Watersheds Flashcards
What watershed do we live in?
We live in the Potomac River watershed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
What is a tributary?
Rivers or streams that flow into another body of water.
What is estuary?
Bodies of water where fresh and salt water meet together and mix.
What are the major tributaries?
- Susquehanna
- Choptank
- Patuxent
- Potomac
- Rappahannock
- York
- James.
What are the states in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed?
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- A nonstate which is Washington DC.
How big is the Chesapeake Bay Watershed?
64,000 square miles.
What’s a ridgeline or divide?
The highest point in a watershed where rain flows down from.
What is a floodplain?
A wide flat area that borders rivers or streams.
What is the average depth of the Chesapeake Bay?
21 feet
What is a watershed?
An area of land that drains into a specific body of water.
What is a forest
a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth
What does impervious mean
unable to be affected by.
Where are flood plains generally located by a river?
Flood plains are generally located by a bend in a river.
What is a river system.
A river and all of it’s tributaries.
What is runoff?
The water that flows over and and is not absorbed.
What sometimes causes erosion by a river?
Swiftly moving Water
What is an impervious surface?
A surface where runoff is not able to be absorbed.
What is a pervious surface?
A surface where runoff is able to be aborbed.
What are the three main watershed ins Virginia?
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the Mississippi River Watershed and the North Carolina Sounds Watershed.
What is the LJMS Watershed Chain?
Accotink Creek, Accotink River, Potomac River
What is non-point source pollution.
Pollution that can’t be traced back to the source of the pollution.
What are some examples of point source pollution?
- Pollution from a factory
- Water coming out of a pipe from a sewage treatment plant
What are some example of non-point source pollution?
- Pesticides from a farm
- Dirt from a construction site
- Fertilizers from a golf course
- Soap from washing your car
(Anything that gets into waterways from runoff is generally non-point pollution)
What is a sewer?
A sewer is a pipe that carries human waste through water.
What is a storm drain?
A storm drain is a point where runoff flows in a developed area.
What is the term called when it is the point where runoff only flows down from there on a campus?
Highest Point
What is the term called when this is the base point on which runoff flows on a campus?
Lowest Point
What is the definition of erosion?
The process of rock and/or dirt getting worn away from natural processes over a period of time.
Is runoff that goes into a storm drain treated before being pumped out into a river?
No
Is waste that goes into a sewer treated before being pumped out into a river?
Yes
What factors can be included as non-point and point source pollution?
- Decreases water quality
- Harms plant and animal life
What is a Biome?
A geographical area that has similar climate precipitation and animals
Do you freshwater have salt?
They have little to no salt
What are animal adaptations in the freshwater
Gills, streamlined bodies for swimming
What do plants do in the freshwater
They float on top of the water
What area of earths does the marine cover
75%
What type of water does it have
Salty
What are some animal adaptations in the marine
Gills, streamlined bodies for swimming, and bright colors
What do plants do in the marine
They attached to the ocean floor or rocks, for example seaweed
What is the desert biome like
Rocky and Sandy soil and very dry with little rain
What are some adaptations of plants and animals (desert)
They’ve adapted to the dry weather and hot and temperatures
What are some more in adaptations of plants in the desert
They can store water for long periods of time, and they have extensive roots
Animal adaptations in the desert
Have ability to store water and fat for long periods of time
What Byam has all four seasons
G temperate decidious forest
What did the trees do in the TDF
They lose their leaves in the fall and regrow them in the spring
What do animals do in the TDF
Many of them migrate during the winter
What are some characteristics of the grasslands
There is not enough rain to support the growth of trees. There are many small shrubs and grasses
What are some adaptations of animals in the grasslands
They graze during the day in order to see predators, and they eat grass
What else does a grassland have
Very rich soil because of the decomposition of grass
What are some characteristics of the tropical rain forest
__GREATEST/LARGEST_______________ variety of plants and animals
b. Located __NEAR_________ the ____EQUATOR_________________
c. Very __HOT________ and ____HUMID____________ climate
d. Constant ___TEMPERATURE__________________ (~80°F) and rainfall all year long
What are some adaptations of animals in the TF
Animals have adapted to live in the treetop canopy
What are some adaptations of plants in the TF
The trees have broad leaves to catch as much sunlight as possible
What are some characteristics of the tundra
Very cold environment with long dark winters, permafrost a layer of permanently frozen subsoil, less than 10 inches of precipitation per year,
What are some adaptations animals in the tundra
They have thick fur, they have blubber, and they hibernate during the coldest months
What are some adaptations of plants in the tundra
The leaves change color, it’s treeless, and small shrubs grow close to the ground in groupsto escape the cold wind
What is the tiaga also called
The evergreen forest
What are some characteristics of the evergreen forest
It’s the world’s largest Byam, it is warmer and wetter than the tundra which is two it’s north, The precipitation is mostly snow
What are some plant adaptations in the evergreen forest
Leaves have a waxy coating to protect water loss, needlelike leaves do not allow snow to fall on top of them, trees do not lose their leaves, andthey have a dark green color to absorb as much solar energy as possible
What are some animal adaptations in the evergreen forest
Thick fur, some animals hibernate during the colder months, andsome migrate to warm areas
List the four factors that can affect the climate of an area
Pelt: precipitation, latitude, temperature, and elevation
What are the two Byam is it the richest soil
Grasslands and temperate deciduous forest
