Environmental Problems
what is resource depletion?
when a natural resource is used up
What is the definition of ecology?
the study of the relationships among plants, animals and humans in the environment.
how long does the process of succession take to occur?
hundreds or thousands of years.
What is the water cycle?
a continuous cycle where water evaporates, travels into the air and becomes part of a cloud, falls down to earth as precipitation and then evaporates again.
what is a primary pollutant?
a pollutant that is put directly into the atmosphere by human activity.
what is pollution?
the poisoning of our air, water or soil.
what do ecologists do?
they study ecosystems and the living and non-living parts of the environment as well as the interactions between each other.
where does primary succession occur?
succession occurs in areas where no ecosystems existed before
what do plants use carbon and sunlight for?
to make their own food and grow.
what is a secondary pollutant?
a pollutant that forms when a primary pollutant or a naturally occurring substance such as water comes into contact with other primary pollutants and a chemical reaction takes place.
what is extinction?
it means that the last member of a species has died and the species is gone forever.
What are the levels of organization of interest in environmental science?
organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere.
what is the final stable community that forms if the land is left undisturbed called?
climax community.
how much of the earths atmosphere is comprised of nitrogen?
78%
what is global warming?
an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect.
what is a developed country?
highly industrialized countries with high average incomes.
what is a niche?
each life form has a specific job, or role to play within nature.
what are the five abiotic factors in the environment?
water, soil, sunlight, temperature, periodic disturbances.
What converts nitrogen into its usable form?
specialized bacteria
what is climate change?
any long-term significant change in the weather patterns of an area.
what is a developing country?
less industrialized countries with low average incomes.
Are there any ecosystems that do not depend on the sun for energy?
black smokers
list three examples of a periodic disturbance.
fires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
what is the process of denitrification?
the process by which bacteria turns usable nitrogen into gaseous nitrogen which returns to the atmosphere.
what is ozone?
car exhaust and coal burning plants