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GE 11 - Intro to Environmental Science > Lesson 2: The Science of Environmental Science > Flashcards

Lesson 2: The Science of Environmental Science Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

It is anything that occupies space and has mass

A

Matter

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2
Q

Two Types of Matter

A

Molecules
Elements

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3
Q

It is matter that has only one type of atom and are the building blocks of molecules

A

Element

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4
Q

Composed of two or more elements

A

Compound

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5
Q

Law of Conservation of Matter

A

Matter cannot be destroyed but transformed

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6
Q

The First Law of Thermodynamics

A

Energy cannot be created or destroyed but changes form

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7
Q

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

A

An isolated system’s entropy will always increase

In a transformation, some energy is converted to heat

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8
Q

Compounds with usually carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bonds

A

Organic Compounds

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9
Q

Compounds that usually lacks a carbon-hydrogen bond

A

Inorganic Compunds

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10
Q

Two Types of Energy

A

Potential
Kinetic

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11
Q

Energy of an object to do something

A

Potential

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12
Q

Energy in motion

A

Kinetic

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13
Q

Levels of Organization

A

Individual
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere

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14
Q

Life Support Systems

A

Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere

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15
Q

Refers to one organism

A

Individual

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16
Q

Refers to many organisms but only one species

A

Population

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17
Q

Refers to many organisms but with many species

A

Community

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18
Q

Refers to many communities along with the environment in a given area

A

Ecosystem

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19
Q

Refers to the community formed because of the environment

A

Biome

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20
Q

Refers to all areas that compose life

A

Biosphere

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21
Q

Air

A

Atmosphere

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22
Q

Crust

A

Lithosphere

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23
Q

Water

A

Hydrosphere

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24
Q

All living things

A

Biosphere

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25
Q

an unconfirmed explanation of an
observation that can be tested

A

Hypothesis

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26
Q

used to test hypotheses by gathering
data or evidence

A

Scientfic Method

27
Q

explanation of an observation
through repeated observations and hypothesis testing

A

Scientific Theory

28
Q

explanation of an observation, and is
proven over and over

A

Scientific Law

29
Q

It is the process of converting solar energy into chemical energy
stored in food

A

Photosynthesis

30
Q

the process of releasing chemical
energy stored in food to be used by living things

A

Respiration

31
Q

This law states that the existence, abundance and distribution of
a species is determined by levels of one or more physical and biological factors.

A

Law of Tolerance

32
Q

Refers to the variety of genetic
material within a species or a population

A

Genetic Diversity

33
Q

the number of species
present in different habitats

A

Species Diversity

34
Q

the variety of
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems found
in an area

A

Ecological Diversity

35
Q

the variety in the biological and chemical processes needed for the survival of species, communities and ecosystems

A

Functional Diversity

36
Q

Heterotrophs

A

Consumers

37
Q

Autotrophs

A

Producers

38
Q

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

A

Food Chains
Food Webs
Trophic Levels

39
Q

sequence of organisms
which is a source of food for the next.

A

Food Chain

40
Q

multiple food chains interacting with each other

A

Food Web

41
Q

each step in the flow of energy through an ecosystem

A

trophic levels

42
Q

the rate at which an ecosystem’s producers capture and store chemical energy as biomass in a particular amount of time

A

GPP (Gross Primary Productivity)

43
Q

the rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy

A

NPP (Net Primary Productivity)

44
Q

NPP = GPP - Respiration

A

Net Primary Productivity is equal to the difference between the rate at which the plants in an ecosystem produce useful chemical energy (e.g. carbohydrates) and the rate at which they use some of that
energy through cellular respiration.

45
Q

Maturity and Horizons of Soil

A

Surface litter layer
Top soil layer (humus)
Sub soil
Parent material

46
Q

Importance of Soil

A

Provides most of the nutrients for plant life
Cleans water
Decompose and recycle biodegradable wastes

47
Q

these are global cycles that recycle nutrients through the air, land and
water

A

Biogeochemical Cycles

48
Q

Explain the Water Cycle

A

Water from oceans and transpired from trees are transferred to the clouds in the for of evaporation, water there cools and condenses forming clouds. when the clouds get heavy it is distributed in the land through precipitation. From the land the water travels back through the seas and oceans through runoff

49
Q

Explain the Carbon Cycle in a Marine Environment

A

Phytoplankton remove it from the water through photosynthesis.
Converts to carbohydrates. Zooplankton respire, breaking
carbohydrates back to CO2.

50
Q

Explain the Carbon Cycle in a Terrestrial Environment

A

CO2 is released when animals respire, the CO2 is then converted to Oxygen through Photosynthesis and is used by the animals to respire. When living things die they turn to carbon which is the source of natural gas, which is burned by factories for consumption emitting carbon

51
Q

Explain the Nitrogen Cycle

A

Nitrogen Gas is fixated by Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria and turned to ammonia, Nitrifying Bacteria turn the ammonia into Nitrates and Denitrifying bacteria turn these nitrates back to Nitrogen.

52
Q

Explain the Phosphorus Cycle

A

Weathering.
Absorption by Plants.
Absorption by Animals.
Return to the environment through decomposition.

53
Q

discover facts about the natural world and the principles that explain these facts

A

Goal of Science

54
Q

one that can be proven false

A

Testable

55
Q

factors that might affect observations

A

Variables

56
Q

can be altered

A

Laboratory

57
Q

Difficult to alter

A

Field

58
Q

Ecosystem Components

A

Abiotic
Biotic

59
Q

Limiting Factors in Terrestrial Environments

A

Precipitation
Temperature
Soil nutrients

60
Q

Limiting Factors in Aquatic Environments

A

Temperature
Sunlight
Nutrients
Dissolved oxygen
Salinity

61
Q

Biological Components in an Ecosystem

A

Heterotrophs
Autotrophs

62
Q

Variations in Texture and Posterity

A

Rocks -> gravel -> sand -> silt -> clay

63
Q

Cycles are driven by what factors?

A

Solar Energy
Gravity

GE 11 - Intro to Environmental Science (6 decks)

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