Unit 1 Flashcards
LICs ( Low Income Countries )
have a gross national income ( GNI ) per capita ( per person) of US $1086> (Nepal, Malawi)
MICs ( Middle-Income Countries)
have a GNI per capita of more than US$ $1086 but less than US $ 13205 ( South Africa and Vietnam)
HICs ( High Income Countries )
have a GNI per capita of more than US $13205 ( Germany, Switzerland)
Open System
which means that the amount of water in a specific ecosystem can fluctuate as water can move both in and out of the ecosystem.
Closed System
there is a constant amount of water on the planet.
Evaporation
the process of which when water changes from liquid to the gaseous phase.
Precipitation
condensed water in the clouds falls back to the surface of earth as: rain, hail, snow, sleet, or fog
Transpiration
water vapor through and out of the plant before being released into the atmosphere
humidity
is the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers.
Condensation
water changes from gas to liquid through the release of energy
Interception
precipitation being blocked from reaching the ground by plant canopy or even a leaf filter.
Through-Fall
the rain drops the are intercepted by plants collecting on the leaves and falling through the foliage and onto the soil below
Stem-Flow
Water trickles along the branches and trunk of the tree to the ground below.
Run off
water from precipitation collects on the surface of the land and flows over the ground
Aquifer
underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated material
Infiltration
when water is absorbed by soil
Through-Flow
water that flows through the soil
Ground Water
water below the earth’s surface
Groundwater Flow
water moving through the ground
abstracted
the process of taking water from a ground source.
atmosphere
The layer of gases, vapour, and dust particles which envelop the earth.
troposphere
The layer of the atmosphere which is closest to the earths surface
stratosphere
above the troposphere, increases from -50° ( 6-20 km above the earths surface) to -10°c .
Ozone layer
15-40 km above the earths surface
Mesosphere
above the stratosphere, about 50 and 80 km above the earths surface
phytoplankton
are microscopic marine algae
cataracts
a clouding of the lens in your eye.
Variable gases
The so called “variable gases” are those present in small and variable amounts. including: carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, water vapor, and particulates among others.
greenhouse gases
gases in the earth’s atmosphere that trap heat.
chlorofluorocarbons
nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine.
enhanced greenhouse effect
where extra greenhouse gases in our atmosphere trap too much of the Sun’s energy.
biosphere
the life-supporting zone
hydrosphere
the sum of Earth’s water, in the ocean, the ground, on the surface, and in the air.
lithosphere
We live on the lithosphere. The lithosphere makes it possible for us to build our homes upon the ground and to get nutrients from the crops we grow on the lithosphere.
biomes
a distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life.
biotic
living organisms like: plants, animals, bacteria
abiotic
soil, climate, H2O, rocks
Species
A group of organisms whose individuals can breed to produce offspring
Population
A group of individuals of the same species living in an ecosystem
Community
A biological community can be defined as the living, or biotic, populations that exist within an ecosystem in a shared location.
Habitat
the natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism.
Competition
a set of interactions between organisms and species to get a limited resource
Ecological
study of the relationships between living organisms
Intra-specific
occurring within a species or involving members of one species.
Inter-specific
existing, occurring, or arising between species. an interspecific hybrid.
Food Chain
a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.
Trophic Level
a level or a position of a group of organisms in a food chain
Ecological Pyramid
a graphical representation of the relationship between the different living organisms at different trophic levels.
Consumers
cannot produce their own food, thus feed off of producers
Decomposers
An organism, often a bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem
Limiting Factors
anything that constrains a population’s size and slows or stops it from growing
Food web
consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.
Biomass
the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time.
Photosynthesis
biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabolism.
Aerobic Respiration
A chemical process in which oxygen is used to make energy from carbohydrates (sugars).
Chlorophyll
a pigment present in all green plants and a few other organisms
Carbon Cycle
the process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and then back into the atmosphere
Combustion
a chemical reaction between substances, usually including oxygen and usually accompanied by the generation of heat and light in the form of flame.
Carbon Stores
the storage of carbon dioxide in vegetation such as grasslands or forests, as well as in soils and oceans.
Carbon Sink
anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases
Carbon Source
any natural or artificial production site of carbon and/or any chemical compounds composed of carbon, such as carbon dioxide and methane.
Cryosphere
the frozen water part of the Earth system.
Pedosphere
the soil mantle of the Earth
