apes vocab semester one Flashcards
study for final (and ap test)
comparative amounts of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions contained in a particular volume of solution when a substance is dissolved in water; an acid solution has more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions and a basic solution has more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions
acidity
minute unit made of subatomic particles that is the basic building block of all matter
atom
the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
atomic number
any of more than 120 different diseases, one for each type of cell in the human body; each type of cancer produces a tumor in which cells multiply uncontrollably and invade surrounding tissue
cancer
smallest living unit of an organism
cell
the idea that all living things are composed of cells
cell theory
interaction between chemicals in which the chemical composition of the elements or compounds involved changes
chemical reaction
a grouping of genes and associated proteins in plant and animal cells that carry certain types of genetic information
chromosones
molecules consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that provide energy to living organisms; sugar, starch, and cellulose are examples
complex carbs
combination of atoms or opposite charged ions, of two or more elements held together by attractive forces called chemical bonds
compound
populations of all species living and interacting in an area at a particular time
community
amount of a chemical in a particular volume or weight of air, water, soil, or other medium
concentration
the process by which heat or electricity is directly transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temp. or of electrical potential between adjoining regions
conduction
the transfer of heat via the movement in gas or liquid in which the warmer parts move up and the colder parts move down
convection
factual information collected by scientists
data
large molecules in the cells of living organisms that carry genetic information
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
point at which an environmental problem reaches a threshold level, which causes an often irreversible shift in the behavior of a natural system
ecological tipping point
biological scientist who studies relationships between living organisms and their environment
ecologist
rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit
electric power
form of kinetic energy traveling as electromagnetic waves
electromagnetic radiation
tiny particle moving around outside the nucleus of an atom; each one has one unit of negative charge and almost no mass
electron
chemical, whose distinctly different atoms serve as the basic building blocks of all matter; two or more elements combine to form compounds that make up much of the world’s matter
element
capacity to do work by performing mechanical, physical, chemical, or electric tasks or to cause heat transfer between two objects at different temperatures
energy
percentage of the total energy input that does useful work and is not converted into low-quality, generally useless heat in an energy conversion system or process
energy efficiency
ability of a form of energy to do useful work
energy quality
any process that increases (positive feedback) or decreases (negative feedback) a change to a system
feedback
occurs when an output of matter, energy, or information is fed back into the system as input and leads to changes in that system
feedback loop
whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, no energy is created or destroyed, but energy can be converted from one form to another
first law of thermodynamics
coded units of information about specific traits that are passed form parents to offspring during reproduction; they consist of segments of DNA molecules found in chromosones
genes
total kinetic energy of all randomly moving atoms, ions, or molecules whthin a given substance, excluding the overall motion of the whole object
heat (thermal energy)
chemical that kills a plant or inhibits its growth
herbicide
organic compound made of hydrogen and carbon atoms; the simplest is methane, the major component of natural gas
hydrocarbon
energy that is concentrated and has great ability to perform useful work
high quality energy
matter, energy, or information entering a system
input
atom or group of atoms with one or more positive or negative electrical charges
ion
two or more forms of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but different mass numbers because they have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei
isotope
energy that matter has because of its mass and speed or velocity
kinetic energy
in any physical or chemical change, no atoms are created or destroyed
law of conservation of matter
energy storing organic molecule such as fats, oils, and waxes
lipids
energy that is dispersed and has little ability to do useful work
low quality energy
sum of the number of neutrons and the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom; it gives the aprox mass of that atom
mass number
anything that has mass and takes up space
matter
aprox representation or simulation of a system being studied
model
combination of two or more atoms of the same chemical element (O2) or different chemical elements held together by chemical bonds (H2O)
molecule
feedback loop that causes a system to change in the opposite direction
negative feedback loop
elementary particle in the nuclei of all atoms (kinda) it has a relative mass of 1 and no electric charge
neutron
resource that exists in a fixed amount in the earth’s crust and has the potential for renewal by geological, physical, and chemical process taking place over a long time
nonrenewable energy
energy released when atomic nuclei undergo a nuclear reaction such as the spontaneous emission of radioactivity, nuclear fission, or nuclear fusion
nuclear energy
informational molecules such as DNA or RNA in a double helix shape consisting of complementary nucleotides in a specific sequence
nucleic acids
extremely tiny center of an atom, making up most of the atom’s mass; it contains one or more positively charged protons and one or more neutrons with no electrical charge
nucleus
compounds containing carbon atoms combined with each other and with atoms of one or more other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine, and fluorine
organic compounds
matter, energy, or information leaving a system
output
process of scientists reporting details of the methods and models they used, the results of their experiments, and the reasoning behind their hypotheses for other scientists working in the same field to examine and criticize
peer review
the organization of all known chemical elements according to atomic number, chemical properties, and electron configuration
periodic table
numeric value that indicates the relative acidity or alkalinity of a substance on a scale of 0 to 14, with the neutral point at 7; acidic solutions have a value less than 7 and basic solutions have a value greater than 7
pH
process that alters one or more physical properties of an element or a compound ties of an element or a compound without changing its chemical composition
physical change
feedback loop that causes a system to change further in the same direction
positive feedback loop
energy stored in an object because of its position or the position of its parts
potential energy
mathematical statement about how likely it is that something will happen
probability
structural molecules consisting of a specific sequence of amino acids that serve as components of body tissue and as enzymes
proteins
positively charged particle in the nuclei of all atoms; each has a relative mass of 1 and a single positive charge
proton
fast-moving particles or waves of energy
radiation
concepts and ideas that are widely accepted by experts in a particular field of science
reliable science
energy that comes from resources that are replaced by natural processes continually or in a relatively short time
renewable energy
production of offspring by one or more parents
reproduction
anything obtained from the environment to meet human needs and wants; it can also be applied to other species
resource
attempts to discover order in nature and use that knowledge to make predictions about what is likely to happen in nature
science
a tentative explanation of a scientific law or certain scientific observations
scientific hypothesis
description of what scientists find happening in nature repeatedly in the same way, without known exception
scientific law
the ways scientists gather data and formulate and test scientific hypotheses, models, theories, and laws
scientific method
a well-tested and widely accepted scientific hypothesis
scientific theory
whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, we end up with a lower quality energy or less useful energy to do useful work, always happens to some energy used (usually into heat)
second law of thermodynamics
complex mixture of inorganic minerals (clay, silt, pebbles, and sand) decaying organic matter, water, air, and living organisms
soil
direct radiant energy from the sun and a number of indirect forms of energy produced by the direct input of such energy (wind, falling and flowing water, biomass from photosynthesis)
solar energy
extremely small particles- electrons, protons, neutrons- that make up the internal structure of atoms
subatomic particles
set of components that function and interact in some regular and theoretically predictable manner
system
preliminary scientific data, hypotheses, and models that have not been widely tested
tentative science
rate of flow of matter, energy, or information through a system
throughput
characteristic passed on from parents to offspring during pre production in an animal or plant
trait
scientific results or hypotheses presented as reliable science without enough double checking
unreliable science
unit of power, or rate at which electrical work is done
watt
amount of a crop produced per unit of land
yield
nonliving, compare to biotic
abiotic
complex process that occurs in the cells of most living organisms, in which nutrient organic molecules such as glucose combine with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy
aerobic respiration
porous, water-saturated layers of sand, gravel, or bedrock that can yield an economically significant amount of water
aquifer
whole mass of air surrounding earth
atmosphere
natural processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms from the nonliving environment to living organisms and then back to the nonliving environment (ex. carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and water)
biogeochemical cycle
organic matter produced by plants and other photosynthetic producers; total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each trophic level in a food chain or web
biomass
zone of the earth where life is found in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere
biosphere
living organisms
biotic
cyclic movement of carbon in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms then back to the environment
carbon cycle
animal that feeds on other animals
carnivore
evolution in which two or more species interact and exert selective pressures on each other that can lead each species to undergo adaptations
coevolution
an interaction between organisms of different species in which one type of organisms benefits and the other type is neither helped nor harmed to any great degree
commensalism
two or more individual organisms of a single species (interspecific) or two or more individuals of different species (interspecies) attempting to use the same scarce resources in the same ecosystem
competition
organism that cannot synthesize the organic nutrients it needs and gets its organic nutrients by feeding on the tissues of producers or other consumers
consumer (heterotroph)
organism that digests parts of dead organisms and cast off fragments and wastes of living organisms by breaking down the complex organic molecules in those materials into simpler water soluble inorganic compounds that are returned to the soil and water for use as nutrients by producers
decomposer
biome in which evaporation exceeds precipitation and the average amount of precipitation is less than 25 cm per year; such areas have little vegetation or have widely spaced, mostly low vegetation
desert
parts of dead organisms and cast-off fragments and and wastes of living organisms
detrius
consumer organism that feeds on detrius, parts of dead organisms, and cast-off fragments and wasted of living organisms
detritivore
condition in which an area does not get enough water because of lower than normal precipitation or higher than normal temperatures that increase evaporation
drought
plant that uses roots to attach itself to branches high in trees, especially in tropical forests
epiphyte
series of organisms in which one eats or decomposes the preceding one; the sequence of organisms in an ecosystem through which energy is transferred
food chain
sum of total of all genes found in the individuals of the population of a particular species
gene pool
the earth’s immensely hot core, thick mantle composed of mostly rock and a thin outer crust that contains most of the earth’s rock, soil, and sediment
geosphere
natural effect that releases heat into the atmosphere near the earth’s surface; water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and other gases in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) absorb some of the infrared radiation radiated by the earth’s surface and release it as heat into the troposphere
greenhouse effect
rate at which an ecosystem producers capture and store a given amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given length of time
gross primary productivity
water that sinks into the soil and is stored in slowly flowing and slowly renewed underground reservoirs called aquifers; underground water in the zone of saturation below the water table
groundwater
plant or animal on which a parasite feeds
host
cycle that collects, purifies, and distributes the earth’s fixed supply of water from the environment to living organisms and then back to the environment
hydrologic cycle
the earth’s liquid water (surface and ground) and frozen water (ice, permafrost) and gaseous water (vapor in atmosphere)
hydrosphere
downward movement of water through soil
infiltration/percolation
attemps by memebers of two or more species to use the same limited resources in an ecosystem
interspecies competition
type of species interaction in which both participation species generally benefit
mutualism
rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy (gross primary productivy-rate of cellular respiration)
net primary productivity
cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms
nitrogen cycle
any chemical an organism must take in order to live, grow, or reproduce
nutrient
natural process that recycles nutrients in various chemical forms from the nonliving environment to living organisms and then back to the nonliving environment
nutrient (biogeochemical) cycle
animal that can use both plants and animals as food sources
omnivore
interactions between species in which one organism called the parasite preys on the host
parasitism
cyclic movement of phosphorus in different forms from the environment to organisms repeat
phosphorous cycle
complex process in the cells of green plants that captures light energy and converts it to chemical bond energy
photosynthesis
interaction in which an organism of one species (predator) feeds on other species (prey)
predation
water in the form of rain, sleet, hail, and snow that falls down to ground
precipitation
organism that feeds on other organism
predator
relationship where between two organisms one eats the one that gets eaten
predator-prey relationship
organism that is killed by other organism because its a food source
prey
organism that feeds on some or all parts of plant or on other producers
primary consumer (herbivore)
organism that uses solar energy (green plants) or chemical energy (some bacteria) to manufacture the organic compounds it needs as nutrients from simple inorganic compounds obtained from the environment
producer (autotroph)
diagram representing flow of energy through the trophic levels
pyramid of energy flow (trophic pyramid)
process of diving up resources in an ecosystem so that species with the same needs have different niches
resource partitioning
organism that feeds only on primary consumers
secondary consumer (carnivore)
second layer of the atmosphere, containing the ozone layer, which filters out most of the sun’s UV rays
stratosphere
water flowing off the land into bodies of surface water
surface runoff
animal that feeds on animal-eating animals
tertiary consumer
depletion or degradation of a potentially renewable resource to which people have free and no managed access (goldfish game)
tragedy of commons
all organisms that are the same number of energy transfers away from the original source of energy (sun) that enters an ecosystem
trophic level
innermost layer of the atmosphere
troposphere
all free, undomesticated species
wildlife
terrestrial regions inhabited by certain types of life, especially vegetation
biome
method of timber harvesting in which all trees in a forested area are removed in a single cutting
clear-cutting
perennially frozen layer of soil that forms when the water there freezes; it is found in the arctic tundra
permafrost
process in which water is absorbed by the root systems of plants, moved up through the plants, passed through pores (stromata) in their leaves or other parts, and evaporated into the atmosphere as water vapor
transpiration
marine and freshwater portions of the biosphere
aquatic life zones
bottom-dwelling organisms
benthos
capable of being broken down by decomposers
biodegradable
land along a coastline, extending inland from an estuary that is covered with saltwater all or part of the year; examples include marshes, bays, lagoons, tidal flats, and mangrove swamps
coastal wetland
warm, nutrient rich shallow parts of the ocean that extends from the high tide mark on land to the edge of a shelf like extension of continental land masses known as the continental shelf
coastal zone
process in which warmer ocean waters can cause shallow tropical corals to expel their colorful algae and turn white; it can weaken and sometimes kill the corals
coral bleaching
overnourishment of aquatic ecosystems with plant nutrients (nitrates, phospates) because of human activities such as agriculture, urbanization, and discharges from industrial plants and sewage treatment plants
cultural eutrophication!
organisms that digest parts of dead organisms and cast off fragments and wastes of living organisms by breaking down the complex organic molecules in those materials into simpler inorganic compounds and then absorbing the soluble nutrients
decomposers
an area the mouth of a river built up by deposited sediments, usually contained coastal wetlands and estuaries
delta
amount of oxygen gas dissolved in a given volume of water at particular temperature and pressure
dissolved oxygen content
partially enclosed coastal area at the mouth of a river where its freshwater, carrying fertile silt and runoff from the land, mixes with salty seawater
estuary
per layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis
euphotic zone
lake with a large supply of plant nutrients, mostly nitrates and phosphates
eutrophic lakea
aquatic systems where water with a dissolved salt concentration of less than 1% by volume accumulates on or flows through the surfaces of terrestrial biomes (standing/lentic bodies like lakes and ponds and flowing/lotic bodies like rivers)
freshwater life zone
land away from the coast, such as a swamp, marsh, or bog, that is covered all or part of the time with freshwater
inland wetland
the area of shoreline between low and high tides
intertidal zonean
animals without backbones
invertabratesst
strong swimming organisms found in aquatic systems
nekton
increasing level of ocean acidy due to absorbtion of CO2
ocean acidification
lake with a low supply of plant nutrients
ogliotrophic lake
harvesting so many fish of a species, especially immature individuals that not enough breeding stock is left to replenish supply
overfishing
part of an ocean that lies beyond the continental shelf
pelagic zone/ open sea
small plant organisms (phytoplankton) and animal organisms (zooplankton) that float in aquatic ecosystems
plankton
freshwater from precipitation and melting ice that flows on the earth’s surface into neary streams, lakes, wetlands, and resevoirs
runoff
amount of various salts dissolved in a given volume of water
salinity
oceans and their accompanying bays, estuaries, coastal wetlands, shorelines, coral reefs, and mangrove forests
saltwater life zones
slow or rapid sinking of part of the earth’s crust that is not slope related
subsidence
precipitation that does not infiltrate the ground or return to the atmosphere by evaporation or transpiration
surface water
periodic flow of water onto and off the shore, rising and falling about every six hours due to the gravitational pull of the moon and sun
tides
cloudiness in a volume of water: a measure of water clarity in lakes, streams, and other bodies of water
turbidity
movement of nutrient rich bottom water to the ocean’s surface; it can occur far from the shore but usually takes place along certain steep coastal areas where the warm surface layer of the ocean is pushed away from shore and replaced by cold, nutrient rich bottom water
upwelling
land that delivers water, sediment, and dissolved substances via small streams to a major stream
watershed
variety of different species, genetic variability within a species, variety of ecosystems, and variety of functions
biodiversity
loss through death or disappearance of all or most of the European honeybees in a particular colony
colony collapse disorder
the variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems found in an area or on the earth
ecosystem diversity
transition area between two biomes
ecotone
the changes in the population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats
edge effect
cell that is surrounded by a membrane and has a distinct nucleus
eukaryotic cell
biological and chemical processes of functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological opportunities
functional diversity
the variety of genetic material within a species or a population
genetic diversity
chemical that kills insects
insecticide
cell containing no distinct nucleus or organelles
prokaryotic cell
group of similar organisms and for sexually reproducing organisms a set of individuals that can mate and have fertile offspring
species
number of different species (species richness) combined with the relative abundance of individuals within each of those species (species evenness) in a given area
species diversity
degree to which comparative numbers of individuals of each of the species present in a community are similar
species evenness
variety of species measured by the number of different species contained in a different community
species richness
animals with backbones
vertebrates
any genetically controlled structural, physiological, or behavioral characteristic that helps an organism perform better under its conditons
adaptation
process by which humans select one or more desirable genetic traits in the population of a plant or animal species and then use selective breeding to tweak them
artificial selection
normal extinction of various species as a result of changes in environmental conditions
background extinction rate
process in which communities of a species in a particular area are replaced over time by a series of different often more complex communities
ecological succession
change in the genetic makeup of a population of a species in successive generations; if continued long enough, it can led to the formation of a new species (relates to populations, not individuals)
evolution
complete disappearance of species from the earth; it happens when a species cannot adapt and reproduce under new environmental conditions or when a species evolves up into multiple species
extinction
percentage or number of species that go extinct within a a certain period of time
extinction rate
skeletons, bones, shells, body parts, leaves, seeds, or impressions of such items that provide evidence of an organism that lived long ago
fossil
changes in the genetic makeup of organisms of a species that allow the species to reproduce and gain competitive advantage under changed environmental conditons
genetic adaptation
insertion of an alien gene into an organism to give it a new genetic trait
genetic engineering
diversity in the genetic makeup among individuals within a single species
genetic variability
physical separation of populations of the same species into different areas for long periods of time
geographic isolation
a catastrophic widespread, often global event in which major groups of species are become extinct over a short time compared with the normal extinction rates
mass extinction
random change in DNA making up genes that can alter anatomy, physiology, or behavior in offspring
mutation
process by which a particular beneficial gene is reproduced in succeeding generations more than other genes; the result is a population that contains a greater proportion of organisms better adapted to certain environmental conditions
natural selection
ability of a living system such as a grassland or forest to survive moderate disturbances
persistence
branching diagram showing the inferred relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characterizes and arising from a common ancestor
phylogenetic tree
first hardy species, often microbes, mosses, and lichens, that begin colonizing a site as the first stage of ecological succession
pioneer species
ecological succession in an area without soil or bottom sediments, caused by pioneer species and nutrient cycling and erosion over a long time
primary ecological succession
waste production of nuclear power plants, research, medicine, weapon production, or other processes involving nuclear reactions
radioactive waste
nuclear charge in which unstable nuclei of atoms shoot out “chunks” of mass, energy, or both at a fixed rate (gamma rays and fast moving alpha and beta particles)
radioactivity
situation where different populations of reproducing species have been geographically isolated for such a long time that their genetic makeup has changed and they can no longer produce viable offspring
reproductive isolation
ability of a living system such as a forest or bond to be restored through secondary ecological succession after a severe disturbance
resilience
ecological succession in an area in which natural vegetation has been removed but the soil or bottom sediment has not been destroyed (think wildifre)
secondary ecological succession
formation of two species from one species when different populations of a reproducing species have been separated and exposed to different environmental conditions so long that their genetic makeup has changed, usually takes thousands of years
speciation
producing new sequences of DNA and using such human produced genetic information to design and create artificial cells, tissues, body parts, and organisms not found in nature
synthetic biology
widely accepted scientific idea that all life forms developed from earlier life forms
theory of evolution
percentage of the population (or number of people of each sex) at each age level in a population
age structure
land that can be cultivated to grow crops
arable land
max population of a particular species that a given habitat can support over a given period
carrying capacity
annual number of live births per 1000 people in the population of a geographic area at the midpoint of a given year
crude birth rate
annual number of deaths per 1000 people in the population of a geographical area at the midpoint of a given year
crude death rate
the limit on population growth that would allow most people in an area or the world to live in reasonable comfort and freedom without impairing the ability of the planet to sustain future generations
cultural carrying capacity
hypothesis that countries, as they have become industrialized, have declines in death rates followed by declines in birth rates
demographic transition
time it takes (usually in years) for the quantity of something growing exponentially to double; can be calculated by dividing the annual percentage growth rate by 70
doubling time
total way of life or role of species in an ecosystem; it includes all physical, chemical, and biological conditions that a species needs to live and reproduce in a system
ecological niche
process in which communities of plant and animal species in a particular area are replaced over time by a series of different often more complex communities
ecological succession
movement of people out of a specific geographic area
emigration
species that is found in only one area; usually vulnerable to extinction
endemic species
all of the liming factors that act together to limit the growth of a population
environmental resistance
providing information, clinical services, and contraceptives to help people choose the number and spacing of children they want to have
family planning
species with a broad ecological niche; they can survive in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a range of environmental conditons
generalist species
place or type of place where an organism or population of organisms live; compare to ecological niche
habitat
migration of people into a country or area to take up permanent residence
immigration
species whose decline serves as an early warning that a community or ecosystem is being degraded; like amphibians
indicator species
number of babies out of every 1000 born each year who die before their first birthday
infant mortality rate
species that play important roles in helping to sustain an ecosystem; usually in lower levels
keystone species
organisms that reproduce later in life, have few offspring and invest energy in raising and nurturing those offspring, and have long lifespans
k-selected species
average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live
life expectancy
single factor that limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of a species in an ecosytem
limiting factor
movement of people into or out of a specific geographic area
migration
species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem
native species
species that migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans
nonnative species
group of individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area
population
increase or decrease in the size of a population (births+immigration - deaths+emigration)
population change
dieback of a population that has used up its supply of resources, exceeding the carrying capacity of its environment
population crash
number of organisms in a particular population found in a specified area or volume
population density
number of individuals making up a population’s gene pool
population size
range of chemical and physical conditions that must be maintained for populations of a particular species to stay alive and grow, develop, and function normally
range of tolerance
average number of children a couple must bear to replace themselves (either 2.1for developed or 2.5 for undeveloped)
replacement level fertility rate
ability of a living system such as a forest or pond to be restored through secondary ecological succession after a severe disturbance
resilience
organisms that have short lifespans, produce many, usually small offspring to which they give little or no parental care
r-selected species
species with a narrow ecological niche; they may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climate and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or limited types of food
specialist species
leveling off of an exponential j-shaped curve when a rapidly growing population reaches or exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment and ceases to grow
s-shaped curve
graph showing the number of survivors in different age groups for a particular species
survivorship curve
set of methods for growing crops and raising livestock using organic fertilizers, soil conservation, water conservation, biological pest control, and minimum use of nonrenewable fossil fuel energy
sustainable agriculture
estimate of the average number of children who will be born alive to a woman during her lifetime if she passes through all her childbearing years conforming to age-specific fertility rates of a given year
total fertility rate
geographic area contained a community with a population of 2500 or more; could vary to needing a minimum of 10k to 50k
urban area
creation or growth of urban areas, or cities, and their surrounding developed land
urbanization
dry
arid
zone within the earth’s mantle made up of hot, partly melted rock that flows and can be deformed like soft plastic
asthenosphere
force or mass per unit area of air, caused by the bombardment of a surface by the molecules in air
atmospheric pressure
physical properties of the troposphere of an area based on analysis of its weather records over a long period; average temp, seasonal variations; precipitation over the last 30 years
climatel
leading edge of an advancing mass of cold air
cold front
the slow movement of continents across earth’s surface
continental drift
cyclical patterns of air that rises and falls due to convection
convection cell
area where earth’s lithospheric plates move toward each other and are pushed together
convergent boundary
inner zone of the earth; solid inner core and liquid outer core
core
the deflection of an air mass to the east as it moves north or south away from the equator or vise versa; these deflections occur because the earth’s eastward rotation is faster at the equator than at any other point on its surface
Coriolis effect
solid outer zone of the earth; it consists of oceanic zones and continental zones
crust
a structure built across a driver to control the river’s flow or to create a resevoir
dam
purification of salt water or brackish (slightly salty) water by removal of dissolved salts
desalination
area where the earth’s plates move apart in opposite directions
divergent boundary
shaking of the ground resulting from the fracturing and displacement of subsurface rock, which produces a fault, or from subsequent movement along the fault
earthquake
confined outdoor or indoor space used to raise hundreds to thousands of domesticated livestock
feedlot
flat valley next to a stream channel
floodplain
the boundary between two air masses with different temperatures and densities
front
gases in the earth’s lower atmosphere that make the greenhouse effect
greenhouse gases
ocean currents that are driven by prevailing winds and the Coriolis effect, rotating clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere
gyres
movement of saltwater or brackish (slightly salty) water into aquifers in coastal and inland areas as groundwater is withdrawn faster than it is recharged by precipitation
saltwater intrusion
rock that forms from the accumulated products of erosion, and in some cases, from the compacted shells, skeletons and other remains of organisms
sedimentary rock
cross-sectional view of the horizontal layers or horizons of a soil
soil profile
second layer of the atmosphere, extending about 17 to 48 km above the surface; it contains small amounts of gaseous ozone, which filters out about 95% of the incoming UV
stratosphere
various sized areas of the earth’s lithosphere that move slowly around with the mantles flowing asthenosphere; most earthquakes and volcanos occur in the boundaries of these plates
tectonic plates
area where the earth’s plates move parallel to each other in opposite directions
transform plate boundary
innermost layer of the atmosphere; it contains about 75% of the mass of earth’s air and extends about 17 km above sea level
troposphere
series of large waves generated when part of the ocean floor suddenly rises or drops
tsunami
water that is not directly consumed but is used to produce food and other products
virtual water
boundary between an advancing warm air mass and the colder one it is replacing; because warmer air is less dense it rises over a mass of cold air
warm front
a rough measure of the volume of water used directly and indirectly to keep a person or a group alive and to support lifestyles
water footprint
land area that delivers water, sediment, and dissolved substances via small streams to a major stream
watershed
short-term changes in the temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloud cover, wind direction and speed, and other conditions in the troposphere at a given place and time
weather
zone where all the available pores in soil and rock in the earth’s crust are filled by water
zone of saturation
the ability of a productive ecosystem to regenerate renewable resources
biocapacity
process of observing certain changes in nature, studying how natural systems have responded to such changing conditions over many millions of years and applying what is learned to dealing with some environmental challenge
biomimicry
depletion of the population of a wild species used as a resource to a level at which it is no longer profitable to harvest the species
commercial extinction
amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply a population with the renewable resources it uses and to absorb or dispose of the pollution and wastes from such resource use
ecological footprint
social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services to satisfy people’s needs and wants
economics
increase in the capacity to provide people with goods and services; an increase in gross domestic product (GDP)
economic growth
natural services or natural capital that support life on earth and are essential to the quality of human life and the functioning of the world’s economies
ecosystem services
all external conditions, factors, matter, and energy, living and nonliving, that affect any living organism or other specified system
environment
depletion or destruction of a potentially renewable resource
environmental degradation
human beliefs about what is right or wrong with how we treat the environment
environmental ethics
economic indicators that include non-economic factors with the goal of monitoring environmental quality and human well being, as well as economic status or progress
environmental indicators
social movement dedicated to protecting the earth’s life-support systems for us and other species
environmentalism
interdisciplinary study that uses information and ideas from the physical sciences (such as biology, chemistry, and geology) with those from the social sciences (such as economics, politics, ethics) to learn how nature works, how we interact with the environment, and how we can help to deal with environmental problems
environmental science
set of assumptions and beliefs about how the people think the world works, what they think their role in the world should be, and what they believe is right and wrong environmental behavior
environmental worldview
growth in which some quantity, such as population size or economic output, increases at a constant rate per unit of time
exponential growth
harmful environmental, economic, or social effect of producing and using an economic good that is not included in the market price of the good
external cost
finding ways to include in the market prices of goods the harmful environmental and health costs of producing and using those goods
full-cost pricing
annual market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations, foreign and domestic, working within a country
gross domestic product (GDP)
economic system in most advanced industrialized countries, in which ever increasing economic growth is sustained by maximizing the rate at which matter and energy resources are used, with little emphasis on pollution prevention, recycling, reuse, reduction of unnecessary waste, and other forms of resource conservation
high-throughput economy
essentially inexhaustible resource such as solar energy because it is renewed continuously
inexhaustible (perpetual) resource
direct cost paid by the producer and the buyer of an economic good
internal cost
country that has low to moderate industrialization and low to moderate per capita GDP
less developed country
economy based on working with nature by recycling and reusing discarded matter; preventing pollution; conserving matter and energy resources by reducing unnecessary waste and use; and building things that are easy to recycle, reuse, and repair
low-throughput economy
country that is highly industrialized and has a high per capita GDP
more developed country
natural resources and natural services that keep us and other species alive and support our economies
natural capital
materials such as air, water, and soil and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans
natural resources
renewable resource owned by no one and available for use by anyone at little or no charge; clean air, underground water supplies, open ocean and its fish, the ozone layer
open access renewable resource
average per person
per capita
annual gross domestic product (GDP) of a country divided by its total population at midyear, average slice of economic pie per person
per capita GDP
inability of people to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter
poverty
lands owned by individuals and businesses
private lands
lands typically owned jointly by the citizens of a country but managed by the government
public lands
payment intended to help a business grow and thrive; typically provided by a government in the form of a grant or tax break
subsidy
ability of the earth’s various systems, including human cultural systems and economics, to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely
sustainability
highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing available supply
sustainable yield
