Environmental Science Basics
This is the main source of energy for most living things.
Answer: What is sunlight?
This process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Answer: What is photosynthesis?
This type of species plays a key role in maintaining ecological balance
Answer: What is a keystone species?
The Industrial Revolution increased levels of this gas in the atmosphere.
Answer: What is carbon dioxide?
The biome characterized by extreme cold and low biodiversity is this.
Answer: What is the tundra?
Environmental science studies how living organisms interact within their ________.
Answer: What is the ecosystem?
Rain, snow, and hail are examples of this part of the water cycle.
Answer: What is precipitation?
A relationship where both species benefit is called this.
Answer: What is mutualism?
Deforestation can lead to habitat destruction and this harmful process involving soil.
Answer: What is erosion?
When energy flows through a food web, only ______% is transferred to the next level.
Answer: What is 10%?
The phrase that best describes a "sustainable" environment is ________.
Answer: What is long-lasting?
The chemical formula for atmospheric nitrogen is ________.
Answer: What is N₂?
Ticks feeding on a host and causing harm exemplifies this interaction.
Answer: What is parasitism?
Excessive carbon dioxide in oceans leads to this environmental issue.
Answer: What is acidification?
This biome is hot and dry, with minimal rainfall tall grasses.
Answer: What is the savanna?
The correct order of biological organization starts with cells and ends with this.
Answer: What is the biosphere?
This process converts nitrogen gas into a usable form by plants via bacteria.
Answer: What is nitrogen fixation?
If predators decrease, herbivores ________, and plant populations ________.
Answer: What are increase; decrease?
Excessive fertilizer runoff into rivers and oceans causes this process; it can also happen naturally as nutrients accumulate.
Answer: What is eutrophication?
This type of growth shows rapid population increase before leveling off at carrying capacity.
Answer: What is logistic growth?
This term describes the maximum population size an environment can sustain.
Answer: What is carrying capacity?
Answer: What is phosphorous?
If two species eat the same type of food they are said to be in _____________.
Answer: What is competition
These areas are created by nutrient pollution and result in low oxygen levels in water.
Answer: What are dead zones?
Photosynthesis occurs in plants, while this process releases energy in all living things.
Answer: What is cellular respiration?
This term describes the non-living factors in an environment, such as sunlight and water.
Answer: What are abiotic factors?
This process describes how water vapor cools to form clouds.
Answer: What is condensation?
This ecological interaction occurs when one species benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Answer: What is commensalism?
This agricultural practice involves clearing forests by burning vegetation and is harmful to biodiversity.
Answer: What is slash-and-burn agriculture?
This biome has the most biodiversity, supported by heavy rainfall and layered vegetation.
Answer: What is the rainforest?
A population increases rapidly during this type of growth, unimpeded.
Answer: What is exponential growth?
Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves into oceans and lowers pH levels.
Answer: What is ocean acidification?
This relationship describes when one species hunts and kills another for food.
Answer: What is predation?
Overuse of fossil fuels contributes to this global environmental problem.
Answer: What is climate change?
Herbivores obtain their energy by consuming these.
Answer: What are producers?
This type of species plays a key role in its community and has a disproportionately large impact relative to its abundance.
Answer: What is a keystone species?
This process describes how carbon is stored in fossil fuels and released back into the atmosphere when they are burned.
Answer: What is combustion?
This ecological term describes the role a species plays in its environment, including its use of resources and relationships with other species.
Answer: What is a niche?
The "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico is primarily caused by excessive nutrient runoff from this river system.
Answer: What is the Mississippi River?
In this biome, temperatures fluctuate dramatically between day and night, where some animals have evolved to be nocturnal.
Answer: What is the desert?