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APES NOTECARDS
kurud.ot
62
Environmental Studies
12th Grade
03/06/2012

Additional Environmental Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Atlantic Salmon
Definition
interbreeding with and competition from escaped farm-raised salmon from the aquaculture industry threaten the wild salmon population
Term
California Condor
Definition
reasons for decline include shooting, posioning, lead poisoning, collisions with power lines, egg collecting, pesticides, habitat loss, and the decline of large and medium sized native mammals due to encroachments of agriculture and urbanizations
Term
Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly
Definition
a 1-inch long insect currently restricting to only 12 known populations in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. An estimated 98% of its habitat has been converted to residential, agricultural, and commercial use
Term
Florida Panther
Definition
hunting and developing that resulted in habitat loss and fragmentation
Term
Gray Wolf
Definition
subject of predator eradication programs sponsored by the Federal government. Prior to Endangered Species Act (1973), exterminated from the lower 48 states except for a few hundred inhabiting extreme northeastern Minnesota and a small number on Isle Royale, Michigan
Term
Brown (Grizzly) Bear
Definition
conflict with humans and development that resulted in habitat loss and fragmentation
Term
Piping Plover
Definition
predation and human disturbance are thought to be the main causes of the plover's decline. It is listed as endangered in the Great Lakes region and as threatened in the Great Plains and on the Atlantic coast
Term
Manatee
Definition
initial population decreases resulted from over harvesting for meat, oil, and leather. Today heavy mortality occurs from accidental collisions with boats and barges, and from canal lock operations
Term
Whooping Crane
Definition
drainage of wetlands conversion of grassland to agriculture and hunting for feathers
Term
American Alligator (Not endangered_
Definition
overhunting and destruction of habitat caused original listing, removed from the list of endangered species by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987
Term
Bald Eagle
Definition
ingested DDT by eating contaminated fish. The pesticide caused the shells of the bird's eggs to thin and resulted in nestling failures. Loss of nesting habitat and hunting for feathers also contributed to the population decline. Reclassified from endangered to threatened in 1995 and delisted in 2007.
Term
Peregrine Falcon (Not endangered)
Definition
ingested DDT by eating smaller birds, which had eaten contaminated prey. The pesticide caused the shell of the bird's eggs to thin and resulted in nesting failures. Removed from the list of endangered species by Fish and Wildlife Service in August 1999.
Term
Grey Whale
Definition
The Eastern North Pacific stock of gray whale has the distinction of being the first population of a marine mammal species to be removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Species.
Term
Biome
Definition
large distinct terrestrial region having similar climate, soil, plants and animals
Term
Tropical Rain Forests
Definition
characterized by the greatest diveristy of species, believed to include many undiscovered species. Occur near the equator. Soils tend to be low in nutrients. Distinct seasonality: winter is absent, and only two seasons are present (rainy and dry)
Term
Temperate Forests
Definition
occur in Eastern North America, Japan and north Eastern Asia and western and central Europe. Dominated by tall deciduous trees. Well-defined seasons include a distinct winter. Logged extensively, only scattered remnants of original temperate forests remain
Term
Taiga, Boreal Forests
Definition
represent the largest terrestrial biome. Domined by needlelead, coniferous trees. Found in the cold climates of Eurasia and North America: two-thirds in Siberia with the rest in Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada. Seasons are divided into short, moise, and moderately warm summers and long cold and dry winters. Extensive logging may soon cause their disappearance.
Term
Temperate Shrub Lands
Definition
occurs along the coast of Southern California and the Mediterranean region. Characterized by areas of Chaparral-miniature woodlands dominated by dense stands of shrubs.
Term
Savannas
Definition
grassland with scattered individual trees. Cover almost held the surface of Africa and large areas of Australia, South America and India. Warm or hot climates where the annual rainfall is 20-50 inches per year. The rainfall is concentrated in six or eight months of the year, followed by a long period of drought when fire occurs
Term
Temperate Grasslands
Definition
dominated by grasses, trees and and large shrubs are absent. Temperatures vary more from summer to winter, and the amount of rainfall is less than in savannas. Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Occur in South Africa, Hungary, Argentina, the steppes of the former Soviet Union, and the plains are parries of central North America.
Term
Deserts
Definition
covers about one fifth of the Earth's surface and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year. Most deserts occur at low latitudes, have a considerable amount of specialized vegetation as well as specialized animals. soils have abundant nutrients, need only water to become productive and have little or no organic matter. common disturbances include occasional fires, or cold weather, and sudden, infrequent but intense rains that cause flooding
Term
Tundra
Definition
treeless plains that are the coldest of all the biomes. Occur in the arctic and antarctica. Dominated by lichens, mosses, sedges, and dwarfed shrubs characterized by extremely cold climate, permanently frozen ground (permafrost) low biotic diversity, simple vegetation structure, limitation of drainage, short season of growth, and reproduction
Term
Wetlands
Definition
areas of standing water that support aquatic plants including marshes, swamps, and bogs. Species diversity is very high
Term
Freshwater
Definition
defined as having low salt concentration (less than 1%). Plants and animals are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration. There are different types of freshwater regions: ponds and lakes, streams, and rivers and estuaries
Term
Oceans
Definition
the largest of all the ecosystems. the ocean regions are separated into separate zones, intertdial, pelagic, abyssal, and benthic. All four zones have a great diversity of species.
Term
Chernobyl, Ukraine ( April 26, 1986)
Definition
April 26, 1986. Unauthorized safety test (irony), leads to fire and explosion at nuclear power plant--millions exposed to unsafe levels of radiation
Term
Three Mile ISland, Pennsylvania
Definition
March 29, 1979. nuclear power plants loses cooling water 50% of core melts, radioactive materials escape into atmosphere, near meltdown. (disaster)
Term
Yucca Mountain, Nevada
Definition
contraversial as proposed site for permanent storage of high-level nuclear waste, 70-miles northwest of Las Vegas, near volcano and earthquake faults.
Term
Love Canal, NY
Definition
chemicals buried in old canal, school and homes built over it led to birth defects and cancers
Term
Aswan Dam, Egypt
Definition
The silt that made the Nile region fertile fills the reservior. Lack of irrigation controls causes waterlogging and salinization. The parasitic disease stichistosomaisis thrives in the stagnant water of the reservior.
Term
Minamata, Japan
Definition
Mental impairments, birth defects, and deaths caused by mercury dumped into Miamata bay by factory. Mercury entered humans through their diet
Term
Bhopal, India
Definition
December 2, 1984. methyl isocyanate released accidentally by Union Carbide pesticide plant kills over 5,000.
Term
Valdez, Alaska
Definition
March 24, 1989. tanker Exxon Valdez hits submerged rocks in prince william sound, worst oil spill in U.S. Waters
Term
Aral Sea, Uzbekistan/Khazakhstan
Definition
Large inland sea is drying up as a result of water diversion
Term
Three Gorges Dam, China
Definition
World's largest dam on Yangtze river will drown ecosystems, cities archeological sites, fragment habitats and displace 2 million people
Term
Minamata, Japan
Definition
Mental impairments, birth defects, and deaths caused by mercury dumped into Miamata bay by factory. Mercury entered humans through their diet
Term
Bhopal, India
Definition
December 2, 1984. methyl isocyanate released accidentally by Union Carbide pesticide plant kills over 5,000.
Term
Valdez, Alaska
Definition
March 24, 1989. tanker Exxon Valdez hits submerged rocks in prince william sound, worst oil spill in U.S. Waters
Term
Aral Sea, Uzbekistan/Khazakhstan
Definition
Large inland sea is drying up as a result of water diversion
Term
Three Gorges Dam, China
Definition
World's largest dam on Yangtze river will drown ecosystems, cities archeological sites, fragment habitats and displace 2 million people
Term
Ogallala Aquifer
Definition
World’s largest aquifer, under parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. Holds enough water to cover the U.S. with 1.5 feet of water. Being depleted for agricultural use.
Term
Valdez, Alaska
Definition
March 24, 1989, tanker Exxon Valdez hits submerged rocks in Prince William Sound – largest oil spill in US waters before BP oil spill in 2010
Term
Gulf of Mexico
Definition
April 20, 2012, site of the deepwater Horizon oil spill (BP oil spill)—oil flowed for three months, making it the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry
Term
Fukushima, Japan
Definition
March 11, 2011, the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami led to a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdown, and releases of radioactive materials from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant – the largest nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster, but more complex
Term
Safe Drinking Water Act
Definition
Set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants that may have adverse effects on human health
Term
Water Quality Act
Definition
Attempt to reduce non-point source pollution
Term
Ocean Dumping Ban Act
Definition
Bans ocean dumping of sewage sludge and industrial waste
Term
Clean Water Act
Definition
Set maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterways. Aim: to make surface waters swimmable and fishable
Term
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
Definition
Requires coal strip mines to reclaim the land
Term
Madrid Protocol
Definition
Moratorium on mineral exploration for 50 years in Antarctica
Term
National Environmental Poly Act (NEPA)
Definition
Environmental Impact Statements must be done before any project affecting federal lands can be started
Term
Kyoto Protocol
Definition
controlling global warming by setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for developed countries
Term
Montreal Protocol
Definition
phase out of ozone depleting substances
Term
Resource Conservation & Recovery Act
Definition
controls hazardous waste with a cradle to grave system
Term
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability ACT
Definition
controls hazardous waste with a cradle to grave system
Term
Endangered Species Act
Definition
Identifies threatened and endangered species in the US and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations
Term
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Definition
lists species that cannot be commercially traded as live specimens or wildlife products
Term
Lacey Act
Definition
prohibits interstate transport of wild animals dead or alive without federal permit
Term
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Definition
Regulates effectiveness of pesticides
Term
Food Quality Protection Act
Definition
set pesticide limits in food & all active and inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects
Term
Low-level Radioactivity Policy Act
Definition
all states must have facilities to handle low-level radioactive wastes
Term
Nuclear Waste Policy Act
Definition
US government must develop a high level nuclear waste site by 2015 (Yucca Mountian)
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