Terms : Hide Images
| 3684935573 | scientific theory | A well-tested and widely accepted scientific hypothesis (possible explanation for what is observed in nature) | 0 | |
| 3684944526 | element | chemical form of matter that has unique properties and cannot be broken down into similar substances | 1 | |
| 3684948361 | compound | chemical form of matter that is a combination of two or more elements held together in fixed proportions (H20) | 2 | |
| 3684961338 | atomic number | # of protons | 3 | |
| 3684965646 | mass number | # of neutrons and protons in nucleus (electrons have little mass) | 4 | |
| 3684968883 | isotopes | forms of an element with the same atomic number but different mass numbers (carbon-12 and carbon-13, +1 neutron) | 5 | |
| 3684985371 | molecule | building block of matter that is 2 or more atoms of same or different elements held together by chemical bonds (N2, H20) (subscript number) | 6 | |
| 3684998659 | ion | building block of matter that is an atom/group of atoms with a net +/- charge (superscript number, charge) | 7 | |
| 3685028385 | high-quality matter | matter that is highly concentrated, found near earth's surface, and has great potential for use as a resource | 8 | |
| 3685052852 | law of conservation of matter | whenever matter undergoes a physical change, no atoms are created or destroyed | 9 | |
| 3685055215 | radioactive decay | nuclei of unstable isotopes emit alpha/beta particles, gamma rays, or both at a fixed rate | 10 | |
| 3685062572 | nuclear fission | nuclei of isotopes with large mass numbers are struck by a neutron and split into lighter nuclei, releasing energy plus 2 or 3 more neutrons, which can trigger chain reactions | 11 | |
| 3685070725 | nuclear fusion | two isotopes of light elements are forced together at very high temperatures and fuse to form a heavier nucleus, releasing lots of energy | 12 | |
| 3685083378 | first | Whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, no energy is created or destroyed. (______ law of thermodynamics/law of conservation of energy) | 13 | |
| 3685091558 | second | Whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, we end up with lower-quality energy than we started with. (______ law of thermodynamics) | 14 | |
| 3685102864 | system | set of components (inputs, throughputs/flows, outputs) that interact in some regular way | 15 | |
| 3685107531 | positive | ______ feedback loop, causes system to change further in same direction | 16 | |
| 3685114194 | troposphere | thin inner layer of atmosphere (11 miles), mostly nitrogen and oxygen | 17 | |
| 3685118808 | stratosphere | second lowest layer of atmosphere, (11-31 miles above surface), ozone filters 95% of UV rays | 18 | |
| 3685132083 | hydrosphere | all of earth's water (water vapor, permafrost, liquid) | 19 | |
| 3685139629 | geosphere | core, mantle, and outer crust of earth | 20 | |
| 3685141016 | biosphere | parts of atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere where life is found | 21 | |
| 3685144622 | population | a group of individuals of the same species living in a place | 22 | |
| 3685160671 | community | populations of different species living in a place | 23 | |
| 3685161944 | ecosystem | different species interacting with one another and with their abiotic environment of matter and energy | 24 | |
| 3685169600 | glucose and oxygen | products of photosynthesis: Carbon dioxide + water + solar energy-->______________ | 25 | |
| 3685178906 | aerobic respiration | glucose + oxygen ----> carbon dioxide + water + energy | 26 | |
| 3685186038 | gross primary productivity | rate at which an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy into chemical energy | 27 | |
| 3685188867 | net primary productivity | rate at which an ecosystem's producers use photosynthesis to produce and store chemical energy MINUS the rate at which they use it through aerobic respiration | 28 | |
| 3685196258 | biogeochemical cycles | other word for nutrient cycles | 29 | |
| 3685199175 | carbon cycle | photosynthesis/aerobic respiration cycle | 30 | |
| 3685218666 | nitrogen fixation | nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil and water combine nitrogen gas (N2) and hydrogen (H) to make ammonia (NH3). Some converted to ammonium ions (NH4+). Taken up by plants or go to bacteria | 31 | |
| 3685243493 | nitrification | bacteria convert ammonia/ammonium ions (NH3/NH4+) in soil into nitrate ions (NO3-). Used by plants to create amino acids/proteins/nucleic acids. | 32 | |
| 3685260417 | ammonification | decomposer bacteria convert detritus into ammonia and ammonium ions (NH3/NH4+) | 33 | |
| 3685265282 | denitrification | bacteria in waterlogged soil convert ammonia and ammonium ions (NH3/NH4+) back into nitrate ions (NO3-), then nitrogen gas (N2), then nitrous oxide gas (N2O). Cycle begins again | 34 | |
| 3685277398 | nitrogen cycle | nitrogen fixation--nitrification--ammonification--denitrification cycle | 35 | |
| 3685281674 | phosphorus cycle | cycle not including atmosphere, water erodes inorganic compounds--carried to soil--absorbed by plants--cycle through food webs | 36 | |
| 3685294609 | sulfur cycle | cycle of sulfur in soil 1) uptake by plants--food webs--decay 2) in ocean sediments--dimethyl sulfide produced by bacteria--sulfur dioxide in atmosphere--sulfuric acid as acid rain | 37 | |
| 3685323019 | H'=-SUM[(pi)*ln(pi)] | Shannon-Weiner Index (H'=biodiversity, pi=percentage of total specimens represented by a species) | 38 | |
| 3685333038 | biomes | large regions with distinct climates and certain species adapted to them | 39 | |
| 3685349794 | differential reproduction | this makes individuals with a certain heritable train more likely to reproduce. Necessary for natural selection | 40 | |
| 3685362423 | speciation | the creation of new species as one species splits into two or more new ones through geographic/reproductive isolation | 41 | |
| 3685363775 | endemic species | species found in only one area, very vulnerable to extinction | 42 | |
| 3685377068 | species diversity | number and variety of species in an ecosystem | 43 | |
| 3685378608 | species richness | number of different species present in an ecosystem | 44 | |
| 3685380093 | species evenness | the comparative number of individuals of each species present in an ecosystem | 45 | |
| 3685387247 | indicator species | species that provide early warnings of damage to an ecosystem (quickly affected by change) | 46 | |
| 3685401625 | foundation species | species that play a major role in shaping their communities by creating and enhancing their habitats in ways that benefit other species (beavers) | 47 | |
| 3685417579 | interspecific competition | two or more species fight for access to the same limited resource | 48 | |
| 3685420125 | mutualism | interaction benefitting both species (rhinoceros and oxpecker) | 49 | |
| 3685430718 | commensalism | interaction in which one species benefits an other is neutral (birds nest in trees) | 50 | |
| 3685437121 | resource partitioning | species competing for similar scarce resources evolve specialized traits that allow them to share resources by using parts of the resources, using them at different times, or using them in different ways (warblers in different parts of tree) | 51 | |
| 3685448389 | coevolution | changes in the gene pool of one species also cause changes in the gene pool of a species that it has interacted with over a long period, species become more or less competitive | 52 | |
| 3685454043 | age structure | distribution of individuals among various age groups of a population (prereproductive -14, reproductive 15-44, postreproductive 45-) | 53 | |
| 3685460998 | limiting factor | physical or chemical factor that helps determine the number of organisms that can exist in a population | 54 | |
| 3685474004 | environmental resistance | combination of all factors that limit growth of a population and determine its carrying capacity | 55 | |
| 3685486077 | secondary succession | type of succession that occurs when there is soil present | 56 | |
| 3685495293 | inertia | also called persistence; ability of a living system to survive moderate disturbances | 57 | |
| 3685502659 | resilience | the ability of a living system to be restored through secondary succession after a severe disturbance | 58 | |
| 3685508871 | population change | (births + immigration) - (deaths + emigration) | 59 | |
| 3685513883 | total fertility rate | the average number of children born to women in a population during their reproductive years | 60 | |
| 3685535887 | climate | an area's general pattern of atmospheric conditions over periods of at least three decades | 61 | |
| 3685550656 | desert | biome including tropical (temp above freezing point) temperate (just reaches freezing point) cold (sometimes below freezing point). Little precipitation. | 62 | |
| 3685561181 | grassland | biome including tropical/savanna (flat temp and summer dip in rain) temperate/prairie (just reaches freezing point, fluctuating precipitation) cold/arctic tundra (often below freezing, little rain) | 63 | |
| 3685573720 | forest | biome including tropical rain (flat freezing point, low summer rain) temperate deciduous (above freezing) northern coniferous/boreal/taiga (sometimes below freezing) | 64 | |
| 3685594251 | euphotic zone | highest open ocean zone | 65 | |
| 3685595640 | coastal zone | high ocean zone near coasts (90% of ocean species) | 66 | |
| 3685597523 | estuaries | places where rivers meet sea, seawater mixes with freshwater | 67 | |
| 3685603122 | bathyal zone | middle ocean zone | 68 | |
| 3685604468 | abyssal zone | lowest ocean zone | 69 | |
| 3685610364 | oligotrophic lake | type of lake with little nutrients | 70 | |
| 3685612173 | eutrophic lake | type of lake with lots of nutrients | 71 | |
| 3685613484 | mesotrophic lake | type of lake with moderate amount of nutrients | 72 | |
| 3685616194 | watershed | also called a drainage basin, area that delivers runoff, sediment, and dissolved substances to a stream | 73 | |
| 3685618445 | source zone | start level of freshwater streams, rapids, clear | 74 | |
| 3685621199 | transition zone | mid level of freshwater streams, moderate obstacles, speed, and width | 75 | |
| 3685625054 | floodplain zone | end level of freshwater streams, wide, slow, and murky | 76 | |
| 3685634121 | habitat destruction | H in HIPPCO | 77 | |
| 3685636019 | invasive species | I in HIPPCO | 78 | |
| 3685638966 | population growth | P (not pollution) in HIPPCO | 79 | |
| 3685640795 | climate change | C in HIPPCO | 80 | |
| 3685642697 | overexploitation | O in HIPPCO | 81 | |
| 3685649397 | littoral | zone of a lake near shore, surface | 82 | |
| 3685650728 | limnetic | zone of a lake in center, surface | 83 | |
| 3685652395 | profundal | zone of a lake, mid layer | 84 | |
| 3685654219 | benthic | lowest zone of a lake | 85 | |
| 3685661516 | endangered species | species with so few individuals it could soon be extinct | 86 | |
| 3685663323 | threatened species | species with enough individuals to survive at the moment, could get closer to extinction | 87 | |
| 3685674484 | CITES | acronym for convention about trading endangered animals, signed by 175 countries | 88 | |
| 3685682720 | primary forests | also called an old growth forest, uncut or regenerated an has not been seriously disturbed by humans or natural disasters for several hundred years | 89 | |
| 3685687931 | second-growth forest | stand of trees resulting from secondary succession | 90 | |
| 3685696337 | rangelands | unfenced grassands in temperate and tropical climates that supply vegetation for animals | 91 | |
| 3685709390 | biodiversity hotspots | areas rich in plant species found nowhere else that are in danger of extinction | 92 | |
| 3685712720 | ecological restoration | the process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and dynamics of natural ecosystems | 93 | |
| 3685717483 | reconciliation ecology | science focused on inventing, establishing, and maintaining new habitats to conserve species diversity in places where people live, work, or play. | 94 | |
| 3685727443 | fishprint | the area of ocean needed to sustain the fish consumption of an average person/nation/world | 95 | |
| 4195567929 | rain shadow effect | semiarid or arid conditions on the leeward side of a mountain which can lead to the formation of deserts | 96 | |
| 4195617678 | precautionary principle | the idea the when substantial preliminary evidence indicates that an activity can harm human health or the environment, we should take precautionary measures to prevent or reduce such harm even if some of the cause-and-effect relationships have not been fully established scientifically. | 97 | |
| 4195644427 | chronic undernutrition | the inability to grow or buy enough food to meet basic energy needs (also called hunger) | 98 | |
| 4195650305 | chronic malnutrition | deficiency of protein and other key nutrients that weakens people, makes them more vulnerable to disease, and hinders physical and mental development of children | 99 | |
| 4195682949 | industrialized agriculture | agriculture that uses heavy equipment and large amounts of money, fossil fuels, water, commercial inorganic fertilizers, and pesticides to produce monocultures. (also called high-input agriculture) | 100 | |
| 4195695603 | hydroponics | growing plants by exposing their roots to a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil, usually in a greenhouse | 101 | |
| 4195704875 | subsistence | type of traditional agriculture that uses sun energy, human labor, and draft animals to produce enough crops for a family's survival, with little surplus (traditional _________ agriculture) | 102 | |
| 4195718288 | green revolution | increasing crop yields through genetically engineered monocultures, large inputs of water/fertilizers/pesticides, and growing more crops per year on a plot of land through multiple cropping | 103 | |
| 4195730089 | aquaculture | the practice of raising marine and freshwater fish in freshwater ponds or underwater cages in coastal or open waters | 104 | |
| 4195735479 | erosion | the movement of soil components, especially surface litter and topsoil, from one place to another by wind and water | 105 | |
| 4195738550 | salinization | soil degradation process in which salts gradually accumulate in the upper soil layers due to repeated applications of irrigation water in dry climates | 106 | |
| 4195748313 | waterlogging | the accumulation of water underground due to excessive irrigation which raises the water table and deprives plants of oxygen | 107 | |
| 4195763604 | integrated pest management | carefully designed pest control programs that evaluate the role of crops and pests in an ecological system and combine cultivation, biological, and chemical tools and techniques applied in a coordinated process and tailored to each situation | 108 | |
| 4195790488 | desertification | condition when the productive potential of topsoil falls by 10% or more due to prolonged drought and human activities such as overgrazing and deforestation that reduce or degrade topsoil | 109 |
