Term
| How much of the earth's surface is covered by water? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Water with a salt content of less than .1% |
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Term
| STEPS OF THE WATER CYCLE? |
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Definition
| EVAPORATION/TRANSPIRATION -THEN- Condensation -THEN- Precipitation. |
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Definition
| The result of evaporation/Water molecules in the gaseous state |
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Term
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Definition
| The process of water molecules breaking apart from one another entirely and entering the atmosphere. |
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Term
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Definition
| Opposite of Evaporation. Thus: Water molecules come together again (Rejoin) by hydrogen bonding to form liquid water |
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Term
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Definition
Microscopic liquid or solid particles originating from land and water surfaces). Facilitate Condensation.
Either generated naturally (E.G. Volcanoes), Or Unnaturally (E.G. Anthropogenic sources-dust). |
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Term
| What processes perform Purification naturally? |
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Definition
| Evaporation and Condensation |
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Term
| Adiabetic Cooling/Warming? |
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Definition
Warm air gradually cools as it expands.
Conversely the air can descend and will then compress by the higher air pressure in "the lower atmosphere". |
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Definition
| The 2 halves of the system composed of the rising and falling air. |
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Definition
| The vertical movement of air due to atmospheric heating and cooling. |
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Definition
| The dry region downwind of a mountain range is referred to as a rain shadow. |
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Definition
| amount of water vapor as a percentage of what the air can hold "AT A PARTICULAR TEMPERATURE" |
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Definition
| When precipitation hits the ground it either soaks in (Infiltrates) or / runs off the surface. |
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Definition
| All the land area that contributes water to a particular stream or river. |
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Definition
| Layers of porous material through which groundwater moves |
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Definition
| Area where water enters an area |
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Definition
| Infiltrating water not held in soil because it trickles/percolates. |
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Definition
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Definition
| The upper surface of groundwater. |
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Definition
| Gradual settling of the land |
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Definition
| Results when an underground cavern, drained of its supporting groundwater, suddenly collapses. |
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Definition
| The Mineral material of soil |
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Term
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Definition
| Soil with 40%-Silt/sand and 20% clay |
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Term
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Definition
| Gradual physical/chemical breakdown of parent material |
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Term
| 5 Soil horizons: From top to bottom |
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Definition
| O (Humus: dark material at bottom of O Horizon) A Horizon (/Topsoil: roots permeate the layer E (Eluviation: Process of leaching/Dissolving away) of materials due to down movement of water. B Horizon: High in iron/alum/ calcium Last: C: weathered rock/glacial deposits/Volcanic ash. |
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Term
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Definition
| Horizontal layers of soil formation |
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Term
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Definition
| A vertical slice through the horizons. |
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Term
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Definition
| Mollisols: Fertile dark soils found in temperate grassland biomes Oxisols: Soils of tropical/subtrop rainforests little O horizon due to rapid decomp of plant matter. Alfisols: Widespread moderately weathered forest soils. Not deep, well developed OAEB horizons. Aridisols: Irrigation BAD (Salinization) |
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Term
| Soil ferility? And another name for it. |
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Definition
| soils ability to support plant growth. Farmers call this property: Tilth |
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Term
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Definition
| Nutrients washed from the soil as water moves through it (soil). |
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Term
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Definition
| the accumulation of salts in and on the soil to the point where plant growth is suppressed. |
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Term
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Definition
| Water being absorbed by the roots of plants, passing through the plant and exiting as water vapor through microscopic pores in the leaves |
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Definition
| Essential pores w/in leaves essential to the entry of CO2 and exit of 02 in photosynthesis |
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Term
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Definition
| Chemical formulations of required nutrients without any organic matter included. |
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Term
| 3 major processes which expose soil to erosion and lead to soil degredation: |
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Definition
| Overgrazing/overcultivation/deforestation. |
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Term
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Definition
| Overgrazing on public lands creating a lose-lose situation or a win-lose situation with the farmers. |
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Term
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Definition
| Soils ability to hold water after it infiltrates |
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Term
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Definition
| Land plants depend on soil being loose and porous enough to allow the diffusion of O2 into and CO2 out of the soil. |
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Definition
| Packing of the soil w/ excessive foot or vehicular traffic |
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Definition
| acidity or bascicity of any solution |
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Definition
| A plant condition due to an inadequate water supply which both conserves water and shuts off photosynthesis by closing the stomata |
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Definition
| The lose clumpy characteristic of soil. NOT texture (Size) but structure meaning arrangement. |
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Term
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Definition
| loss of humus and subsequent collapse of topsoil because only gritty mineral content is left (NO Humus but sand/silt/clay) |
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Definition
| Residue of partly decomposed organic matter |
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Term
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Definition
| certian fungi with a symbiotic relationship to the roots of some plants. |
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Definition
| process of soil and humus particlease picked up and carried by water or wind. |
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Definition
| process of the diminishing of soil properties by erosion of topsoil and thus becoming deserts. |
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Definition
| all natural species of living things, collectively |
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Definition
| its existance or use benefits some other entity |
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Definition
| value for its own sake. does not have to be useful to us to possess value |
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Term
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Definition
| Natural biota. As long a NB is preserved there is a rich endowment of genees in the bank that can be drawn upon as needed |
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Definition
| The study of the relationship between plants and people |
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Definition
| tourists visit a place in order to observe wild species or unique ecological sites. |
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Term
| 3 crtical elements in the process of designating a species as endangered or threatened |
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Definition
| 1.) Listing. (must not take into account economic impacts). 2.) Critical habitat. Areas where it is found are designated as CH's. 3.) Recovery plans. |
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Term
| ESA: Endangered species act. Endangered Species? |
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Definition
| Endangered:a Species that has been reduced to a point where it is in imminent danger of becoming extinct if protection not provided. |
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Term
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Definition
| judged to be in jeopardy but not on the brink of extinction. |
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Term
| 3 threats to biodiversity: |
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Definition
| a.habitat change b.introduced alien speices. c.exploitation |
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Term
| MSY (Maximum sustainable yield) |
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Definition
| The highest possible rate of use that the system/species can match with its own rate of replacement or maintenance. |
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Definition
| the maximum population the ecosystem can support on a sustainable basis |
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Term
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Definition
| when a population is at or near the ecosytems carrying capacity, production can be increased by thinning pop so that competition is reduced and optimal growth/rep rates are achieved. Thus optimal population is theoritally (due to variable carrying capacity based on weather, etc.) half the pop at carrying capacity. |
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Term
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Definition
| where there is uncertainty resource managers must favor protection of living resource. thus exploitation limits must be set well enough below msy to allow for uncertainties |
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Definition
| When a resource is owned by many people in common or no one (open-access) it's referred to as: |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| A non-profit organization that will accept either gifts of land or easements. They may also purchase land. |
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Definition
| Arrangements in which (associated with land trusts) the landowner gives up development rights into the future but retains ownership of the parcel. |
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Term
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Definition
| Disease-causing bacteria, viruses and other parasitic organisms). |
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Term
| Non-Point sources of pollution |
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Definition
| Agricultural runoff, storm-water drainage, atmospheric deposition. |
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Term
| Point sources of pollution |
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Definition
| Easy to identify/easier to monitor. involve discharge of substances from factories, sewage systems, oil wells, underground coal mines, power plants. |
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Definition
| Especially destructive sediment involving sand and silt not readily carried in suspension but gradually washed along the bottom |
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Term
| The two most important nutrient elements for aquatic plant growth |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Human carcinogen occuring naturally in groundwater. |
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Term
| To combat eutrophication: |
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Definition
| 1.) Chem treatments (herbicides). 2.) Drawing water down. 2.) Aeration 4.) Harvesting aquatic weeds. |
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Term
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Definition
| Heated sufficiently to kill any pathogens. |
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Term
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Definition
| a process to treat sewage sludge whereby: Rawsludge is mixed with wood chips or some other water-absorbing material to reduce the water content. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process of reducing oxidized nitrogen compounds present in soil or water back to nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, conducted by certain bacteria. Can be used for treatment of sewage effluents |
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