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Ecology Final UVF
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What period were conditions conductive to form large deposits of coal? | Carboniferous period |
| How are oil and natural gas formed? | Primarily from one-celled marine organisms |
| How initial energy transfers occur? | Photosynthesis |
| Is there a direct correlation between the amount of energy used and the complexity of civilization? | Yes |
| What are nonrenewable energy sources? | Resources that are being used faster than they can be replenished (ex. coal, oil, and natural gas) |
| What are renewable energy sources? | Resources that replenish themselves or continuously present as a feature of the environment (ex. solar, geothermal, tidal, etc.) (only provide 12% of the energy used worldwide) |
| What is a resource? | A naturally occurring substance of use to humans that can potentially be extracted using current technology |
| What is a reserve? | A known deposit that can be economically extracted using current technology, under certain economic conditions |
| Are reserves larger than resources? | No |
| What are the four categories of coal? | Lignite, Subbituminous, Bituminous, and Anthracite |
| What is Lignite coal? | High-moisture, low energy, crumbly, least desirable form. |
| What is Sub-bituminous coal? | Lower moisture, higher carbon than lignite. Used as fuel for power plants. |
| What is Bituminous coal? | Low moisture, high carbon content Used in power plants and other industry such a steel making. Most widely used because it is easiest to mine and the most abundant, supplying 20% of the world's energy requirements. |
| What is Anthracite coal? | Has the highest carbon content, and is relatively rare. It is used primarily in heating buildings and for specialty uses. |
| What are the two extraction methods? | Surface mining (strip mining) and Underground mining. |
| What is surface mining? | It is the process of removing material on to of a vein, is efficient but destructive. |
| What is underground mining? | Minimizes surface disturbance, but is costly and dangerous; open one or more portals or shafts into earth that follow or interpret coal seems that are too deep for surface mining methods |
| What is acid mine drainage? | What sulfuric pollutants lead to |
| What is Radioactive half-life? | The time it takes for half the radioactive material to spontaneously decompose. |
| What is Alpha radiation? | Consists of moving particles composed of two neutrons and two protons (it can be stopped by the outer layer of skin). |
| What is Beta radiation? | Consists of electrons from the nucleus (It can be stopped by a layer of clothing, glass, or aluminum). |
| What is Gamma radiation? | A form of electromagnetic radiation (It can pass through your body, several centimeters of lead, or meter of concrete). |
| What is Nuclear fission? | It occurs when neutrons impact and split the nuclei of certain other atoms. |
| What is a nuclear chain reaction? | Splitting nuclei release neutrons, which themselves strike more nuclei, in turn releasing even more neutrons. |
| What is a nuclear reactor? | A device that permits a controlled fission chain reaction. |
| What is a moderator? | A substance that absorbs energy, which slows neutrons, enabling them to split the nuclei of other atoms more effectivity. |
| What are the 3 most common types of reactors? | 20% Boiling-Water 60% Pressurized-Water 10% Heavy-Water |
| What is a Breeder reactors? | It produce nuclear fuel as they produce electricity. |
| What is an absorbed dose? | The amount of energy absorbed by matter. It is measured in rays or rads |
| What is the dose equivalent? | The absorbed dose times a quality factor |
| What is ionizing radiation? | When alpha or beta particles or gamma radiation affects DNA and can cause mutations. |
| Are nuclear plants decommissioned? | Yes, they are not demolished. |
| What is biomass? | Produced by green plants that convert sunlight into plant material through photosynthesis. |
| What are several sources of biomass energy? | Fuelwood, Municipal and industrial wastes, Agricultural crop residues and wastes, and Energy plantations |
| What is the primary energy source for nearly half the world's population? | Fuelwood |
| What are the two factors to determine if a crop suitable for energy use? | * have a high yield for dry material per unit of land * amount of energy that can be produced from a biomass crop must be more than the amount of energy required to grow a crop |
| What is a direct combustion? | Burning biomass in fires to cook food or heat homes |
| What is biofuels production? | Fermentation converts plant sugars to ethanol, which is used as an energy source. |
| What is anaerobic digestion? | bacteria break down organic matter- such as animal manure, waste water biosolids, and food wastes - in the absence of oxygen and produce methane and CO2 |
| What is Pyrolysis? | A thermo chemical process that converts biomass to a more useful fuel such as charcoal |
| What is hydroelectric power? | It is created when flowing water is captured and turned into electricity (damming a water) |
| How much energy is produced from the sun? | 600 times the energy produced on earth each day |
| What is a direct gain? | Floors and walls, made of materials that absorb and store the sun’s heat during the day, slowly release heat at night when it is needed most. |
| What is a photovoltaic cell (PV)? | a solid-state semiconductor that converts sunlight directly into electricity |
| What is Geothermal Power? | In geologically active areas hot magma moves to the surface and heats water. |
| What is biodiversity? | a broad term used to describe the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems in a region |
| What is genetic diversity? | is a term used to describe the number of kinds of genes present in a population |
| What is species richness? | the number of different kinds of species in an area |
| What is taxonomic richness? | the number of different taxonomic categories of the species present |
| What is nutrient cycling? | Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other chemical elements are cycled through ecosystems |
| What are the five major human activities threaten to reduce biodiversity? | Habitat loss, Overexploitation, Introduction of exotic species, Predator and pest control activities, and Climate change |
| What is deforestation? | the process of destroying a forest, often for the purposes of fuel, building materials, or to clear land for farming |
| What is clear cutting? | the removal of all trees in an area. It is economical but increases erosion, especially on steep slopes |
| What is patchwork clear cutting? | clear cutting in small, unconnected patches; preserves biodiversity |
| What is selective harvesting? | single species tree harvesting. It is not as economical, but reduces ecosystem damage |
| What is desertification? | process of converting arid or semiarid land to desert because of improper human use |
| What is bush meat? | Meat from wild animals |
| What is habitat management? | Modifications made to enhance the success of a species |
| What is the urban sprawl? | a pattern of unplanned, low-density housing and commercial development outside of cities |
| What are two practices that contribute to urban sprawl? | * Zoning ordinances that isolate employment and shopping services away from housing locations. * Low-density planning aimed at creating automobile access to increasing expanses of land. |
| How can sprawl be categorized? | * Excessive land consumption. * Low densities in comparison with older centers. * Lack of choice in ways to travel. * Fragmented open space, wide gaps in development, and a scattered appearance. * Lack of choice in housing types and prices. |
| What is tract development? | rapid expansion of the geographic extent of cities and towns, often characterized by low-density residential housing, single use zoning, and increased reliance on the private automobile for transportation |
| What is ribbon sprawl? | consists of commercial / industrial buildings lining highways connecting housing developments to the central city; follows major transportation corridors outward from urban cores |
| What is megalopolis? | a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, |
| What is land-use planning? | process of evaluating the needs and wants of a population, the land characteristics and value, and various alternative solutions to land uses before changes are made |
| What is zoning? | land-use regulation that restricts the uses to which land in a region can be put |
| What are the four goals urban transportation? | * Conserve energy and land resources. * Provide efficient and inexpensive transportation, particularly to those who are unable to drive. * Provide efficient transportation opportunities to suburban residents. * Reduce urban pollution. |
| What caused the new outgrowth of urbanization? | the development of urban nature centers |
| What is brownfield development? | any previously developed land that is not currently in use |
| What is smart growth? | overall approach to development that encourages a mix of building types and uses, diverse housing and transportation options, development within existing neighborhoods, and robust community engagement |
| What are the principles of smart growth? | * Mix land uses. * Take advantage of compact building designs. * Create range of housing opportunities and choices. * Create walkable neighborhoods. * Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place. |
| What is the earth's crust? | an extremely thin, less-dense solid covering over the mantle |
| What is the earth's mantle? | the majority of the Earth, and surrounds a small core of iron |
| What is the lithosphere? | crust and solid outer mantle are collectively |
| What is the asthenosphere? | a thin layer below the outer mantle capable of plastic flow |
| What are plate tectonics? | the concept that the outer surface of the Earth is made of large plates of crust and outer mantle that are slowly moving over the surface of the liquid outer mantle |
| What are weathering processes? | breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earths surface |
| What is mechanical weathering? | from physical forces that reduce the size of rock particles without changing the chemical nature of the rock; causes rocks to crumble |
| What is chemical weathering? | interaction of rock with mineral solutions (chemicals) to change the composition of rocks |
| What is erosion? | The process of loosening and redistributing particles; wearing away and transportation of soil by wind, water, or ice |
| What is soil and what is it made of? | a mixture of minerals, organic material, living organisms, air, and water that together support growth of plant life materials in soil: * 45% Mineral * 25% Air * 25% Water * 5% Organic Matter |
| What is humus? | the organic material resulting from the decay of plant and animal remains |
| What is soil texture? | determined by the size of mineral particles within the soil; proportion of sand, silt and clay content |
| What is soil structure? | the way various soil particles clump together; individual particles of sand, silt, and clay |
| Is good soil friable? | Yes (crumbles easily) |
| What is a soil profile? | series of horizontal layers of different chemical composition, physical properties, particle size, and amount of organic matter |
| What is a soil horizon? | Each recognizable layer of the profile |
| What is O horizon? | Made of litter; undecomposed or partially decomposed organic material. |
| What is A horizon? | The topsoil (he uppermost layer); contains most of the soil nutrients and living organisms |
| What is E horizon? | formed from leaching darker materials (usually nutrient poor) |
| What is B horizon? | The subsoil; contains less organic matter and fewer organisms, but accumulates nutrients leached from topsoil. It is poorly developed in dry areas |
| What is C horizon? | soil layer lying beneath the B horizon and consisting essentially of more or less weathered parent rock |
| What is R horizon? | bedrock |
| What is contour farming? | the practice of tillage, planting, and other farming operations performed on or near the contour of the field slope |
| What is strip farming? | less than full-width tillage of varying intensity that is conducted parallel to the row direction |
| What is terracing? | a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming |
| What are waterways? | depressions in sloping land where water collects and flows off the land |
| What are windbreaks? | plantings of trees or other plants that protect bare soil from full force of the wind |
| What reduced tillage? | less intensity, shallower depth, and less area disturbed, either in the bed, field or across the farm |
| What is conservation tillage? | further reduces amount of soil disturbance and leaves 30% or more of soil surface covered with crop residue |
| What is mulch tillage? | crop residues are left on the surface, and subsurface tillage leaves them relatively undisturbed |
| What is strip tillage? | combines the soil drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage with the soil-protecting advantages of no-till by disturbing only the portion of the soil that is to contain the seed row |
| What is ridge tillage? | a form of conservation tillage where the farmer builds ridges or raised beds |
| What is no till farming? | an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage |
| What is monocultures? | the practice of growing one crop species in a field at a time |
| What is the green revolution? | period of technology transfer initiatives that saw a dramatic increase in crop yields and agricultural production. |
| What is micronutrient? | (e.g., boron, zinc, and manganese) are needed in smaller amounts |
| What are chlorinated hydrocarbons? | a group of complex, stable-structure, long-lasting, persistent pesticides |
| What are organophosphates and carbamates? | short-lived pesticides that do not persist in the environment |
| What are herbicides? | used to control unwanted plants and are heavily used in genetically modified crops |
| What are auxins? | Synthetic plant growth regulators mimic natural growth regulators |
| What are bioaccumulation? | the process of accumulating higher and higher amounts of material within an organism’s body; increase in the concentration of a chemical in a biological organism over time, compared to the chemical's concentration in the environment |
| What is biomagnification? | any concentration of a toxin, such as pesticides, in the tissues of tolerant organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain |
| What is alternative agriculture? | nontraditional agricultural methods |
| What is sustainable agriculture? | seeks to produce adequate, safe food supplies in an economically viable manner while protecting or enhancing ecosystem health; meeting society's present food and textile needs |
| What is something that is organically grown? | legally defined term in the U.S. that tells you how a food or fiber crop was grown; certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest |
| What is genetic engineering or biotechnology? | inserting specific pieces of DNA into the genetic makeup of organisms |
| What is potable water? | unpolluted fresh water, suitable for drinking |
| What is hydrologic cycle? | involves the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-Atmosphere system. At its core, the water cycle is the motion of the water from the ground to the atmosphere and back again |
| What is evapotranspiration? | the combined processes by which water moves from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere |
| What is aquifer? | underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials |
| What is vadose zone? | the variably saturated zone between the ground surface and the permanent water table of the groundwater |
| What is a confined aquifer? | an aquifer below the land surface that is saturated with water |
| What is aquiclude? | any geological formation that absorbs and holds water but does not transmit it at a sufficient rate to supply springs, wells, etc.; impermeable area underlying or overlying an aquifer |
| What is aquitard? | any geological formation of a rather semipervious nature that transmits water at slower rates than an aquifer |
| What is porosity? | the percentage of void space in a rock |
| What is unconfined aquifer? | an aquifer whose upper water surface (water table) is at atmospheric pressure, and thus is able to rise and fall |
| What is a water table? | upper surface of the zone of saturation |
| What is in-stream water use? | water that is used, but not withdrawn, from a ground- or surface-water source for such purposes as hydroelectric power generation, navigation, water-quality improvement, fish propagation, and recreation |
| What is Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)? | the amount of oxygen required to decay a certain amount of organic matter |
| What is eutrophication? | an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytoplankton productivity" |
| What is point source? | “any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack.” |
| What is nonpoint sources? | comes from oil, pet waste, pesticide, herbicide, fertilizer, road salt, bacteria, sediment, and any other contaminant that ends up on the ground naturally or from human activity. |
| What is thermal pollution? | when industry withdraws water from a source, uses it for cooling purposes, and returns heated water to its original source; the discharge of heated water into bodies of water |
| What is water diversion? | act of diverting surface flow or hydrologically connected subsurface flow for use or storage |
| What is primary sewage treatment ? | to settle material by gravity, removing floatable objects, and reducing the pollution to ease secondary treatment; reduce the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in the wastewater |
| What is secondary sewage treatment? | involves the removal of biodegradable organic matter (BOD) and suspended solids (TSS) through the processes of aeration and filtration |
| What is trickling filtering system? | an aerobic treatment system that utilizes microorganisms attached to a medium to remove organic matter from wastewater |
| What is sewage sludge? | mixture of organisms and other particulate matter that have settled out during the treatment process; the residual, semi-solid material that is produced as a by-product during sewage treatment of industrial or municipal wastewater |
| What is tertiary sewage treatment? | additional stage used to remove inorganic nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen left after primary and secondary treatments; removes inorganic compounds, bacteria, viruses, and parasites |
| What is salinization? | increase in salinity caused by growing salt concentrations in soil |
| What is groundwater mining? | the practice of withdrawing groundwater at rates in excess of natural recharge |
| Where is the troposphere? | 10 km above the Earth's surface |
| Where is the stratosphere? | 50 km above the troposphere |
| Where is the mesosphere? | 50-80 km above the Earth |
| Where is the thermosphere? | 300 km above the Earth. |
| What are primary air pollutants? | Five major types of materials are released directly into the atmosphere in unmodified forms in sufficient quantities to pose a health risk |
| What are secondary air pollutants? | under reaction of primary pollutants and water or sunlight |
| What are criteria air pollutants? | pollutants for which specific air quality standards have been set • Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) • Ozone (O3) • Sulfur dioxide (SO2) • Particulate matter (PM) • Carbon monoxide (CO) • Lead (Pb) |
| What are volatile organic compounds? | readily evaporate and become pollutants in the air |
| What are hydrocarbons? | group of organic compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen |
| What is the ozone (O3)? | molecule of three oxygen atoms bonded to one another |
| What is thermal inversion? | when warm air becomes sandwiched between two layers of cold air and acts like a lid on a valley |
| What is acid deposition? | accumulation of potential acid-forming particles on a surface |
| What is a Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)? | intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. |
| What is solid waste? | made of objects or particles that accumulate on the site where they are produced |
| What is mass burn? | Most incinerators burn unprocessed municipal solid waste |
| What is mulch? | organic material used to protect areas where the soil is disturbed, or to control growth of unwanted vegetation |
| What is source reduction? | he practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, using and reusing materials so that the amount of waste or its toxicity is reduced |
| What is synergism? | the potential of relatively harmless individual compounds to become highly toxic and do great damage when combined |
| What are persistent pollutants? | remain in the environment, essentially unchanged, for long periods |
| What are nonpersistent pollutants? | do not remain for a long period and are often biodegradable |
| What is the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) ? | regulate hazardous substances, to respond to releases of hazardous substance, and to develop long-term solutions for the nation's most serious hazardous waste problems |
| What is the Superfund? | program deals with financing the cleanup of large, uncontrolled hazardous-waste sites |
| What is pollution prevention (P2)? | encourages changes that prevent hazardous wastes from being produced |
| What is transuranic wastes? | highly radioactive waste that contain large numbers of atoms that are larger than uranium with half-lives greater than 20 years |
| What is uranium mining and milling wastes ? | low levels of radioactivity but are above background levels |
| What are high-level radioactive wastes? | spent fuel rods and highly radioactive materials from the reprocessing of fuel rods |
| What are low-level radioactive wastes? | low levels of radioactivity and are not classified into one of the other categories |
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Lydia011
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