Environmental Science, part 2
Pheromones
Chemicals produced by one organism that affect the behavior of another.
a group of organisms that can successfully mate with each other and reproduce
Choose the phrase that correctly finishes this statement: "A species is..."
Brownfields Program
Cleans up hazardous waste sites
Deforestation
Clearing trees without replacing them
Fossil Fuels
Coal, oil, and natural gas
there is only a limited amount of food and living space available in any ecosystem
Competition for resources is a limiting factor because
Selective Cutting
Cutting only middle aged or mature trees
Suburban Sprawl
Development that spreads out around cities, characterized by houses and strip malls.
Solar cells
Devices that convert the sun's energy directly into electricity.
Pathogens
Disease causing bacteria, viruses, parasitic worms, and other organisms.
interactions between organisms as well as the interactions between organisms and their environment
Ecology is the study of the
Low Input farming
Farming which doesn't use a lot of energy, pesticides, fertilizer, or water.
Arable Land
Fertile land that can be plowed to grow crops.
habitat
Food, water, shelter, and a space in which to live all describe an organism's
physical monitoring, environmental monitoring, chemical monitoring, and biological monitoring.
Four common types of ecosystem monitoring are
Greenhouse Gases
Gases that trap and radiate heat: Water vapor, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, methane, and nitrous oxide.
Polyculture
Growing more than one crop at a time.
Monoculture
Growing only one crop at a time.
A solid
Has a fixed shape and stays the same shape unless it is acted on forcefully
three types of consumers
Herbivores, carnivores and omnivores are
an organism that cannot produce its own food
A consumer is
producers are usually eaten by many different consumers and most consumers are eaten by more than one predator
A food web is more realistic than a food chain for showing the feeding relationships in ecosystems because
Mistletoe
A parasite that grows on trees and rob its hosts of sugar, water and other nutrients
Primary Pollutant
A pollutant that is put directly into the air by human activity.
has reached its carrying capacity
A population that has reached the largest number of individuals that the environment can support over a long period of time
Clear Cutting
A process that involves removing all of the trees from a land area
Ecological succession
A process where species present at one stage change the environment in some way that makes it possible for other species to move in
There are always a large number of producers at the bottom and fewer top consumers
A pyramid of numbers shows that in an ecosystem
an environmental impact assessment
A report that outlines how an activity will affect the environment is called
Threatened Species
A species that could become endangered
Threatened species
A species that could become endangered if the factors limiting its population are not reversed is called
an endangered species
A species that is almost extinct is called
Shifting Agriculture
A type of farming where the farmer will fell and burn down trees to grow crops. After a few years, he will move on and continue the process.
Cellular respiration
A way in which consumers break down high-energy foods
more wildlife than fields or forests
According to some environmental biologists, wetlands have
Salinization
Accumulation of salts in the soil
The Earth Summit
Aimed to integrate environmental and economic goals of countries
atoms
All matter is made up of small particles called
Infrastructure
All the things society builds for public use
Wilderness Act
An act which protects certain lands as national parks.
Safe Drinking Water Act
An act which required the EPA to set standards for drinking water.
Water Pollution Control Act
An act which set standards for the amount of pollution in water.
Sahelanthropus Tchadensis
An extinct hominid species believed to be the last common ancestor between man and apes.
Australopithecus Afarensis
An extinct hominid species believed to exhibit the first example of full-time bipedalism.
Neanderthals
An extinct hominid species believed to have the same brain capacity as modern man and use many different weapons.
educate people about them
An important part of the plan to help populations of species recover is to
Silent Spring
An influential book by Rachel Carson which helped begin the environmental movement.
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
An international convention which created the framework for protecting the ozone layer.
a producer
An organism that creates its own food is called
a scavenger
An organism that eats decaying plants and animals is called
Producers
An organisms that make their own food
Ozone
An unstable form of oxygen which protects the earth from UV radiation. Although naturally occurring in the stratosphere (upper atmosphere), in the lower atmosphere this gas acts as a pollutant.
a limiting factor
Any abiotic or biotic factor that controls the number of individuals in a population is
qualitative
Any property you can observe directly with your senses is a _______ property.
Ecological reserves
Areas set aside by the government to protect endangered habitats and organisms are known as?
ecological reserves
Areas set aside to protect examples of the different habitats in the province are called
the build-up of pollutants in an organism
Bioaccumulation is
a captive breeding program
Biologists might use _________ to mate animals in zoos then release the young into the wild.
a wide variety of organisms, many ecosystems, and a diverse geography and climate
British Columbia has 10 ecoprovinces, showing that British Columbia also has
an ecologist
If you studied ecosystems to learn about relationships between organisms and any changes in populations that take place over a long period of time, you would be
top consumers
In a food chain, the organisms most affected by bioaccumulation are
the environment in some way
In the process of ecological succession, organisms that are present at one stage change
traditional ecological knowledge
Information that is based upon the beliefs, cultures, and values of Aboriginal peoples and their thousands of years of experience in their environments is called
Secondary Pollutant
Is formed when a primary pollutant comes into contact with other primary pollutant.
Urban Crisis
Lack of adequate infrastructure in overpopulated cities.
biomes
Large regions that have about the same temperature and amount of rain or snow are known as
natural disturbances
Limiting factors such as landslides, forest fires, floods and extreme weather are all
Detrivores
Made up of detritus feeders and decomposers.
global warming
Many scientists call the steady increase in the temperature of Earth's atmosphere
Nonrenewable resources
Materials being used faster than they can naturally be replaced.
natural resources
Objects found in nature that people use to meet their basic needs are
Thermal Inversion
Occurs when a layer of warm air settles over a layer of cooler air that lies near the ground. The warm air holds down the cool air and prevents pollutants from rising and scattering.
Nuclear Fusion
Occurs when lightweight atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing huge amounts of energy in the process.
Biological Magnification
Occurs when toxins pass from organism to organism: An infected fish is eaten by a bird, the toxin increases and is passed onto the bird.
selective harvesting
One method of practicing responsible stewardship is to take only some of the available resources. This is also known as
a food chain
One model that shows how energy passes from organism to organism is called
loss of habitat
One of the main reasons wildlife populations become threatened is
most of the energy is used for life processes
Only a small amount of the energy stored in food is available to the next organism in a food chain because
Native species
Organisms that occur naturally in an ecosystem
Hetrotrophs
Organisms which consume autotrophs for food.
Autotrophs
Organisms which produce their own food.
Copiotrophs
Organisms which thrive in high nutrient environments, especially those with plenty of carbon.
Oligotrophs
Organisms which thrive in low nutrient environments and usually have slow growth rates.
Eukaryotes
Organisms with a nucleus.
the three main types of symbiotic relationships
Parasitism, commensalism and mutualism are
Clean Water Acts
Passed in 1977 and 1987 to help control water pollution
Soil and water conservation act
Passed in 1977 for the conservation, protection, and enhancement of soil, water, and natural resources.
long-term monitoring
Populations of many species change naturally from year to year, so ecologists monitor the same populations for many years. This is called
superfund act
Primary goal is to clean up hazardous waste sites.
respiration
Process by which carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is taken in by plants during photosynthesis, and converted into glucose, an energy source for plants and animals
Evaporation
Process in which liquid water changes into an invisible gas called water vapor
Transpiration
Process in which water that is taken in through a plant's roots evaporates from the leaves, stems and flowers
chlorophyll
Producers make food using ______ to trap the Sun's energy in a process called photosynthesis.
Habitat restoration
Projects are undertaken to restore or improve habitats that have been damaged are known as?
a habitat enhancement project
Providing nesting boxes for birds is an example of
Closed loop recycling
Recycling products into new products of the same type
Abiotic
Refers only to the non-living parts of an environment, and biomes contain biotic and abiotic environments
A decomposer
Releases a chemical that breaks down dead or waste material, so the decomposer can absorb the material into its body
habitat restoration
Removing garbage from a stream or planting trees along the banks is an example of
Reforestation
Replacing trees that have died or have been cut down.
Reclamation
Restoring mined land to the condition it was in before mining.
quadrat
Scientists often estimate population sizes in ecosystems by marking off a specific area using a
an ecosystem
Scientists refer to a biological community and the abiotic parts of the environment that affect the community as
ecosystem monitoring
Scientists use _____ to track changes in ecosystems by comparing the results of investigations done at different times.
annual surveys
Scientists use _________, conducted at the same time and place every year, to track changes in populations.
help people make better decisions about how to treat their environment
Scientists use both scientific knowledge and traditional Aboriginal knowledge to
Ecological reserves
Set aside to protect examples of different habitats in the province as well as rare and endangered plants and animals are known as?
Prokaryotes
Single-celled organisms which lack a nucleus.
Desertification
Soil fertility that deteriorates so much that the land becomes desert-like.
spruce broom rust and canine distemper
Some examples of how diseases and parasites can limit populations are
Keystone Species
Species that are very important to the functioning of an ecosystem.
Greenhouse Effect
Sunlight comes through the atmosphere and heats earth. The heat radiates up from earth and some escapes into space. The rest of the heat is trapped by gases in the troposphere and warms the air on earth.
abiotic
Temperature, light, air, water, soil, and climate are all __________ parts of the environment
environmental monitoring
The Nisga'a operate fish wheels on both the lower and the upper Nass River, allowing biologists to tag fish at the lower wheel and count them upstream. This is an example of
Stockholm Conference
The UN's first major conference on environmental issues.
does not change
The amount of carbon in the environment
Tropopause
The area between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Here the temperature reverses from decreasing to increasing with altitude.
Turbidity
The cloudiness of a liquid due to small suspended particles.
Resource Partitioning
The coexistence of two species using the same resource where the two will use the resource in different ways.
Lithosphere
The crust and upper mantle of the earth.
Nuclear energy
The energy that exists within the nucleus of an atom.
gas
The form of matter that has no shape of its own, takes the shape of its container and fills the container completely is a
liquid
The form of matter that has no shape of its own, takes the shape of its container and forms a surface
precipitation, condensation, transpiration, and evaporation
The four main processes of the water cycle are
tundra, grassland, boreal forest, and temperate forest
The four major biomes of Canada are
ecological succession
The gradual change in the make-up of a biological community over time is called
Mesosphere
The layer that's above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. Height is about 30 to 80km. This layer burns up metorids and other space objects.
Joseph Fourier 1824
The natural greenhouse effect was first described by:
how one population can limit another population
The predator-prey cycle shows
Precipitation
The process in which tiny water droplets inside clouds combine to form large drops
transpiration
The process in which water evaporates from the leaves, stems and flowers of plants is called
condensation
The process in which water vapor changes to a liquid is called
Interplanting
The process of planting different plant species right next to each other to maximize one's yield.
Alley Cropping
The process of planting trees in between other crops.
Harmful Algal Bloom
The rapid increase of harmful algae in a body of water.
Downcycling
The recycling of one type of product into different products
Thermosphere
The region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere and below the height at which the atmosphere ceases to have the properties of a continuous medium. Is characterized throughout by an increase in temperature with height
Claude Pouillet
The role of water vapor and CO2 in the greenhouse effect was later identified by:
No-Till Farming
The seeds of the next crop are planted in slits that are cut into the soil, straight through the remains of the previous crops.
niche
The space where an organism lives and the role an organism plays within its ecosystem is referred to as a
the carbon cycle
The way in which carbon is used and reused through the ecosystem is called
phytoplankton, zooplankton
There would be no life in the oceans without organisms called ______ and ______. A) decomposers, phytoplankton B) zooplankton, consumers C) phytoplankton, zooplankton D) zooplankton, scavengers
Subsistence Farmers
Those who grow food just for just their family.
a pyramid of numbers
To show how many organisms are at each level of a food chain, ecologists use a model called
run-off
Water that moves over the surface of the ground into lakes and rivers is called
energy flow
What do ecologists call the transfer of energy that begins with the Sun and passes from one organism to the next in a food chain?
A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same ecosystem
What is a population?
All the interacting organisms that live in an environment and the abiotic parts of the environment that affect the organisms
What is an ecosystem?
loss of habitat
What is the biggest threat facing organisms today?
pollution
When any substance is added to the environment faster than it can be broken down, stored, or converted to a non-harmful form, it is called
a habitat restoration project
When concerned people try to restore or improve damaged areas of an ecosystem, this is called
Thermal Pollution
When excessive amounts of heat are added to a body of water.
Open Pit Mining
When machines are used to dig large holes in the ground and remove ore.
community
When populations share their environment and interact with populations of other species, it is called a
Germ Plasm Bank
When reproductive (germ) cells of organisms are stored.
acid rain
When sulfur and nitrogen compounds mix with water vapour, __________ is formed
Passive solar heating
When sunlight is used to heat buildings directly without pumps or fans
Nuclear Fission
When the nucleus of an atoms is split apart
sustainability
When the resources of nature are being renewed or replaced at least as fast as they are used, this is
molecule
When two or more atoms link together, a(n) _______ is created
air, water, food, and a suitable place to live
Which of the following are necessary for the survival of living things? A) air, water, food, and a suitable place to live B) air, water and companions C) temperature, light, air, water, soil, and climate D) oxygen, carbon dioxide, soil, and energy
Styrofoam
Which of the following is NOT a natural resource? A) trees B) Styrofoam C) water D) natural gas
Natural gas
Which of the following is NOT a renewable resource? A) natural gas B) trees C) fish D) wheat
termite
Which of the following is NOT an example of a parasitic organism A) tapeworm B) mistletoe C) termite D) lice
Coal
Which of the following is a non-renewable resource? A) timber B) cattle C) coal D) orchards
mutualism
Which of the following is a symbiotic relationship where both partners benefit A) mutualism B) parasitism C) commensalism D) symbolism
commensalism
Which of the following is a symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits and the other does not benefit or lose from the relationship? A) commensalism B) mutalism C) parasitism D) decomposition
parasitism
Which of the following is a symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits and the other is harmed? A) commensalism B) mutualism C) symbolism D) parasitism
sampling
Which of the following is a way of counting the number of organisms in a small area to estimate the number of organisms in a much larger area?
Crude oil
Which of the following is an example of a raw material? A) Gasoline B) Propane C) Diesel fuel D) Crude oil
Grassland
Which of the following is not an ecoprovince in British Columbia?
plants and phytoplankton
Which of the following two organisms are producers?
Freezing point, melting point
Which pair of words describes the same temperature? A) Cooling point, freezing point B) Freezing point, melting point C) Melting point, heating point D) Cooling point, heating point
observe animals carefully and ask questions about what you observe
You are a wildlife biologist. Your job is to
Baseline data
_______ give scientists information about ecosystems before any events occur.
Permanent plots
________ are study sites that scientists monitor year after year.
Viscosity
________ describes how thick or thin a liquid is.
quadrat
a square that marks off a specific area is called a
