key terms Flashcards
(244 cards)
1
Q
The swamplands of extreme southern Louisiana, which contain elements of both the forests and the coast, could be called ________.
A
an ecotone
2
Q
What is commonly referred to as the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’?
A
That unregulated exploitation leads to resource depletion
3
Q
When studying different Biomes, these types of graphs are extremely useful:
A
Climatographs
4
Q
Generally, the population growth rate (including all factors) of the developed countries is
A
Slowly Decreasing
5
Q
The largest pool(s) of nitrogen in the nitrogen cycle are in the ________.
A
atmosphere
6
Q
A relationship in which one organism is harmed while the other is unaffected is called
A
Amensalism
7
Q
A K-selected species may:
A
Be good competitors, Have long gestation periods, Have few offspring
8
Q
What is the rock cycle?
A
The heating, melting, cooling, breaking, altering, and reassembling of rocks and minerals.
9
Q
What is the first law of thermodynamics?
A
Energy cannot be created or destroyed
10
Q
Closely related species that live in different environments and thus experience different selective pressures tend to also develop different traits, this is called:
A
Divergent evolution
11
Q
The largest pool(s) of phosphorus in the phosphorus cycle is found in ________.
A
Sediment and sedimentary rock
12
Q
Sympatric speciation refers to:
A
Species which form from populations that become reproductively isolated within the same area
13
Q
Which of the following is the best example of an invasive species within the Great Lakes ecosystem?
A
sea lamprey
14
Q
The largest pool(s) of carbon in the carbon cycle are in the ________.
A
zSedimentary rock and fossil fuels
15
Q
Following primary succession, what arrives first to begin renewing the landscape?
A
pioneer species
16
Q
The Total Fertility Rate refers to:
A
Average number of children born per female member of a community
17
Q
chemosynthesis reaction?
A
6CO2 + 6H2O + 3H2S → C6H12O6 + 3H2SO4
18
Q
cellular respiration reaction?
A
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6H2O + 6CO2 + energy
19
Q
Which are the three most abundant chemical elements by mass in the Earth’s atmosphere?
A
Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon
20
Q
Recombinant DNA ________.
A
describes the merging of DNA from unrelated organisms to create new hybrids
21
Q
The mongoose had been introduced to Hawaii. What was the main consequence realised over time?
A
they have reduced populations of the Nene
22
Q
An organism which contains DNA from another species
A
transgenic organism
23
Q
If water is removed from an aquifer or surface water body and is not returned, it is deemed:
A
consumptive use
24
Q
One would expect more erosion in areas that have_______.
A
High values of erosivity factor, steep tropography, less vegatation cover
25
A person is considered 'undernourished' if they receive less than ____ of their daily caloric needs.
90%
26
In order to control topsoil erosion from fields, farmers can try:
Crop rotation and Contour Farming
27
The 'Green Revolution':
increased overall agricultural production
28
Biodiversity is unevenly distributed on the planet, this can be attributed mostly due to:
latitudinal gradient
29
The loss of more than 10% productivity in arid areas due to erosion, soil compaction, forest removal, and an array of other factors is called ________.
desertification
30
Leaching:
removes nutrients from topsoil
31
An artesian aquifer:
is a water-bearing region between layers of less permeable substrates
32
What are some techniques for integrated pest management?
biocontrol measures, crop rotation, habitat diversification
33
What is the purpose of Norway's 'Doomsday Vault'?
a large storage facility for seeds
34
Which terrestrial biome has the most biodiversity?
tropical rainforest
35
In Canada, water consumption is dominated by:
industrial use
36
In Canada, residential water consumption is dominated by:
showers and baths
37
Distillation and reverse osmosis are examples of:
desalinization processes
38
The capacity of a river is defined as:
the total amount of sediment a river can transport
39
What are often cited as the top 3 causes of soil degradation?
overgrazing, deforestation, cropland agriculture
40
What are the five factors that influence soil formation?
climate, organisms, topography, parent material, time
41
What is the correct order of soil horizons?
O, A, E, B, C, R
* O Horizon = organic matter/peat deposits
* A Horizon = topsoil
* B Horizon = subsoil, hardpan
* C Horizon = broken parent material
* R Horizon = unaltered parent material
* W Horizon = distinct layer of water in some soils
* Permafrost = some arctic soils contain a perennially frozen layer
42
The 'local extinction' of a species is called:
extirpation
43
For a forest region to be declared 'old-growth' the trees must average a minimum age of at least:
150 years
44
Stream flow velocity is controlled by:
Slope and roughness of stream channel, volume of water being transported
45
Why is Venice sinking?
Being built on a swamp, excessive amounts of water extraction, and compressible soils
46
The competence of a river is defined as:
the maximum size of sediment grains a river can transport
47
Oxbow lakes will form in which type of hydrologic system?
freshwater
48
Enormous, beautiful, unique, or unusual features inspire people to protect them over the long term from destruction. This is often referred to as:
monumentalism
49
Farmers utilising 'reduced tillage' practices are doing what to their fields?
cutting furrows into the soil, dropping in a seed, and then closing the furrow
50
Environmental pollution from multiple cumulative inputs over a large area is also called:
non-point source pollution
51
What is xeriscaping?
landscaping using plants adapted to a dry environment
52
What is resource management?
Strategic decision and planning aimed at balancing the use of a resource with its protection and preservation
53
What is carrying capacity?
- measure of a system to be able to support life.
- can be quantified by the number of individuals of a particular species that can be sustained without incurring permanent damage
54
What are the 4 main types of environments?
Abiotic, Biotic, Human-built, Social
55
Why is water extremely heat absorbent?
Its strong intermolecular forces due to its polarity allow it to absorb a lot of energy before evaporating, and maintain the energy for a long period of time
56
What are organic compounds fundamentally made of?
Carbon atoms, joined by covalent bonds (Carbon to Carbon)
57
What is difference between organic and inorganic compounds?
Inorganic compounds lack carbon-carbon bonds, but may contain carbon
58
What do proteins do?
(Everything), produce tissues, provide structural support, transport energy, promote reactions
59
What are enzymes?
Proteins that speed up chemical reactions
60
What are carbohydrates?
sugars and polymers of sugars, consist of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen
61
What are plastics?
Synthetic, man-made polymers (long chains of repeated molecules) made from petroleum
62
what is energy conversion efficiency?
the ratio of useful energy output to the amount needing to be input
63
What are some theories for the origin of life?
Primordial Soup
Seeds from space
Life from depths
64
What are chemotrophs?
organisms that obtain energy from chemicals (such as from hydrothermal vents)
65
What are tectonic plates?
sections into which the earth's crust is broken
66
What are the 3 main ways tectonic plates can move?
Diverge - open valleys, rifts
Converge - creates mountains, trenches
Transform - creates faults
67
What are the 3 main types of rock?
* Igneous rock – forms from cooling lava
– Intrusive – granite
– Extrusive - basalt
* Sedimentary rock – formed from weathering and erosion take place
– limestone
* Metamorphic rock – form when rock is subjected to great heat and pressure
– Slate and marble
68
What is an open system?
A system that inputs and outputs both energy and matter
69
What is a closed system?
Systems that receive input and produce outputs of energy, but not matter
70
What is homeostasis?
Tendency for a system to remain constant / stable internal conditions
71
What are the major subsystems of the earth?
Atmosphere, Geosphere, Hydrosphere (+ cryosphere), biosphere
72
What is an ecosystem?
All organisms and non-living entities that interact and occur in a particular area at the same time
73
In nutrient / biogeochemical cycles, what is flux?
how the movement of nutrients across pools changes over time
74
In nutrient / biogeochemical cycles, what are sources?
Pools that release more than they accept (opposite of sink)
75
What are the kinds of speciation?
Allopatric, Sympatric, Peripatric, Parapatric, Artificial
76
What is allopatric speciation?
a physical barrier emerges to divide one population into two or more populations, leading to speciation
77
What is sympatric speciation?
New species arises from the same geographical area, due to other factors such as the development of different mating preferences, or evolution of different ecological niches
78
What is parapatric speciation?
This occurs when two populations of a species are geographically adjacent to each other, but are separated by an environmental gradient, such as a river, desert, or mountain range.
79
What is peripatric speciation?
A small population becomes isolated from the main population, due to genetic drift or colonization of a new area
80
What is artificial speciation?
Artificial selection by man, leading to speciation
81
What is the net gross primary production when talking about biomass production?
Conversion of solar energy to energy of chemical bonds in sugars
82
What is net primary production? (biomass)
Energy that remains after cellular respiration, generating biomass
83
What is secondary production? (biomass)
Biomass generated by heterotrophs due to the consumption of autotrophs
84
What is an aquifer?
a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater.
85
What percentage of Canada's fresh water is ground water?
94%
86
How much of the world's water is fresh water?
2.8%
87
What is the number 1 source of carbon?
Sedimentary rock
88
What is nitrificiation?
Converting inert nitrogen gas into nitrite and nitrate ions
89
What do dentrifying bacteria do?
Convert nitrates into gaseous oxygen
90
The heterotrophic hypothesis states, in general:
That life evolved from a primordial soup.
91
What is biocapacity?
The capacity of a system to be biologically productive and to absorb waste.
92
A trait that promotes reproductive success is also called:
An adaptive trait
93
If a natural environment or habitat begins to slowly change over time, a particular trait may no longer be adaptive. Traits that then diverge into two or more directions are called:
Disruptive selection
94
What is Competition?
the struggle between organisms to survive as they attempt to use the same limited resources
95
What is resource partitioning?
species using a limited resource in different ways
96
What is primary succession?
succession that begins in an area with no soil remnants of an older community
97
What is character displacement?
physical characteristics that reflect why a species evolved (birds that eat larger seeds evolve larger bills)
98
Symbiosis
Symbiosis
Mutualism in which organisms live in close physical contacts (ex: plants, fungi)
99
What is allelopathy?
What is allelopathy?
plants release harmful chemicals, usually for self defense
100
The highest tropic level, which contains the lowest energy includes:
Detritivores and Decomposers
101
What is facilitation?
Plants that create shade and leaf litter, allowing seedlings to grow
102
What are the 3 trophic levels?
producers, consumers, decomposers
103
Climax community
Community resulting from successful succession
104
Ecological restoration
returning an area to unchanged conditions (before disaster / human changes)
105
Temperate grasslands
dominated by grasses, trees and large shrubs are absent. Temperatures vary more from summer to winter
106
Temperate rainforest
lots of precipitation, west coast (pacific)
107
Tropical rainforest
year round rain, warm temp,
lush vegetation, very poor, acidic soils
108
tropical dry forest
tropical deciduous forest, has wet and dry seasons
109
Crude birth/death rate
number of births/deaths per 1000 people per year
110
Replacement fertility
the total fertility rate (TFR) that maintains a stable population size
111
Demographic fatigue
governments face overwhelming challenges related to population growth
112
What is soil
complex plant-support system consisting of weather rock, organic matter, water, gases, nutrients, life
113
What is universal soil loss equation?
Developed as a tool for estimating erosion losses by water from cultivated fields, and to show how different soil management factors influence soil erosion
114
Desertification is
natural process by which formally productive lands become a desert as a result of climatic change or prolonged drought, or which is brought on by human activities, such as increased agriculture
115
intensification is
gradual increase in productivity from the same area of land, refined technique and technologies
116
extensification is
increasing resource productivity by bringing more land into production
117
subsistence agriculture is
oldest form of traditional agriculture
farming families produce only enough food for themselves and do not make use of modern irrigation, farm machinery, or teams of animals
118
green revolution was due to what?
inorganic fertilizers were able to be produced, enormous increase in agriculture production
119
feedlots are
factory farms, concentrated animal feeding operations, usually massive warehouses
120
Genetic Diversity is
the difference in DNA among individuals WITHIN species and populations
121
Species Diversity is
A value that can be expressed different ways to quantify the number and variety of species in the world, or in a specific region
122
Biodiversity hotspots are
Hotspot is a region that supports great number of endemic species, originally developed to prioritize regions that are globally important for biodiversity
123
agroforestry is
method of planting trees in close proximity to agricultural crops
why does agroforestry work?
if plants close together, nutrient cycle easier :)
124
understory is:
shrubberies and ground plants of forest floor, lowest level of growth
125
afforestation is
planting of trees in an area where forest cover has not existed for 50+ years
126
maximum sustainable yield is
harvesting as much as sustainably possible
127
ecosystem based management is
manage the harvesting of resources in ways that minimize impacts on ecosystems
128
prescribed / controlled burns are
reduce overall fuel load in forest by selecting parts of a forest to burn. Usually for the purpose of preventing future forest fires.
129
species richness is
number of species
130
species evenness is
extent to which numbers of individuals or different species are equal / skewed
131
what is genetic bottleneck?
limited variety of genetic material available to be passed along by small number of surviving individuals
132
latitudinal gradient describes:
species richness increases towards the equator
133
background rate of extinction is
natural extinction for variety of reasons
134
How do chemosynthetic bacteria obtain energy?
Chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates. Carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and oxygen create carbohydrates and sulfur compounds
135
Cyanobacteria
Thought to be first species to generate oxygen with photosynthesis
136
What are stromatolites?
structures formed in shallow water by cementation of cyanobacteria + other microorganisms
137
When a farmer decides to plough their fields into furrows sideways across a hillside, or perpendicular to its slope, to prevent rills and gullies, it is called:
contour farming
138
The ____________________ is a soil's ability to hold cations, preventing them from leaching, thereby increasing their availability to plants.
Cation exchange capacity
139
What is a flagship species?
Large and popularly known species used to aid public conservation efforts (e.g. wwf panda)
140
Harvesting trees shortly after they have gone through their fastest stage of growth, and not waiting until they are considered 'old' allows loggers to achieve the:
Maximum sustainable yield
141
Which of the harvesting methods is the most cost efficient and also mimics natural disturbances, such as fire?
Clearcutting
142
The terms distance effect, target size, and differential extinction, all relate to which theory?
Island Biogeography
143
Forests cover approximately what percent of the total land surface of Earth?
30%
144
Variable retention harvesting occurs when
logging companies carefully select trees to remove, in order to retain a certain percentage and/or natural characteristics of the forest.
145
true or false? The number of total species found on an island is proportional to that islands size.
true
146
A 'Perched' water table could be the result of:
An impermeable layer
147
Which of the following factors account for the largest inputs of petroleum into our global oceans?
natural seeps
148
What is 'by-catch'?
The accidental capture of animals not intended to be harvested
149
The amount of the energy from the Sun that is reflected away from the surface of the Earth is referred to as:
Albedo
150
What has the most control on how the Earth's seasons change?
The tilt of Earth's axis
151
The idea of purposely adding aerosols to our atmosphere, or pumping liquid CO2 into the deep ocean depths is also called:
Geoengineering
152
Which of the following would be considered a Biological Indicator of climate change?
Species ranges shifting towards higher elevations
153
The relative ability of one molecule of a given substance to contribute to warming our planet is called the:
Global warming potential
154
Hadley Cell Circulation refers to:
a pair of convective air currents near the equator where surface air warms, rises, and expands
155
A ____________ is the boundary between air masses that differ in temperature, moisture, and density
front
156
When mining for oil, secondary extraction can refer to:
the use of fluids or solvents
157
Which of the storage method for radioactive waste is safest for Canadians over the long-term?
geological isolation
158
A proven recoverable reserve refers to:
oil that is technologically and economically feasible to remove under current conditions
159
Organic material that is broken down anaerobically but remains wet, near the surface and is not well compressed:
peat
160
Utilising excess heat produced during electrical generation to heat buildings and/or produce other types of power, is referred to as:
cogeneration
161
Returning a mine site after its closed to a condition similar to it's pre-mined condition is called:
reclamation
162
What is overburden?
the overlying soil and rock on a deposit that is removed by heavy machinery
163
Biogenic gas:
is created by bacterial anaerobic decomposition
164
Which of the atmospheric layer would be dry and low density, as well as contains UV-blocking ozone?
Stratosphere
165
When sulphide minerals from sulphuric acid flow from mine wastes into local waterways, they can absorb heavy metals from the wastes creating a toxic liquid called:
leachate
166
A teratogen is
any agent that causes an abnormality following fetal exposure during pregnancy
167
By using the natural absorptive capacity and impermeability of rock to our advantage, we can store highly dangerous radioactive substances using:
geologic isolation
168
The redesigning of industrial systems to reduce resource inputs and to minimise physical inefficiency while maximising economic efficiency, is also known as:
Industrial ecology
169
These shallow depressions, often lined with impermeable plastics and/or clays, that store large volumes of liquid hazardous wastes, are called:
Surface impoundments
170
The large-scale comparisons among groups of people, generally for a long period of time, to study their health or exposure to certain substances is called:
Epidemiology
171
The flow of waste as it is transported from its source or production, towards it final disposal destination, is called the:
waste stream
172
The concentrations of toxicants in the food-chains top predators is also referred to as:
Biomagnification
173
Sites, especially in cities, that have been long contaminated but now have the potential to be cleaned up and repurposed are referred to as:
brownfields
174
The rules, regulations, designs, and guidelines for developing waste disposal sites is under the control of which level of government?
Provincial or Territorial
175
Hazards that result from where we live, our socio-economic status, job, or life choices, are also referred to as:
cultural hazards
176
All waste from production of consumer goods, mining, agriculture, and petroleum extraction and refining would be considered:
Industrial Solid Waste
177
In toxicology, the amount of a toxicant required to kill 50% of the subjects in the trial is referred to as the:
LD50 (lethal dose 50?)
178
what is estimated background rate of extinction?
1 out of 1000 mammal / marine species, every 1k-10k years
179
what is ecotourism
Tourism that doesn't harm the environment and benefits the local people
180
biophilia is?
connections that humans subconsciously seek with life
181
what is captive breeding?
individuals are bred and raised with the intent of reintroducing them into the wild
182
what is debt-for-nature swap?
a conservation organization pays off a portion of a developing country's international debt in exchange for the country to set aside reserves
183
variable retention harvesting is
logging selectively to retain certain percentage of forest
184
consequences of clear cutting
all trees in area are cut, leaving only stumps --> large ecosystem damage
soil erosion ++
185
swidden agriculture is
small area of forest of cleared, crops planted
186
crown fires are
upper tree canopy is ignited
187
salvage logging is
The removal of dead or dying trees after a disturbance, such as a fire or insect outbreak
188
tributary
A small stream or river that flows into a larger one
189
watershed
A large body of water surrounded by land on all sides
190
Discharge is
Volume of H2O in a stream moving past a point in a unit time interval
191
What is suspended load?
the fine-grained particles that travel in the water column above the stream bed (clay, silt). controlled by Velocity, settling velocity
192
Bed load is?
larger particles such as sand and gravel
193
What is saltation load?
intermittent bouncing/skipping. Larger particles move by rolling or sliding
194
what is settling velocity?
The velocity at which sediment particles are deposited
195
What is competence in water streams?
Maximum-sized particles a stream can carry; depends on velocity
196
What is capacity?
Total load a stream can carry, depends on discharge
197
Oxbow is
An extreme bend in river
198
Floodplains are
Areas nearest to river course that are flooded periodically
199
Riparians are
riverside areas that are productive and species-rich
200
wetlands are:
an area of land that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally
201
freshwater marshes
shallow water that allow plants to grow past water surface
202
swamps
shallow water that occurs in forested areas
203
bogs
ponds covered in thick floating mats of vegetation
204
Littoral zone is
region ringing the edge of a water body
205
benthic zone is
from littoral zone to bottom deepest point
206
limnetic zone
open portion of lake, sunlight can still penetrate depths
207
profundal zone
below limnetic zone, sunlight cannot reach
208
oligotrophic lake
have low nutrient and high oxygen conditions
209
What is the definition of a drainage basin?
An area of land where all the water that falls within it drains into a common body of water
210
What is the definition of an aquifer?
An underground layer of rock or sediment that holds groundwater
211
What is the definition of remediation?
The process of removing waste and pollution from a contaminated site
212
What happen in primary waste water cleaning?
removal of large objects / substances physically
213
What is the definition of thermocline?
A layer in a body of water where the temperature changes rapidly with depth
214
What is the definition of a gyre?
A large ocean current, follows quasi-circular motion as result of Earth's rotation
215
What is the definition of Thermohaline Circulation?
A deep ocean current driven by differences in temperature and salinity
216
What is the definition of La Niña?
A climate pattern characterized by cooler than usual water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean
217
What are some of the impacts of La Niña?
Increased rainfall in Southeast Asia and drought in South America
218
What is the definition of El Niño?
A climate pattern that occurs when the water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual.
219
What are some of the impacts of El Niño?
Increased rainfall in South America and drought in Southeast Asia
220
What is the definition of Troposphere?
The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs.
221
What is the definition of Stratosphere?
The layer of Earth's atmosphere that contains the ozone layer.
222
What is the definition of Mesosphere?
The layer of Earth's atmosphere that protects Earth from meteoroids.
223
What is the definition of Thermosphere?
The layer of Earth's atmosphere where auroras occur.
224
What is the definition of relative humidity?
The amount of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a specific temperature.
225
What is the definition of primary pollutants?
Pollutants that are directly emitted into the air from a source.
226
What is the definition of secondary pollutants?
Pollutants that are created when two or more pollutants react in the atmosphere.
227
what is smog?
A mixture of pollutants, primarily ozone and particulate matter, that are created when sunlight reacts with emissions from vehicles and industrial sources.
228
What is the definition of acidic or atmospheric deposition?
A natural or human-made process by which acidic pollutants are deposited onto the earth's surface through rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation.
229
What is the definition of Global Warming Potential (GWP)?
The measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere relative to carbon dioxide.
230
Which of the greenhouse gases has the highest GWP?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
231
What are Milankovitch Cycles?
Changes in Earth's orbit and axial tilt that affect climate patterns over long periods of time.
232
Which of the Milankovitch Cycles has the longest period?
eccentricity (out of eccentricity, tilt, and procession)
233
What are Proxy Indicators?
Indirect measurements of past climate conditions inferred from natural records.
234
What is an example of a Proxy Indicator?
Ice core samples that reveal atmospheric composition from thousands of years ago.
235
What is Primary Recovery?
The initial phase of oil and gas extraction. e.g. Drilling a well and using natural pressure to extract oil and gas
236
What is Secondary Recovery?
The use of additional techniques to extract more oil and gas after Primary Recovery. e.g. Injecting water or gas into a well to increase pressure and extract more oil and gas
237
What are Oil Sands?
Heavy deposits of sand, clay, water, and bitumen that contain a heavy, thick oil.
238
What is Electrolysis?
The creation of electricity by splitting hydrogen atoms from the oxygen atoms in a water molecule
239
What is Gangue?
The waste material that remains after minerals have been extracted from ore.
240
What is Municipal Solid Waste?
Waste that is produced by households, public facilities, small businesses. low-income countries produce more apparently? idk if true
241
What is a Sanitary Landfill?
A landfill that is designed and managed to minimize environmental impacts.
242
Which of the following best describes a "Vector" in biology?
An organism that transmits disease from one host to another
243
what is the Precautionary Principle?
It is the principle that requires taking action to prevent or reduce harm, even when scientific evidence is uncertain or incomplete.
244
Tropopause
limits mixing between troposphere and layer above it
