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Details Title: Environmental Biology Description: Environmental Biology test 2 Total Flash Cards: 40 Created: 10/19/2007 08:30:15	To study from this set of flash cards, or to create your own your own study flash cards, register HERE. If you are already a registered user, CLICK HERE.
Cards Term fossil fuels Definition non-renewable petroleum, natural gas, and coal created by geologic forces from organic wastes and dead bodies of formerly living biological organisms. Term name the types of fuel in order Definition wood coal crude oil natural gas Term what are the 3 seral stages and what makes the differences between them? Definition pioneer stage intermediate stage climax community stage water and temperature make the differences Term intermediate stage Definition grasses, shrubs, shade tolerant trees (pines) Term pioneer stage Definition the plants, lichens, and microbes that first colonize the site. Term climax community stage Definition shade tolerant trees (maples) Term reserves Definition known deposits that can be extracted but only under certain economic conditions. (only profitable when the price goes up) Term resource Definition naturally occurring substance that can be extracted using available technology Term primary succession Definition an area where no biotic community previously existed Term secondary succession Definition all living things are gone and new living things need to repopulate Term hydroelectric resource Definition damming Term geothermal Definition energy drawn from the internal heat of the earth, either through geysers, fumaroles, hot springs, or other natural geotherm features or through deep wells that pump heated ground water. Term photovoltaic cell Definition an energy conversion device that captures solar energy and directly converts it to electrical current. Term nuclear energy Definition involves splitting the core of an atom Term biomes Definition areas with similar climate,  topography, soil conditions and communities Term tropical rainforests Definition near the equator lots of rainfall hot year round Term temperate forest Definition deciduous; drops leaves in winter (to hold in moisture) Term estuaries Definition bays where rivers empty into the sea Term mangroves Definition salt tolerant trees that grow along warm coasts. they help stabilize shorelines Term tide pools Definition are flooded at high tide but retain some water at low tide Term bogs Definition saturated wetlands composed of deep layers of undecayed vegetation Term grasslands Definition dominated by grass and plants good soils Term pros and cons of burning natural gas Definition pros; burns very clean cons; not easy to capture and transport Term pros and cons of burning crude oil Definition pros; burns cleaner than coal, easier to transport cons; not many resources Term pros and cons of burning coal Definition cons; lots of pollution, black lung disease pros; significant resources Term pros and cons of burning wood Definition cons; pollution, overharvesting pros; renewable Term non-renewable resources Definition minerals, fossil fuels, and other materials present in essentially fixed amounts (within human time scales) in our environment Term renewable resources Definition resources normally replaced or replenished by natural processes Term passive Definition the use of normal materials or absorptive structures without moving parts to gather and hold heat Term active Definition mechanical systems that use moving substances to collect and transfer solar energy Term humus Definition organic material from decaying plants. major source of plant nutrients Term mulch tillage Definition only plowing immediately before planting Term ridge tilling Definition only tilling wide enough to insert seeds Term no-till Definition not tilling before planting Term monoculture Definition need lots of transportation, planting a single species, lacking biodiversity. not labor intensive (is machine labored) Term polyculture Definition smaller gardens with a variety of plants. more people labor, not machine labored. Term green revolution Definition dramatically increased agricultural production. requires high inputs of water, plant nutrients, and pesticides. (used to keep the pace with growing human populations) Term desertification Definition converting once fertile land to desert Term symbiosis Definition close physical interaction between 2 individuals of different species Term what are the 3 types of symbiosis and what do they mean? Definition parasitism- living on or in another organism and causes harm commensalism- one organism may benefit, but no harm is caused mutualism- both species benefit from the relationship