Ecology Basics
This level of organization consists of all members of one species living in the same area.
Population
This cycle involves evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Water Cycle
Growth that forms a J-shaped curve is called this.
Exponential growth
Growing one crop over a large area is called this.
Monoculture
The number of species present in an area is called this.
Species richness
Water found underground in porous rock is called this.
Groundwater
The amount of dissolved salts in ocean water is called this.
Salinity
The lowest layer of the atmosphere where weather occurs is called this.
Troposhere
Carbon dioxide and methane are examples of these gases.
Greenhouse gases
Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are examples of these resources.
Fossil Fuels
Energy directly obtained from sunlight is called this.
Solar energy
Converting food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich material is called this.
Composting
A rock containing valuable minerals is called this.
ore
Garrett Hardin's idea that shared resources are often overused is called this.
Tragedy of the Commons
Dumb Kings do what?
Play Chess on Fine Grain Sand
A group of interacting populations living together in an area is called this.
Community
Plants remove this gas from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.
Carbon Dioxide
Growth that levels off at carrying capacity forms this curve.
Logistic growth
Growing multiple crops together is called this.
Polyculture
Differences in DNA among individuals within a species are called this.
Genetic Diversity
Permeable underground layers that store groundwater are called these.
Aquifers
This process brings nutrient-rich deep water to the surface.
Upwelling
The ozone layer is located in this atmospheric layer.
Stratosphere
This greenhouse gas is produced in large amounts by fossil fuel combustion.
Carbon dioxide
Liquid fossil fuel refined into gasoline is called this.
Petroleum
Devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity are called these.
Photovoltaic cells
The best strategy for reducing waste is called this.
Source Reduction
Heating ore to extract metals is called this process.
smelting
When market prices fail to include environmental costs, this occurs.
Market failure
Insects, spiders, and crabs belong to this phylum.
Arthropods
This includes both the living and nonliving components of an area.
Ecosystem
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into this usable form.
Ammonia/Ammonium
The average number of children born to a woman is called this.
Total Fertility Rate
The dramatic increase in crop yields during the mid-20th century is called this.
Green Revolution
Breaking large habitats into smaller isolated patches is called this.
Habitat Fragmentation
Land that drains into a common body of water is called this.
Watershed
Highly diverse marine ecosystems built by corals are called these.
Coral Reefs
Ozone protects life by absorbing this type of radiation.
Ultraviolet Radiation
This powerful greenhouse gas is released by cattle and landfills.
Methane
This fossil fuel burns the cleanest.
Natural Gas
Designing buildings to maximize heating and cooling from sunlight is called this.
Passive Solar Housing
These facilities are designed to safely bury waste and prevent contamination.
Sanitary landfills
Surface mining that removes shallow layers of soil in rows is called this.
Strip mining
Benefits provided by ecosystems, such as pollination and water purification, are called these.
Ecosystem Services
Cnidarians are characterized by having what cells?
Cnidacytes
The variety of life found in an area is known as this.
Biodiversity
This nutrient cycle does not have a significant atmospheric component.
Phosphorus Cycle
A country with low birth rates and low death rates is generally in this stage of demographic transition.
Stage 4
Soil accumulation of salts caused by irrigation is known as this.
Salinization
Areas of land connecting isolated habitats are called these.
Wildlife Corridors
Areas saturated with water that provide habitat and filter pollutants are called these.
Wetlands
Areas where freshwater meets saltwater are called these.
Estuaries
Warm air trapping cooler polluted air beneath it is called this.
Temperature Inversion
Earth's reflectivity is known as this.
Albedo
Energy Return on Investment is abbreviated as this.
EROI
Wind turbines convert this form of energy into electricity.
twisting/rotating kinetic energy
Burning garbage at high temperatures is called this.
Incineration
Mining that creates massive terraced holes in the ground is called this.
Open pit mining
Meeting present needs without compromising future generations is called this.
Sustainability
Echinoderms have what type of skin?
Spiny
This species has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem compared to its abundance.
Keystone Species
Excess nitrogen and phosphorus can cause this process in lakes.
Eutrophication
Replacement fertility is approximately this number of children per woman.
2.1
The removal of topsoil by wind or water is called this.
Soil erosion
Cutting all trees from an area at once is known as this.
Clear-cutting
Pollution coming from a single identifiable source is called this.
Point-Source
Coastal forests that protect shorelines and provide nursery habitat are called these.
Mangroves
A mixture of pollutants and sunlight produces this.
Smog
Melting glaciers contribute directly to this phenomenon.
Sea-level Rise
Extracting oil from bitumen deposits is associated with these.
Tar Sands
Heat from beneath Earth's surface is used in this renewable energy source.
Geothermal Energy
Obsolete computers and smartphones are examples of this type of waste.
E-waste
Sulfuric acid produced from exposed sulfide minerals causes this problem.
Acid-mine drainage
Environmental, social, and economic goals together make up this.
Triple bottom line
arthropods have jointed?
appendages. i.e crab legs
Competition between members of different species is called this.
Interspecific Competition
The conversion of nitrates back into atmospheric nitrogen gas is called this.
Denitrification
This model states that environmental impact depends on population, affluence, and technology.
IPAT model
Using predators or parasites to control pests is called this.
Biological Control
Removing only certain trees while leaving others behind is called this.
Selective Logging
Pollution coming from many diffuse sources is called this.
Non-point source
This enormous accumulation of floating plastic debris exists in the Pacific Ocean.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides contribute to this environmental problem.
Acid rain
A process that amplifies climate change is called this.
Positive Feedback
This controversial pipeline was designed to transport oil from Canada to the United States.
Keystone XL pipeline
Electricity generated from moving water behind dams is called this.
Hydroelectirc power
Waste that is toxic, corrosive, reactive, or flammable is known as this.
Hazardous Waste
Restoring land after mining is called this.
Reclamation
Policies requiring utilities to purchase renewable electricity from citizens are called these.
Feed-in Tariffs
An organism that CANNOT fight a current is?
plankton
In this type of symbiosis, both organisms benefit.
Mutualism
Organisms that convert nitrogen gas into usable compounds perform this process.
Nitrogen Fixation
High infant mortality generally results in this effect on fertility rates.
Higher Fertility Rates
Crops whose DNA has been altered are known as these.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Planting trees to restore a forest is known as this.
Reforestation
Removing salt from seawater is known as this process.
Desalinization
Catching fish faster than they can reproduce is known as this.
Overfishing
Tiny airborne particles are known as these pollutants.
Particulates
Loss of Arctic ice decreases this property of Earth's surface.
Albedo
Using less energy to accomplish the same task is known as this.
Energy Efficiency
Energy obtained from plant material is called this.
Biomass energy
The EPA cleanup program established under CERCLA is called this.
Superfund
Waste material left behind after metals are extracted is called this.
Tailings
A system that limits emissions and allows trading of permits is called this.
Cap and Trade
Bivalves are a type of?
Mollusk
The gradual replacement of one community by another over time is called this.
Ecological Succession
These are locations where elements are stored within a cycle.
Reservoirs
Countries with broad-based population pyramids typically have this type of growth.
Rapid Population Growth
Farming without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers is called this.
Organic Agriculture
Forests that have never been significantly disturbed are called these.
Old-growth forest
Injecting water, sand, and chemicals underground to extract oil or natural gas is called this.
Hydraulic Fracking
The accidental capture of unwanted species is called this.
Bycatch
Coal combustion is a major source of this gas that contributes to acid deposition.
Sulfur dioxide
Efforts aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are called this.
Environmental Mitigation
The theory that oil production eventually reaches a maximum is called this.
Peak oil
This type of fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity.
Hydrogen fuel cell
The movement of products from manufacture to disposal is known as this approach.
Cradle to Grave
Minerals whose extraction is linked to violence and human rights abuses are called these.
Conflict minerals
The study of how scarce resources are allocated is called this.
Economics
a parasite does what?
It will live/feed off the host. This will negatively affect the host.
The maximum population size an environment can support indefinitely is called this.
Carrying Capacity
Water flowing across land and carrying nutrients into streams is called this.
Runoff
Population growth slows when resources become limited due to this factor.
Carrying Capacity
Pollination by insects is considered this type of ecosystem service.
Supporting Ecosystem Service
A species facing a very high risk of extinction is considered this.
Endangered
Water that has been used and must be treated before release is called this.
Wastewater
Protected ocean areas established to preserve biodiversity are called these.
Marine Protected Areas
Automobile exhaust is a major source of these compounds that help form smog.
Nitrogen oxides
Building seawalls and relocating communities are examples of this strategy.
Adaptation
Environmental costs not reflected in market prices are called these.
Externalities
Energy produced by the rise and fall of ocean water is called this.
Tidal energy
Designing products so materials can continually be reused is called this approach.
Cradle to Cradle
This mining method injects liquids underground to dissolve minerals.
Solution mining
Using resources in a way that allows them to remain available for future generations is known as this.
Sustainable development
What kind of symmetry do humans have?
Bilateral.
A species that can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions is called this type of species.
Generalist
In freshwater ecosystems, this element is usually the limiting nutrient.
Phosphorus
The shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates is called this.
Demographic Transition
Repeated use of pesticides can lead to this problem.
Pest Resistance
Biodiversity includes species diversity, genetic diversity, and this third type.
Ecosystem Diversity
When demand exceeds available freshwater supplies, this condition exists.
Water scarcity
Increasing absorption of carbon dioxide by seawater causes this problem.
Ocean acidification
These devices installed in automobiles help reduce air pollution.
Catalytic converters
Long-term patterns of temperature and precipitation are known as this.
Climate
Shale gas extraction commonly uses this method.
Fracking
This experimental technology uses temperature differences in ocean water to generate electricity.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
Applying ecological principles to industrial production is called this.
Industrial Ecology
Most minerals are classified as these resources.
Non-renewable resources
The amount of land and water needed to support a person's lifestyle is called this.
Ecological Footprint
Octopuses and squids belong to this class of mollusks.
Cephalopods.