environmental science semester 1 review

bureau of land management

..., A federal bureau within the Department of the Interior which manages and controls certain lands owned by the United States.

biodiversity hotspots

..., A relatively small area with an exceptional concentration of endemic species

strip cutting

..., A variation of clear-cutting in which a strip of trees is clear-cut along the contour of the land, with the corridor narrow enough to allow natural regeneration within a few years. After regeneration, another strip is cut above the first, and so on.

conservation

..., Ability to recognize that objects can e transformed in some way, visually or phycially, yet still be the same in number, weight, substance, or volume

wilderness

..., Area where the earth and its community of life have not been seriously disturbed by humans and where humans are only temporary visitors.

reserves

..., Deposits that a bank keeps as cash in its vault or on deposit with the Federal Reserve.

intrinsic value

..., Difference between the EXERCISE PRICE or strike price of an option and the market value of the underlying security. For example, if the strike price is $50 on a call option to purchase a stock with a market price of $55, the option has an intrinsic value of $5. Or, in the case of a put option, if the strike price was $55 and the market price of the underlying stock was $50, the intrinsic value of the option would also be $5. Options AT THE MONEY or OUT OF THE MONEY have no intrinsic value. Also known as "in-the-money."

easements

..., Easements are grants of a nonpossessory property interest that entitles its holder to some form of use or enjoyment of another's land, called the servient tenement. Examples includes such things as privilege to lay utility lines or to cross a tract of land. They can be affirmative or negative, appurtenant or in gross

monoculture

..., Farming strategy in which large fields are planted with a single crop, year after year

selective cutting

..., Harvesting only mature trees of certain species and size; usually more expensive then clear-cutting but it is less disruptive for wildlife and often better for forest regeneration

food insecurity

..., Inability to acquire or consume an adequate quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways, or the uncertainty that one will be able to do so

tree plantation

..., Site planted with one or only a few tree species in an even-aged stand. When the stand matures it is usually harvested by clear-cutting and then replanted. These farms normally are used to grow rapidly growing tree species for fuelwood, timber, or pulpwood.

clear cutting

..., The process of cutting down all the trees in an area at once.

rangelands

..., Unfenced grasslands in temperate and tropical climates that supply forage or vegetation for grazing and browsing animals.

corridors

..., a strip of natural habitat that connects two adjacent nature preserves to allow migration of organisms from one place to another

polyculture

..., complex form of intercropping in which a large number of different plants maturing at different times are planted together

old-growth forest

..., primeval forests home to much of the world's biodiversity, endangered species, and indigenous human cultures; forests that cover a large enough area and have been undisturbed by human activities long enough that tress can live out a natural cycle and ecological processes can occur in relatively normal fashion

captive breeding

..., some or all wild individuals of a critically endangered species captured for breeding in captivity, with the aim of reintroducing the offspring into the wild

second growth forest

..., stands of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession after cutting. Includes most forests in the US.

cell

Basic unit of life

weather

Condition of earths atmosphere at a particular time and place

abyssal zone

Dark layer; found only in open sea and do not contain photosynthesizing producers because of a lack of sunlight; very cold with little dissolved oxygen

Ammonification

Decomposers convert organic waste into ammonia

sustainable

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

environment

Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.

Extant

Existing, not destroyed or lost

natural services

Functions of nature, such as purification of air and water, which support life and human economies.

greenhouse gases

Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect.

natural greenhouse effect

Heat buildup in the atmosphere due to the presence of 'greenhouse' gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor.

Law of conservation of energy (first law of thermodynamics)

Heat is a form of energy which can be neither created nor destroyed but can be changed in form

sustainable yield

Highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply

poverty

Inability to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

natural resources

Materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain

law of conservation of matter

Matter is not created nor destroyed in any chemical or physical change

biotic potential

Maximum rate at which the population of a given species can increase when there are no limits on its rate of growth.

forests

Natural or planted trees, and includes land where forests have been cleared if it will be reforested

natural capital

Natural resources and natural services that keep us and other species alive and support our economies.

species diversity

Number of different species in the biosphere

paradigm shift

Occurs when a new radical form of business enters the market that reshapes the way companies and organizations behave

10% Rule

Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level. The amount of energy passed up to the levels of the food pyramid reduces as you go up.

organic molecules vs. inorganic compounds

Organic Molecule: Made up of both carbon & Hydrogen atom

runoff

Part of the water cycle where an excess of water runs down and does not sink into the soil and eventually makes it to the rivers, lakes, and oceans.

age structure

Percentage of the population (or number of people of each sex) at each age level in a population.

Differential reproduction

Phenomenon in which individuals with adaptive genetic traits produce more living offspring than do individuals without such traits.

physical change vs. chemical change

Physical change changes appearance or state while the composition is unchanged while a chemical change alters the composition of matter

Fossils

Preserved remains of once-living organisms

Nitrogen fixation

Process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia

Undergrazing

Reduction of the net primary productivity of grassland vegetation and grass cover from absence of grazing for long periods (at least 5 years).

ecology

Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

climate

Seasonal pattern of weather conditions in an area over many years; does not change rapidly

Reproductive isolation

Separation of species or populations so that they cannot interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Native species

Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem

indicator species

Species that serve as early warnings that a community or ecosystem is being degraded.

genetic diversity

Sum total of all the different forms of genetic information carried by all organisms living on Earth today.

Biodiversity

The amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.

littoral

The area in which the sediment actively works by marine processes on a regular basis. The farthest onshore where waves/wind can push sediment to subzones.

profundal

The deep, open water where it is too dark for photosynthesis in freshwater lakes

total fertility rate

The number of children born to an average woman in a population during her entire reproductive life

crude death rate

The number of deaths per year per 1,000 people.

marine snow

The organic debris (plankton, dead organisms, fecal material, etc.) that "rains" into the dark area of the oceanic province from the lighted region above; the primary food of most organisms that live in the ocean's depths.

open sea

The sharp increase in water depth at the edge of the continental shelf separates the coastal zone from the vast volume of the ocean

endangered

There are very FEW living organisms of that species and therefore, action is being taken to prevent the extinction of this species.

surface water

Water above the surface of the land, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, floodwater, and runoff.

second law of thermodynamics

When two bodies at different temperatures are placed in contact with each other, heat will flow from the warmer body to the cooler body until a final equilibrium temperature is reached.

keystone species/foundation species

a species whose impact on its community or ecosystem are much larger and more influential than would be expected from mere abundance

aquatic life zones

aquatic equivalent of biomes; marine and freshwater portions of the biosphere that can be divided into multiple ecosystems

habitat vs. niche

habitat is where the organism lives, niche is the organisms specific role in its community

high quality matter

highly concentrated, is typically found near the earth's surface, and has great potential for use as a resource

Extinct

no longer in existence, describes a species when the last individual of a population dies and that organism is gone forever

Background Extinction

normal extinction of various species as a result of changes in local environmental conditions

high quality energy

organized and concentrated; can perform useful work (fossil fuel and nuclear)

Denitrification

process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere

non-native/introduced

species that humans move intentionally or accidentally from the species' native locations to new geographic regions

per capita ecological footprint

the average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country or area

species

(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed

Taylor grazing act

A United States federal law that regulates grazing on federal public land. The Secretary of the Interior has the authority to handle all of the regulations, and he became responsible for establishing grazing districts. Before these districts are created there must be a hearing held by the state.

grasslands

A biome dominated by grasses and associated herbaceous plants

biomes

A broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions.

turbidity

A measure of how clear water is.

Speciation

A process typically caused by the genetic isolation from a main population resulting in a new genetically distinct species.

Mutations

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change

watershed

A region or area bounded peripherally by a divide and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water

resources partitioning

A situation in which selection pressures cause changes in the ways in which the competing species use the limiting resources, allowing both to coexist.

resources

A source or supply or support

threatened

A species that is considered likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

Ecological Niche

A specific role of a species within an ecosystem, including its use of resources, and relationships with other species.

climax community

A stable mature community in a successive series which has reached equilibrium after having evolved through stages and adapted to its environment

ecosystem

A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

Adaption

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce

desert

A type of biome characterized by low moisture levels and infrequent and unpredictable precipitation. Daily and seasonal temperatures fluctuate widely

ecological footprint

A way of measuring how much of an impact a person or community has on the earth. Someone who uses more natural resources will have a bigger footprint than someone who uses less.

species evenness

Abundance of individuals within each species contained in a community.

Nitrification

Ammonium converted into nitrate and nitrite (NO2-) through work of nitrifying bacteria.

abiotic vs. biotic

An abiotic factor is a nonliving substance (rocks, climate) that affect an ecosystem, while biotic factors are living organisms that affect an ecosystem.

crude birth rate

Annual number of live births per 1,000 people in the population of a geographic area at the midpoint of a given year.

estuaries

Are bodies of water found in areas where freshwater from rivers and streams and salt water from the ocean meet.

limnetic

Area in a freshwater habitat away from the shore but still close to the surface

cultural carrying capacity

the maximum number of people who could live in reasonable freedom and comfort indefinitely, without decreasing the ability of the earth to sustain future generations.

Net primary Productivity

the rate at which biomass accumulates in an ecosystem