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All Tests - Envi Sci

All the vocab from each test in Environmental Science combined.

Term	Definition
Exponential	"J" curve of ever increasing growth of a population.
Per Capita	Average per person.
Montreal	Protocol in 1987 that tried to lower CFC emissions globally.
Kyoto	Protocol in 1997 that tried to lower CO2 emissions globally.
Copenhagen	Protocol that just happened that again tried to lower CO2 emissions globally.
Anthropogenic	Human-caused or human-centered.
Pseudoscience	Fake science - using scientific words or ideas to sell an idea or product.
Charismatic Megafauna	Big, pretty animals.
Water	Most influential greenhouse gas on the planet.
Carbon Dioxide	Most influential greenhouse gas on the planet whose concentrations are altered by humans.
Biodiversity	Number of species in a given area.
Monoculture	Having only one species in an area (like planted crops or trees).
Theory	Hypothesis that has been tested many times under different conditions and never shown to be wrong.
CFC	Chemical that can destroy the ozone layer.
Exploitation	Unsustainable use of a resource - using a resource faster that it can be replenished.
Conservation	Wise use of natural resources.
Preservation	No use of natural resources.
Biotic	Living parts of an ecosystem.
Abiotic	Non-living parts of an ecosystem.
Ecotone	The boundary (edge) between ecosystems/communities/associations.
Species	All the organisms that can potentially interbreed and produce viable offspring.
Community	All living species in a given area.
Association	All plants in a given area.
Ecosystem	All biotic and abiotic factors in an area that interact as a functional unit.
Biome	Major groupings of ecosystems and landscapes.
Population	All of one species in a given area.
Swamp	Wetland with trees.
Marsh	Wetland without trees.
Estuary	Biome with a mixture of fresh and salt water.
Conifer	Trees with needles and cones.
Deciduous	Trees that lose their leaves every year.
Tundra	Biome with permafrost.
Desert	Very dry biome.
Temperate Rainforest	Biome that has trees, moderate temperature, and lots of rain.
Autotroph	Producers - change inorganic molecules into organic.
Heterotroph	Consumers.
Niche	How and where an organism lives and dies.
Habitat	Place an organism lives - usually described by vegetation.
Decomposer	Organisms the change organic material into inorganic.
Resource	Any factor that is used by an organism.
Cohesion	Water molecules being attracted to other water molecules.
Adhesion	Water molecules being attracted to other molecules.
Biosphere	Area of planet that contains all living organisms.
Lithosphere	The earth's crust.
Hydrosphere	The earth's water.
Atmosphere	The earth's air (gaseous layer).
21	Percent of air that is oxygen.
78	Percent of air that if nitrogen.
Limiting Factor	The "thing" that controls population size; if removed another one takes over.
Energy	The ability to do work.
Kinetic	Energy in motion.
Potential	Stored energy.
Herbivore	Organism that eats only plants.
Carnivore	Organism that eats animals.
Prey	Organism that gets eaten.
Parasite	Organism that eats, but doesn't kill.
Conservation of Energy	1st law of thermodynamics; energy can be changed, but not created or destroyed.
Entropy	2nd law of thermodynamics; energy wants to disperse.
Biomass	Dry weight of living material produced per year.
Photosynthesis	Process of turning carbon dioxide and water into sugar using the sun's energy.
Respiration	Process of turning sugar into energy in a cell.
Fixation	Process of turning "air" nitrogen into "plant-usable" nitrogen.
Denitrification	Process of turning "plant-usable" nitrogen into "air" nitrogen.
N2	"Air" nitrogen chemical formula.
NH4	One of the "plant-usable" nitrogen - chemical formula.
Rhizobium	Microorganisms in the roots of some plants that can make "plant-usable" nitrogen.
Legumes	Type of plants that can make "plant-usable" nitrogen - includes beans and peas.
Intraspecific	Within a species.
Interspecific	Among a different species.
Invasive	Non-native, exotic species that are introduced into an area and spread.
R-Selected	Species that are small, short-lived, have many young with little parental care.
K-Selected	Species that are large, long-lived, have few young with a lot of parental care.
Succession	The transition of biotic communities through time.
Carrying Capacity	Environmental resistance to poulation growth leads to ___.
Competition	An interaction between species where both species lose.
Climax	The stable "end" of succession.
Rule of 70	The procedure used to estimate "doubling time" of a population based on growth rate of the population.
Replacement-Level Fertility	The amount of young needed to keep the population stable.
1st World	Countries with low fertility rates and high incomes - considered "highly developed".
3rd World	Countries with high fertility rates and low incomes - considered " developing countries".
Disturbance	Any change to succession.
Stewardship	Utilizing conservation and efficient use of natural resources.
Evaporation	Liquid water becoming a vapor.
Transpiration	Liquid water in a plant becoming a vapor.
Sublimination	Frozen water becoming a vapor.
Desalination	Process of removing salt from seawater to turn in into fresh water.
Adiabatic Cooling	Warm air rising and losing pressure causes it to lose heat.
Rain Shadow	Dry region downwind of a mountain.
Chinook	Warm winds that come off of a mountain because of increasing pressure.
Field Capacity	Capillary water - the amount of water soil can hold.
Gravitational	Percolated water - excess water that drains through the soil.
Aquifer	Pools of groundwater.
Spring	Groundwater reaching the surface in a small, confined area.
Seep	Groundwater reaching the surface over a large area.
Xeriscape	Landscaping using native plants and rocks in dry areas.
Watershed	Area of land drained by a river.
32	Fahrenheit - water freezes.
212	Fahrenheit - water boils.
39	Fahrenheit - water is the densest.
0	Celsius - water freezes.
100	Celsius - water boils.
4	Celsius - water is the densest.
Immigration	Moving into an area.
Gray	"Slightly used" water that can be recycled for watering yards and flushing toilets.
Drip	Type of irrigation used to water trees efficiently - long tubes with small holes.
Relative Humidity	Percent of water the air can hold based on temperature.
Emigration	Moving out of an area.
Migration	Leaving and then returning to an area.
Secondary	Succession in an area that already had an organism there.
Primary	Succession on an area on which no organism lived before.
Dew Point	Temperature at which the air would be saturated with water.
Mortality	Another name for death rate.
Natality	Another name for birth rate.
Water Table	The top of an aquifer (highest level of groundwater).
2.5	Percent of earth's water that is fresh.
24	Percent of world's CO2 emissions that the US produces.
Loam	The best soil for agriculture.
Clay	The smallest particle in soil.
Silt	The medium-sized particle in soil.
Sand	The largest particle in soil.
Autotroph	Producers - organisms that make their own food.
Horizon	A "layer" in the soil.
B Layer	Soil layer - subsoil - or accumulation of the leeched material.
A Layer	Soil layer - topsoil.
R Layer	Soil layer - rock under layer.
O Layer	Soil layer - dead, and decomposing organic material.
C Layer	Soil layer - weathered parent material.
E Layer	Soil layer - the leeched soil.
Humus	Dead and decomposing organic material.
Oxisol	Soil class found in tropical rainforest - lots of iron, little CO2, lots of leeching.
Aridisol	Soil class found in deserts and drylands that are thin and light colored.
Mollisol	Soil class that is soft and deep; good for ag found in the Midwest.
Alfisol	Soil class that is good soil but it is shallow; good for ag if fertilized, but great for forests.
Acid	pH of less than 7.
Basic	pH of greater than 7.
Neutral	pH of 7.
Salinization	Process that can happen to dry soil areas that are irrigated.
Profile	All the layers of a soil give it a soil__.
Nutrient	Minerals needed by plants for growth.
Erosion	Process of losing soil due to wind or water.
Compaction	Process a soils becoming hard and "squooshed" from machinery or animals/people.
Desertification	Process of land becoming more dry due to global warming, overgrazing, overcultivation, etc.
Herbicide	Chemical used to kill plants.
Pesticide	Chemical used to kill insects, etc.
Fertilizer	Nutrients (in general) added to the soil.
No-Till	Planting crops without plowing the field first.
Sedimentation	Deposition of eroded soils.
Stripcropping	Planting 2+ different crops around a hill.
Rotation	Planting different crops in different years on the same field to avoid overcultivation.
Overgrazing	Too many cattle, goats, sheep, etc. in a pasture.
Grass	Planting ___ will help prevent erosion from water in ditches.
Tree	Planting lines of ___ will help prevent erosion from wind.
Deforestation	Removing all the trees from an area.
Subsidy	Added payments to farmers (or other corporations) from the government.
Shelterbelt	A line of trees and bushes to prevent wind erosion.
Contour Terracing	Building small levees/dams around a hill to prevent water erosion and allow water to soak into the soil.
CRP	Program where government pays farmers to not farm highly erodable land.
WRP	Program where government pays farmers to not farm or to rebuild wetlands.
Famine	A localized food shortage.
Monoculture	Planting one species in an area.
Ecosystem Capital	Sum of all goods and services provided to human enterprise by natural systems.
Biota	All living things.
Anthropogenic	Human centered.
Intrinsic	Philosophical value - value for its own sake.
Instrumental	Value to another species or organism.
Ethnobotany	The study of the relationship between humans and plants.
Tamiflu	Anti-flu drug made from a plant.
Taxol	Anti-cancer drug made from a plant.
Ecotourism	Travel dedicated to observing or interacting with a unique ecosystem.
Genetic Bank	Saving plants for their unique DNA that may be useful in the future.
Natural Resource	Environmental products that have economic value.
Precautionary Principle	Managing in favor of protection of a resource if there is any uncertainty.
Conservation	Wise use of natural resources.
Preservation	No use of natural resources.
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)	Highest possible rate of use that will match ecosystem's rate of replacement.
Ecosystem Capitol	Economic term for natural resources.
Snag	A dead, standing tree.
Wolf	A large, wide tree among smaller trees.
Dendrology	The study of trees.
Silviculture	The practice of forest management.
Deforestation	Removal of trees from a given area.
Pulp	Type of wood used for paper production.
Shelterwood	Cutting trees, but leaving some for shade and seed production - harvest strategy.
Girdle	Cutting a ring through the bark so the tree dies, but remains upright.
Selective	Cutting trees down based on size, species, straightness - harvest strategy.
Shade Intolerant	Tree species that need a lot of sun to grow.
Shade Tolerant	Tree species that need only a little sun to grow.
Rotation	The planned cutting and planting of trees in a managed forest.
Consumptive	Type of use for your own self, to meet your needs.
Productive	Type of use for economic gain.
Neotropical Migrant	"Tweety birds" that live in the New World and migrate every year to the tropics.
National Forest	Federal land - main use for timber production.
National Wildlife Refuge	Federal land - main use for protection of a species, group of species, or habitat.
National Park	Federal land - main use for recreation.
National Wilderness Area	Federal land - main use for protecting undeveloped and unexploitated land.
Watt	Energy unit for measuring electricity.
Efficiency	Percent of energy that actually does work; not wasted.
Conversion Loss	Energy gone when changing from one form of energy to another.
1000	Number of watts in a kilowatt.
1,000,000	Number of watts in a megawatt.
Generator	Coil of wire that rotates around a magnet (or vice versa) to make electricity.
Turbine	Propeller or paddlewheel that spins due to steam, water, or wind to make electricity.
OPEC	Group of countries that control the supply of oil (thereby controlling price of oil).
Natural Gas	Cleanest burning fossil fuel.
Coal	Dirtiest burning fossil fuel.
Oil	Fossil fuel used to make gasoline.
Scrubber	Device used to remove pollutants from exhaust when burning fossil fuels.
Flyash	Residue left over from burning coal.
PV Cell	Device used to capture sunlight and turn it into electricity.
Inverter	Device needed to turn DC electricity into AC electricity.
Flaring	Burning off natural gas found when drilling for oil.
Fracking	Using water other chemicals to release oil from rocks when drilling for oil.
Refining	Converting oil to usable substances such as gasoline, tar, mineral spirits, etc.
85%	Percent of energy in the US that comes from fossil fuels.
6%	Percent of energy that comes from nuclear energy.
Summer Wood	Dark part of tree ring.
Spring Wood	Light part of tree ring.
Boreal	Forest type composed of conifers such as spruce trees that grows in cold, snowy environments.
Temperate	Forest type composed of deciduous trees such as maple and oak.
Lacey	Federal "act" that prohibits interstate commerce of illegally killed wildlife.
CITES	International treaty that prohibits commerce of protected species.
Endangered	Organism that is in imminent danger of becoming extinct.
Threatened	Organism that is is jeopardy of becoming extinct, but not on the verge.
Intrusion	Putting something "in the way" of organisms - a fence, road, tower, power lines.
Fragmentation	Breaking a large habitat into small pieces.
Conversion	Changing a habitat from one to another.
Simplification	Removing the biodiversity from a habitat - going from a complex ecosystem to a monoculture.
Exotic	Species that does not belong in an area, but was introduced.
Extinction	When a species completely disappears from the planet.
Listing	Putting an organism on the Endangered Species List is called . . .

Created by: Narverud5

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