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Definition
| breaking down of rock, soil, and minerals through contact with the earth |
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| a type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away by wind, water, and glaciers |
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| soil, rock, or sediments are added to a land form or land mass |
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| Water vapor collects in clouds. As clouds cool the water vapor condenses into water drops. |
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| Water falls to the earth from clouds- mainly as rain, but sometimes as snow, sleet, or hail |
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Term
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Definition
- Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water out of their leaves
- Transpiration gives evaporation a bit of a hand in getting the water vapor back up into the air.
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- Heat energy from the sun causes water in puddles, streams, rivers, seas, or lakes to change from a liquid to a water vapor
- The vapor rises into the air and collects in the clouds
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Definition
| an area of land from which all runoff drains or "sheds" to the same river, lake, or other body of water |
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| The water table is the underground depth at which point the ground is totally saturated with water. |
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| flows underground as springs or underground rivers. Water undergorund is stored in an aquifer |
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| water on the surface of the earth |
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| water travels downhill and enters into rivers and lakes |
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| a body of saturated rock or sediment through which water can move easily |
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Definition
| series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time |
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Term
| Primary Succession- Step 1 |
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Definition
- Begins in a place without any soil (usually after a natural disaster ex: volcanoes, landslides, flooding)
- Starts with the arrival of living things such as lichens that do not need soil to sruvive
- Called the pioneer species
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Term
| Primary Succession- Step 2 |
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Definition
- Soil starts to form as lichens and the forces of weather and erosion help break down rocks into smaller pieces
- When lichens die, they decompose, adding small amounts of organic matter to the rock to make soil
What can gow in the new soil? Mosses and Ferns |
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Term
| What happens after the simple plants (moss and ferns) die during primary succession (Step 3)? |
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Definition
| The simple plants decompose, soil layer thickens, and grasses/ wildflowers other plants begin to take over. |
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Term
| What grows after plants/ wildflowerd die (Primary Succession step 4)? |
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Definition
Shrubs and trees can survive now
insects, small birds, and mammals will begin to move in
What was once bare rock now supports a variety of life! |
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Term
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Definition
- begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms
- Occurs faster and has a different pioneer species than primary succession
- Ex: after forest fires and harvest
SKIPS step 1 of primary succession |
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Term
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Definition
| first organism to live in a new ecosystem; starts succession |
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Term
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Definition
a stable group or plants and animals that is the END result of succession process
can reamin for many years if undisturbed by humans or natural disasters
high levels of biodiversity |
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Term
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Definition
| High level of variety among organisms |
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| process of body of water becoming rich in nutrients |
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Term
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Definition
| something that is found in nature and can be used by people |
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Term
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Definition
| a natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown at a scale comparable to its consumption |
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Term
| Examples of Nonrenewable Resources |
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Definition
nuclear energy
fossil fuels
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Term
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Definition
| natural resources that can be replenished in a short period of time |
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| Examples of renewable resources |
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Definition
solar
wind
water
biomass
geothermal |
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Term
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Definition
| human impact on the environment |
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Definition
| more people starting to live in cities |
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Term
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Definition
| a pollutant is anything that contaminates or harms the environment |
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Term
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Definition
| reflected sunlight heats the earth's surface |
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Term
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Definition
| Greenhouse Gases are causing the Earth to heat up beyond what is considered the normal level |
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