environmental glossary vocabulary terms. acid rain acid rain is rain or snow with a ph below 5.6 (it...
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Environmental Glossary
Vocabulary terms
Acid Rain
• Acid rain is rain or snow with a pH below 5.6 (it is acidic)
• Kills plants and can change the pH of lakes and ponds (which can kill the animals)
Air Pollution
• Smoke, dust and exhaust fumes that pollute the air
Biotic Potential
• Biotic potential – the number of individuals each female of a population can produce under the best possible conditions
Carrying Capacity
Carrying capacity – the largest number of individuals an environment can support and maintain for a long period of time
Competition
• Competition – contest among organisms to obtain the resources they need to survive and reproduce
Conservation
• the wise use of natural resources to prevent resources from being used up; to maintain the balance of ecosystems
Eutrophication
when there are too many nutrients (usually from pollution) in water, which causes algae to overgrow and eventually destroy thewater ecosystem
Fossil fuels
• Fossil Fuels include coal, natural gas, oil, gasoline, heating oil and kerosene.
Groundwater
• Groundwater is water contained in the soil or trapped in underground pockets formed by nonporous rock.
Greenhouse Effect
• Atmosphere is trapping heat , known as the green house effect
• Greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide. • By-product of burning fossil fuels
Global warming
• Global warming – potential warming of Earth – will disrupt weather patterns
• Melt polar ice caps, flooding, stronger storms
Geothermal energy
• Geothermal Energy – energy from Earth
Hazardous wastes
• Hazardous wastes – waste material that is harmful to organisms
• Examples: pesticides, nuclear waste, chemicals, batteries, paint and household cleaners
Hydroelectric power
• Hydroelectric power is electricity produced by the energy of flowing water
Limiting factor
• Limiting factor – any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the number of individuals in a population
• - examples: food, temperature, living space, other resources
• Nuclear energy is produced when billions of uranium nuclei are split apart in a nuclear fission reaction.
Nonrenewable resource
• A nonrenewable resource is a natural resource that cannot be replaced once they are gone
Natural Resources
• Natural resources are parts of the environment used by living organisms for food, shelter, and all other needs.
Recycle
• to reprocess a waste material for use in a new product
Population ecology
• Populations can be described according to certain characteristics.
- size of population - spacing (how organisms are arranged in a given area) - density – how many individuals there are in a specific area
Population density
• The size of a population occupying an area of a specific size is called population density
Pollutant
• Pollutant – any substance that contaminate the environment and causes pollution
Photovoltaic cells
• Photovoltaic cells are wafers made of the mineral silicon covered with thin layers of metal
Smog
• Smog – a form of air pollution that is created when sunlight reacts with pollutant chemicals produced by burning fuels.
Wind Power
• Wind power – a wind mill is a turbine that is rotated by the wind and created energy (electricity)
Renewable resource
• Renewable resource is a natural resource that is recycled or replaced by ongoing natural processes.