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Biology Semester 1 > Biology Chapter 6 > Flashcards

Biology Chapter 6 Flashcards

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0
Q

How did prehistoric hunters and gatherers change the environment?

A

Hunting animals to extinction

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1
Q

What four human activities have transformed the biosphere?

A

Hunting and gathering
Agriculture
Industry
Urban development

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2
Q

What is agriculture?

A

Farming

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3
Q

Why was the spread of agriculture an important event in human history?

A

The spread of agriculture provided societies with a dependable source of food

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4
Q

What social changes came with the cultivation of both plants and animals?

A

A stable food source allowed larger communities to form

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5
Q

What changes in agriculture occurred in the 1800s as a result of advances in science and technology?

A

Large-scale irrigation which allowed more harvests

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6
Q

What was the green revolution?

A

A huge effort to limit slow food production

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7
Q

What is the farming method called monoculture?

A

When the same plant type is in the same place year after year and the growth is enhanced with chemical fertilizers

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8
Q

True or false: The green revolution increased food production in human society

A

True

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9
Q

What did farmers gain during the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s?

A

New agricultural machines

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10
Q

From what resources do we obtain most of the energy to produce and power the machines we use?

A

Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas

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11
Q

What is the continued spread of suburban communities across the American landscape called?

A

Suburban growth

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12
Q

What is meant by the phrase the “tragedy of the commons”?

A

Important natural resources will eventually disappear in areas that are not controlled open to anybody

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13
Q

What is the difference between a renewable and a nonrenewable resource?

A

A renewable resource can be replenished quickly after natural processes while a nonrenewable resource cannot

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14
Q

What is sustainable development?

A

A way of using natural resources without depleting them or harming the environment.

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15
Q

What are five characteristics of sustainable use?

A

Stability, flexibility, appropriate technology, efficiency, and productivity

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16
Q

What is the uppermost layer of soil called?

A

Humus

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17
Q

What is soil erosion?

A

The wearing away of surface soil

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18
Q

How does the plowing of land increase the rate of soil erosion?

A

Plowing removes roots that hold soil in place

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19
Q

What is the conversion of a previously soil-rich, productive area into a desert called?

A

Desertification

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20
Q

Why have forests been called “lungs of the Earth”?

A

They remove CO2 and produce oxygen

21
Q

What are old-growth forests?

A

Forests that have never been cut down

22
Q

What is deforestation, and how does it affect soil?

A

Loss of forests causes quick erosion

23
Q

What main resource are the oceans used for?

A

Food

24
Q

What is the practice of harvesting fish faster they can reproduce?

A

Overfishing

25
Q

What is one form of sustainable use in the oceans?

A

Limiting the maximum amount of fish that can be caught

26
Q

What is aquaculture?

A

The raising of aquatic animals for human consumption

27
Q

What is smog?

A

A mixture of chemicals that causes a gray-brown haze in the atmosphere

28
Q

What is a pollutant?

A

A harmful material that can enter the biosphere it through the land, air, or water

29
Q

T or F: Fossil fuels release pollutants into the atmosphere when they are burned.

A

True

30
Q

What are microscopic particles of ash and dust in the air that can cause health problems called?

A

Particulates

31
Q

What does acid rain contain that harms plants and soil?

A

Nitrogen and sulfur compounds.

32
Q

T or F: The total supply of freshwater is limited.

A

True

33
Q

What is domestic sewage, and how does it affect water supplies?

A

Waste water from sinks and toilets. They can help algal and bacterial growth in aquatic habitats.

34
Q

How can conserving forests and agriculture save large amounts of water?

A

Forests play a part in the water cycle and more than three fourths of all US water consumption is used for agriculture

35
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The sum total of the different varieties of organisms in the biosphere

36
Q

What are the three different forms of biodiversity?

A

Ecosystem, species, and genetic

37
Q

What are four ways that human activity can reduce biodiversity?

A

Altering habitats, hunting species to extinction, introducing toxic compounds, and introducing foreign species

38
Q

When does extinction occur?

A

When a species is nonexistent in all or part of its range

39
Q

What is it called when a species is declining so fast that it is in danger of extinction?

A

Endangered species

40
Q

What is the process of splitting a habitat into smaller pieces called?

A

Habitat fragmentation

41
Q

What is DDT?

A

A pesticide that was highly used

42
Q

What is biological magnification?

A

When toxic compounds are introduced to organisms of high trophic levels

43
Q

What is a species that is placed in an area that is not native called?

A

Invasive species

44
Q

What is conservation?

A

The wise management of natural resources

45
Q

What is the purpose of conservation biology?

A

To protect biodiversity

46
Q

About high up is the ozone layer on Earth?

A

Between 20 and 50 kilometers

47
Q

What two chemicals are causing ozone depletion?

A

Chlorine and CFC

48
Q

What is global warming?

A

The gradual increase of Earth’s average temperature

49
Q

What do biologists consider the first step in getting a healthy biosphere to be?

A

Getting people aware of the situation

Biology Semester 1 (8 decks)

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