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AP Environmental Science > Chapter 15 > Flashcards

Chapter 15 Flashcards

1
Q

What are wetlands and riparians?

A

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil for a period of time. Riparians are riverside banks of vegetation and forest area

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2
Q

Benefits of wetlands and riparians?

A
  • High in nutrients -> inc plants and BD
  • prevents saltwater from spreading -> inc or save BD
  • habitat-> food -> mates -> babies
  • filters pollutants -> saves BD
  • slow release of stored water -> prevents floods -> minimizes habitat destruction -> saves BD
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3
Q

What is desalination?

A

Removal of salt from water

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4
Q

Two processes of desalination

A
  1. distillation: heating up water and removing salt
  2. Reverse osmosis: forcing water through a membrane to remove salt
  • Both are expensive
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5
Q

Pond zones

A
  1. Littoral: shallow water/plants; high BD; light -> PS
  2. Limnetic: top middle portion of the pond; light -> PS -> DO
  3. Profunal: no light/PS; low DO; few organisms
  4. Benthic: no light/PS; low DO; decomposers, catfish
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6
Q

River Zones

A
  1. Source: cold, clear, shallow, high DO
  2. Transitional
  3. Flood plain: warmer, turbid, lower DO, deeper
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7
Q

What is a dam?

A

An obstruction that blocks water and creates a reservoir

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8
Q

Positive effects of a dam

A

+ creates clean renewable energy -> reduces fossil fuels/air pollution (CO2 - ghg, nox and sox - acid rain)
+ flood control -> reservoir stores water in rainy conditions
+ new recreation opportunities -> boosts local economy
+

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9
Q

Negative effects of dams

A
  • Population displacement -> clear land -> low bd

- habitat alterations -> plants destroyed -> reduced food -> extirpation

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10
Q

Irrigation techniques

A
  1. Drip irrigation: pipes in or on soil/ release small amounts of water
  2. Center pivot irrigation: rotate and release small amounts of water
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11
Q

Eutrophication process

A
  1. Excess nutrients (n/p pollution from fert and anml waste into water)
  2. Algae boom -> aquatic plants grow
  3. Algae and plants die -> go to bottom
  4. Decomposers use DO during decomp -> hypoxia -> fish kills -> decrease BD
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12
Q

Ways to prevent lessen eutrophication

A
  • Use detergents without phosphates
  • use good irrigation to reduce runoff on farms
  • reduce fertilizer use
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13
Q

What are Aquifers and groundwater

A

Aquifer: porous rock that holds ground water (percolation)
Groundwater: water that is collected underground through percolation

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14
Q

What is pollution caused by?

A

Humans - anthropogenic

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15
Q

What is point and non-point pollution?

A

Point is easily identified - ex: car leaking gasoline; sewage drain
Non-point comes from multiple sources; hard to identify - ex: storm drain; acid rain

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16
Q

What is the process of primary treatment of water?

A
  • physical process
  • screen removes large floating objects (cans, bags, trash)
  • settling/ sedimentation tank: alum is added, makes particles coagulate (waste sand rocks)
  • sludge: bacteria, solids, chemicals and metal disposed into landfills or used as fertilizers
17
Q

What is the process of secondary treatment?

A
  • biological process
  • aeration tank: bioremediation, suspended organic waste, phosphates and nitrates; also known as activated sludge tank
  • sludge disposed
18
Q

What is the process of tertiary treatment?

A
  • Chemical and physical process
  • coal/sand filters removes additional p and n
  • disinfection: cl, O3, and UV rays kill off bacteria and viruses
  • sludge disposed and effluent released
19
Q

Why is effluent not safe to drink?

A

It’s not 100%

There could be pharmaceuticals still in it

20
Q

What’s important about wastewater treatment?

A

Creates clean drinking water/ protects BD if released into environment

21
Q

How do we clean up and prevent groundwater pollution?

A

Clean up
1. Pump to surface, clean and return to aquifer
2. Bioremediation: inject bacteria to break down chemicals
Prevention
• use eco-friendly cleaners
• monitor wells to determine where contamination is moving
• ban hazardous waste in sanitary landfills

22
Q

What are some effects of overconsumption of groundwater?

A
  • depletes aquifers
  • creates spontaneous sinkholes
  • salt water intrusion
  • wetland ecosystems dry up
23
Q

What is the clean water act?

A
  • need permit to pollute from a point source
  • discharge trading policy: polluters must buy permits to pollute (can be sold and traded)
  • EPA set standards for waste water contaminates levels and fund sewage treatment plants

AP Environmental Science (1 decks)

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