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AICE Environmental Science > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Environment

A

Everything around you, including all living and non-living things

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2
Q

Environmental science

A

The study of life systems and connect in the natural environment

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3
Q

Ecology`

A

The study of how living organisms interact with the living and non-living parts of their environment

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4
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms who have unique characteristics that set it apart from other groups

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5
Q

Ecosystem

A

A biological community of organisms within a defined area of land or volume of water that interacts with their environment

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6
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes; provides a way for species to adapt to changing environments and for new species to arise

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7
Q

Chemical cycling

A

the circulation of chemicals or nutrients needed to sustain life from the environment through various organisms and back into the environment

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8
Q

Natural capital

A

Natural resources and ecosystem services that keep humans and other species alive and support human economies

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9
Q

Inexhaustable resource

A

A resource that can be used indefinitely and doesn’t need to be renewed because it is in infinite supply

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10
Q

Renewable resource

A

A resource that can be used indefinitely because it can be replenished through natural processes; it is available as long as it is not used faster than it can be renewed

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11
Q

Nonrenewable resource

A

Resources that exist in a fixed amount on earth’s crust

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12
Q

Ecosystem services

A

Natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life and human economies at no monetary cost to us

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13
Q

Environmental degradation

A

Destruction of the environment through depletion of earth’s life-sustaining natural capital; also called natural capital degradation

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14
Q

Tragedy of the commons

A

Depletion or degradation of a potentially renewable resource to which people have free and unmanaged access

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15
Q

Ecological footprint

A

A rough measure of the total environmental impacts of individuals on the environment; measured in land

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16
Q

Per capita ecological footprint

A

The average ecological footprint of an individual in a given population or defined area

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17
Q

Biocapicty

A

The ability of an ecosystem to regenerate the renewable resources used by a population and to absorb the resulting wastes or pollution

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18
Q

Affluence

A

Resource consumption per person, A, within the IPAT equation (Impact
= Population x Affluence x
Technology)

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19
Q

Accuracy

A

How close or far off a set of measurements are to their true value

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20
Q

Precision

A

How close or dispersed a set of measurements are to each other

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21
Q

Scientific model

A

An approximate representation or simulation of a system being studied

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22
Q

pH

A

A measure of acidity

23
Q

Acidity

A

A chemical characteristic that helps determine how a substance dissolved in water will interact with the earth’s surface

24
Q

Isotope

A

A form of an element that has the same atomic number (protons) but different mass numbers

25
Q

Kinetic Energy

A

Energy that matter has because of its mass and speed, or velocity

26
Q

Electromagnetic radiation

A

Forms of kinetic energy traveling as electromagnetic waves

27
Q

Radiation

A

Fast-moving particles (particulate radiation) or waves of energy (electromagnetic radiation)

28
Q

Conduction

A

The transfer of heat from solid substance to another cooler one when they are in physical contact

29
Q

Convection

A

Movement of fluid matter caused when the warmer or less dense part of a body that matter rises while the cooler, denser part of the fluid sinks due to gravity

30
Q

Potential energy

A

Energy store in an object because of its position or the position of its parts

31
Q

Positive feedback mechanism

A

• Feedback loop that causes a system to change further in the same direction
• Also called a positive feedback loop

32
Q

Negative feedback mechanism

A

• Feedback loop that causes a system to change in the opposite direction
• Also called a negative feedback loop

33
Q

Atmosphere

A

Air surrounding the earth

34
Q

Lithosphere

A

Outer shell of the earth

35
Q

Hydrosphere

A

Earth’s liquid, frozen, or gaseous water

36
Q

Biosphere

A

The zone of the earth where life is found

37
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

Natural effect that releases heat in the atmosphere near the earth’s surface

38
Q

Weather

A

Short-term changes in the temperature, precipitation, and other conditions in the troposphere at a given place and time

39
Q

Climate

A

The long-term pattern of weather conditions in a region, consisting of average precipitation and temperature

40
Q

Global climate change

A

The changes in weather patterns, ocean cycling, and temperature

41
Q

Global warming

A

The overall net increases in temperature worldwide

42
Q

Greenhouse warming potential

A

A gas’s ability to warm the atmosphere, scaled against other gases in the atmosphere

43
Q

Anthropogenic

A

Human-centered

44
Q

Carbon sinks

A

Immobilized carbon not contributing to global temperatures (forests, fossil fuels, etc.)

45
Q

Tolerance

A

The ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in biotic and abiotic environmental factors

46
Q

Coriolis effect

A

Wind deflection and currents caused by the rotation of the earth

47
Q

Global climate zones

A

• Caused by the rising and falling of cool or warm, dry or moist air
• Three main: Polar cell, Temperate/Mid-latitude cell, Tropical/Hadley cell

48
Q

Abiotic factors

A

• Temperature
• Pressure and gravity
• Water (97.5% salt water, 2.5 fresh water)
• Biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles)

49
Q

Biotic factors

A

• The living components of an ecosystem that affect the ecosystem and all organisms within it
• Predators/prey, plants as habitats, soils, microorganisms populations

50
Q

Deciduous

A

• Leaves drop due to some cue
• Temperature cue or drought cue

51
Q

Brackish

A

Water with a salt concentration of 1-3%

52
Q

Photic

A

Sunlight penetrates

53
Q

Aphotic

A

Without light

AICE Environmental Science (7 decks)

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