Vocabulary
The land that water flows across or through on its way to a stream, lake, wetland, or other body of water.
Watershed
Scientific term for living organisms
biotic
Watersheds are decided by what?
elevation of the land
Area where most of the water in Virginia drains and is the largest estuary in the United States
Chesapeake Bay
The area where a freshwater river merges with salt water from the ocean
Estuary
Land area that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year
wetland
Scientific term for nonliving materials
abiotic
Name the 4 rivers in Virginia that flow into the Chesapeake Bay
Potomac River, Rappahannock River, York River, James River
Wetlands help reduce what?
Soil erosion, flooding, and pollution
An inlet of water separated from the ocean by land
Bay
Area of low-lying ground next to a river or stream, found mainly next to rivers and tends to flood.
Flood plain
An ecosystem is made up of the _______ (living) community and the ________ (nonliving) factors that affect it.
biotic and abiotic
The watershed systems in Virginia lead to three main bodies of water. What are they?
Chesapeake Bay, North Carolina sounds, and the Gulf of Mexico
Wetland provide what for wildlife?
Food and shelter
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply
Reservoir
Any high land region that divides drainage basins into 2 halves
Water divide
The health of an ecosystem is directly related to what?
water quality
How many states are in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and name them?
6; Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, along with Washington DC
Wetlands are natures what?
Water Filter
A small river or stream that flows into larger river
Tributary
A body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater
aquifer
What are the 3 parts of an Ecosystem?
Niche, Community, and Habitat
How many square miles if the Chesapeake Bay?
64,000
Name 3 types of wetlands
Bog, Marsh, and Swamp
The draining away of water form the surface or an area of land
Runoff