Vocabulary Flashcards
What are abiotic factors?
Physical factors such as light, temperature and water.
Define acidification.
A process in which the pH drops as the conditions become more acidic.
What is an acidophile?
An organism that thrives under acidic conditions.
What are acoustic deterrent devices used for?
They deter mammals by using sound.
What is acoustic fatigue?
Stress cracking of a material caused by repetitive vibrations induced by sound.
What does acoustic monitoring involve?
Monitoring environmental sounds to detect the presence of dolphins and whales or bats.
What is an activated carbon filter?
A filter that reduces emissions of pollutants such as complex organic molecules.
What are activation products?
Atomic nuclei that become radioactive after absorbing neutrons.
What does active traffic management (ATM) aim to achieve?
To control road lane usage and speed limits to smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion.
Define acute exposure.
Exposure to a substance or symptoms that appear rapidly.
What is adsorption?
The process where a substance fixes onto a surface.
What is an aerobic process?
A process that takes place in the presence of oxygen.
What is the study of aerodynamics?
The study of airflow over surfaces to design surfaces that reduce wind resistance.
What is afforestation?
Planting trees to increase the area of forest.
Define albedo.
A measure of the reflectivity of a surface.
What is an anaerobic process?
A process that takes place in the absence of oxygen.
What is the Antarctic Treaty (1959)?
An international agreement to protect and manage Antarctica.
What does anthropogenic describe?
Outcomes caused by human activities.
What is the aphotic zone?
Deeper layers of water that receive no sunlight.
Define aquaculture.
The artificial production of aquatic organisms.
What is an aquifer?
A rock which contains water that is abstracted by humans.
What are archaea?
Microorganisms similar to bacteria, including the first life-forms to develop on Earth.
What is artificial insemination?
A form of selective breeding where semen is inserted artificially into a female.
What does ALARA stand for?
As low as reasonably achievable.
What is the atmosphere?
The gases surrounding the Earth.
What are baffle mounds?
Embankments that absorb and deflect noise.
What is a bag filter?
A method reducing atmospheric pollution caused by smoke and particulate matter.
What is a barrage?
A dam built across an estuary to generate tidal power.
What are barrier crops?
Crops grown around another crop to protect it from pests.
What is a beating tray used for?
A method of sampling invertebrates on the branches of bushes.
What does Becquerel (Bq) measure?
The unit of activity of a radioactive source.
What does BATNEEC stand for?
Best available technology not entailing excessive cost.
Define bioaccumulation.
The increase in concentration of a substance in living tissue.
What is biocapacity?
A measure of the biological productivity of an area.
What does biodegradable mean?
A material that can be broken down by living organisms.
Define biodiversity.
A measure of the variety and abundance of wildlife species.
What is a biogeochemical cycle?
A series of linked processes which use and re-use elements.
What is bioleaching?
A method of using bacteria to dissolve metals from low grade ores.
What is biological control?
The control of pests using living organisms.
What is a biological corridor?
A habitat that links other habitats for animal movement.
Define biomagnification.
The progressive bioaccumulation of a material along a food chain.
What is biomass?
The total mass of living, or recently living material in an area.
What is a biome?
A large geographical region with particular climatic features.
What is biomimetics?
The study of living organisms for technological applications.
Define bioremediation.
Cleaning up a contaminated site using living organisms.
What is a biotic index?
A measure of pollution based on selected living organisms.
What is blue baby syndrome?
A health problem where a baby’s blood does not carry enough oxygen.
What is a bund wall?
A wall that surrounds a tank to contain its contents if it leaks.
Define bycatch.
The non-target organisms caught when fishing.
What are captive breeding and release programmes?
A method of boosting wild populations by breeding in captivity.
What does carbon capture and storage (CCS) aim to achieve?
To reduce carbon dioxide emissions by storing them underground.
Define carbon footprint.
An estimate of total greenhouse gas releases caused by actions.
What is carbon sequestration?
Any process which removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
What is a carcinogen?
A substance or energy form that can cause cancer.
Define carrying capacity.
The greatest population that can be supported sustainably in an area.
What is a catalytic converter?
A device that reduces emissions of pollutant gases from engines.
What is a catch quota?
A limit on the quantity of fish that can be caught.
What is a centre of diversity?
A geographical region with a high plant biodiversity.
Define cetaceans.
Marine mammals including whales, dolphins and porpoises.
What is a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)?
An early design of low-energy light.
Define chronic exposure.
Exposure to a substance or symptoms that appear over long periods.
What are cirrus clouds?
Thin, wispy clouds usually found at high altitudes.
What is the Clean Air Act (1956)?
UK legislation to control smoke pollution.
What is a climax community?
The stable community of species at the end of ecological succession.
Define cloning.
An artificial form of asexual reproduction.
What are cnidarians?
A taxon of animals that includes corals and jellyfish.
What are colonisation media?
Methods to demonstrate the presence of species.
What is a combined heat and power station (CHP)?
A power station with high overall energy efficiency.
Define community of species.
Made up of the populations of all species in an area.
What are companion crops?
Crops grown together to benefit one another.
What is concentrating solar power (CSP)?
A method of increasing solar energy intensity using mirrors.
What is a constant descent angle?
A method of approaching an airport at a consistent angle.
What is contact action in pesticides?
A pesticide that kills pests by contact after spraying.
What is contamination?
Pollution caused by pollutants mixing with materials.
What is contour ploughing?
A soil erosion control measure by ploughing along contours.
What is CITES?
An international agreement controlling trade in endangered species.
What are cooling towers used for?
To reduce the temperature of effluent water.
What is coppicing?
Cutting down tree branches to promote regrowth.
What is cradle to cradle design (C2C)?
Designing items for reuse without toxic waste.
What is critical group monitoring?
Monitoring pollutants focusing on the most at-risk groups.
What is critical pathway analysis (CPA)?
Predicting routes that effluents take in the environment.
What is crop rotation?
Growing different crops in a field on a cycle.
What are crop wild relatives (CWRs)?
Wild plant varieties closely related to domesticated crops.
What is the cryosphere?
All the frozen water on Earth.
What does CSS stand for?
Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
Define culling.
Reducing a species population by selective killing.
What is cut-off ore grade?
The lowest purity of a mineral that can be economically exploited.
What is a cyclone separator?
Equipment used to remove suspended particles from gases.
What does DAFOR scale measure?
Judges the abundance of organisms.
What is the dB scale?
A logarithmic scale used to measure sound levels.
What are debt for nature swaps?
Agreements to pay part of a country’s debt for conservation.
What are decomposers?
Organisms that break down dead organic matter.
Define deflected succession.
Natural succession stopped by human actions.
What is deforestation?
The action of removing trees, reducing forest area.
What is degradability?
A measure of how easily a material breaks down.
What does demersal refer to?
Living on the seabed.
What is dendrochronology?
Determining the age of wood using growth rings.
What is desulfurisation?
The removal of sulfur or sulfur compounds.
What are detritivores?
Heterotrophic animals that ingest dead organic matter.
What is directional drilling?
Drilling wells for oil or gas that are not vertical.
What are dolphin pingers?
Acoustic deterrent devices used for small cetaceans.
What is a drift net?
A net that hangs vertically in the water.
What is dry flue-gas desulfurisation?
A method of removing sulfur oxides from gases using lime slurry.
Define dynamic equilibrium.
A balance created by active processes whose impacts cancel out.
What is an ecological footprint?
Assessing sustainability by estimating needed biologically productive area.
What is an ecological niche?
The role of an organism in its habitat.
What is ecological succession?
The sequence of changes in community composition over time.
Define ecosystem.
The community of organisms and their interactions with the environment.
What is eDNA?
DNA detected in environmental samples used to confirm species presence.
What does efficiency measure?
The amount of product compared with the inputs.
What is El Niño?
Events when wind and ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean slow significantly.
What is an electrostatic precipitator?
Equipment used to remove suspended particles from gases.
Define embodied energy.
The energy used to make and install an item.
What is embryo transfer?
Transferring fertilised eggs from one female to another.
What is encapsulation?
The sealing of waste in a solid material to prevent escape.
Define endemic.
Species that are native to a specific geographical area.
What is embodied energy?
The amount of energy that was used to make and install an item.
Define embryo transfer.
The transfer of fertilised eggs or embryos from one female to another, enabling more young to be produced than through normal breeding.
What does encapsulation refer to?
The sealing of waste in a solid material such as glass, cement or plastic to prevent its escape.
What is an endemic species?
A species that is indigenous to a particular area and is not naturally found elsewhere.
What does energy density measure?
The amount of energy in a particular mass of fuel or that can be harnessed by a particular mass of equipment.
Define eradication in ecological terms.
The reduction of the population of a species by removal or culling.
What are escape panels in fishing nets?
A spring-loaded part of a fishing net through which large by-catch organisms can escape.
What is the European Union Common Fisheries Policy (EU CFP)?
A set of regulations intended to ensure the sustainable management of fish stocks within the EU.
Define eutrophication.
The process by which nutrient levels in a water body increase to excessive levels, causing deoxygenation.
What are EDGE species?
Species that are threatened with extinction and have few genetically similar relatives.
What is an exoskeleton?
A skeleton on the outside of an organism, as found in insects and crustaceans.
True or False: Exposure in ionising radiation control means contact with the source.
False.
What is ex-situ conservation?
The conservation of a species in an area which is not its natural habitat.
Define extensive agriculture/aquaculture.
Agriculture/aquaculture where the yield is achieved with low levels of inputs over a large area.
What are feedback mechanisms?
Processes where an action has consequences that affect the original process.
What are flagship species?
High-profile species used to raise support for the conservation of their habitat.
What is flue gas desulfurisation (FGD)?
Processes that remove oxides of sulphur from gaseous effluents.
What are food conversion ratios (FCRs)?
A measure of the efficiency with which an organism converts its food into its own increasing biomass.
Define fuel cell.
An electrochemical device that produces electricity from the chemical reaction between two substances and oxygen.
What is genetic engineering/genetic modification (GM)?
The method of altering an organism’s genetic makeup by artificially introducing genes from another organism.
What is ghost fishing?
The capture and death of organisms caught in lost or discarded fishing gear.
What are gibberelins?
A group of plant hormones.
What does gonadic refer to?
Relating to ovaries and testes.
Define gravimetry.
A geological exploration technique that detects changes in the force of gravity.
What are grays?
A unit of energy absorbed from ionising radiation.
What is a greenhouse gas (GHG)?
A gas that absorbs infra-red radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface and causes atmospheric heating.
What is the Haber Process?
The industrial process that combines nitrogen from air with hydrogen to produce ammonia.
Define habitat.
The place where an organism, species or population lives.
What is haemoglobin?
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
What is half-life?
The time taken for half of a material to be lost or broken down.
Define halophyte.
An organism that thrives in conditions with a high salt concentration.
What is hard release?
The release of animals from captivity without post-release support.
What is homeostasis?
The maintenance of a state of equilibrium.
What are horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT)?
Wind turbines where the blades rotate around a generator that has a horizontal axis of rotation.
What is hydraulic fracturing?
A method using high pressure fluids to open cracks in fine-grained shales for oil and gas extraction.
What is hydroelectric power?
A method of generating electricity using the downhill flow of water.
Define hydrodynamics.
The study of the flow of water, often in relation to ship design.
What is the hydrogen economy?
The proposal that hydrogen produced by electrolysing water could be used as the main fuel.
What does hydrology study?
The movement, distribution and properties of water in the environment.
Define hydrosphere.
All the water on Earth in solid, liquid or gaseous form.
What is hydrothermal deposition?
The deposition of mineral deposits from hot mineral-rich solutions.
What is incineration?
The breakdown of waste by burning it.
What is in-situ conservation?
The conservation of a species in its natural environment.
What does insolation refer to?
Sunlight that reaches a particular location.
What are in-stream turbines?
Tidal turbines rotated by marine currents without a barrage.
Define intensive agriculture/aquaculture.
Agriculture/aquaculture where the yield is achieved with high levels of inputs.
What is the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO)?
An intergovernmental organisation promoting the conservation and sustainable management of tropical forest resources.
What is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)?
An organisation providing information on the status of the natural world and measures needed to safeguard it.
What does the International Whaling Commission (IWC) aim to do?
Ensure the sustainable exploitation of whales.
Define keystone species.
A species with much more important ecological functions than its abundance suggests.
What is kick sampling?
A method of sampling aquatic invertebrates by disturbing the substrate.
What is a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS)?
A method of slowing a vehicle by using its kinetic energy to charge batteries.
Define K-selected species.
Species with a relatively low breeding capacity, maturing at a later age.
What is La Niña?
Events when the wind and ocean currents in the equatorial Pacific Ocean increase in strength.
What is laser fusion?
A developmental nuclear fusion technique using a laser beam to cause fusion in frozen hydrogen.
What is Lasky’s principle?
A model stating that as the purity of mineral deposits declines, there is a logarithmic increase in material present.
What is leachate?
Drainage water that carries other substances in solution or as suspended solids.
What does LED stand for?
Light emitting diode.
Define legumes.
Plants with symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria in root nodules.
What are light traps used for?
Sampling populations of night-flying organisms attracted to lights.
What is limecrete?
An alternative to concrete with lower embodied energy, using calcium hydroxide.
What is the Lincoln index?
A method of estimating animal populations using catch, mark, release, recapture.
Define liposolubility.
A measure of how easily a substance dissolves in fats and oils.
What is the lithosphere?
The relatively hard outer layer of the Earth comprising the crust and upper mantle.
What is a local nature reserve (LNR)?
Designated areas for local importance for wildlife or public enjoyment.
What is long lining?
A fishing method with many hooks attached to a main fishing line.
What is magnetometry?
A method of detecting mineral deposits based on their magnetism.
Define magnetosphere.
The magnetic field around Earth that deflects charged particles from the Sun.
What is a marine conservation zone (MCZ)?
Areas designated under UK law to protect important marine wildlife and habitats.
What is a marine nature reserve (MNR)?
Areas designated to protect marine wildlife under UK law.
What is a marine protected area (MPA)?
Marine areas that are legally protected for their wildlife and cultural features.
What is maximum sustainable yield (MSY)?
The greatest amount that can be harvested sustainably.
What are metamorphic processes?
Processes that change the form of a rock with heat and/or pressure.
Define methane hydrate.
A solid compound of methane trapped in ice crystals, often found in marine sediments.
What is monoculture?
The growth of a single type of crop over a large area.
What is the Montreal Protocol?
An international agreement controlling the use of ozone-depleting substances.
What is mulch used for?
Material placed on soil surface to reduce evaporation losses and weed growth.
Define multicropping.
A form of polyculture where two or more different crops are grown simultaneously.
What is a mutagen?
A material that can cause changes in DNA structure.
What is a national nature reserve (NNR)?
Designated areas in the UK with important habitats and complete communities of species.
What is Natura 2000?
A network of protected sites in the EU combining SPAs and SACs.
What are neonicotinoids?
A widely used group of insecticides linked with bee deaths.
Define neurotoxin.
A poison that affects the nervous system.
What is a no take zone?
An area in which harvesting or fishing is prohibited.
What is nuclear fission?
Nuclear power involving the splitting of large atom nuclei.
What is nuclear fusion?
Nuclear power involving the joining of small atom nuclei.
What does ODS stand for?
Ozone depleting substance.
What are oil shales?
Fine sedimentary rock containing kerogen, a solid form of crude oil.
Define organochlorines.
Hydrocarbon-based compounds that include chlorine, often used as pesticides.
What is an organophosphate pesticide?
A group of insecticides with high mammalian toxicity but are not persistent.
What is overburden?
Soil and rock above a mineral deposit that must be removed for access.
What is overfishing?
Fishing above the Maximum Sustainable Yield of a population.
What is peak shaving?
The process of storing surplus energy to satisfy later peaks in demand.
What is a peat bog?
A wetland area with an accumulation of dead plant material.
Define pelagic.
Living near the water surface.
What is permaculture?
An agricultural system incorporating principles of natural ecosystems.
What is permafrost?
A layer of soil in which the water is permanently frozen.
What does persistence measure?
The rate at which a material breaks down and the length of time it remains.
What is a pheromone trap?
A trap that attracts organisms using the scent of pheromones.
Define pheromone.
A chemical released by an organism that changes the behavior of others of the same species.
What is the photic layer?
The water layer into which light can penetrate.
What is a photoautotroph?
An organism that produces food substances using sunlight in photosynthesis.
What are photochemical smogs?
Atmospheric pollution events where pollutants interact to produce toxic substances.
What is photothermal?
A system that converts light into heat.
Define photovoltaic (PV).
A system that converts light into electricity.
What is phytomining?
A method to extract metals concentrated by plants.
What is phytoremediation?
A method of decontaminating a polluted site using plants.
What are pioneer species?
Species that colonize an area at the start of ecological succession.
What is a pitfall trap?
A method of sampling populations of mobile animals that live on the soil surface.
Define plagioclimax.
A community of species maintained by external influences preventing natural development.
What is ploughing?
The cultivation of the soil by turning over the surface layer.
What are plutonium reactors?
Nuclear fission reactors using plutonium as the fissile fuel.
What are polar vortex winds?
Winds that blow around the poles in a circular manner, reducing mixing of air masses.
What is pollarding?
The process of regularly cutting down tree branches above ground level.
What is pollen analysis?
The use of pollen in environmental samples to deduce past climates.
Define polyculture.
An agriculture/aquaculture system involving the growth of more than one species.
What is a population in ecological terms?
All the individuals of a species living in a particular area.
What are power to gas systems (P2G)?
Methods of producing methane gas from surplus electricity.
What is primary oil recovery?
The extraction of crude oil using natural pressure.
What is productivity?
A measure of the yield of a system, often expressed per unit area or input.
What are Proterozoic marine sediments?
Iron oxide deposits produced by dissolved iron reacting with oxygen from photosynthesis.
What is proxy data?
Data that can be collected to predict related factors that cannot be measured.
What is productivity?
A measure of the yield of a system, often expressed as the yield per unit area, time or input.
What are Proterozoic marine sediments?
Iron oxide deposits produced by the reaction of dissolved iron minerals with oxygen from photosynthesis in the early Proterozoic era.
What is proxy data?
Data that can be collected to predict values of a related factor that cannot be measured.
What is pumped storage HEP?
An energy storage system where surplus electricity pumps water from a lower reservoir to a higher one.
Define purse seining.
A fishing method where a net is used to encircle a shoal of pelagic fish.
What are pyrethroids?
Synthetic insecticide pesticides based on natural chemicals extracted from chrysanthemum flowers.
What is a quadrat?
An area, usually square or circular, in which samples are taken.
What is rammed earth?
A wall construction method where materials like clay, soil, straw, and sand are compacted.
What is a Ramsar site?
A wetland site designated to protect its biodiversity under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
What is the range of tolerance?
The range of conditions within which a species can survive.
Define relative biological effectiveness (RBE).
A measure based on the energy absorbed from ionizing radiation, accounting for the damaging effects of the radiation type.
What is remote sensing?
Any method of monitoring features of a location from another location, usually via satellites or aircraft.
What is resistivity?
A method of predicting the mineral composition of deposits underground based on their conductivity.
What are reverse thrusters?
A method used on aircraft to slow down after landing.
Define re-wilding.
The process of creating habitats similar to conditions before human alteration.
What is risk:benefit analysis?
A method to inform decision making by comparing risks and benefits of an activity.
What are r-selected species?
Species with a high breeding capacity, maturing at a young age and producing many offspring.
What does salinity measure?
The salt concentration of a solution.
What is satellite imagery?
The collection of images using satellites across various wavelengths.
Define secondary fuel.
An energy source produced by the conversion of a primary fuel.
What is secondary oil recovery?
Extraction of crude oil where pressure is maintained by pumping water or gas into the reservoir.
What is secondary succession?
Ecological succession occurring in an area where the climax community has been disturbed.
What are seismic surveys?
Surveys using sound waves to determine the depth and shape of underground rock structures.
Define sere.
A stage in ecological succession leading to the climax community.
What are shellfish?
Aquatic animals with shells or exoskeletons, such as crustaceans and molluscs.
What is a sievert?
A unit of ionizing radiation absorption accounting for energy absorbed and RBE.
What is Simpson’s index of biodiversity?
A quantitative measure of species number and abundance in an area.
What are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)?
Areas designated under UK law for their importance for biodiversity and geological features.
What are smart motorways?
Roadways that relieve traffic congestion by allowing driving on the hard shoulder.
Define smog.
Atmospheric pollution involving smoke and fog.
What is soft release?
The release of animals from captivity with post-release support.
What does somatic refer to?
Issues related to general body cells, excluding gonads.
What are sonograms?
Graphs showing volumes of sounds at different frequencies.
What is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC)?
Areas designated to protect internationally important habitats for rare species.
What is a Special Protection Area (SPA)?
Areas designated to protect habitats for rare and vulnerable bird species.
Define species.
A group of organisms that resemble each other and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
What are sterile male techniques?
Insect pest control using sterilized males to prevent offspring.
What is strip cropping?
Growing multiple crops in alternating narrow strips to reduce soil erosion.
What is a Surber sampler?
A method of sampling aquatic invertebrates by disturbing the substrate.
What are sweep nets?
A method for sampling populations of flying insects among vegetation.
Define synergism.
The presence of two materials producing a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects.
What does systemic mean?
A substance absorbed and transported throughout an organism.
What are tar sands?
Very viscous crude oil found in sand.
What is a taxon?
A group of organisms based on biological similarities.
What is temperature inversion?
A situation where warm air lies above cold air in the troposphere.
What is a teratogen?
A substance that interferes with gene function in a growing embryo.
What is terracing?
Creating horizontal stepped strips on a slope to reduce soil erosion.
What is tertiary oil recovery?
Extraction of crude oil using methods to reduce its viscosity.
What is thermal mass?
The ability of a material to absorb and store heat.
What is thermal stratification?
Changing temperatures in different layers of the atmosphere.
What is thermohaline circulation?
Movement of ocean currents caused by changes in temperature, salinity, and density.
What is a thorium reactor?
A reactor that uses thorium 232 as a fertile fuel for energy release.
What is a tidal barrage?
A tidal power scheme with a dam-like structure across a bay or estuary.
What is a tidal lagoon?
A tidal power scheme impounding a section of a bay or estuary with lower environmental impacts.
What is tidal power?
Generating electricity using tidal water flow caused by gravitational forces.
What is tied ridging?
Creating a grid of raised ridges to reduce soil erosion.
What is tillage?
The cultivation by turning the soil.
What is a tipping point?
When changes from human activities trigger further changes, making the activities unnecessary.
What is topography?
The 3D shape of the land surface.
What is a toroidal reactor?
A nuclear fusion reactor with hydrogen plasma held in a torus.
What is toxicity?
A measure of how poisonous a substance is.
What is a transect?
A line or belt of sampling sites across an area.
What are transgenics?
The process of transferring genetic material between species.
What is a Tüllgren funnel?
Equipment used to extract invertebrates from soil or leaf litter.
What is turbidity?
A measure of suspended solids in water affecting light penetration.
What is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)?
A formula used to calculate rates of soil erosion.
What is urea spray?
A method for reducing NOx emissions from coal-fired power stations.
What is a Vavilov centre?
An area where crop plants were first domesticated and wild varieties are found.
What is vegetative propagation?
Asexual reproduction.
What are vehicle to grid systems (V2G)?
Energy storage method connecting vehicle batteries to the local electricity grid.
What are vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT)?
Wind turbines with blades rotating around a vertical axis.
What is wave power?
Generating electricity using water movement caused by wind.
What is wet FGD?
A method for removing sulfur oxides from gases using a sodium sulfite solution.
What is the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981)?
A UK law providing protection for wildlife species and designated protected areas.
What are windbreaks?
Hedgerows and rows of trees that reduce wind velocity to minimize soil erosion.
