Exam 2

Question 1

API

Answer 1

aniticipated precipitation index

Question 2

Runoff ratio

Answer 2

• tells us how much of the water that came from precipitation was converted into runoff
• specific discharge divided by precipitation
• can only have a high RR after a storm (greater that 1)
• typical RR is 20-30%

Question 3

Antecedent moisture

Answer 3

• relationship between precip and stream flow

- is not measured by moisture

Question 4

How is antecedent moisture measured

Answer 4

• measured by stream flow in the US (antecedent flow conditions)
• measured by precipitation–antecedent precip–

Question 5

What is SRP

Answer 5

• soluble reactive phosphate

- the stuff that goes through the filiter

Question 6

What is PP

Answer 6

• particulate phosphate

- the stuff that doesn’t go through the filter and has organic matter

Question 7

Zone 3 buffer

Answer 7

• runoff control zone
• typically grasses
• intersects any type of overland flow entering the buffer

Question 8

Zone 2 buffer

Answer 8

• managed forest

- 10 to 20 meters wide

Question 9

Zone 1 Buffer

Answer 9

• undisturbed forest
• 5 to 10 meters wide
• grows good root systems to stabilize banks
• can provide organic matter and habitat to streams by falling in

Question 10

Denitrification

Answer 10

• needs OM and nitrate, anoxic
• minneralization (occurs best in anerobic env but can work in anoxic ones)
• as OM is being oxidized (e donor), NH4+ is being created

Question 11

Nitrification

Answer 11

• strictly aerobic (NH4+—>nitrate)

- Anoxic wetlands have high NH4+

Question 12

Methylmercury in wetlands (NeHg)

Answer 12

• need to be in a place with atm deposition of Hg
• Hg prefers OM, wet, anoxic env
• makes wetlands a perfect spot for Hg deposition
• anoxic wetland creates sulfate reducers and produces NeHg with Hg
• NeHg is produced in high amounts in NE US

Question 13

PRB

Answer 13

• permeable reactive barriers (bioreactors)
• remove nitrate
• needs sand/gravel, OM, water (anerobic env)
• OM helps with denitrification
• sand/gravel allows water to flow through system and OM, allowing denitrification to occur
• woods chips commonly used for N removal

Question 14

what happens when ag is not tilled over time

Answer 14

• natural porosity comes back and allows soil to not be overly compact
• roots and worms provide OM when they die
• there is less overland flow and PP when natural porosity comes back
• reconnects the soil profile to water
• allows P to move through the soil profile, giving more SRP in subsurface flow (can lead to algal blooms)

Question 15

Conventional tillage

Answer 15

-break down of the top layer of soil profile to maintain soil porosity

Question 16

Systematic pesticide

Answer 16

• water that is absorbed by plants

- pesticide resides in plant tissue

Question 17

Non-systematic pesticide

Answer 17

-on outside of plant`

Question 18

TP

Answer 18

-total phosphorous
=SRP + PP
-SRP is generally less than 50% of TP

Question 19

When are P exports the greatest

Answer 19

-during high flow periods and in the spring due to snowmelt

Question 20

Reduction potential

Answer 20

-a measure of the tendency of a chemical species to acquire electrons and be reduced

Question 21

Oxidation vs reduction

Answer 21

• oxidation is loss of electron

- reduction is gain of electron

Question 22

most favorable conditions for minneralization and nitrification

Answer 22

-70% RH, 27 C, aerobic conditions

Question 23

TN

Answer 23

• total nitrogen

- TON+DIN

Question 24

LID

Answer 24

-low impact development structures

Question 25

Examples of LIDs

Answer 25

• Green roofs
• Bioretention cells
• permeable pavement

Question 26

Types of treatment wetlands

Answer 26

• free surface water (small amount of substrate, most versitile and has best benefit)
• Horizontal subsurface flow (enhances contact time bt water and substrate)
• vertical subsurface flow (pesticides degrade very well, and maintains aerobic conditions)

Question 27

Riparian zones

Answer 27

• designed to trap sediment, pesticides, and P in overland flow
• up to 90% reduction in sediment load to the stream
• designed to trap nitrate in subsurface flow

Question 28

2 variables for riparian zone placement

Answer 28

• contributing area to the point (amount of water)

- slope of area (steep slope has a lot of water accumulation vs a flat slope)

Question 29

What can riparian zones provide

Answer 29

• timber
• water quality benefits
• habitat for wildlife
• minimize bank erosion

Question 30

Principles of watershed management

Answer 30

• 1st principle: Source control (limit the amount of contaminants put into the landscape)
• 2nd principle: Contaminant removal/interception

Question 31

Questions to ask to find a solution

Answer 31

• What is the issue?
• what are the tools at your disposal?
• what are the expectations and how much money do you have?
• where to place EEPs and BMPs in the landscape and how to combine them to achieve multiple goals

Question 32

three variables looked at with respect to water quantity when investigating the impact of land use or cover on streams

Answer 32

• peak flow
• base flow
• erosion

Question 33

3 hydrological variables looked at with respect to water quality when investigating the impact of land use or cover on streams

Answer 33

-sediment
-organic carbon
-

Question 34

compared to row crops, cow-calf operations impact water qualit in the following ways

Answer 34

-cow-calf operations lead to higher TP concentrations and NH4+ concentrations