Unit 2 AoS 2 - water quality Flashcards
What is turbidity?
Measure of suspended fine particles in water
What is biological oxygen demand?
amount of organic material (e.g waste) in the water
What is salinity?
Salt levels (measured in mg/L)
Describe the term ‘nutrient levels’
Chemicals that are essential to metabolism and growth in organisms
What does ‘light intensity’ mean?
Measure of the amount of sunlight reaching a surface
What is pH?
The measure of acidity or alkalinity (basic) of water or soil
Describe the term ‘dissolved oxygen’
a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in the water - the amount of oxygen available to living aquatic organisms.
Describe the term ‘temperature’ regarding water quality
Temperature of the water
What is an environmental indicator?
Factors of the environment identified and used as a way of assessing the overall condition of an environment.
What does ‘ecological niche’ mean?
The description of an organisms structural and functional role in an ecosystem
What does ‘range of tolerance’ mean?
tolerance to chemical and physical conditions within which an organism will live, grow, and function normally
What is a generalist?
A species that occupies a broad ecological niche and feeds on many kind of food
What is a specialist?
Organisms which have very specialised niches and feed on very few types of food
What does ‘tolerance limit’ mean?
The point where physical and chemical conditions become harmful to an organism
What does threshold mean?
The point at which a level or concentration is reached at which an effect is observed
What does the term ‘limiting factors’ mean?
Any condition that approaches or exceeds an organisms limits of tolerance.
Why are environmental indicators useful?
- Helps assess human impacts
- Can be used as early warning signs
- Can be used in rehabilitation or restoration projects
How is data from indicators collected?
- Field observation
- Field sampling
- Remote sensing
- Existing data
What are the different types of indicators?
- Physical
- Chemical
- Biological
- Socio-economic
Physical indicator
(Physical feature)
Chemical indicator
(Chemical factor)
Biological indicator
Effects on a plant or animal)
Socio-economic indicator
(effects on people)
What are indicators used for?
Management
Monitoring
reporting