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Flashcards in APES Unit 3 Deck (62)
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1
Q

climate

A

general pattern of atmospheric or weather conditions

2
Q

weather

A

local area’s short-term temperature or other physical conditions

3
Q

3 factors that affect distribution of air

A

Properties of air, water, and land
Uneven heating of the earth’s surface
Rotation of the earth on its axis

4
Q

Coriolis effect

A

the earth’s rotation causes winds to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

5
Q

currents

A

caused by prevailing winds and the rotation of the earth

6
Q

thermocline

A

differences in water temperature

7
Q

upwelling

A

water density differentials

8
Q

El Niño

A

disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system

9
Q

Rain Shadow Effect

A

Air travels over mountaintops and into slopes creating warm air. It has a lot of moisture but doesn’t release it. This creates dry plants and soil.

10
Q

The Greenhouse Gases

A

Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Water, Nitrous Oxide

11
Q

The Greenhouse Effect

A

the gases get trapped in the atmosphere and warm the earth

12
Q

biomes

A

large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate

13
Q

Tropical Rain Forests

A

year round warmth with high humidity and heavy rainfall
evergreen vegetation
high biodiversity
canopy, emergent, sapling, and ground zones
poor soil quality

14
Q

Temperate Deciduous Forests

A

moderate temperature fluctuates
few species: maple, beech, oak
slow decomposition of leaves

15
Q

Boreal Forests (Taigas)

A
long dry and cold winters
few species: pine, cedar, spruce
needle leaves
low plant biodiversity
slow decomposition of needles
16
Q

Tropical Grasslands (Savannas)

A

warm temperatures and alternating warm and dry seasons
large grazing herbivores
deep rooted plants

17
Q

Temperate Grasslands (prairie)

A

rainfall
cold winters hot and dry summer
productive for crops
high winds

18
Q

Cold Grasslands (Arctic Tundra)

A

frigid treeless plains
extreme cold (permafrost)
limited vegetation
animals like Arctic Fox

19
Q

Tropical Deserts

A

little vegetation

extreme high daytime temperatures

20
Q

Temperate Deserts

A

more precipitation than tropical deserts
drought resistant plants (cacti)
high daytime and low nighttime temperature

21
Q

Cold Deserts

A

sparse vegetation

extremely cold winters

22
Q

Turbidity

A

measure of how cloudy water is due to sedimetn

23
Q

Salinity

A

concentration of salts in given water

24
Q

Plankton

A

bottom trophic levels

25
Q

Phytoplankton

A

dominant primary producers

26
Q

Euphotic zones

A

upper layers of ocean that receives most sunlight

27
Q

Zooplankton

A

drifting herbivores

28
Q

Nekton

A

strong swimming like fish

29
Q

Benthos

A

bottom welling organisms

30
Q

Dissolved Oxygen

A

marine life depend on this

31
Q

Coastal Zones

A

high tide mark in oceans to the continental shelf

32
Q

Estuaries

A

freshwater meets saltwater

33
Q

Intertidal

A

rising and falling tides

34
Q

Coral Reefs

A

slow growing diverse ecosystems exist along equator in warm waters

35
Q

Open Ocean and Sea Floor

A

great expanse of the continental shelf

36
Q

Bathyl Zone

A

middle layer of ocean with little sunlught

37
Q

Abyssal Zone

A

bottom lower receives very little sunlight

38
Q

marine snow

A

organic waste that settles at floor from top layers

39
Q

Freshwater life zones: lentic

A

standing bodies of water (lakes, inland wetlands, bogs , and ponds)

40
Q

Freshwater life zones: lotic

A

moving bodies of water such as rivers and streams

41
Q

submergent

A

underwater

42
Q

emergent

A

rooted in water yet penetrates air/water boundary

43
Q

oligotrophic

A

Clear, deep lakes that have low nutrient levels and therefore limited primary productivity

44
Q

eutrophic

A

Once lakes have accumulated a high concentration of nutrients that support high levels of net primary productivity by producers

45
Q

Cultural eutrophication

A

Large amounts of nutrients added due to lake systems due to human activities, such as runoff of fertilizers

46
Q

runoff

A

Freshwater from precipitation and melting ice that flows from the earth’s surface and into bodies of water

47
Q

watershed

A

The land area that delivers runoff to the river or small streams

48
Q

Source zone

A

Contains rivers and streams that are directly fed by mountain snowmelt

49
Q

Transition zone

A

Has streams and rivers with more turbid water due to the increase in sediments flowing into them.

50
Q

Background extinction

A

Normal extinction of various species as a result of changes in local environmental conditions

51
Q

Mass extinction

A

Major groups of species wiped out within a short time

52
Q

Biological extinctions

A

Complete disappearance of a species from the earth

53
Q

Endangered species

A

Organisms whose population size has decreased to such a low level that they are at extreme risk of becoming extinct

54
Q

Threatened species

A

Organisms whose populations are declining due to human activity and could potentially become endangered in the near future

55
Q

Old-growth forest

A

Has not been modified by human activities or natural disasters in 200 years or more

56
Q

Secondary-growth forest

A

Form from secondary succession once land has been cleared due to human activity or some type of natural disaster

57
Q

Deforestation

A

Removes large tracts of forested land for fuelwood, agriculture, or urban development

58
Q

Tree plantations

A

Areas commercially maintained for timber resources

59
Q

rangelands

A

Wide-open, Non-restricted areas for grazing by grass eating and shrub-eating livestock

60
Q

pastures

A

Fenced areas that are maintained by ranchers through planting of domesticated grasses or shrubs

61
Q

Rotational grazing

A

Cattle or livestock are contained in fenced-off spaces where they are rotated from one field to another over the course of the year.

62
Q

bycatch

A

The unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species