaminate

1 million gallons of water

PETE

1-polyethylene terephthalate (commonly used in beverage containers)

Patroleum

1/3 of our energy comes from

Columbia river has ___ dams

100

Lines slant toward

100

O horizon

100% organic material

hectare

10000 square meters measurement. average resources needed per person is 2.1 hectares. the US uses about 10 per person

how many pounds of trash are produced per capita in the us each year

1600

In what percent of electricity and natural gas transport water

19

dust bowl

1930, farm plants couldn't handle drought, died, soil blew it away

Chernobyl

1986 nuclear meltdown in Ukraine. The nuclear power plant suffered two large explosions which released massive amounts of radioactive materials. It is the worst nuclear accident in history and thousands were and continue to be impacted by the disaster. Hundreds of thousands of people had to evacuate from the surrounding area and Ukraine's soil will be unable to support agriculture for the next hundred years at least. Radioactive dust spread in wind currents across Europe, causing increased instances of cancers and birth defects. The disaster was caused by flawed design, human error, and a lack of training/understanding of the dangerous materials being handled

soil is composed of

25% air, 25% water, 5% organic materials, 45% minerals

us consumers throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the us commercial airline fleet every

3 months

storage, entombment, decommissioning

3 options for closed nuclear power plants: ______, in which the plant is guarded by the utility company for 50-100 years as the radioactive materials decay (the decline in radioactivity makes it safer to dismantle later); ______, in which the plant is permanently encased in concrete (not a viable option because it would have to stay intact for over 1,000 years, in which a leak would be likely); and _____, in which the plant is dismantled immediately after closure (dangerous for workers and some parts are too radioactive to take apart)

freshwater standing, freshwater moving, salt water

3 types of aquatic ecosystems

PVC

3-polyvinylchloride (food wraps, surgical gloves, piping, blister packaging)

sea water has a concentration of salt of

35 PPT

subbituminous

3rd purest form of coal, between bituminious and lignite

LDPE

4-low density polyethylene (shrink wrap and grocery bags)

runoff percentage in developed areas vs in forests

48% to 10%

water is most dense at

4°C

the plains staves cover __ % of US land and use __ % of irrigation water

6, 30

PS

6-Polystyrene (disposable plastic silverware, egg cartons, fast food packaging, video cassettes, televisions, and styrofoam)

hadal benthic zone

6000m to the bottom of the deepest trenches

average american uses how much water per day

78 gallons

percent of recycled tires

9 percent

J

A ______ curve is associate with exponential growth

inorganic fertilizer

A fertilizer that consists of mined or synthetically manufactured mineral supplements. Washes away quickly.

Bakken shale formation in North Dakota

A large deposit of oil found recently in the US is located in

Sinkhole

A large surface cavity or depression where an underground cave roof has collapsed; occur more frequently when droughts or excessive pumping of water cause a lowering of the water table (common in Florida)

Loam

A mixture of gravel, sand, silt, clay, and organic matter

Pathogen

A parasite that causes disease or death

fringing reef

A reef attached to the shore of a continent or island.

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Lignite

A soft, wet, brownish-black coal. Lowest heat value

Minerals

A solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.

keystone species

A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem

Threatened Species

A species that is likely to become endangered in the near future (near critical minimum size)

Beijing

A third of the wells in ________, China have gone dry

prokaryote

A unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus and membrane bound organelles

soil depletion across the globe is most common in

Africa and SE asia

Venezuela

After oil was found in dakota, the us stopped imports from

terrestrial (on land)

All biomes are

Succession progresses

As the ecosystem grows more productive and diverse

176 billion barrels

Amount of oil in the canadian tar sands

CERCLA (Superfund Act)

An act that gave EPA the authority to clean up abandoned, leaky hazardous waste sites.

no-till agriculture

An agricultural method in which farmers do not turn the soil between seasons, used as a means of reducing erosion

watershed

An ecosystem where all water runoff drains into a single body of water

Aral Sea

An inland sea in Katzakstan and Uzbekistan that has lost 80 percent of its total volume due to water diversion for irrigation and other uses. Much of its biological diversity has disappeared, and respiratory illnesses and cancers have skyrocketed in the surrounding area. This may be due to toxic salt storms that whip the salt on the receding shoreline into the air or the tons of anthrax bacteria that were buried on an island in the sea by the Soviets

Alaskan Pipeline

An oil pipeline that runs 800 miles from oil reserves in Prudhoe Bay, on the nothern coast of Alaska to the port of Valdez, on Alaska's southern coast, from which the oil can be shipped to markets. Also known as the Trans-Alaska pipeline

niche

An organism's particular role or job in an ecosystem

2040

Antarctica mining is prohibited until

limiting factor

Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.

Water budget

Approach to restoring salmon populations along the Columbia River; extra water, simulating spring snowmelt, is released from the dams to help wash the smolts downstream. Some people are opposed to increasing water flow for the salmon (farmers and the hydropower industry do not want water to be wasted on the fish)

40

Approximately _______ percent of the world's population lives in arid or semi-arid lands, primarily in Asia and Africa. These people spend substantial amounts of time and effort obtaining water

Unconfined aquifers

Aquifers in which the layers of rock above the groundwater are porous and allow surface water to seep downward, replacing aquifer contents

Wetlands

Areas of land that are covered with water for at least part of the year

lack of regulation

Asia's coal production and consumption drastically increased due to

Hydrogen bond

Attraction between the positive hydrogen end of a water molecule with the negative oxygen end of another water molecule; the basis for water's unique properties

Anthrax

Bacteria buried on an island in the Aral Sea; infectious deadly disease that was part of highly secretive biological warfare studies conducted by the soviet union

P (positive) silicon photovoltaic cell is doped with

Boron

Farther

Building smaller levees ______ from a river is a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of controlling flooding

How do you apply the three R's when purchasing a car

Buy parts (recycle), buy an old (reuse), don'e buy a car (reduce)

50

the world has around _____ years left of oil production

Water shortages are most severe in these states

CA, AZ, TX, KS, OK, NE

Top 5 superfund states

CA, PA, NY, MI, NJ

Wetlands

Can be used to treat acid mine drainage but is not cheap and may take 50-100 years to neutralize

Isle Royale

Canadian island in which moose populations skyrocketed after wolves contracted disease. This caused the moose population to crash

Worm feces

Castings

eukaryotes

Cells that contain nuclei

Plastics with #7

Certain food containers and Tupperware. They cannot be recycled so look for alternatives

ITER

China, EU, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the US are pooling resources to get fusion to work feasibly

Static and never in equilibrium

Climax communities are

La and Pheonix divert water from this supply that runs through the Grand Canyon

Colorado River

What waterway is threatened by the radioactive wastes stored at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation?

Columbia River

river system that has extensive changes that adversely affected the fish population

Columbia river

Asia

Continent with the most agricultural land under irrigation

coal liquefaction

Conversion of solid coal to a methane

International Commission for Protection of the Rhine

Cooperation between Switzerland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands to deal with water issues relating to the Rhine River. The project was sparked by a Swiss chemical spill that contaminated the water from Switzerland to the Netherlands. Due to the ICPR's actions, the river's water is now almost as pure as drinking water and many species of fish have returned

Chile

Country with a lot of copper

Glen Canyon Dam

Dam on the Colorado River that has profoundly affected the river's ecosystem. Scientists have determined from test floods done with this dam that periodic floods may be a way to reduce some of the negative environmental impacts of dams

sessile

Describes an organism that remains attached to a surface for its entire life and does not move

Salt

Desalination poses the problem of what to do with excess _______, which damages marine ecosystems if it is simply put back where the water was taken from

Substrate is rock or sand in primary and soil or organic material in secondary

Difference between primary and secondary succession

Osmosis

Diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane

boiling of water and to collect water with brine as a byproduct

Distillation

Difference between dump and landfill

Dump- waste is just "dumped" Landfill- was is disposed of responsibly

What were PCBs used for?

Electrical transformers, electrical capacitors, vacuum pumps, gas-transmission turbines

Metals

Elements that are good conductors of electric current and heat.

Nonmetals

Elements that are poor conductors of heat and electric current

Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Enacted a year after the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound, this law streamlines federal response to oil spills by requiring oil storage facilities and vessels to prepare spill-response plans and provide for their rapid implementation. The law also increases polluters' liability for cleanup costs and damage to natural resources and imposes measures -- including a phaseout of single-hulled tankers -- designed to improve tanker safety and prevent spills.

RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)

Enacted in 1976 to instruct EPA which waste is hazardous and to provide guidelines and standards to states for hazardous waste management programs

What are the two ways to remove PCB's. Which is more desirable

Extraction using solvents (more desirable) and high temperature incineration (less desirable)

Farm

Even though South America has more available water than Asia, it has less potential to support the population because it does not fall on viable _________ land

Clean Water Act

Federal Law setting a national goal of making all natural surface water fit for fishing and swimming; banned polluted discharge into surface water and required the metals be removed from waste. Requires the EPA to set and monitor national emission limitations. Good at regulating point-source pollution, but struggles with curbing non point-source contamination

What is the strategy of encouraging recycling and reducing the amount of waste that people generate by charging them for the amount of trash that they produce?

Fee Per Bag

What two groups compete in the Klamoth and San Joaquin Rivers

Fishermen and Farmers

Floods of 1993

Flood of the Mississippi River that was caused by prolonged rain and exacerbated by drained wetlands, developed flood plains, and levees built to hold back the floodwaters. Pesticides and other agricultural chemicals and zebra mussels were carried by floodwaters to the Gulf of Mexico, where they wreaked havoc on the gulf's ecosystem

zooxanthellae

Forms an endosymbiotic relationship with corals and performs photosynthesis.

coniferous forests 250 million years ago

Fossil fuels come from

80

France uses nuclear energy for around _____ percent of its electricity generation

What is the name of the large landfill that was closed in NY

Fresh kills landfill

Surface water

Fresh water found on earth's surface in streams and rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and werlands

3, .3

Freshwater makes up less than ____ % of all water, and less than ___% of water available to drink

Who wrote "Tragedy of the Commons"

Garrett Hardin

other natural gases

Gas hydrate reserves may far exceed

paramecium, competitive exclusion

Gause's experiment with _____ showed _____

Lake Erie

Great Lake that was once so severely polluted that nothing could live in it. It is the most susceptible to pollution of all the Great Lakes because it has the highest population on its shores and it is the shallowest. In recent decades, it has been partially restored. However, algae blooms persist, PCBs/Mercury/DDT continue to bioaccumulate, and bacteria make the water unsafe

cation exchange

H+ cations push other cations like MG, K and CA, into plants. If a soil is more soluble, there is less nutrients for plants

that primary succession had occured near the Michigan lakes

Henry Cowles sand dune experiment near Lake Michigan showed

water properties

High heat capacity; polar; adhesion and cohesion; a great solvent; liquid at room temp; frozen water is less dense then liquid water.

fracking

High pressure with steam is used to break rocks

Sand

Holds lots of air, but does not retain minerals or water

2 of each per day

How many high and low tides are cause per day

about 1/3

How much oil is imported

30, 70

Humans can remove perhaps ______ percent of a river's glow without greatly affecting the natural ecosystem. However, it is not unusual for _____ percent or more of surface water to be removed in the American Southwest

54

Humans use around _______ percent of all fresh water flowing in rivers and streams

Salinization

In this process, irrigation of soil over a long period of time causes salt to accumulate from the trace amounts of salt and minerals in the water that remain when it evaporates

Why do earthworms come up during rainstorms

Lack of oxygen

increase

Introduction of predators to an ecosystem does what to biodiversity

68.3, 23.1, 8.6

Irrigation accounts for ______ percent of the world's total water consumption, industry for ______ percent, and domestic and municipal use for _______ percent

Subsurface Drip (Microirrigation)

Irrigation in which pipes with tiny holes bored into them convey water directly to individual plants, reducing the overall water needed significantly

Center pivot

Irrigation system in which a sprinkler sprays a field (sometimes 100 football fields) in a circular motion (used in Nebraska)

who was the author of easter's end

Jared Diamond

What was the name of the Bahamian ship that spent spent years transporting incinerated ash from Philadelphia around the world, eventually dumping it in the Indian Ocean.

Khian Sea

primary succession

Krackatoa is an example of

Mono Lake

Lake that serves as a warning against the diversion of too much water; supplied the water for Los Angeles for many years, but became so salty that it was uninhabitable by native species. Dust storms from the exposed lake bed posed a health concern as well, resulting in an end to water diversions

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977

Land must be restored while mining is in process to prevent erosion, water pollution, and landslides. Also prohibits mining in parks and refuges.

overburden

Layer of soil and rock overlying a mineral deposit. Surface mining removes this layer.

Soil Profile

Layers of Soil, O, A, B, C, and bedrock

50

Less than ______ percent of the water applied to the soil by flood irrigation is absorbed by plants; the rest usually evaporates into the atmosphere. This makes traditional irrigation extremely inefficient

What are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)?

Light or clear light yellow oily liquid or waxy solids that were used for a variety of reasons before they were found to be dangerous.

Freshwater-oxygen Desert-water rainforest-organic soil nutrients Tundra-Unfrozen soil Continental shelf-dissolved nutrients

Limiting factor examples

hibernation

Long-term torpor that is an adaptation to winter cold and food scarcity.

wells, tar sands, and oil shales

Methods of obtaining oil include

open pit mine

Mine in which ore is exposed at the surface in a large excavation. A large hole or quarry

flooding in 1993, agriculture pollutes the gulf

Mississippi River

large salty lake in eastern California has shrunk due to excess surface water removal

Mono Lake

methane

NYC collects ______ from sewage treatment plants to create electricity

Smolts

Name for baby salmon that must make the perilous migration along the Columbia River. Often die due to issues caused by the dams along the river

heating and is slowly replacing coal for electricity. It can also be used for transportation. It is cleaner, cheaper, and is used in some national parks and cities

Natural gas is mainly used for

CH4 or methane

Natural gas is mostly

Name one location where benzene and other toxic chemicals were buried in Allegheny County.

Neville Island

The twist flower is used to remove

Nickel

have the most oil

OPEC and the Middle East

Largest aquifer in the world

Ogallala

Colorado River Basin

One of the most serious water supply problems in the US is the _______ ________ ________. This river provides water for an enormous portion of the US (Southwest), but the USA's use of the water is severely restricted by an international treaty with Mexico. With increased population growth in the upper Colorado region, the water supply of the lower Colorado region is threatened, which, in turn, allows insufficient amounts of water to flow to Mexico. This water usage is also increasing the salt concentration of the river

____ lies on top of the soil, ___ on the bottom

Organic Material, Mineral

what toxic chemicals can be ingested by eating fish

PCB, mercury, DDT

1995 ASARCO

Paid $2000 for 2 billion worth of land

Cowbirds, wasps and caterpillars, mosquitoes, ceratotohoa, honey bees and mites

Parasitism example

realized niche

Part of a species fundamental niche that an organism actually uses, limited by competition.

compost

Partially decomposed organic plant and animal matter used as a soil conditioner or fertilizer.

synopsis hypothesis

Parts of a cell were taken up by bacteria and used a plants

Johnstown Flood (1889)

Pennsylvania dam broke, causing damage and loss of 2,200+ lives

N (negative) silicon photovoltaic cells are doped with

Phosphorus

intertidal zone

Portion of the shoreline that lies between the high and low tide lines

Hubbert's Peak

Predicted that peak production would occur in 2019

coevolution

Process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other

Distillation

Process in which salt water is heated until the water evaporates, leaving behind a crust of salt. The water vapor is trapped and then condensed to produce fresh water

What law was enacted in 1976 that made leaving toxic chemicals in steel drums an unacceptable way to handle hazardous waste?

RCRA

2.8

the worldwide total fertility rate is _____ percent, which is well above replacement level

electrostatic precipitator (esp)

Removes harmful ash from entering environment

43

Removing plant cover from the ground and replacing it with pavement and buildings exacerbates the effect of floods by causing runoff. When an area is developed, surface runoff often increases from 10 to ______ percent

Pollution prevention act

Requires facilities to reduce pollution at its source. Reduction can be in volume or toxicity.

80

The World Health Organization estimates that _______ percent of human illness results from insufficient water supplies and poor water quality

Jordan River

River that supplies water to Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, countries experiencing large population increases that could make their water situation even more critical

Half, 40

Roughly _______ of the US population uses groundwater for drinking water and approximately ________ percent of irrigation water comes from groundwater

G.F. Gause

Russian ecologist that proposed the competitive exclusion principle; experimented with Paramecium to show that exponential population growth cannot be sustained forever (eventually crashes)

Location, Extraction, Refinement, Manufacture

Steps of Mineral Processing

Earth 911

Tells you where you can recycle objects

20-24

The US uses __- __ times as much energy as a person in India

Watershed

The area of land that is drained by a single river or stream

80

The average American consumes around _______ gallons of water per day

35

The concentration of salt in salt water is around _______ parts per thousand

Columbia River

The fourth largest river in North America. There are more than 100 dams within the system that provide inexpensive hydroelectric power and water. However, the dams along the river have greatly reduced fish populations, particularly salmon, due to the impediments to migration along the river

resource partitioning

The division of environmental resources by coexisting species such that the niche of each species differs by one or more significant factors from the niches of all coexisting species

pioneer community

The first to habitat in Primary succession. Things that survive on basically nothing (Rocks and Sun alone) lichen and moss

90

The five industries that use _____ percent of industrial water are chemical products, paper and pulp, petroleum and coal, metals, and food processing

6, 15, 40, 30

The high plains cover ______ percent of US land but produce more than ______ percent of its wheat, corn, sorghum, and cotton and almost _____ percent of its livestock. Therefore, it requires approximately _______ percent of the irrigation water used in the US

blast furnace

The huge reaction vessels used in industry to extract iron from its ore

an increase in ticks

The increase in acorns overall led to

producers

The kingdom of plants and protists

Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait.

The largest oil reserves in the Middle East are located in

Saltwater intrusion

The movement of seawater into an underground aquifer; can occur along coastal areas when the groundwater is depleted faster than it can be replenished

fundamental niche

The niche species could potentially occupy.

Stable runoff

The portion of runoff from precipitation that is available throughout the year; can be low despite the fact that the total runoff is quite high. India faces this problem due to most of the precipitation that falls during the wet season drains away into rivers, where it is unavailable for the rest of the year

crop rotation

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

Dematerialization

The process in which fewer materials are used in the creation of a product

Dematerialization

The process in which fewer materials are used in the creation of a product (dematerialization is only source reduction if the new product is as durable)

smelting

The process of using high temperature to remove impurities from a mineral

Desalination

The removal of salt to produce drinkable water

leeward

The side of a mountain range that faces away from the oncoming wind and contains the rain shadow

windward

The side of a mountain range that faces the oncoming wind.

anthropology

The study of humans

Valmeyer, Hartsburg

The towns of Valmeyer and Hartsburg represent two different strategies of redevelopment after the Flood of 1993: in ______, the residents decided to relocate the town to allow the land around the Mississippi River to return to its natural state. In ________, the residents decided to stay in their original location and rebuild the levees that had failed them (remains vulnerable to flooding)

ecotone

The transition from one type of habitat or ecosystem to another, such as the transition from a forest to a grassland.

South America and Asia

The two continents with the greatest fresh water supply

Aquifers

The underground caverns and porous layers of sand, gravel, or rock in which groundwater is stored

Water table

The upper limit of an unconfined aquifer, below which the ground is saturated with water; varies in depth depending on the amount of precipitation occurring in an area

Lasers

The use of ______ to level fields reduces water consumption because it ensures that all plants get the same amount of water

Bioremediation

The use of living organisms to detoxify and restore polluted and degraded ecosystems

200 years

The world's coals supply can last another

Ogallala Aquifer

The world's largest groundwater deposit and the source of water for the High Plains region of the US. In some areas it is being depleted as much as 40 times faster than it is being replaced

salt

There is more ___ in the ocean than CO2 in the atmosphere

Water Hyacinth

This invasive species took over Lake Victoria cause the lake to clog

T/F Batteries and fluorescent bulbs are supposed to be handled as hazardous materials instead of being placed in the trash because they contain toxic heavy metals.

True

tailings

Toxic impurities removed from ore

Principle that if everyone acts in their own best inters, the resources will be destroyed and nobody can have the resources

Tragedy of the Commons

General Mining Act of 1872

U.S. law that legalized and promoted mining by private individuals on public lands for just $5 per acre, subject to local customs, with no government oversight.

ethanol

US creation of ______ from corn has resulted in an excess of food products containing high fructose corn syrup and other corn products

increase efficiency and conservation, secure fossil fuel supplies, minimize environmental damage, develop alternate energy sources

US energy stategy

Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Under this law, any onshore or offshore oil facility, oil shipper, vessel owner, or vessel operator that discharges oil into navigable waters or onto an adjoining shore may be liable for clean-up costs, as well as damages for harm to natural resources, private property, and local economies. It also created an oil clean-up and economic compensation fund and required oil tankers using U.S. ports to be double hulled by the year 2011.

University of California Santa Barbara

University that reduced its water use by nearly 50%

euphotic zone

Upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis. It is the neretic zone in the open ocean to a depth of 150 meters

Phytoremediation

Use of green plants and microbes to clean up soil and groundwater.

alpine and artic

What are the two types of tundras

Diamonds, NW Canadian territory

____ was never found outside the western world were found in ____ in 1989

E. Coli

_____ ______ is tested for in the fecal coliform test because it is not present in nature except for in human and animal feces

oil

_____ is used in solar thermal electric generation because it does not evaporate and is not corrosive

day

_____ length is a major seasonal cue for plant blooming, animal migration and breeding, and seasonal dormancy (diapause)

2/3, 1/4

_____ of water is used for agriculture ______ for industry worldwide

42, 33, 25

_____ percent of energy is used for industry, ____ percent for buildings (heating, cooling, lights, etc.), and ____ for transportation

2.5

_____ percent of the water on earth is fresh

black footed

______ ______ ferrets disappeared when farmers killed off prairie dogs to prevent holes

gas hydrates

______ ______ reserves may exceed all other sources of fossil fuels combined; methane trapped in ice that is currently melting is being released into the atmosphere

frogs

______ and other amphibians are disappearing due to water chemicals (pesticides, fertilizer, and endocrine disrupters), disease, global warming, and possibly UV radiation

rhinos

______ are being hunted to extinction for their ivory. many cultures view the horns as an aphrodisiac and trophy

Tidal

______ changes influence creatures like fiddler crabs

Nitrates

______ contaminate shallow groundwater. This is a huge concern in rural areas, where 80-90 percent of people use groundwater for drinking. Exposure to this pollutant reduces the blood's ability to transport oxygen, which causes Cyanosis (blue baby syndrome), a serious disorder in small children

lakes, ponds

______ have a profundal zone, whereas _____ do not

Oil

______ is formed by microscopic organisms compressed in layers of sediment with time, heat, and pressure. Consists of an assortment of hydrocarbon chains (also called petroleum)

Coal

______ is formed by plants that died in swamps 300 million years ago; created under layers of sedimentary rock with time, heat, and pressure

Arid, semi-arid

______ lands are extremely dry, or desert landscapes in which plant growth is limited by lack of precipitation. ______ lands receive more precipitation than deserts but are subject to frequent and prolonged droughts. Most crops can be grown in these climates with irrigation

1/3, 2/3

______ of world energy and _______ of US energy comes from petroleum

99

______ percent of all species that have ever lived are extinct

60

______ percent of coal come from surface mining

55.5

______ percent of the oil used in the US is imported

Sewage

______ pollution consists of released wastewater from drains or sewers, including human wastes, soaps, and detergents. Introduces disease-carrying agents into waterways, causes the enrichment of water (high levels of nutrients cause algae blooms), oxygen deprivation (micro-organisms use up all the oxygen decomposing the sewage and algal blooms)

Radioactive Substances

_______ contain atoms of unstable isotopes that spontaneously emit radiation. Mining, power plants, nuclear weapons, and medical/scientific facilities produce this type of pollution. May concentrate in sewer sludge

Longwall Mining

a form of underground coal mining where a long wall of coal is mined in a single slice

Groundwater

_______ contamination is pollution that seeps from municipal sanitary landfills, underground storage tanks (petroleum), backyards, golf courses, and agricultural lands. This type of water supplies drinking water to half of the US, making its contamination very dangerous. This type of pollution is extremely difficult, costly, and time-consuming to clean up

lunar

_______ cycles effect mating of certain aquatic species

wind

_______ energy advantages: cheap, small area of land, renewable. Disadvantages: not always available (depends on weather/area), bird deaths (can be prevented by installing away from flight paths/designs that prevent roosting), visual detraction, noise

biodiversity, species richness

_______ is a term that encompasses the variety of species in an area, genetic diversity of individual populations, and ecosystem diversity; _____ _____, on the other hand, only deals with the number of distinct species in an area

Agriculture

_______ is the leading cause of water pollution, making up 72% of water pollution

3/4

_______ of the world's major watersheds are shared between at least two nations

1.97, 0.5, 0.03

_______ percent of freshwater is frozen in ice caps and glaciers (unavailable for human use), _______ percent is groundwater, and _______ percent makes up the earths surface water (rivers, lakes, streams) and other water

Thermal

_______ pollution occurs when heated water produced during certain industrial processes is released into waterways. Many power plants use water to remove excess heat (condensers), and although the water is cooled slightly before it is returned to waterways, it still warms the body of water. This results in less dissolved oxygen in the water (colder water holds more oxygen), which makes it difficult for fish to survive (impacts reproduction, digestion, and respiration rates of fish)

Wildfires

_______ release nutrient minerals, expose soil to stimulate seed germination, and remove plant cover to cause increased soil erosion

Wastewater

_______ undergoes several treatments at a sewage treatment plant to prevent health/environmental problems when it is discharged into lakes/rivers/oceans (primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment)

Belugas

________ are declining in the St. Lawrence River due to increasing temperatures and habitat degradation, along with changes in the availability of prey

Iceland

________ generates a significant amount of its energy from geothermal sources due to its volcanic location

Inorganic Chemicals

________ include acids, salts, and heavy metals, and do not easily break down. Once these chemicals contaminate water, they accumulate through the food chain, making them very dangerous. Contaminate ground/surface water from industry, mining, irrigation runoff, oil drilling, and urban runoff

97

________ percent of the earth's water is salty

Forests

________ protect lowlands with protection from flooding by trapping and absorbing precipitation; clear cutting forests exacerbates floods

Caribou

________ were placed on St. Matthew Island, a location with an abundance of vegetation and no natural predators for the population. The population peaked and exceeded the carrying capacity of the island (consumed all of the grass), which resulted in the majority of the population dying off

Norway

________ will have no gas-powered cars by 2025

nuclear bomb, nuclear energy

a _____ _____ releases energy all at once, whereas a _____ _____ reactions is controlled to produce smaller amounts of heat to be converted into electricity

Aggregation

a behavior in which a species of insects come together from different places in large numbers (monarch butterflies to Mexico in the winter)

Oligotrophic

a condition of a lake or other body of water characterized by low nutrients, low productivity, high oxygen levels, good light penetration, and deep waters. Provides a habitat for larger commercial fish (high oxygen content, depth)

barrier reef

a coral reef running parallel to the shore but separated from it by a channel of deep water or lagoon.

Energy Intensity

a country or regions total energy consumption divided by its gross domestic product; lower indicates that the economy is more energy efficient

CALFED Bay-Delta Program

a department within the government of California resppnsible for protecting the San Francisco Bay and its delta; called for in 1994 after water diversion, exotic species, and salt water intrusion damaged the bay's ecosystem, causing a number of species to become endangered

6

a desert collects _____ times more energy in one day than the whole earth uses in a year

National Conservation Strategy

a detailed plan for managing and preserving the biological diversity of a specific country

Less Developed Countries

a developing country with a low level of industrialization, shortest life expectancies, a very high fertility rate, very high infant mortality rate, and a very low per capital income (Bangladesh, Niger, Ethiopia, Laos, Cambodia)

Nuclear Reactor

a device that initiates and maintains a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction to produce energy for electricity

shaft mine

a direct vertical shaft to the vein of ore

Thigmotropism

a directional growth of a plant in response to touch

Red Tides

a discoloration of seawater caused by a bloom of toxic red dinoflagellates. Produces toxins that lead to massive fish kills and can work their way up the food chain to larger mammals, birds, and people. Likely increasing due to climate change

Emergent Property

a feature that arises when combining multiples of something that does not occur in the individual; includes population density, birth and death rates, growth rates, and age structure

ore

a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine

Drain Field

a series of pipes in a septic system that are buried under gravel or crushed rock and are full of small holes that allow wastewater to flow into the gravel or rock, where bacteria break down remaining wastes

Double Hull Tankers

a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom and sides of the ship have two complete layers of watertight hull surface; reduces the likelihood of an oil spill if a ship runs aground

Secondary Sludge

a slimy mixture of bacteria-laden solids that settle out during secondary treatment

Endangered Species

a species in imminent danger of extinction through all or a significant portion of its range; occurs when its numbers are so severely reduced that it is in danger of becoming extinct without human intervention (below critical minimum size)

R-Selected Species

a species that has a high intrinsic growth rate, which often leads to population overshoots and die-offs; characterized by short life span, quick maturation, small size, little parental investment, and a large number of offspring (mosquitos, snails, fish, frogs)

Exotic Species

a species that is not native to a particular region; often transplanted by people

K-Selected Species

a species with a low intrinsic growth rate that causes the population to increase slowly until it reaches carrying capacity; characterized by long life span, larger body size, slower maturation, high parental investment (parents ensure survival of offspring), and less offspring (elephants, kangaroos)

Solar Thermal Electric Generation

a system that captures solar energy directly to generate electricity; the sun's energy is concentrated by mirrors or lenses onto a fluid-filled (oil) pipe (runs along the center of a mirrored parabolic trough), and the heated fluid is used to generate electricity

Solar-Generated Hydrogen

a system that uses PV-generated or wind-generated electricity to produce hydrogen fuel from water through electrolysis (splitting water atoms into their hydrogen and oxygen components)

Cooling Tower

a tall, open-topped, cylindrical concrete tower, used for cooling water or condensing steam from a nuclear power plant

Breeder Nuclear Fission

a type of nuclear fission in which U-238 (the most abundant isotope in uranium ore; often treated as a waste product) is converted to Plutonium-239, a human-made isotope that is fissionable. Creates a chain reaction in which neutrons emitted in the process are used to produce additional Pu-239 from U-238 (makes more fissionable fuel than it uses)

voluntary simplicity

a way of life that involves wanting and spending less

plasticity

ability to be molded and hold shape

Thermocline

abrupt temperature transition that separates warmer, less dense surface waters from colder/denser water at the bottom. Water mixes to a certain depth due to wind disturbance, moderating the temperature slightly. However, the temperature drops drastically past the point where wind no reaches the water

1 acre covered by a foot of water. The average family in California consumes this much in one year

acre foot

22 million

acres are devoid of plants because of mining

endangered species act of 1973

act authorizing protection for endangered species

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

act that prevents the hydroelectric development of certain rivers to protect their natural beauty and delicate ecosystems

Low-Level Radioactive Policy Act

act that requires all states to have facilities to handle low-level radioactive wastes

Nuclear Waste Policy Act

act that requires the U.S. government to develop a high level nuclear waste site for the nation's nuclear wastes (Yucca Mountain)

Clean Air Act Amendment (1990)

act that set new standards to reduce automobile emissions and established a cap-and-trade program for the reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions

National Appliance Energy Conservation

act that sets national appliance efficiency standards for refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, and ovens/ranges and requires appliance manufacturers to provide Energy Guide labels on all new appliances

public, parks, pollution, economic

actions to preserve biodiversity: increase ______ awareness, support the establishment of _____, control ______, _______ incentives to landowners to preserve natural areas

Crepuscular

activity that occurs at twilight or before sunrise

pollution and dams

affect flowing water ecosystems

2/3 of water is used for

agriculture

Aral Sea level water is decreasing due to use for

agriculture

What large appliances once contained ozone-depleting CFC's, also known as chlorofluorocarbons?

air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, cooling units

UV rays and do not have exterems in day legnth

alpine biomes are different than artic in that

chloramine, charcoal, UV

alternatives to using chlorine to disinfect water include using ______ (disinfectant produced from mixing chlorine and ammonia that creates no harmful byproducts), filtering water through activated ______ to reduce the amount of chlorine needed, or using _____ disinfection (widely adopted in Europe, but more expensive)

Thomas Malthus

an English economist who argued that increases in population would outgrow increases in the means of subsistence (1766-1834); population will grow until limited by war, disease, or poverty

obliquely

an adverb that describes the sharp angle at which the sun strikes the earth

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

an independent federal agency created in 1974 to license and regulate nuclear power plants; cracked down after Three Mile Island to increase safety regulations

Basel Convention

an international treaty to restrict the international transport of hazardous waste

Bellwether Species (sentinel species)

an organism that provides an early warning of environmental damage

Habituation

an organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it; ignoring familiar stimuli which are of no value

burrow, contain spines, move in herds, camoflauge

animals protect themselves by

water is diverted to other cities using

aqueducts

A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.

aquifer

sinkhole occur to

aquifer depletion

rEserve

are know deposits in which minerals can be extracted Economically with existing material

seagrass

are real plants and flower (they include manatee grass, turtle grass, and eel grass)

horse latitudes

are regions of high pressure and gentle winds at about 30 degrees north and south latitude

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

area that has very little oxygen, and therefore very little life, due to an excess of nutrients from agricultural waste that runs down from the Midwest. This area extends from the seafloor up as wide as New Jersey, and is the biggest in the world (still expanding)

wet and dry season

areas prone to wildfire have a

biodiversity hotspots

areas with endemic species, typically on islands or in tropics

Wind Farms

arrays of nonpolluting wind turbines

well that collects water from confined aquifers

artesian well

Reservoirs

artificial lakes that store water for human use; produced by building a dam across a river or stream

continent with most agricultural land under irrigation

asia

detritus

at the headwater, most energy derives from

hunting, DDT

bald eagles were threatened by ______ (egged on by the belief that the eagles impacted the availability of commercial fish) and ______ (caused eggshells to be too thin)

20 million

barrels used by the us per day

North America

because of the migration patterns of many birds, mass extinction/the destruction of tropical rainforests has ramifications in ______ ______

less

because oil/natural gas are ______ dense than rock, they move upward through porous rock layers and accumulate beneath impenetrable layers in pools

habituation

being accustomed to stimuli because of frequent exposure

Temperate Deciduous Forest

biome composed of forests of broad-leaf hardwood trees; characterized by hot summers and cold winters, four distinct seasons, nutrient rich soil with clay lower layer (among first biomes to be converted to agricultural use)

Grasslands

biome dominated by grasses and characterized by a temperate climate, fertile soil (nutrients accumulate in layer below topsoil -- best farmland), sod (roots and underground stems form a thick, continuous underground mat), herds of grazing animals, drought/fire adapted plants (deep roots/underground stems), and periodic wildfires

Tundra

biome that occurs in the extreme northern latitudes wherever the snow melts seasonally. The S. Hemisphere has no equivalent (no land at the correct latitude). Characterized by long, harsh winters and very short summers, permafrost, herbaceous plants, and an absence of daylight in midsummer. Long days and nights due to its tilt. Can also occur at high altitudes (alpine)

Temperate Rainforest

biome that occurs mainly in the Pacific Northwest; coniferous forest with high precipitation, mild winters and cool summers, nutrient poor soil with high organic content, epiphytic vegetation, and high species richness. Contains douglas fir, hemolock, cedar

grassland, deciduous forest

biomes with fertile soil (2)

toxins can be removed from the soil using bacteria in a process called

bioremediation

# of births/entire population

birthrate calculation

4

both China and India have about ______ times the amount of people that the US has

Benthos

bottom-dwelling organisms that fix themselves to one spot (sponges, oysters, barnacles), burrow in the sand (worms, clams), or walk along the bottom (crawfish)

Pu-239

breeder nuclear fission uses _____ as its radioactive isotope

water and co2

burning methane makes

incineration

burning of soil for remediation, impractical because it kills the microorgasnisms

Photovoltaic Cells

cells, usually made of specially-treated silicon, that generate electrical energy when solar energy is absorbed (sparks the rapid exchange of electrons between positively and negatively charged layers)

A form of irrigation in Nebraska that can cover a circular area equivalent to 100 football fields

center pivot irrigation

genetic drift

change in gene pool. bottle neck effect on a small population

latitude

changes in elevation produce similar conditions to changes in _______

Life History Characteristics

characteristics of a population that influence reproduction and life cycle; include age and size at sexual maturity, amount and timing of reproduction, survival and mortality rates

Chlorine

chemical used to kill disease-carrying agents in water. Controversial because the byproducts that are formed when it reacts with organic matter is linked to several kinds of cancer, increased miscarriages, and birth defects

b horizon

clay and cations leach from A horizon to this layer. Bad growth lots of clay

interspecific competition

competition between members of different species

intraspecific competition

competition between members of the same species

Eutrophic

condition of a lake or other body of water that is characterized by high nutrient levels, poor light penetration, low dissolved oxygen, shallow waters, and high productivity. This is a natural process by which larger bodies of water slowly turn into wetlands or marshes. However, this process is accelerated by human activity (especially pollution by phosphorous and nitrogen), which causes native fish species to be replaced with smaller warm water fish and can cause dead zones in which a lack of oxygen prevents anything from surviving

groundwater storage area between impermeable layers

confined aquifier

spodosoil

coniferous/boreal forest. Acidic soil, not good for farming

ex situ conservation

conservation outside of the natural habitat

in situ conservation

conservation within the species' home

background extinction

constant loss of diversity occurring

Russia, Iran, Qatar

contain the most natural gas

Organic

contains carbon (not necessarily "natural")

A major problem with hazardous waste disposal is

contaminated groundwater

Background Extinction

continuous, low level extinction that has occurred throughout earth's history as a part of natural selection

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

controls oil prices

oil drilling, overfishing, temperature changes, oil spills, trash

coral reefs are dying due to

CaCo3

coral reefs are made of

What are favorable strategies for dealing with used tires?

coral reefs, burning for energy, playground coverings, rubberized asphalt/make roads, trashcans, rubber hoses

who has the money to influence the political decisions that are made in the US

corporations

US, Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, UK

countries with nuclear weapons (9)

Germany

country that is moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy

Cuba

country with a signifacant portion of the world supply on Nickel

crown of thorns

crawls over the reefs and eat coral

Terracing

creating flat platforms in the hillside that provide a level planting surface, which reduces soil runoff from the slope.

fractionating tower

crude oil is separated in a

Moderately Developed Countries

developing countries with a medium level of industrialization and average per capita incomes that are lower than those of highly developed countries; declining birth and infant mortality rates (Mexico, Turkey, Thailand, and most South American nations)

environmental sustainability

developing strategies and practices that create a world economy that the planet can support indefinitely

Centrifuge

device to separate substances by spinning them at high speed; used to separate out U-235 by density

Fractioning Tower

device used to break the crude oil down into different parts.

Scrubbers

devices containing alkaline substances that precipitate out much of the sulfur dioxide from industrial plants; remove pollutants from the smoke and use limestone (calcium carbonate) to neutralize the acid

ponds have vegetation at the bottom

difference between ponds and lakes

What hazardous chemical, formed as unwanted byproducts during the combustion of chlorine compounds, causes mutations resulting in birth defects and cancer?

dioxins

limited, station, expensive units at home that take long to charge

disadvantages for natural gas in transportation

solar

disadvantages of ______ energy: not always available (at night, cloudy days), more expensive than traditional energy sources, difficult to store, produces relatively little energy

hydroelectric

disadvantages of ______ power: dams create reservoirs that flood habitats, change the nature of the water ecosystem (decrease oxygen content downstream, slow the flow of water), disrupt fish migration, breed schistosomiasis, create silt deposition upstream (prevent nutrients from flowing downstream)

black lung disease, explosions, cave ins, more expensive

disadvantages of subsurface mining

less coal, damage to land

disadvantages of surface mining

biomass

disadvantages of using ______ as an energy source: potential deforestation, crop wastes removed from the ground allows erosion, crop wastes removed from the ground are unable to return nutrients to the soil

pelagic environment

divided into neritic and oceanic provinces

Inorganic

does not contain carbon

Salt Domes

domelike rock structure that is formed beneath the earth's surface by the upward movement of a mass of salt; used to find oil/natural gas deposits

Kuwait Oil Spills

done on purpose by suddam hussein. It is the largest oil spill. Oil was purposefully dumped into the ocean and lit on fire

aestivation

dormancy in hot and arid seasons

diapause

dormancy in insects over a cold winter

td = 70/r

doubling time equation

Radioactive Decay

during this process, a radioactive element emits radiation until its nucleus changes into the nucleus of a more stable element

ton

each pellet of uranium dioxide in a nuclear reactor contains the energy equivalent of a _____ of coal

facilitation model

early species modify the environment in ways that benefit later species

33 trillion anually

earth's resources are worth

labor and equipment

economic cost of mining

wetlands

ecosystem services of ________ : habitat for migrating birds, filter pollutants from water, act as reservoirs to minimize flooding, highly productive

gar, holes, mounds, vegetation

ecosystem services provided by alligators: maintains smaller fish species by eating the larger fish, _____, that prays on them; dig underwater ______ used by other organisms during drought periods; build nest ______ that trees colonize (become habitats for bird populations); underwater "gator trails" clear out aquatic ______ that might eventually form a marsh

tropical rainforests and coral reefs

ecosystems with high species richness

first organisms to return after the Sandoz Chemical Spill

eel

Hydropower

electricity generated from the energy of moving water; the cycle that drives this movement is a result of solar energy (this type of energy is indirect solar energy)

Demand-Side Management

electricity utilities help consumers save energy to avoid the massive costs associated with building new power plants or purchasing alternative power. Some even offer cash awards to consumers who install energy-efficient technologies

can effect climate

elevation and altitude

strategic patroleum reserve

emergency storage near the gulf of mexico. Contains 700+ million barrels

decreases, diversity

endangered and threatened species represent a decline in biological diversity, because as their numbers decrease, their genetic variability _______. Long-term survival and evolution depend on genetic _____, so its loss adds to the risk of extinction

First Law of Thermodynamics

energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed in form

Tidal Energy

energy captured from the changes in water level between high and low tides

fuel

energy cost of mining

Geothermal Energy

energy derived from the naturally occurring heat within the earth

Solar Energy

energy that comes from the sun

Dragline

enormous shovel/crane that takes huge chunks out of a mountain to reach underground coal seams

leaks

enviormentalist oppose pipelines due to the risk of

damage and repair

environmental cost of mining

coal

environmental costs of _______ use: acid rain, acid mine drainage, climate change (CO2 emission), air pollution

air pollution, acid rain, acid mine drainage, and climate change

environmental effects of coal use

waste near minority areas is and issue know as

environmental injustice

air pollution and water pollution

erosion causes

Municipalities with less than 500 people are not required to

establish their own recycling program

fish

estuaries act as nurseries for young ______; plant cover offers protection and nutrients

the nutrients gets washed around in tides and creates much turnover

estuaries are productive because

Mass Extinction

event during which many species become extinct during a relatively short period of time

adaptive radiation

evolution of a large number of species from one ancestor

Small organisms with short lifespan

evolve quickly

Sea otters, sea stars, fig trees, wolves

examples of keystone species

Sediment Pollution

excessive amounts suspended soil particles in a body of water; eventually settle out and accumulate on the bottom of a body of water. Caused by erosion of agricultural lands, forest soils exposed by logging, degraded stream banks, overgrazed rangelands, strip mines, and construction. Decreases light penetration (photosynthetic algae and plants decrease, taking out the base of the food chain), covers aquatic organisms, carries insoluble water toxins (toxic chemicals adhere to the particles), fills up waterways

The cost associated with the manufacture, use and disposal of a product that is NOT directly part of the initial price of the product is an

external cost

light, moisture, temperature

external stimuli that maintain the circadian rhythm

Density Dependent

factors that affect population size in relation to the population's density; organic in nature and include food, disease, predation (ex. Isle Royale moose/wolf populations)

Density Independent

factors that limit population size regardless of the population's density; include weather events such as frost, fire, and drought

small, large, islands, reproductive, feeding

factors that make a species vulnerable to extinction: ______ range (only live in certain areas), require ______ territory (tigers), living on ______ (bird species), low ______ success (pandas), specialized ______ habits

nutrients, tidal, light, plant

factors that make estuaries highly productive = 1) _______ are transported from land by rivers, 2) _____ action promotes rapid circulation of nutrients and removal of wastes, 3) shallow water allows ______ to penetrate, 4) ______ density traps nutrients and creates detritus base of the food web

Fall Turnover

falling temperatures in autumn cause a mixing of the layers of the lake (once water reaches 4 degrees C, it becomes more dense and sinks to the bottom); only occurs in temperate lakes. Essential nutrients are brought from the bottom to the surface, oxygen is brought from the surface to the bottom, and the temperature of the lake becomes uniform. Temporary algal blooms and odor result

T/F According to the Story of Stuff video, 50% of the products purchased in the US are still in use six months later.

false

What is the purpose of the neurotoxins that are added to pillows

flame retardants

Natural Gas

flammable gas, consisting largely of methane and other hydrocarbons, occurring naturally underground (often in association with petroleum). Formed the same way as oil but at higher temperatures

Flood plains

flat land near the edges of rivers formed by mud and silt deposited by floods; when these border regions are developed, huge property and life losses result because floods are inevitable here

Secchi Disc

flat, white disc lowered into the water by a rope until it is barely visible. Measures the clarity of the water

pavement runoff allows

flooding

42

for patroleum there are ___ gallons per barrel

percentage

for the doubling time equation, the growth rate must be in a _____

calcium sulfate

formed when sulfur in mixed with limestone/chalk

Isotopes

forms of a single element that differ in atomic mass due to different numbers of neutrons

commercial, licensed, subsistance

forms of hunting/exploitation: ______ harvest (selling parrots or coral reef fish to stores), ______ hunting (income pays for wildlife programs), ______ hunting (taking only what you need to survive -- becoming increasingly rare)

patroleum, coal, natural gas

fossil feuls

Phytoplankton

free-floating photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria that form the base of most aquatic food webs

Nekton

free-swimming organisms (fish, turtles, whales)

physical ways soil is made

freezing/thawing, erosion, glaciers

Swamps

freshwater wetlands dominated by woody trees and shrubs

The 1985 Farm bill

funded the conservation reserve program to improve soil and water

55

gallons in a barrel

MTBE

gasoline additive that decreases emissions. It is a suspected cause of cancer, and was found in groundwater in Santa Monica, California due to leaks in underground petroleum storage tanks

p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1

gene frequencies are determined using the equation...

roots of native species

go further down, are adapted to drought, bring down water and fire, prevent erosion

top roots

go straight down

cyanide

gold is separated by

100 feet

gold mining in NV lowered the water table ___ feet due to pumping out water to mine

ecological succession

gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance

slow runoff and the aquifers can be recharged in what biome

grassland

mollisol

grassland, some of the best in the world. Good for agri, organic matter accumulate, but is broken down due to lack of H2O and heat

water that is collected from showers and sinks and used to flush toilets and water lawns

gray water

odors

high BOD, or low oxygen, creates unpleasant ______ produced by anaerobic microorganisms

a horizon

high concentration of Organic Matter

higher biodiversity

higher productivity leads to

Tropical Rainforest

highly productive biome with lots of precipitation, nutrient poor soil (nutrients trapped in forest, but soil is rich in organic materials), high degree of biodiversity, many epiphytes (little sunlight on forest floor), and occurs at the equator (warm all year round)

A major flooding problem near rivers are

homes built in flood plains

90 billion

how many barrels of oil are under the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve?

6

how many kingdoms of life are there

200

how many more years is the world coal supply expected to last for?

habitat, invasive, pollution, poaching, hunting

human activities that contributed to the decrease of biodiversity: ______ destruction, introduction of ______ species, ______, commercial trade (______), over- _______

Prescribed Burns

humans deliberately burn organic litter in controlled conditions to prevent buildup/invasion of fire-sensitive trees in wildfire prone areas; used as a means of lessening the devastation of wildfires

subsistence hunting

hunting for simply what is needed for survival

Hydrogen Fuel

hydrogen gas burned as an energy source; created by the electrolysis of water. Can be used as a clean fuel for cars that is created from renewable resources. However, widespread use would require refueling stations, is dangerous because of hydrogen's explosive qualities, and is not totally efficient because it requires so many energy conversions

Deuterium

hydrogen isotope with 1 proton and 1 neutron, as opposed to the usual 0 neutrons

pore space

ideal is 50%, air affects permeability, aeration, and drainage

100

if all of the U-238 in waste facilities around the US was reprocessed in breeder reactors, it would create enough energy for the next _____ years

20

if fertilizer use was decreased by _____ percent along the Gulf of Mexico watershed, most of the fertilizer would stay on the fields. This would greatly reduce the excess of nutrients creating the dead zone

Blue Baby Syndrome

illness that occurs in small children when there are too many nitrates in well water; nitrates are converted into nitrites in the body, which reduce the blood's ability to transport oxygen

water and soil pollution, damage from drilling and transportation, air pollution from burning, CO2 emmissions

impacts of petroleum

Ecosystem Services

important environmental functions that organisms with ecosystems provide

1973 Oil Embargo

imposed by OPEC and caused long lines at gas stations

Three Mile Island

in 1979, a nuclear power plant located south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania overheated, causing part of its uranium core to melt. The overheating was caused by human, design, and mechanical errors. Radioactive water and gases were released, but no health or environmental damages to the surrounding area occurred. Nonetheless, the meltdown led to a slowdown in the construction of other reactors, changes in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and increased public awareness of environmental concerns. Largest nuclear meltdown in US history

Dead Zone

in a body of water, an area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life

Second Law of Thermodynamics

in any conversion of energy, some of the usefulness of the energy is lost as heat which is unrecoverable as a useful form of energy. Entropy (disorder) increases with each conversion

Permafrost

layer of permanently frozen ground that lies underneath the topsoil of the tundra; causes waterlogged upper layer of soil and prevents deep roots from penetrating (no woody plants)

Thermal Stratification

layering of large temperate lakes caused by how far light penetrates; temperature changes sharply with depth

What do you call the contaminated water that drains to the bottom of a landfill?

leachate

gasoline

lead used to be added to _______ to improve engine performance

territoriality

leading to a uniform dispersion. idea that each organism has a specific area to itself

Prevent water in floodplains but cause water backup upstream

leeves

Summitville company

left $140 million dollars in toxic cleanup for federal government

What percent of water is freshwater? What percent is available to humans?

less than 3%, 0.03%

39, 30

life expectancy for copper is __ years and we have approx __ more years left of copper

Phytochrome

light detecting pigment in plants

pineal, melatonin, SCN

light is considered the dominant influence in crepuscular activity and is sensed by the ______ gland in non mammals, which secretes the hormone ______. In mammals, the ______ (optic nerve) serves this purpose

why are sinkhole common in Florida

limestone bases

competitive exclusion due to lack of a resource

limiting factors create

environmental resistance

limiting factors prohibiting intrinsic rate of growth of populations

Environmental Resistance

limiting factors that prevent populations from reproducing at their biotic potential

20

livestock produce ______ times the feces/urine of humans, yet animal agriculture wastes are not considered under water quality laws (farmers can effectively dump animal wastes straight into waterways/allow rain to carry them into bodies of water)

25% of us land is

losing topsoil

cercla was created after what disaster

love canal

synthetic fuels

made from natural gas, coal, oil shale, tar sands, gas hydrates

1963 clean air ammendment

made to reduce and monitor sulfur emmissions

light and nutrients

main limiting factors of aquatic ecosystems (2)

Coal

main source of energy for electricity

environmental racism

major patroleum companies have shown incidents of

EPS styrofoam can be melted down to

make new things like picture frames or interior moldings

worms

make tunnels and put air into the soil

Cogeneration

making electricity and heat at the same time (associated with natural gas)

Synthetic Fuels

man-made fuels that come form mineral deposits containing oil/natural gas. Extracted from tar sands, oil shale, and gas hydrates (found in ice) and purified to create fossil fuels

safety for fish, soil erosion, filter out saltwater, act as a carbon sink

mangroves provide

Nonrandom Mating

mate selection for specific traits

Humus

material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter

Spring Turnover

melting ice causes a cooling of surface waters, which results in the sinking and mixing of the layers of water in a lake. Essential nutrients are brought from the bottom to the surface, oxygen is brought from the surface to the bottom, and the temperature of the lake becomes uniform. Temporary algal blooms and odor result

Neurotoxin

mercury is a _______ because it can permeate the blood-brain barrier, causing numerous neurological issues

methyl

mercury is converted into ______ mercury compounds by bacteria in sediments in waterways. This form of mercury accumulates in the food chain

hydrothermal

metals are soluable as chlorides and flourides but are insoluable as sulfides where they precipitate (AG, CU, PB, & ZU)

What is the chemical name for the natural gas that is produced by landfills during the decomposition process?

methane

20

methane is _____ times more potent than CO2 as a natural gas

20

methane traps heat ___ times more effectively than CO2

conservation tillage

method of cultivation in which residues from previous crops are left in the soil, partially covering it and helping to hold it in place until the newly planted seeds are established

in situ, ex situ, restore, protect, seed

methods of conservation: _____ _____ (in natural habitat), _____ _____ (outside natural habitat), ______ damaged habitats, ______ existing habitats, store plant genetic material in ______ banks

1976

no new nuclear power plants have been built in the US since ______ due to their high cost and the lack of reliable waste disposal methods. Regulatory permits are also costly and difficult/time consuming to obtain

competitve exclusion

no two species can occupy the same niche

Which is greater non municipal or municipal waste

non-municipal waste, much comes from agricultural animals

Zooplankton

non-photosynthetic protists that include tiny shrimp like crustaceans and larvae; feed on algae and are consumed by small nekton

NIMBY

not in my backyard

fusion

nuclear _____ is currently impractical because it requires incredibly high temperatures and the plasma it creates cannot touch container walls (uses more energy than it creates for high temps and a magnetic field to contain it)

waste

nuclear energy emits few pollutants into the atmosphere, but it creates radioactive ______ that is difficult/impossible to dispose of and causes severs health and environmental problems

20, 10

nuclear energy makes up _____ percent of US electricity generation and _____ percent of total US energy

40

nuclear power plants are licensed to operate for a maximum of _____ years

100,000

nuclear reactions produce ________ times more energy per atom than chemical reactions

Crude Death Rate

number of deaths per thousand people (if "23" then d = 23/1000 = 0.023 = 2.3%)

Crude Birth Rate

number of people born per thousand (if "23" then b = 23/1000 = 0.023 = 2.3%)

in a balanced ecosystem

nutrient minerals cycle from soil to organisms back to soil

combustion

nutrition and minerals locked in organic matter are freed during

coral reefs

occur in tropics along the coast in shallow water

doldrums

occur near equator where there are not many winds

bleaching

occurs when zooxanthellae leave coral and contribute to loss of color

35 parts per thousand or 35 PPT

ocean salinity is

Black Lung Disease

often called coal miner disease because it is caused by years of inhaling coal dust, resulting in damage to the lungs

1973 Oil Embargo

oil crisis imposed by OPEC; US realized its dependence on the Middle East for oil. Panic ensued, with rationing and conservation efforts to reduce oil usage

plastic, cosmetics, vaseline, medicine, p

oil is used to make products like

Bakken Shale Formation

oil reserve in North Dakota; now the biggest source of US oil

Tar Sands

oil reserves found in Canada; extraction destroys environment

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

oil spill that occurred when BP neglected safety tests on an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Destroyed the coast and cost billions to clean up (biggest oil spill in US history)

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

oil tanker whose 1989 spill off the coast of Alaska sparked deep concern over oil drilling and transportation on the world's oceans; led to the passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Predatation

one organism eats the other (carnivores, herbivores, omnivores)

oceanic province

open ocean that overlies the ocean floor at depths greater than 200 m

Biomass

organic matter that can be a source of energy; wood, animal wastes, crop wastes, fast-growing plants, sawdust, peat, etc.. Used primarily in developing countries

starfish, shell fish, rockweed

organisms that have adapted to the harsh living conditions of the intertidal zone

benthos

organisms that live attached to or near the ocean floor

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

organization that controls oil prices by restricting production; has less power over the US since the discovery of oil reserves in North Dakota

1993 Milwaukee Outbreak

outbreak of diarrhea cases in which 370,000 people got sick. This was the largest outbreak of waterborne disease in US history, and several immune-compromized people died

chemical can often

outlast their containers

exoparasite

outside host

chemical ways soil is made

oxidation, acid rain, lichens, organic accumulation, roots (release co2 and carbonic acid)

Marcellus

pa natural gas shale

What items should we not throw in a landfill because they can be recycled, reused, or naturally decomposed

paper and paperboard, yard waste, food waste, plastic, metals, rubber, leather, textiles, glass, wood

What items could be burned in a mass incinerator

paper and paperboard, yard waste, food waste, plastics, rubber, leather, textiles, wood

endoparasite

parasite living on the inside of its host

bedrock

parent material, r horizon

flyways

pattern of bird migration

Government

pays for restoration allowing companies to make profit

skin

people should avoid eating the _____ of fish because PCBs and other organic pollutants are non-polar, meaning they dissolve in the fatty tissues of fish

20

percent of U-235 needed for a nuclear bomb

86

percent of US energy that comes from fossil fuels

Hardy-Weinberg theorem

principle indicating that the genome of a population changes can be caused by external factors

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

principle that states that changes in the gene pool of a population can be cause by numerous factors, such as mate selection for specific traits, mutation, environmental pressure, small populations experiencing genetic drift, and significant numbers of immigration or emigration

Coagulation

process in which turbid water is treated with aluminum sulfate, which causes suspended particles to clump together and settle out

What is the concept in which manufacturers assume responsibility for their products from "cradle to grave."

product stewardship

2010

projected year of peak oil production

Iodine-131

radioactive isotope that concentrates in the thyroid gland, causing thyroid cancer

Strontium-90

radioactive isotope that replaces calcium in the body

Cesium-137

radioactive isotope that replaces potassium in the body, accumulating in muscle tissue

Low-Level Radioactive Waste

radioactive wastes that produce low levels of ionizing radiation; the protective clothing, tools, rags, and other items used in routine plant maintenance or lab work

alternatives to save rainwater

rain barrels, rain gardens, retention basins, drainage basins

oxisol

rainforest, low organic material due to rapid decomposition

treated wastewater that in reused in some way

reclaimed water

difference between gray and reclaimed water

reclaimed water has been treated so it is drinkable

Which is the most important of the 3 R's

reduce

3 R's

reduce, reuse, recycle

r strategy

reduce. have lots of babies of which a few will survive

crepuscular

relating to twilight or before sunrise

Biodiversity Hotspots

relatively small areas of land that contain an exceptional number of endemic species and are at high risk from human activities

Aquifer depletion

removal of groundwater more rapidly than it can be recharged by precipitation or melting snow

Causes of the US dust bowl

removal of native grasses and severe drought led to erosion

Remediation

removal of toxins

limestone

removes sulfur from coal forming CACO2

groundwater is

renewable when used sustainably, but not at the rate we use it

2.1

replacement level fertility (takes into account couples who choose not to have children)

Pitt

research at _____ has linked higher levels of lead in children's bones with increased delinquency (breaking the law)

downstream

rivers ________ from headwaters are wider, deeper, cloudy (contain particulates/nutrients), warmer, slower, and less oxygenated

Green Roofs

roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. Offers a more economically sound solution to combined sewer overflow than replacing the entire system by absorbing much of the water that would normally run into drains. The convention center and the Highmark building have these roofs

Shelterbelts

rows of trees planted as a windbreak to reduce soil erosion of agricultural land

Reactor Vessel

safety feature that surrounds the reactor core to prevent the release of radiation into the environment

Containment Building

safety feature that surrounds the the reactor vessel as an additional line of defense against radiation leaks. Built to withstand severe earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and even planes crashing into them

an increase of salt levels in soil as a result of irrigation is called

salinization

salt accumulation in soil

salinization

road salt leads to

saltier streams and salinization

Movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers due to overdrawing fresh water

saltwater intrusion

regular trash goes to

sanitary landfill

Name a device that can be installed in a smokestack that removes the fly ash that is produced by incinerators.

scrubber

Chaparral

scrubland biome with rocky/infertile soil, mediterranean climate (cold, rainy winters and hot, dry summers), frequent wildfires, fire/drought adapted plants, small trees with hard leaves, and low plants

yellowstone, farmland

secondary succession examples

fungi

secret digestive enzymes

stabilizing selection

selection in which the average of a trait is preferable

Combined Sewer

sewage collection system designed to simultaneously collect surface runoff and sewage water in a shared system. No longer allowed by the EPA because they are easily overwhelmed by heavy rain, which leads to the release of untreated sewage into waterways

Protist

simple or single celled eukaryotes (algae, slime)

organic fertilizer

slow-acting & long-lasting because the organic remains need time to be decomposed

anaerobic digestion, fertilizer, incineration, ocean dumping, sanitary landfills

sludge from wastewater treatment can be disposed of through _________ _________ (sludge is placed in large circular digesters and kept warm, which allows bacteria to break down organic material into gases), use as _______, _________ (contributes to air pollution), ______ ______ (now banned), and disposal in ______ ______ (becoming less realistic as landfills run out of space)

Schlerophyllous

small durable leaves that resist dessication

Headwater Streams

small streams that are the sources of a river; usually shallow, cold, swiftly flowing, and highly oxygenated. Originate from the melting of mountain snow (no nutrients or suspended particles)

Plankton

small/microscopic organisms that are relatively feeble swimmers (float along with current); two types

critical minimum size

smallest number of a species that can exist and be sustainable

Copper Basin, Tennessee

smelting killed vegetation causing erosion to be prevalent in this mine in this state in 1939. This lead to tree replanting and helicopter reseeding in 1930's and 70's respectively. It may take 100-200 years to recover

Baby salmon are called

smolts

coral crabs

snip off the tubefeet of the crown of thorns to send them off the coral

Lignite

soft brown coal, high water content, formed most recently, produces a lower heat and pollutes more heavily than other types of coal

Southwest

solar energy in the US is concentrated in the ______

Active Solar Heating

solar heating system that captures solar energy directly, primarily for heating water; a liquid heated by the solar collector is pumped to a heat exchanger, where the water is heated. Uses pumps and fans to create a more efficient heating system than solar energy alone

Solar Power Tower

solar plant that focuses solar energy on a receiver (tower) using sun-tracking mirrors, which can concentrate solar energy as much as 1500 times normal intensity of sun

Vitrification

solidifying liquid waste into solid glass or ceramic logs

Population Oscillations

some populations experience recurring cycles of overshoots and die-offs that lead to a pattern of oscillations around the carrying capacity of their environment (ex. Lemmings)

What is the strategy of substituting raw materials that introduce less waste during the manufacturing process and reusing and recycling wastes at the plants where they are generated.

source reduction

water treatment

steps of _______ _______: 1) suspended particles are clumped together and sink to the bottom using aluminum sulfate 2) the water is filtered through sand and gravel to remove remaining particles and microorganisms 3) the water is disinfected using chlorine and fluoride or ozone/UV radiation (rare)

to go from a solid to a vapor without a liquid phase

sublimate

Fluoride

substance that helps prevent tooth decay and is added in small amounts to much of the nation's water supply. Opponents question whether it causes cancer or birth defects, but no research has conclusively linked it to any medical condition. It has, however, resulted in a 50-60 percent decrease in cavities

allows more water near the ground

subsurface drip irrigation or microirrigation

longwall mining

subsurface mining includes

Heavy metals (AS, PB, CA)

sulfuric acid mine drainage makes ____ ____ that are soluable in water

Strip Mining

surface mining that involves the removal of the Earth's surface all the way down to the level of the mineral seam; extremely damaging to the environment

Urban Runoff

surface runoff of rainwater created by urbanization. Hard, non-permeable surfaces, such as concrete and asphalt, replace soil, preventing water from entering aquifers. Rainwater instead flows over the hard surfaces, gathering pollutants and chemicals until it eventually rejoins a water source. Contains road salt, untreated garbage, construction sediment, and traffic emissions (often worse than sewage)

Type III

survivorship curve in which most of the population dies in infancy (frogs, fish)

Type I

survivorship curve in which the likelihood of dying is small until old age (humans)

Type II

survivorship curve in which there is an equal likelihood of dying throughout life (such as birds or small mammals and some lizards)

90 billion

suspected amount of barrels in the artic

PCBs

synthetic chemicals containing chlorine that are used in the manufacture of plastics and other industrial products, become stored in the tissue of animals, and also persist in the environment. Cause cancers, infertility, and liver damage

What are the two main categories of toxic chemicals?

synthetic organics and heavy metals

Biogas Digesters

systems that use the microbial decomposition of household and agricultural wastes to produce biogas used for cooking and lighting in developing countries. When biogas conversion is complete, the solid remains are removed and used as fertilizer

Geothermal Heat Pumps

systems that utilize the difference in temperature between the earth's surface and subsurface at depths from 1 m to 100 m. Made up of an underground arrangement of pipes containing circulating fluids to extract natural heat in winter, when the earth acts as a heat source, and transfer excess heat underground in the summer, when the earth acts as a heat sink. Pipes form a loop that feeds into a heat pump, with direct the flow of heated or cooled air. Estimated to be the most efficient heating system; expensive/complicated installment, but low operating costs, low carbon dioxide emissions, and high efficiency (still not widely used, however)

Concentrated Solar Power

technologies that concentrate solar energy to generate electricity

Direct Solar Energy

technology that makes use of radiant energy from the sun; solar energy that is used to heat water, heat buildings, and generate electricity

Concentrated Photovoltaic

technology which uses optics such as lenses/ curved mirrors to concentrate a large amount of sunlight onto a small area of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells to generate electricity; most effective form of solar electricity generation

Climograph

temperature and precipitation of biomes can be shown on a

algal bloom

temporary population explosion of algae

Hypoxia

term that describes a lack of oxygen both in humans and in waterways. In water, it is caused by rapid algae growth due to inorganic nutrients

Consumer Affluenza

term used by critics of consumerism to point out the escalating and intense desire to gain material possessions. The manufacture and waste of these consumer goods and luxuries (including foods) contribute greatly to climate change

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

the USA's reserve supply of oil (1 billion barrels), which should last for about three months in the event of severe interruptions to imported oil. Stored in underground salt caverns along the Gulf of Mexico

Persian Gulf

the _____ _____ War was partially caused by US dependence on foreign oil

Chisso

the ______ Corporation released millions of tons of wastewater containing methyl mercury into Minamata Bay in Japan. This led to thousands of deaths and adverse health effects

Cuyahoga

the _______ river fire brought attention to the severity of water pollution. Flows into Lake Erie, which was also extremely polluted at the time of the fire

reindeer

the _________ population on the Pribilof Islands of Alaska has helped scientists to better understand the concept of carrying capacity

Industrial

the _________ stage was characterized by lowering birth rates to match the low death rate. Population begins to stabilize

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

the ability of a particular soil to absorb and release cations. Soils closer to clay have a higher level

Meltdown

the accidental melting of the uranium fuel rods inside the core of a nuclear reactor, causing the release of radiation

Territoriality

the acquisition (normally by males) of an are for food, nesting, or attracting a mate

what determines whether it is better to buy reusable or disposable

the amount of material used over the lifetime of the product

Biological Oxygen Demand

the amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose wastes into co2, water, and minerals (through cellular respiration).; sewage/organic waste is measured in terms of this

day legnth

the angle of the sun determines

Watershed

the area of land that is drained by a water system

total fertility rate

the average number of children born to each woman in her lifetime. currently 2.8

Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

the biggest coal mine disaster in recent history with 28 dead

Habitat Fragmentation

the breakup of large areas of habitat into small, isolation patches (islands)

Demographics

the characteristics of a population with respect to age, race, and gender

anthracite

the cleanest-burning coal; almost pure carbon. Contains the most energy and least sulfur. Found in NE america

50

the clearing of tropical rainforests presents the most sever threat to biological diversity because, although tropical rainforests make up for only 7 percent of the earth's surface, as many as ______ percent of the earth's species (many of them endemic) inhabit them

Salinity

the concentration of dissolved salts in a body of water; impacts the kinds of organisms present

The edge effect

the condition in which, at ecosystem boundaries, there is greater species diversity and biological density than there is in the heart of ecological communities.

Population Growth Momentum

the continued growth of a population after fertility rates have declined, as a result of a population's young age structure

Extinction

the death of a species that occurs when the last individual member of that species dies. Once a species is extinct, it can never reappear

Ocean Temperature Gradients

the differences in temperature at various ocean depths; can be used to generate electricity

Age Structures

the distribution of individuals in different age-groups; depends on when people die and how many are born

Biotic Pollution

the effect of invasive species that can reduce or wipe out populations of many native species and trigger ecological disruptions.

Electricity Deregulation

the electric industry is changing to one in which companies compete with one another for customers across state lines. Competitive utilities are thought to be more likely than regulated monopolies to adopt technological advances that increase energy efficiency and therefore lower costs. This process is called...

recycle

the electronic's industry uses ion exchange and electrolyte recovery to reclaim and _______ heavy metals

Wind Energy

the energy captured by transforming the motion of air into electrical energy using a turbine; surface air currents are caused by the solar warming of air. Therefore, this type of energy is indirect solar energy

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

the everglades water basin was made a national park by

Adaptive Radiation

the evolution of a large number of related species from an ancestral organism (often due to an extinction event)

wind

the fastest-growing form of energy is ______ energy

DDT and PCB's accumulate in

the fatty tissue making them subject to biological magnification in food webs

Clay

the finest soil, made up of particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter. Little space for air and retains water.

Drake Well

the first oil well in Pennsylvania (est. 1859)

imprinting

the first thing a bird sees is its mother

Reactor core, Steam generator, Turbine, Condenser

the four parts of a nuclear power plant: the ______ ______, where fission occurs and heat is produced to create steam from liquid water in the _____ _____. The _____ uses the steam to generate electricity and the ______ cools the steam to convert it back to a liquid

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

the generation of electricity from ocean temperature gradients. Warm surface water is pumped into a power plant, where it heats a liquid with a very low boiling point, such as ammonia, to create steam. The steam drives a turbine to generate electricity as the ammonia is cooled by the very cold water brought up from the ocean depths. Could have drastic environmental impacts on marine life due to the large volume of cold water that must be brought to the surface; causes changes in temperature, salinity, nutrients, and other factors that would greatly effect marine life

Coal Gasification

the generation of methane from coal

great barrier reef

the largest coral reef in the world (1200 miles)

Carrying Capacity

the largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support; determined by the most limiting fact and results in an "s" curve of population growth (population growth levels out)

65

the last mass extinction event was around _____ million years ago

other

the loss of one species often leads to the loss of ______ species because of the interconnected nature of ecosystems

temperature changes

the main contributor to the death of coral reefs are

carrying capacity

the maximum number of a species an ecosystem can support

Biotic Potential (Intrinsic Rate of Growth)

the maximum rate at which a population can increase (two names); determined by life history characteristics

biotic potential

the maximum rate at which a population can reproduce and exist

bike

the most efficient mode of transportation is the ______

Wave Energy

the motion of waves is harnessed and converted from mechanical energy into electricity; devices that collect this energy are susceptible to damage by powerful ocean storms

population dispersion

the movement of individuals between populations

Population Dispersal

the movement of individuals between populations (emigration and immigration)

Hydrologic cycle

the movement of water from the oceans to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean; involves evaporation, precipitation, transpiration, run off, and condensation

800, Orlando, Pheonix

the natural water treatment system in Arcata, California has inspired at least ______ towns to follow suit, including _______, Florida and _______, Arizona

replacement level fertility

the number of children a couple must have to replace themselves. currently 2.1

Limnetic Zone

the open water of a lake or pond beyond the littoral zone; extends down as far as sunlight penetration permits photosynthesis. Contains phytoplankton and zooplankton, but little vegetation and animals

neritic province

the part of the pelagic environment that overlies the ocean floor from the shoreline to a depth of 200m

Infant Mortality Rate

the percentage of children who die before their first birthday per thousand

Survivorship

the percentage of members of a group that are likely to survive to any given age; three types of curves

Radioactive Half Life

the period of time required for half of the amount of radioactive substance in a sample to change into a different material

survivorship

the probability that an organism will last till a certain age

Imprinting

the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life

Fission

the process that nuclear power plants use; larger atoms are split into two smaller atoms of different elements. U-235 is bombarded with neutrons to split the atoms into fragments, which split off and bombard other fragments with neutrons. This creates an incredibly energetic chain reaction

Fusion

the process that powers the sun and other stars; two smaller atoms are combined to make one larger atom of a different element

Growth Rate (r)

the rate of change of a population's size, expressed in percent per year; also called natural increase

fuel assemblies, control rod

the reactor core contains the ______ ______. Above each fuel assembly is a _____ _____ made of special metal alloy that is capable of absorbing neutrons

Enrichment

the refining process of Uranium ore to increase the concentration of U-235 to 3%

Profundal Zone

the region of water in a lake where sunlight does not penetrate; no vegetation or algae. Bacteria decompose dead organisms, using up oxygen and nutrients. This creates a mineral rich and anaerobic environment, with few organisms other than bacteria

Tertiary Treatment

the removal of inorganic minerals and plant nutrients after primary and secondary treatment of sewage to prevent environmental degradation; highest form of wastewater treatment (not always performed)

slag

the residue or mass of metal left after smelting; worthless matter

Bituminious

the second-purest form of coal. Contains much sulfur

Littoral Zone

the shallow-water area along the shore of a lake or pond; light penetrates through shallow water, allowing vegetation and animals to thrive

Subsidence

the sinking of regions of the Earth's crust to lower elevations due to aquifer depletion

Phenology

the study of seasonal changes

phenology

the study of seasonal changes

Population Ecology

the study of the number of one species in a certain area at a certain time

population ecology

the study of the number of one species in a certain area at a certain time

Binomial Nomenclature

the system of classification used today developed by Carolus Linnaeus

Periodicity

the tendency of animal or plant activity/behavior to recur at regular intervals

Replacement Level Fertility

the total fertility rate required to offset the average number of deaths in a population in order to maintain the current population size/the number of children a couple must have to replace themselves

20 million

the us produces how many barrels of oil per day

liquid sodium

the use of ______ ______ as a coolant in breeder nuclear fission makes it very dangerous because this type of coolant reacts explosively with water that surrounds the reactor core (leaks would be disastrous)

Energy Efficiency

the use of less energy to accomplish the same task. Seen as a solution to high energy demands

Sustainable water use

the use of water resources in a fashion that does not harm the essential functions of the hydrologic cycle or the ecosystems on which present and future humans depend

Spent Fuel

the used fuel elements that were irradiated in a nuclear reactor

Ecosystem Diversity

the variety of interactions among organisms in natural communities

36.1, Africa, Sub-Saharan

there are ______ million cases of AIDS worldwide. Most cases of AIDS occur in _____, specifically the _____ _____ region. This leaves behind millions of orphans

Producers

there are more ____ downstream

ecosystem services

things an ecosystem does intact

technological and hazardous waste often are shipped to

third world countries

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977)

this law requires mining companies to restore land during and after mining to prevent erosion, water pollution, and landslides. Begins while mining is still in progress. Prohibits mining in parks, refuges, and nature reserves

decreasing

this shape of an age structure would suggest ________ population growth

rapid

this shape of an age structure would suggest ________ population growth

steady

this shape of an age structure would suggest ________ population growth

habitat, disease, pollinator, pesticides

threats to pollinator species: _______ alteration/destruction, _______, introduction of competing _______ species, use of _______ in agriculture

Russia, Iran, Qatar

three nations with the most natural gas

California, Texas, Florida

three states with the greatest number of residents by 2025

What is the word for the cost of dumping trash in a landfill?

tipping fee

the problem with some irrigation systems is that

too much evaporation occurs

Arcata

town in Northern California that took a natural approach to wastewater treatment by restoring/constructing freshwater wetlands to remove contaminants (nitrogen and phosphorous) from wastewater

Mercury

toxic element that can vaporize at room temperature. Mainly released by coal combustion and finds its way into waterways via precipitation. Also released by municipal waste incinerators, medical waste incinerators, smelting of metals, fluorescent lights, thermostats, and industrial wastewater. Settles in sediments in bodies of water and accumulates in the food chain (the fish that humans eat contain high levels of lead). Exposure causes mental retardation, cerebral palsy, developmental delays in fetuses, kidney disorders, and damage to nervous and cardiovascular systems

downside of incineration

toxic fumes are released

Lead

toxic inorganic chemical that used to be found in gasoline, but is now mainly found in paint, batteries, and old pipes. This heavy metal is extremely detrimental to health, as exposure can lead to high blood pressure, miscarriages, premature births, mental/physical impairments in children, lower IQs, learning disabilities, hearing loss, hyperactivity, and attention deficits

30

traditional power plants lose about _____ percent of the energy being transferred to other places

Reclaimed water

treated wastewater that is reused in some way, such as for irrigation, manufacturing processes that require water for cooling, wetland restoration, or groundwater recharge

Secondary Treatment

treating wastewater biologically, by using microorganisms to decompose the suspended organic material; occurs after primary treatment

Savanna

tropical grassland that has enough rainfall to support a limited number of trees; fire adapted plants, dry climate, thin layer of soil with rapid drainage, high biodiversity

adaptive radiation

tropical rainforests have often supplied the base of ancestral organisms from with _____ _____ could occur. The destruction of rain forests could eliminate or reduce nature's ability to replace its species

Mangroves

tropical salt marshes that provide valuable ecosystem services, such as acting as fish nurseries, providing a nesting site for migratory birds, stabilizing the shoreline to reduce erosion, and storm buffering

T/F Burning trash for energy produces less atmospheric carbon dioxide than burning coal does.

true

How big is the great pacific vortex

twice the size of texas and 7 feet deep

New Jersey, Rhode Island

two states with the highest population densities

Alaska, Wyoming

two states with the lowest population densities

uniform dispersion

type of dispersion in which each organism has its own territory and is repelled from each other

clumped dispersion

type of dispersion in which organisms are social and attracted to each other

random dispersion

type of dispersion in which organisms do not interact and are simply scattered

Passive Solar Heating

type of heating in which solar energy is used to heat buildings without the need for pumps or fans to distribute the collected heat or produce electricity; natural convection currents are used instead

Water Penny Beatles

type of organism with a flattened body (sticks to surfaces and water flows over) that is adapted to fast-moving currents; other organisms are adapted to fast currents with suckers and muscular/streamlined bodies

K-Selected

types of animals that must be taught survival skills by parents

commercial, fundamental, complete

types of extinction: _______ extinction (aren't enough for humans to use), _______ extinction (some alive, but recovery is impossible), ______ extinction (none left)

3

typical nuclear power plants have _____ water circuits

Warning colors

warns predator that they are dangerous

Who had the power on Easter Island once the resources became scarce?

warriors

Individual Septic Systems

wastewater treatment used in many private residences, especially in rural areas, where municipal wastewater treatment is unavailable. Household sewage is piped to a septic tank, where particles settle to the bottom. Grease and oils form a layer on top and bacteria decompose most of the organic material. Wastewater flows into a drain field through percolated pipes set in trenches of gravel, where bacteria decompose the remaining organic wastes in well-aerated soil

universal solvent

water

Secondary Water Circuit

water circuit in which the water is converted to steam in the steam generator; the pressurized steam turns the turbine, which spins a generator to produce electricity. After it has gone through the turbine, the steam is converted back into liquid in the condenser

Primary Water Circuit

water circuit in which the water is heated using the energy produced by the fission reaction; closed system that circulates water under high pressure through the reactor core. Due to the high pressure, it never boils (AKA, stays in a liquid state)

Tertiary Water Circuit

water circuit that provides cool water to the condenser As the water in this circuit is heated, it moves from the condenser to a lake or cooling tower

evaporation

water leaves salt deposits behind

Fecal Coliform Test

water quality test that determines the presence of sewage in water supplies. A sample of water is passed through a filter to trap bacteria. The filter is transported to a nutrient-containing petri dish. After an incubation period, the number of greenish colonies on the dish indicates the number of E. Coli. E. Coli is tested for because it is not present in nature except for human/animal feces

The upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater

water table

Groundwater

water that filters through the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers and accumulated underneath an impermeable layer

Population Dispersion

way in which individuals of a population are spread out over an area or volume; three types (uniform, random, clumped)

1/2

we have used approx ___ the oil in the world

C horizon

weathered parent material, broken down rock. Bad growth lots of clay

Bogs

wetlands that are characterized by acidic waters (carnivorous plants), peat deposits, and moss

goats

what animal do people use to reduce undergrowth in chaparrals to decrease wildfire damage?

Canada

what country uses the most energy, putting the USA in second place?

directional selection

when a certain extreme of a trait is preferable and selected

disruptive selection

when both extremes of a trait are preferable and selected, but the middle is selected against

Offshore Wind Farms

wind farms built at sea, away from the coast; can produce much more energy than wind farms on land because wind at sea is more constant/stronger

Indirect Solar Energy

wind, biomass (such as wood, agricultural wastes, and fast-growing plants), and hydropower are examples of this type of solar energy

Riparian Woodland

woodland along the bank of a river or stream; stabilizes shore to reduce soil erosion and shades water to moderate temperature

Radioisotope

word for a radioactive isotope

landscaping with plants that use little water

xeriscaping

Energy Guide Labels

yellow labels that provide estimates of the annual operating costs and efficiency levels of appliances. Consumers who use this information to buy energy-efficient appliances save hundreds of dollars on utility bills

runoff

you should not top off while filling your gasoline tank because the gas can leak onto the ground and ______ into waterways