Ecosystems
What is the word for the number of a particular type of organism living in a defined area?
(It can be actual, or estimated.)
Population Density.
The body and flesh of a dead animal.
Extra: Animals that eat this are called ___________.
Extra: Scavengers.
When you collect organic trash to let it decompose and turn into rich soil, you are...
When humans dig out materials from the earth - like minerals, ore, or rocks - that is called...
Mining.
Chemicals used to poison unwanted animals are called ____________, and chemicals used to poison unwanted plants are called ____________.
Pesticides / Herbicides.
What is the term that describes the different pathways of energy flowing between organisms in an ecosystem?
Food Web.
A smaller habitat within a larger one, where things are different.
Microhabitat.
When something can decompose (rot) and breaks down over time, it is...
Biodegradable.
Organic things are biodegradable - they break down into basic matter that can cycle back through the environment.
Plastics are NOT biodegradable, they can break into smaller pieces, but they never return to a natural part of the environment.
When humans harvest energy from the sun, we call that ______ energy.
Solar.
Animals that have been tamed by humans and bred for human use, such food, are called:
Domesticated.
What is the term for how many individuals of an organism an ecosystem can support?
Carrying Capacity.
Unlawfully killing wildlife or destroying nature.
Poaching.
Energy like petroleum, coal, and natural gas are gone once they are used up - there is only a certain amount.
Energy like wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy are sustainable because there is always more wind, sun, and moving water. Energy that won't run out is called ___________ energy.
Renewable Energy.
Human logging of forests for lumber is causing a decrease in earth's trees and forests. This is called...
Deforestation.
Deforestation contributes to the build-up of greenhouse gases, because trees are major factories for changing carbon dioxide back into oxygen! More greenhouse gases means more global warming.
A chemical or natural substance added to soil to imprave its quailty for plant growth is a...
Fertilizer.
These can be chemical, or natural when they are made of compost.
Compare the meaning of the term "weather" with "climate"...
Weather is a specific condition or event that is happening at a certain time - like a rainstorm, or wind, or sunniness.
Climate is the general pattern of weather in an area over time.
When wind or water break down rocks, it is called ____________. When those rocks get carried to another location by wind or water, it is called _________. When those rocks get left somewhere, it is called ___________.
Weathering / Erosion / Deposition
Compare "Conservation" and "Restoration":
Conservation is protecting nature and preserving it.
Restoration is taking land that has been harmed or changed in some way and trying to "restore", or put it back, the way it was naturally.
Light Pollution.
What is it called when farmers plant only one type of crop for acres and acres?
Monocropping.
It is not stable, because any problem for that species of crop will result in a catastrophe for the whole area.
What is an ecosystem's resilience?
It's ability to deal with stress - things that happen to it that can create problems.
If an ecosystem has HIGH resilience, it can handle a lot of changes and stay pretty stable.
If an ecosystem has LOW resilience, small changes might upset it and cause a chain reaction, or collapse.
To lessen the harm, or impact, of something.
Mitigate.
Earth's atmosphere naturally traps some of the sun's heat from escaping, keeping earth warmer than the space all around us (which is Very cold!). That natural phenomenon is called the...
Greenhouse Effect.
Energy made from the energy found in the nucleus of atoms is called ________ energy. It can make electricity and is a renewable energy source.
Nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is made with nuclear reactors or nuclear power plants.
Soil is important to farmers and wildlife!
1. What is the word for the different levels that occur in soil?
2. What are the four types of soil, and their characteristics?
Soil Horizons.
Sand - coarse, tiny rocks with little nutrients, doesn't hold water well.
Clay - fine, like powder, has little nutrients, holds water for a long time.
Silt - fine like clay, but has nutrients (humus, which is organic matter)
Loam - medium grain, with LOTS of humus, which is rich organic matter for plants.