environmental science exam 2 -3-4-6 Flashcards
lithosphere
earths mantle and crust ground beneath our feet
is the rock and sediment breath our feet the plants uppermost mantle and crust
atmosphere
air surrounding the planet and it is compassed of the air surrounding the planets
hydrosphere
all water including salt and fresh underground frozen vapor .Encompasses all the water salt or fresh liquid ice or vapor
biosphere
all the planets organisms and the abiotic non living components they interact with
these sphere in reality are not isolated but instead are interconnected and have blurred lines
homeostasis
tendency for natural systems in balance to remain stable and constant . The tendency of a system to maintain relatively constant or stable internal conditions
dynamic equilibrium
when negative feedback loop creates equal and opposing directions or forces. The state reached when processes within a system are moving in opposing directions at equivalent rate so their effects can balance out
negative feedback loop
Output pushing the natural system in one direction creates an input that pushes in the opposite direction (increase in prey species population provides more food to predators that will in turn reduce prey population)
output that results from a system moving in one direction and acts as input that moves the system in the other direction
positive feedback loop
Output pushing a natural system in one direction creates input that also pushes in the same direction (global warming melts reflective ice and reveals more heat-absorbing land, which melts more ice)
which the output of one type acts as input that moves the system in the same direction
runoff
Precipitation that runs over land and into water bodies
the precipitation that flows over land and enters waterways and the flow of water and sediments or pollutants it may make the most sense to define the bays watershed as a system
airshed
Surrounding geographic area that produces air pollutants that can end up in water bodies
the geographic area that produces air pollutants likely to end up in a waterway then we want to define the boundaries of the system to include both the watershed and the airshed of the bay
Eutrophication
Nutrient over-enrichment from runoff leads to over-production of organic matter, leading to ecosystem degradation
Phytoplankton boom due to increased organic matter
Boom is followed by mass die-offs as plankton run out of food
Fall to bottom and are decomposed by bacteria, process consumes oxygen
matter
All material in the universe. Solids, liquids, gases, etc
all material in the universe that has mass and occupies space
Law of conservation of Matter
Matter is neither created nor destroyed, but rather transformed.
be transformed from one type of substance to other but to cannot be created or destroyed
element
Fundamental types of matter with specific properties that cannot be broken down into other substances
is a fundamental type of matter a chemical substance with a given set of properties that cannot be chemically broken down into substance with other properties
atom
Smallest unit that maintains properties of element. Made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons
is the smallest unit that maintains the chemical properties of the element
protons
Positive (+) charge, reside in nucleus
neutrons
Neutral, no charge, reside in nucleus
electrons
Negative charge (-), orbit the nucleus
energy
Capacity to change the composition, temperature, or position of matter
potential energy
Energy of position
example raised object ,drawn bow ,rock sitting on the edge of the cliff
kinetic energy
Energy of motion
walking or flying an airplane
chemical energy
Energy stored in chemical bonds
examples- battery ,gasoline ,food ,natural gas
First Law of Thermodynamics:
Energy is neither created nor destroyed
second law of thermodynamics
Energy will tend to change from a more ordered state to a more chaotic state, unless otherwise acted upon or influenced by outside forces. Energy is typically transformed into less useable forms
third law of thermodynamics
All molecular movement stops at a temperature of absolute zero (0 Kelvin or -273 C). At this temperature, no disorder (aka molecular movement)
autotrophs
Organisms that can use the sun’s energy directly to produce food
Green plants, algae, and cyanobacteria
producers
photosynthesis
The process of autotrophs utilizing sunlight in order to power a series of chemical reactions
Conversion of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose (sugar)
the sun
is primarily what supports Earth’s biological systems
heterotrophs
Organisms that gain energy by consuming other organisms
consumers - animals ,fungi ,most protozoa ,most bacteria
ecosystem
All organisms and nonliving entities that exist and interact in a particular area
primary production
Conversion of solar energy into plant material (autotrophs)
secondary production
Herbivores consume plant material in order to grow and/or maintain their own bodies
Then herbivores get consumed by predators above them on the food chain, then those predators get consumed by predators above them, etc.
modeling
aids in understanding these systems and their interactions
Interactions within and between ecosystems are complex
model
simplified representation of a complicated process, designed to aid in understanding
ecological modeling
Models designed to aid in understanding ecological processes
water cycle (hydrologic cycle)
How water flows through the environment in all its forms (liquid, gas, and solid)
summarizes how water in liquid gaseous and solid forms that flows through our environment
evaporation
Movement of water from bodies (lakes, ocean, etc) into atmosphere
Liquid > Gas
precipitation
When water vapor condenses in the atmosphere and falls
Gas > Liquid
groundwater
Water held under ground
aquifer
porous regions of rock that hold groundwater
water table
Upper limit of water held in an aquifer
carbon
The defining component of all organic molecules and beings
Autotrophs pull carbon out of the air (CO2) and from water to grow
cellular respiration
occurs when autotrophs or prey organisms are consumed, releasing carbon back into the air in the form of CO2
Process above also occurs when decomposers break down waste and dead organisms
Humans are releasing excess CO2 into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (decomposed organic material trapped in the Earth), deforestation (release of stored carbon), etc
nitrogen is
potent fertilizer
nitrogen must be fixed
Nitrogen is not available for uptake until it is “fixed” or combined with hydrogen to become water soluble
nitrogen -fixing bacteria
Live in the soil and make nitrogen bioavailable to plants
nitrification
Bacteria convert ammonium (NH4) into nitrite ions (NO2), then nitrate ions (NO3). Plants can then take up ions
Overuse of nitrogen-based fertilizers by humans has been outpacing nature’s denitrifying abilities
phosphorous
is naturally stored within rocks and is typically released slowly over time through weathering
Dissolved into lakes, oceans, etc and settle to bottom to form sediments
plants absorb phosphorous through
through soil > herbivores eat plants and absorb > predators eat herbivores and absorb > continues through food chain
humans have increased phosphorous
through runoff from fertilizers. Can promote hypoxia (oxygen depleted water) and phytoplankton blooms
species
Population whose members share characteristics and can produce viable offspring
population
Group of individuals of a species that live in an area at the same time
evolution
Change in populations of organisms from generation to generation, typically through genes
natural selection
Inherited characteristics that increase survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently to future generations, transforming populations over time
interaction between genes and the environment, over time
adaptation
Traits that promote reproductive success
mutations
Accidental changes in DNA. Can be beneficial, harmful, or deadly
convergent evolution
Unrelated species living in similar conditions, but in different locations, acquire similar traits due to similar selective pressures
artificial selection
Breeding and selection of traits in species directed by human beings aka
bioversity
Life’s complexity, including the variety in genes, species, populations, communities, and ecosystems
speciation
The process by which new species are generated