Ecology & Ecosystems
What is the term for the role a species plays in its environment, including its use of resources and relationships?
Niche – The functional role of a species in its ecosystem.
What is the outermost layer of the Earth called?
Crust – The thin, outermost layer of the Earth.
What is the term for the maximum number of individuals an environment can support?
Carrying capacity – The maximum population size an environment can sustain.
What is a renewable energy source that uses flowing water to generate electricity?
Hydroelectric energy – Electricity generated by water flow.
What is the Clean Water Act designed to regulate?
Clean Water Act – Regulates discharges of pollutants into U.S. waters and sets water quality standards.
What do we call an organism that makes its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis?
Producer (Autotroph) – An organism that produces its own energy, typically through photosynthesis.
What type of rock is formed from cooling magma?
Igneous rock – Formed when magma or lava cools and solidifies.
Define “biotic potential.”
Biotic potential – The maximum reproductive capacity of a population under ideal conditions.
Define “fossil fuel.”
Fossil fuel – A nonrenewable energy source formed from ancient organic matter (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas).
What is the environmental process called that results from excess nutrients entering a body of water, often leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion?
Eutrophication – A process where excess nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) cause rapid algal growth. As algae die and decompose, oxygen levels drop, leading to hypoxia and harm to aquatic life.
Define the term “trophic level.”
Trophic level – A position in a food chain or food web, such as primary producer, primary consumer, etc.
Define “watershed.”
Watershed – An area of land that drains into a common water body.
What type of growth produces a J-shaped curve?
Exponential growth – Rapid growth represented by a J-shaped curve.
What is the term for the energy available after accounting for energy used to obtain it?
Net energy – The usable energy left after subtracting the energy needed to produce it.
What is the process called when toxins become more concentrated as they move up the food chain?
Biomagnification – The increasing concentration of toxins in organisms at higher trophic levels.
What is the process called when nitrogen is converted into a usable form by bacteria?
Nitrogen fixation – The process by which bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into ammonia (NH₃) or other usable forms.
What is the process that breaks down rocks into smaller pieces without chemical change?
Mechanical weathering – Physical breakdown of rocks without changing their chemical composition.
What is the demographic transition model used to describe?
Demographic transition – A model showing changes in birth and death rates as a country develops economically.
What is passive solar heating?
Passive solar heating – Using building design to collect and store solar energy without mechanical systems.
Define “threshold dose” in toxicology.
Threshold dose – The lowest dose at which a particular response occurs in toxicology.
Name and define the cycle that involves infiltration, percolation, and sublimation.
Water cycle (hydrologic cycle) – The movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.
What is the name of the boundary where two tectonic plates move past each other?
Transform boundary – A tectonic boundary where plates slide past one another (e.g., San Andreas Fault).
Define “r-selected species” and provide an example.
r-selected species – Species with high reproductive rates, short gestation, little parental care (e.g., insects, mice).
What is the environmental issue caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides mixing with water in the atmosphere?
Acid rain – Precipitation with a low pH caused by sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) mixing with water vapor.
What international agreement aimed to phase out the production of ozone-depleting substances?
Montreal Protocol – An international treaty to phase out ozone-depleting substances like CFCs.