TOPIC 4 Flashcards
Precipitation
The release of water from clouds; this is a TRANSFER process and NOT a transformation
measuring water quality
abiotic factors:
-pH levels –> unusual levels can indication pollution, acidifcation, etc
-temperature –> abnormal temp fluctuations can stress/harm aquatic life
-dissolved oxygen –> low dissolved oxygen can lead to hypoxia
-suspended solids (turbidity) –> level of suspended solids (eg sediment, oganic matter, algae), provides insights into sedimentation, erosions, and overall water quality
-metals –> testing for levels such as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic –> assess contamination levels –> monitoring metal concentrations helps idenitfy pollution sources and evaluate potential ecological impacts
-nitrates and phosphates –> assess nutrient pollution –> monitoring helps manage nutrient inputs and prevent water quality degradation
Physical water scarcity reasons (2 points)
-The climate in that region is dry and/or the water is being OVER-EXTRACTED for human use, either for domestic, agricultural, or industrial use.
-This may be for INDUSTRIAL USES or IRRIGATION
Abstraction (definition)
Taking water OUT of the water table
What are some improvements to technology in fishing?
-Improvements to boats
-improvements to fishing gear (use of trawler bags)
-detection of fisheries via satellites and sonar
Base of aquatic food chains
Photosynthesis by phytoplankton
Biodegradation of organic material
Uses oxygen which can lead to anoxic conditions and subsequent anaerobic decomposition
EVaporatoin (definition)
Transformation of water liquid to water vapour
Economic water scarcity (definition)
Probably means that physical infrastructure is NOT in place to ensure that CLEAN SAFE WATER is available to the population
ways humans impact the water cycle (4)
-withdrawals
-discharges
-changing the speed and location at which water can flow
-diveriting rivers or sections of rivers
Biotic index
Indirectly measures POLLUTION by assaying the impact on species within the community according their TOLERANCE, DIVERSITY, and RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Surface runoff
Water that flows over the surface of land after melting or precipitation
what does diverting rivers/sections of rivers entail?
-many are diverted away from important areas to avoid flood damage
-some are diverted TOWARDS dams to improve storage
Advection
The wind-blown movement of water (as clouds)
Aquatic pollutants (list of 13)
-Floating debris
-Organic material
-Inorganic plant nutrients (nitrates and phosphates)
-Toxic metals
-Synthetic compounds
-Suspended solids
-Hot water
-Oil
-Radioactive pollution
-Pathogens
-Light
-Noise
-Biological pollutants (invasive species)
factors impacting freshwater availability
-climate change disrupting rain patterns
-low water levels in rivers and streams
-slow water flow in lower courses of rivers results in sedimentation –> river becomes shallower, deltas extend further into sea thus contaminating them with saltwater
-exhaustion of underground aquifers
-pumping rates from aquifers are too fast –> causes cone of exhaustion –> well becomes unusable
-freshwater becomes contaminated and unusable
-irrigation often results in soil degradation because of salinity –> soil is too saline for further agriculture
-fertilisers and pesticides pollute streams and rivers
-industrial release of pollutants into surface water bodies
-industries and electricity plants release warm water into rivers –> holds less oxygen than cold water –> negatively impacts organisms that extract oxygen from water –> species composition is changed
distribution of freshwater (percentages + bonus thing about it)
-0.9% other
-ground water 30.1%
-icecaps/glaciers 68.7%
-generally storages!
Sublimation
The transformation of a solid to a gas (e.g., ice to water vapour)
Testing in aquatic systems (list of 6 things tested)
-pH
-temperature
-suspended solids (turbidity)
-metals
-nitrates
-phosphates
Melting
Transformation of ice/snow to water
strategies for reducing water pollution from farming (5)
-reducing the amount of pesticides and fertiliser used (using the smallest possible amount at the most appropriate time)
-replace chemical fertilisers with organic ones –> nutrient release is slower and more likely to be absorbed
-prevent overspray (e.g., spraying pesticides or fertilisers directly into a stream)
-use highly selectic pesticides instead of a generic pesticide
-use biological control measures (importation of enemy, for example)
estuaries
-partially enclosed coastal body of water where river freshwater mixes with saltwater of sea
-very high productivity
-water levels rise and fall, exposing mudflats
-shallow water
Glaciers (definition)
A slowly-moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles
Stream flow
The flow of water in streams, rivers, and other water channels.
Red tide blooms
Algae bloom that occurs in coastal eutrophication
Transpiration
The process nby which water moves through a aplant and evaporates from the stomata (pores) in the plants’ leaves
what do discharges in water entail?
adding pollutants to water, such as:
-chemicals from agriculture
-fertilisers
-sewage
bioretention areas (definition; 2 points)
-shallow landscaped depressions
- typically underdrained
-rely on engineered soils, enhanced vegetation and filtration to remove pollution and reduce runoff downstream
Dead zones
Found in both oceans and freshwater where there is NOT ENOUGH OXYGEN dissolved in the water to support life
flows in the hydrological cycle (5)
-advection (wind-blown movement)
-flooding
-surface runoff
-infiltration and percolation (water into/through soil and rocks)
-stream flow and current
-evapotranspiration
-condensation
-freezing
Evapotranspiration
The combination of evaporation from the earth’s surface and transpiration from plants
Aquaculture
The FARMING of marine and freshwater species which involes INTERVENTION in the rearing process to enhance production
Bottom trawling/dredging (2 points)
-The bar is dragged along the sea bottom to DISTURB (and thus destroy) the habitat.
-This is used to catch SHELLFISH
Development of sustainable drainage in urban areas (6 points)
-restoring wetlands
-permeable paving
-wet basins/ponds
-tree pits: rain gardens
-green roofs
-building bioretention areas
Anaerobic decomposition (definition and what it produces)
microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen
This forms methane, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia (toxic gases)
Water pollution management strategy (list of 3 + examples for each)
-altering human activity (using alternatives to inorganic fertilisers and detergents)
-controlling release of pollutant (waste water treatment to remove nitrates and phosphates)
-removing pollutants from the environment and restoring ecosystems (removal of mud from eutrophic lakes and reintroductino of plant and fish species; using aerators)
surface currents in the ocean
-upper 400m
-bring heat from tropics to polar regions
-earth’s rotation DEFLECTS them and increases circular movement
solutions for increasing freshwater supply
-reservoirs
-redistribution
-desalination plants, removing salt from seawater
-rainwater harvesting systems (small- and large-scale)
-artificially recharging aquifers
-reducing domestic use of freshwater by using more water efficient showers, dishwashers, toilets
-wash cars in car washes with closed water system
greywater recycling
Aquaculture technology (list of 5)
-Bag and rack
-Suspended culture
-Shrimp farming in pond systems
-Open net pens or cages
-Recirculating systems for fish farming
Groundwater
Water held underground in the soil, permeable rocks, or cracks in the rock underground.
Deep water currents
-also known as thermohaline currents
-90% of ocean currents
-cause the OCEANIC CONVEYER BELT
Condensation
TRANSFORMATION of water vapour to water liquidC
how do ocean currents impact the climate?
-distributes heat around the world; like a conveyor belt
-transport WARM WATER and PRECIPITATION from EQUATOR towards the POLES
-transport COLD WATER from the POLES back to the TROPICS
-regulates global cliamte, COUNTERACTING uneven distribution of solar radiation
Mitigation strategies of unsustainable exploitation (list of 3)
-Policy
-Legislation
-Changes in consumer behaviour
Freezing
Transformation of water liquid to ice
Hydrological cycle
The water cycle - how water moves around the Earth’s systems
Aquifers
A permeable rock contianing water
Aquaculture issues (list of 6)
-Loss of habitats
-pollution from feed
-fouling agents
-antibiotics and other medicines added to fish pens
-spread of disease
-escaped species (GMOs)
Wild fisheries
-also known as capture fisheries
-harvesting naturally-occuring resources in aquatic environmemnts
Water conservation strategies
-Drip irrigation
-Variable flush toilets
-Timed showers instead of baths
-Tap aerators to REDUCE WATER FLOWS out of high pressure taps
-Use of grey water/storm runoff/reclaimed wastewater (already used for washing) for GARDENS AND TOILETS
-dry toilets
-switching off the tap while brushing eeth
-metering water
-fining companies for leaks and wasted water
Types of fishing technology (list of 6)
-Bottom trawling/dredgin
-Gill nets
-Long lines
-Purse seine nets
-Traps
-Pots
rain garden (Definition, 2 points)
lets water collect and settle on the garden surface then soak through the plants and soil
filters out pollution
Bag and rack system
-Shellfish can be sustainably cultivated using ‘bag and rack systems’
-These are exposed at low tide when they are able to be managed. They are ‘seeded’ with young from hatcheries and don’t require extra feed as they simply filter-feed
Infiltration
The process by which water enters the ground surface of the soil.
Percolation
The process of water filtering through the soil
deep water currents process
-created by differences in WATER DENSITY caused by SALT and TEMPERATURE
-WARM WATER holds LESS SALT than cold water –> LESS DENSE –> RISES –> COLD WATER has to RISE FROM DEPTH to REPLACE it (UPWELLINGS)
-COLD WATER holds MORE SALT –> DENSER –> SINKS –> RISES to REPLACE warm water –> replaced by WARM WATER that SINKS (DOWNWELLINGS)
-thiss is how WATER CIRCULATES
strategies for reducing water usage in farming (5)
-selecting drought resistant crops, reducing need for irrigation
-closed pipes instead of open canals, reducing evaporation
-trickle systems instead of spraying water, reducing evaporation
-subsurface drip irrigation
-pivoting away from cattle farming
Eutrophication (2 points)
-When lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters receives inputs of NUTRIENTS (nitrates and phosphates) which results in EXCESS GROWTH of plants and phytoplankton.
-This results in OVERPRODUCTION and DEATH and DECOMPOSITION using up oxygen in the water, leading to ANOXIC CONDITIONS (dead zones)
Falling fish stocks and damage to habitats is due to….
developments in fishing equipment and changing methods of fishing
Freshwater supplies are limited by:
Contamination and unsustainable abstraction
how do humans change the watercycle by changing the speed at which water can flow, and where it flows?
-in cities –> building roads, channeling rivers underground or in concentrated areas
-canalising –> straightening large sections of rivers in concrete channels to faciliate MORE RAPID FLOW through sensitive areas
-with dams, barrages, and dykes, making reservoirs
What are water supplies enhanced by? (list of 6)
-Reservoirs
-Redistribution
-Desalinization
-Artificial recharge of aquifers and rainwater harvesting
-Artificial glaciers
-Cloud seeding
Sources of marine pollution )list of 4)
-Rivers
-Pipelines
-Atmosphere
-Activities at sea (operational and accidental discharges)
Inequitable distribution
Water resources are not equally available to all, only to the rich
Current (of a body of water)
The flow of water in a water body, such as a lake, sea, or ocean
biodegradation of organic materials
process that utilises oxygen –> creates anoxic conditions –> leads to anaerobic. decomposition –> leads to formation of methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia (toxic gases)
Solar Radiation
The sun’s energy
Ice caps
Ice covering a large surface, especially in polar regions
persectives to consider in ontroversial species harvesting (e.g., seals and whales) (list of 3)
-Ethical issues of biorights
-Rights of indigenous cultures
-International conservation legislation
2 kinds of ocean currents
surface currents
deep water currents
Flooding (definition)
An overflow of water onto land that is normally dry
Maximum sustainable yield (2 points)
-It is the highest amount that can be taken each year without PERMANENTLY DECREASING the amount of natural capital
-Commercial fisheries use the concept of MSY to estimate HOW MUCH fish they can take from the seas
what do withdrawals of water entail?
withdrawing water for:
-domestic use
-irrigation in agriculture
-industry
Biochemical oxygen demand (2 definitions)
-A measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen required to break down the organic material in a given volume of a water through aerobic biological activity
-An indirect measure of the amount of organic matter within a sample
Sources of freshwater pollution (list of 4)
-Runoff
-Sewrage
-Industrial discharge
-Solid domestic waste
The demand for freshwater is limited due to: (list of 3)
-Population increase
-Irrigation
-Industrialisation
distribution of earth’s water (percentages)
-3% freshwater
-97% saline/oceans
Indicator species (definition and examples)
-Species that can be indicative of polluted waters (and other systems)
-Bacteria, frogs
Where do the highest rates of aquatic productivity occur?
-Coastlines
-Shallow seas where upwellings and nutrient enrichment occur
storages in the hydrological cycle (7)
-oceans
-soil
-groundwater (aquifers)
-lakes
-rivers/streams
-atmosphere
-glaciers/icecaps
Management streategies for fisheries (list of 3 )
-Quotas
-Designation of marine protected areas (exclusion zones)
-Restrictions of types and sizes of fishing gear (including mesh size of nets)
