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Watershed Ecology > Exam 3 > Flashcards

Exam 3 Flashcards

(67 cards)

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1
Q

What is urbanization characterized by

A
  • increase in human habitation
  • increase in per capita energy consumption
  • extensive modification of the landscape
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2
Q

How is urbanziation defined

A
  • areas with greater than or equal to 50,000 people, and a periurban or suburban fringe with greater than or equal to 600 people per square mile
  • greater than 75% of the us population lives in urban areas
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3
Q

What are the 2 main causes of stream impairment

A

1) agriculture

2) urbanization

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4
Q

How many streams and rivers are impaired by urbanization?

A

-greater than 130,000 km of rivers and streams

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5
Q

Urban land expansion rates are _______ urban population growth rates

A
  • higher than or equal to

- urban growth is becoming more expansive rather than compact

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6
Q

By 2030, global urban land cover will increase an estimated ____

A

1.5 million km^2

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7
Q

The most rich countries have low _____

A
  • population density
  • more land per person
  • suggests that urban land expansion is slowing in these regions
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8
Q

Four ways to measure urbanization

A

1) Urban land cover
2) Urban population density
3) Fragmentation
4) Compactness

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9
Q

Urban land cover (way to measure urbanization)

A

-total built-up area of cities, sometimes including open spaces within and on the urban fringe

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10
Q

Urban population density (way to measure urbanization)

A

-ratio of the total city population to the total built-up area it occupies

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11
Q

Fragmentation (way to measure urbanization)

A

-relative amount and spatial structure of the open spaces that are fragmented by the expansion of cities into surrounding countryside

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12
Q

Compactness (way to measure urbanization)

A

-the degree to which the city footprint approximates a circle rather a sprawly shape

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13
Q

the gradient paradigm

A
  • analyzes the ecology of urbanization

- works well because of the common structure of urban areas

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14
Q

Urban-rural gradients

A

-examines the ecological role of humans

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15
Q

Urbanization produces an array of experimental manipulations such as changes in:

A
  • disturbance regimes
  • biota
  • landscape structure
  • physiological stresses
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16
Q

Physical effects of urbanization in hydrology

A
  • flashier and higher peak flow
  • increased runoff
  • reduced floodplain inundation
  • reduction in permeability/infiltration
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17
Q

Hydrologic effects of increased impervious surface cover

A
  • decrease in infiltration and evapotranspiration
  • increase in runoff
  • floods reach peak more rapidly
  • Reduced groundwater recharge
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18
Q

Stormwater management programs are designed to:

A

-maintain quality and quantity of stormwater runoff to pre-development levels

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19
Q

NPDES

A
  • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

- controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the US

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20
Q

Temperature impacts of urbanization

A
  • cities can be warmer than the surrounding country side
  • heat island effect
  • due to removal of vegetation
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21
Q

______% of urban wastewater in developing countries is untreated

A

80-90

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22
Q

Chemical pollutants

A
  • heavy metals
  • pesticides
  • organic contaminants
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23
Q

Bacterial densities are ____ in urban streams. Why?

A
  • higher

- increased fecal bacteria from waste water treatment and sewer effluent

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24
Q

algal diversity _____ as proportion of urban land use inreases. Why?

A
  • increased nutrient/light levels increase algal biomass

- decreases

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25
Macroinvertebrate response to urbanization
-decrease in taxa richness
26
Adverse effects of N pollution are the result of contributions of these 4 major areas:
1) acidic deposition 2) acidification and overfertilization of forested ecosystems 3) acidification and fertilization of fresh water ecosystems 4) coastal eutrophication
27
Point sources of nutrients
- wastewater effluent - runoff and infiltration from animal feedlots - storm sewer outfalls from big cities - runoff from big construction sites
28
Nonpoint sources of nutrients
- runoff from agriculture - runoff from pasture and range - land conversion - atmospheric deposition
29
What is the most critical element in coastal ecosystems and why
- nitrogen | - drives primary production in estuaries
30
Eutrophication impacts
- increased biomass of phytoplankton - dissovled oxygen depletion - shift in phytoplankton to harmful species - death of coral reefs - increased incidence of fish kills
31
Estuary eutrophication
- N and P loading of freshwater increases eutrophication in estuaries - global warming may make estuaries switch from N sink to N source
32
Riparian zone attributes
- structured by dynamic physical drivers - collection points for resources - high species diversity, productivity, nutrient recycling
33
Buffer ecosystem functions and services
- physical (flood attenuation, windbreaks) - Biogeochemical (nutrient retention) - Biological (wildlife corridors)
34
Nutrient retention functions associated with buffers include:
- N fixation - Microbial immobilization - Soil storage - groundwater mixing
35
Denitrification
- only process within a riparian buffer that removes N from system - microbial transformation of nitrate to gaseous from allows it to diffuse to the atmosphere
36
Lakeshore buffer benefits
- nutrient filtration, habitat | - prevents shoreline erosion
37
Why are salamanders important
- they are a flagship species of riparian zones - linking aquatic and terrestrial habitats - one of the best indicator species
38
Susquehanna river basin compact
-provides the mechanism to guide basin-wide conservation, development, and administration of water resources
39
Who presented on the NYC water supply
Rene Germain
40
Where does NYC get its water from?
- Catskill/Delaware watersheds - Croton watersheds - water travels up to 125 miles before reaching the city
41
Cholera Epidemic
- NYC faces growing pains related to water quality and quantity - 19th century water blues - recording of zombies
42
Catskill watershed
- two reservoirs - supplies about 45% of NYC daily water consumption - currently unfiltered
43
Delaware watershed
- constructed 1937-65 - required intervention of the supreme court - four large reservoirs supplying about 50% of NYC daily water consumption - unfiltered
44
Why is the cannonsville reservoir bad
- displaced 5,500 people and claimed 26 communites | - put this whole civilization under water
45
What are the 2 reservoirs in the catskill watershed
-Schohaire and Ashokan reservoirs
46
What are the 4 reservoirs in the delaware watershed
- Cannonsville - Pepacton - Neversink - Roundout
47
Catskill/delaware system
- 1 billion gallons per day - 9 million residents - high water quality
48
Why isnt the catskill/delaware system filtered?
-high forest cover and low urbanization
49
Why is the NYC watershed unique?
-its primarily owned by private landowners
50
Who presented on save the rain?
-Madison Quinn
51
Some ways to save the rain
- green roof - porous parking lot-runoff diversions - biorentention - rain garden
52
Traditional grey infrastructure
- flood control dams and reservoirs - levees - floodwalls - channel modifications
53
Flood control dams and reservoirs
- capture and retain incoming flood waters | - release a lower flow rate downstream from controlled spillways
54
Levees
- river training walls to prevent flooding | - walls are sloped and vegetation cleared to reduce roughness and flood height
55
Flood walls
- vertical, often made of concrete - space efficient but expensive - protect dense or valuable real estate
56
Channel modifications
- armours banks with rip rap to reduce erosion | - dredging and straightening
57
Challenges to traditional structural approaches to flood risk reduction
- increasing risks from pop growth, climate change, aging infrastructure - increased demand for ecosystem services
58
Principles of a green infrastructure approach
- work with natural processes | - pan and implement flood management with a river basin perspective
59
Land management methods to retain runoff and floodwaters
- Reforestation - Agriculture BMPs - Slowing urban runoff - Acquiring floodplain land for natural flood storage
60
Who presented on FloodSmart communities?
-Stevie Adams from TNC
61
Conversion of natural floodplains can lead to
- at risk development - reduced or eliminated flood storage of the floodplain - altered hydrology downstream
62
Flood smart approach
- watershed approach to floodplain management - community-specific assessments - systematic decision making - combines wide range of expertise with local needs and knowledge
63
Who presented on urban green infrastructure
Madison Quinn
64
Interbasin water transfers
- transfer of water from one watershed to another via pipelines, canals, aqueducts - increases water supply in a receiving watershed
65
Riparian forest buffers
- designed combinations of trees, shrubs, grasses, and more adjacent to, or within a stream channel - designed to mitigate the impact of land use on the stream
66
Wild and Scenic rivers act
- created in response to the glory years of dam building | - 860,000 modified river miles (24% of US rivers)
67
Wetland delineation
- determination of precise boundaries on the ground through surveys - requries assessment of vegetation, hydrology, and soils

Watershed Ecology (3 decks)

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