Ecology 3.3
What are wetlands?
regions that are wet for all or most of the year
What is a natural resource?
the parts of the environment that are useful or necessary for the survival of living organisms
What is a pollutant?
a substance that contaminates the environment
What are the 3 Rs of conservation? What is the definition of the last R?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; a form of reuse that requires changing or reprocessing an item or natural resource
What is conservation biology?
the study of methods for protecting biodiversity
What are coral reefs?
formed over long periods of time from the calcium carbonate skeletons secreted by animals called corals
What is the difference between a renewable resource and a nonrenewable one?
renewable- resource that is recycled or replaced constantly by nature; nonrenewable-used up more quickly than they can be replaced by natural processes
What is acid precipitation?
precipitation with a pH below 5.6- which occurs when air pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels react with water in the atmosphere to form strong acids that pollute water
What is biodiversity?
the variety of life in an ecosystem
What is habitat restoration?
the process of taking action to bring a damaged habitat back to a healthy condition
What is the intertidal zone?
the portion of the shoreline that is covered with water at high tide and exposed to the air during low tide
oil formed mostly from the remains of microscopic marine organisms buried in the Earth's crust
What is the greenhouse effect?
heat-trapping feature of the atmosphere that keeps Earth warm enough to support life
What is the difference between extinct, endangered and threatened species?
extinct- once present on Earth but has died out; endangered- in danger of becoming extinct; threatened- likely to become endangered in the near future
What is a captive population?
a population of organisms that is cared for by humans
Which type of succession usually starts without soil?
Primary
What are fossil fuels?
fuels formed in Earth's crust over a long amount of time
What is erosion?
the movement of soil from one place to another
What is the difference between an introduced species and a native species?
introduced- moves into an ecosystem as a result of human actions; native- the original organisms in an ecosystem
What are reintroduction programs?
strategy that returns captive organisms to an area where the species once lived
Why would the soil of a tropical rainforest make poor farmland?
It contains few nutrients (not much sunlight makes it to the floor and what little there was is washed out by rain)
What are the examples of alternatives to fossil fuels, and what is an example of one of them?
hydroelectric power-energy produced from falling water; nuclear energy- released when atomic nuclei are split apart (fission); wind power- wind turbines; geothermal energy- using the heat energy contained in the Earth's crust; solar energy- the most inexhaustible source of energy... from the sun
What is ozone depletion? What is hazardous waste?
The thinning of the ozone layer; waste materials that are harmful to human health or poisonous to living organisms
What are 2 causes of extinction?
Changes in the environment; competition between species for resources
What is the Endangered Species Act of 1973?
Makes it illegal to harm, collect, harass, or disturb the habitat of any species on the endangered or threatened species lists