AP environmental Science Chapter 4

phytoplankton

Floating algae.

Freshwater biomes have low salinity

Fresh water biomes can be categorized as streams and rivers, lakes and ponds, or freshwater wetlands.

atmospheric convection current

Global patterns of air movement that are initiated by the unequal heating of Earth.

If shade-grown coffee produces less coffee per hectare, what economic factor might prevent all coffee from being grown this way?

If shade-grown coffee produces less coffee per hectare, the economic factor that might prevent all coffee from being grown this way is that it will be very expensive as the owners of shade- grown coffee farms need to charge higher prices to match the profits of other farms.

If three times as much coffee can be grown in the sun than in the shade, what are the trade offs in terms of the amount of land used for growing coffee under these two alternative agriculture practices?

If three times as much coffee can be grown in the Sun than in the shade, the trade offs in terms of the amount of land used for growing coffee under these two alternative agricultural practices are: To grow coffee in sun, like other crops require clearing of large areas of rainforest. Also the coffee fields became attractive targets for insect pests and diseases. To overcome that problem Farmers have applied a variety of pesticides which has increased the cost of farming coffee, poisoned workers, and polluted the environment. Where as growing coffee under shade will not require clearing of rainforest. also Coffee bushes grown in this way attract fewer pests, so less money is needed to buy and apply pesticide, and there is less risk to workers and the nearby soil and water. Using these methods, coffee can be grown while still preserving some of the plant diversity of the rainforest .

solstices

June solstice: The Northern Hemisphere is maximally tilted toward the sun and experiences the longest day of the year. Summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere. Winter begins in the Southern Hemisphere. December Solstice: The Northern Hemisphere is maximally tilted away from the Sun and experiences the shortest day of the year. Winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer begins in the Southern Hemisphere.

Lakes and Ponds

Lakes are characterized by standing water and a central zone of water that is too deep for emergent vegetation.

El Niño—Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

A reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific. ● Importance: This change in the wind allows warm equatorial water from the western pacific to move eastward toward the west coast of South America.

Mangrove Swamps

A swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water.

Tropical Rainforest

A warm and wet biome found between 20 N and 20 S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation.

Limnetic zone

A zone of open water in lakes and ponds.

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.

aquatic biome

An aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow.

Estuary

An area along the coast where the fresh water of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean.

habitat

An area where a particular species lives in nature.

Permafrost

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil.

thermohaline circulation

An oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water.

The Open Ocean

Deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom.

Oligotrophic

Describes a lake with a low level of productivity.

Eutrophic

Describes a lake with a moderate level of productivity.

Mesotrophic

Describes a lake with a moderate level of productivity.

equinoxes

March equinox: The sun is directly overhead at the equator and all regions of Earth receive 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere. Fall begins in the Southern Hemisphere. September equinox: The sun is directly overhead at the equator and all regions of Earth receive 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Fall begins in the northern Hemisphere. Spring begins in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring begins in the Southern Hemisphere.

Streams and Rivers

Streams and rivers are freshwater aquatic biomes that are characterized by flowing water.

Climate

The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time.

adiabatic cooling

The cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands.

aphotic zone

The deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis.

Coriolis effect

The deflection of an object's path due to the rotation of Earth.

adiabatic heating

The heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of Earth and decreases in volume.

Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

The latitude that receives the most intense sunlight, which causes the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells to converge.

stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, extending roughly 16 to 50km above the surface of Earth.

saturation point

The maximum amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature.

Coral Reefs

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline.

Benthic zone

The muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean.

Intertidal Zones

The narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide.

albedo

The percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a structure.

latent heat release

The release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water.

Littoral zone

The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow.

Weather

The short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area, which include temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, and wind speed.

photic zone

The upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis.

Upwelling

The upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents. ● Importance: The deep waters bring with them nutrients from the ocean bottom that support large populations of producers.

A. Air has several important properties that determine how it circulates in the atmosphere

density, water vapor capacity, adiabatic heating or cooling, and latent heat release

Temperate Grassland/Cold Desert

A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers.

Woodland/Shrubland:

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.

Tropical Seasonal Forest/Savanna

A biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons.

Subtropical Desert

A biome prevailing at approximately 30 N and 30 S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation.

Temperate Seasonal Forest

A biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1 m of precipitation annually.

Temperate Rainforest

A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation.

Tundra

A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation.

Hadley cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30 N and 30 S.

ferrell cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that lies between Hadley cells and polar cells.

polar cell

A convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60 N and 60 S and sinks at the poles, 90 N and 90 S.

Boreal forest:

A forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons.

terrestrial biome

A geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land.

Gyre

A large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. ● importance: Gyres redistribute heat in the ocean, just as atmospheric convection currents redistribute heat in the atmosphere.

troposphere

A layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of Earth. Extending up to approximately 16 km.

Salt Marshes

A marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates.

coral bleaching

A phenomenon in which algae inside coral die, causing the corals to turn white.

chemosynthesis

A process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide.

Profundal zone

A region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes.

rain shadow

A region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side.