Terms from APES for the exam
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| 10054856819 | First Law of Thermodynamics | Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but may be converted from one form to another. | 0 | |
| 10054856820 | Second Law of Thermodynamics | When energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is always degraded into lower quality energy (usually heat). | 1 | |
| 10054856821 | Nuclear Fission | nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons. | 2 | |
| 10054856822 | Leaching | removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards through soil. | 3 | |
| 10054856823 | Soil Conservation Methods | conservation tillage, crop rotation, contour plowing, organic fertilizers. | 4 | |
| 10054856824 | Soil Salinization | in arid regions, water evaporates leaving salts behind. (ex. Fertile crescent, southwestern US) | 5 | |
| 10054856825 | Hydrologic Cycle Components | evaporation, transpiration, runoff, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration. | 6 | |
| 10054856884 | Watershed | all of the land that drains into a body of water | 7 | |
| 10054856826 | Aquifer | any water-bearing layer in the ground. | 8 | |
| 10054856827 | Salt Water Intrusion | near the coast, overpumping of groundwater causes saltwater to move into the aquifer. | 9 | |
| 10054856828 | La Nina | "Normal" year, easterly trade winds and ocean currents pool warm water in the western Pacific, allowing upwelling of nutrient rich water off the West coast of South America. | 10 | |
| 10054856829 | Nitrogen Fixation | because atmospheric N cannot be used directly by plants, it must first be converted into ammonia by bacteria. | 11 | |
| 10054856885 | Ammonification | decomposers covert organic waste into ammonia. | 12 | |
| 10054856830 | Nitrification | ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO -). | 13 | |
| 10054856831 | Assimilation | inorganic N is converted into organic molecules such as DNA/amino acids & proteins. | 14 | |
| 10054856832 | Denitrification | bacteria convert ammonia back into N. | 15 | |
| 10054856833 | Phosphorus | does not exist as a gas; released by weathering of phosphate rocks, it is a major limiting factor for plant growth. Phosphorus cycle is slow, and not atmospheric. | 16 | |
| 10054856911 | Soil Profile |  | 17 | |
| 10054856834 | Photosynthesis | plants convert CO2 (atmospheric C) into complex carbohydrates (glucose C6H12O6). | 18 | |
| 10054856835 | Aerobic Respiration | oxygen consuming producers, consumers & decomposers break down complex organic compounds & convert C back into CO2. | 19 | |
| 10054856836 | Biotic | living components of an ecosystem. | 20 | |
| 10054856886 | Abiotic | nonliving components of an ecosystem | 21 | |
| 10054856837 | Producer/Autotroph | organisms that make their own food—photosynthetic life. | 22 | |
| 10054856838 | Trophic Levels | producers → primary consumer → secondary consumer → tertiary consumer. | 23 | |
| 10054856839 | Energy Flow through Food Webs | 10% of the usable energy is transferred to the next trophic level. Reason: usable energy lost as heat (2nd law), not all biomass is digested & absorbed, predators expend energy to catch prey. | 24 | |
| 10054856840 | Primary succession | development of communities in a lifeless area not previously inhabited by life (ex. lava). | 25 | |
| 10054856887 | Secondary succession | life progresses where soil remains (ex. clear-cut forest, old farm). | 26 | |
| 10054856841 | Mutualism | symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit (e.g. clownfish and anemone) | 27 | |
| 10054856842 | Commensalism | symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits & the other is unaffected (e.g. epiphytic plants, such as many orchids, that grow on trees) | 28 | |
| 10054856843 | Parasitism | relationship in which one organism (the parasite) obtains nutrients at the expense of the host (e.g. mosquitoes and humans) | 29 | |
| 10054856844 | Carrying Capacity | the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area. | 30 | |
| 10054856845 | r-strategist | reproductive strategy in which organisms reproduce early, bear many small, unprotected offspring (ex. insects, mice). | 31 | |
| 10054856846 | K-strategist | reproductive strategy in which organisms reproduce late, bear few, cared for offspring (ex. humans, elephants). | 32 | |
| 10054856847 | Natural Selection | organisms that possess favorable adaptations (through mutations) pass them onto the next generation. | 33 | |
| 10054856848 | Thomas Malthus | The human population is kept in check by war, famine & disease. Did not foresee technological advancements like medicine. | 34 | |
| 10054856849 | Doubling Time | (rule of 70) doubling time equals 70 divided by average growth rate. (ex. a population growing at 5% annually doubles in 70 ÷ 5 = 14 years) | 35 | |
| 10054856850 | Replacement Level Fertility | the number of children a couple must bear to replace themselves (2.1 developed, 2.7 developing). | 36 | |
| 10054856851 | World Population | slightly over 7.4 billion. | 37 | |
| 10054856888 | Demographic Transition Model | preindustrial, transitional, industrial, and postindustrial stages |  | 38 |
| 10054856852 | Preindustrial stage | birth & death rates high, population grows slowly, infant mortality high. | 39 | |
| 10054856853 | Transitional stage | Aid from other countries and increase in industrialization lowers death rates (infant mortality). Birth rates high (from of the amount of people in the reproductive stage). | 40 | |
| 10054856889 | Industrial stage | decline in birth rate, population growth slows. | 41 | |
| 10054856854 | Postindustrial stage | low birth & death rates. | 42 | |
| 10054856855 | Age Structure Diagrams | broad base → rapid growth; narrow base → negative growth (NPG); uniform shape → zero growth (ZPG) |  | 43 |
| 10054856890 | Most populous nations | 1)China 2)India 3)US 4)Indonesia | 44 | |
| 10054856856 | Low Economic/Social Status of Women | Most important factor keeping population growth rates high. | 45 | |
| 10054856857 | Methods to Decrease Birth Rates | Family planning, contraception, economic rewards & penalties. | 46 | |
| 10054856858 | Composition of Water on Earth | 97.5% seawater, 2.5% freshwater. 0.023% readily available freshwater for use. | 47 | |
| 10054856891 | Aquaculture | farming aquatic species, commonly salmon, shrimp, tilapia, oysters. | 48 | |
| 10054856859 | Point Source | from specific location such as pipe or smokestack | 49 | |
| 10054856860 | Non-Point Source | from over an area such as agricultural (farm) runoff, traffic. | 50 | |
| 10054856861 | Eutrophication | rapid algal growth caused by an excess of nitrogen & phosphorus. | 51 | |
| 10054856862 | Keystone Species | species whose role in an ecosystem is important for the ecosystem to sustain itself (manatee, alligator, sea otter, etc) | 52 | |
| 10054856863 | Indicator Species | species that serve as early warnings that an ecosystem is being damaged (amphibians). | 53 | |
| 10054856864 | Pesticide Cons | genetic resistance, ecosystem imbalance, pesticide treadmill, persistence, bioaccumulation, and biological magnification. | 54 | |
| 10054856892 | Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) | new organisms created by altering the genetic material (DNA) of existing organisms; usually in an attempt to remove undesirable or create desirable characteristics in the new organism. | 55 | |
| 10054856893 | Electricity Generation | steam, from water boiled by fossils fuels or nuclear energy, or falling water is used to turn a turbine and generate a generator. | 56 | |
| 10054856894 | Coal Formation | prehistoric plants buried undecomposed in oxygen-depleted water of swamps/bogs converted by heat and pressure. | 57 | |
| 10054856865 | Nuclear Reactor | consists of a core, control rods, moderator, steam generator, turbine, containment building. | 58 | |
| 10054856895 | Alternate Energy Sources | wind, solar, waves, biomass, geothermal, fuel cells | 59 | |
| 10054856896 | Troposphere | first layer of atmosphere 0-10 miles above the Earth's surface. Contains weather, greenhouse gases (bad ozone) | 60 | |
| 10054856897 | Stratosphere | second layer of atmosphere 10-30 miles above the Earth's surface. Contains protective ozone layer (good ozone) | 61 | |
| 10054856898 | Temperature Inversion | a warm layer of air above a cooler layer traps pollutants close to the Earth's surface. | 62 | |
| 10054856899 | Divergent plate boundaries | tectonic plates spreading apart, new crust being formed (Mid Ocean Ridge) | 63 | |
| 10054856900 | Convergent plate boundaries | tectonic plates with the oldest crustal material on Earth moving together, one moving under another. Mineral deposits and volcanoes are most abundant at convergent plate boundaries (Volcanic arc like Japan) | 64 | |
| 10054856901 | Transform Fault | tectonic plates sliding past one another (San Andreas Fault Line) | 65 | |
| 10054856902 | Most Endangered species | have a small range, require large territory, have long generations, have very specialized niche, or live on an island | 66 | |
| 10054856866 | Biome | large distinct terrestrial region having similar climate, soil, plants & animals. | 67 | |
| 10054856867 | Tropical Rain Forests | characterized by the greatest diversity 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). | 68 | |
| 10054856868 | Temperate Forests | occur in eastern North America, Japan, northeastern 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. | 69 | |
| 10054856869 | Boreal Forests or Taiga | represent the largest terrestrial biome. Dominated by needleleaf, 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, moist, and moderately warm summers and long, cold, and dry winters. Extensive logging may soon cause their disappearance. | 70 | |
| 10054856870 | Temperate Shrub Lands | occurs along the coast of Southern California and the Mediterranean region. Characterized by areas of Chaparral-miniature woodlands dominated by dense stands of shrubs. | 71 | |
| 10054856871 | Savannas | grassland with scattered individual trees. Cover almost half 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 fires can occur. | 72 | |
| 10054856872 | Temperate Grasslands | dominated by grasses, trees 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 and prairies of central North America. | 73 | |
| 10054856873 | Deserts | 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. | 74 | |
| 10054856874 | Tundra | 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. | 75 | |
| 10054856875 | Wetlands | areas of standing water that support aquatic plants including marshes, swamps, and bogs. Reduce flooding. Species diversity is very high. | 76 | |
| 10054856876 | Fresh Water | defined as having a 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 (i.e., ocean). There are different types of freshwater regions: ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, and estuaries. | 77 | |
| 10054856877 | Oceans | the largest of all the ecosystems. The ocean regions are separated into separate zones: intertidal, pelagic, abyssal, and benthic. All four zones have a great diversity of species. | 78 | |
| 10054856878 | Safe Drinking Water Act | set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants that may have adverse effects on human health. | 79 | |
| 10054856879 | Clean Water Act | Aim: to make all US waterways safe for fishing and swimming. set maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterways. Require the repairment of damaged wetlands. | 80 | |
| 10054856880 | Clean Air Act | NAAQ set air quality standards. Set emission standards for cars, and limits for release of air pollutants. | 81 | |
| 10054856881 | Montreal Protocol | phase out of ozone depleting substances. | 82 | |
| 10054856882 | Endangered Species Act | identifies threatened and endangered species in the US, and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations. | 83 | |
| 10054856883 | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) | regulates the use and effectiveness of pesticides | 84 | |
| 10054856903 | Herbicide | a toxic chemical that kills plants | 85 | |
| 10054856904 | Insecticide | a toxic chemical that kills insects | 86 | |
| 10054856905 | Rodenticide | a toxic chemical that kills rodents | 87 | |
| 10054856906 | Fungicide | a toxic chemical that kills fungi | 88 | |
| 10054856907 | Niche | organism's job in the ecosystem of which it lives | 89 | |
| 10054856908 | Invasive Species | introduced into an ecosystem and out-compete native species | 90 | |
| 10054856909 | NOx, SO2, Pb, PM, O3, CO | 6 criteria air pollutants | 91 | |
| 10054856910 | Top 4 indoor air pollutants in DEVELOPED countries | Tobacco smoke, Formaldehyde, Radon Gas, Fine and Ultrafine Particulate Matter | 92 |
