Evyan Gainey AP Environmental Summer Vocab Ch.

1-2 Environmentalist-person concerned about the impact of people on environmental quality who believes some human actions are degrading parts of earths life support systems for humans/other forms of life Conservationist person concerned with using natural areas and wildlife in ways that sustain them for current and future generations of humans and other forms of life Preservationist- concerned with setting aside/protecting undisturbed natural areas from harmful human activities Natural Resources- Earths natural materials/ processes that sustain humans and other species Linear growth growth in which a quantity increase by some fixed amount during each unit of time Exponential growth- growth where the quantity, such as population size or economic output, increases by a fixed percentage of the whole in a given time period Doubling time- time it takes for the quantity of something growing exponentially to double. It can be calculated by dividing the annual percentage growth rate into 70 Ecological Footprint- measure of ecological impact of the consumption of food/wood products/other resources, use of buildings/roads/garbage dumps/other things consuming land space, and the destruction of forests needed to absorb effects of burning fossil fuels. Mineral- any naturally occurring inorganic substance found in the earths crust as a crystalline solid Recycling- reprocessing a resource so it can be made into new products Reuse using a product over and over again in the same form Gross National Product- total market value in current dollars of all goods and services produced within and outside a country during a year plus net income earned abroad by a countrys citizens Gross Domestic Product- total market value in current dollars of all goods and services produced Rule of 70- used to calculate doubling time- 70 divided by percentage growth rate Globalization- broad process of social, economic, environmental change that leads an increasingly similar and integrated world Point source pollution- a single, identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the environment Nonpoint source pollution- dispersed land areas that discharge pollutants into the environment over a large area U.S. Forest Service- created in 1905 to protect the forest reserves Silent Spring- written by Rachel Carson, documented pollution of air/water/wildlife from pesticides Paul Ehrlich- his works helped awaken people to interlocking relationships among population growth/pollution/resource use Garrett Hardin- along with Ehrlich helped people realize their relationship to the environment and resource use/population growth/pollution Earth Day- created in 1970 to heighten awareness/demand improvements in environmental quality OPEC Oil Embargo- formed in 1960 so developing countries with a lot of the worlds known/projected oil supplies could get a higher price for the resource

Gifford Pinchot- 1st chief of US Forest service, pioneered scientific management of forest resources on public lands Antiquities Act- passed in 1906, allows the president to protect areas of scientific /historical interest on federal lands as national monuments Civilian Conservation Corp- put 2 million unemployed to work planting trees/ developing parks/restoring waterways/building dams and levees/controlling soil erosion/protecting wildlife Wilderness Act- authorized government to protect undeveloped tracts of public land as part of the National Wilderness System Forest Reserve Act 1891- established responsibility of the federal government for protecting public lands from resource exploitation Ch. 3 Placebo- a substance that has no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing new drugs Inductive Reasoning- using observations and facts to arrive at generalizations or hypotheses. It goes from the specific to the general, is widely used in science Deductive Reasoning- using logic to arrive at a specific conclusion based on generalization or premise. It goes from the general to the specific. Homeostasis- maintenance of favorable internal conditions in a system despite fluctuations in external conditions Matter anything that has mass and takes up space Ions- atom or group of atoms with one or more positive or negative electrical charges Molecules combination of two or more atoms of the same chemical element or different chemical elements held together by chemical bonds Protons- positively charged particle in the nuclei of all atoms. Each proton has a relative mass of 1 and a single positive charge Neutrons- elementary particle in the nuclei of al atoms except hydrogen. relative mass of 1, no electrical charge Electrons- tiny particle moving around outside the nucleus of an atom. Each electron has one unit of negative charge and almost no mass pH- measure of the concentration of H+ in a water solution is a measure of its acidity or alkalinity Organic Compounds- compounds containing carbon atoms combined with each other and with atoms of one or more other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine, and fluorine. All other compounds are inorganic. High Quality Matter- matter that is concentrated and contains a high concentration of a useful resource Low Quality Matter- matter that is dilute or dispersed or contains a low concentration of a useful resource Entrophy- thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a systems thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system Sinks- body or process that acts to absorb or remove energy or a particular component from a system Genetic Damage- caused by mutations or changes in DNA molecules that alter genes and chromosomes Somatic Damage- causes harm during the victims lifetime, examples are burns, cancer, and eye cataracts

Chlorinated hydrocarbons- organic compound made up of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine Law of Conservation of Matter- in any physical or chemical change matter is neither created or destroyed, but instead is just changed from one form to another Half-Life- time needed for one half-life of the nuclei in a radioisotope to emit its radiation. Each radioisotope has a characteristic half-life, which may range from a few millionths of a second to several billion years Ch. 4 Ammonification- vast armies of specialized decomposer bacteria convert the nitrogen-rich organic compounds, wastes, cast-off particles, and dead bodies of organisms into simpler nitrogen-containing inorganic compounds and water-soluble salts containing ammonium ions Assimilation- in which plant roots absorb inorganic ammonia, ammonium ions, and nitrate ions formed by nitrogen fixation and nitrification in soil water. They use these ions to make nitrogen-containing organic molecules like DNA, amino acids, and proteins. Animals in turn get their nitrogen by eating plants or plant-eating animals. Autotroph- organism that uses solar energy (green plant) or chemical energy (some bacteria) to manufacture the organic compounds it needs as nutrients from simple inorganic compounds obtained from its environment Bioaccumulation- the accumulation within living organisms of toxic substances occurring in the environment Biosphere- zone of earth where life is found, consists of parts of the atmosphere (the troposphere) hydrosphere (mostly surface water and groundwater), and lithosphere (mostly soil and surface rocks and sediments on the bottoms of oceans and other bodies of water) where life is found. Also called the ecosphere Chemotroph- any organism that oxidizes inorganic or organic compounds as its principal energy source Climax Community- stable, self-sustaining community in an advanced stage of ecological succession, usually has a diverse array of species and ecological niches, captures and uses energy and cycles critical chemicals more efficiently than simpler, immature communities Consumer- something that uses goods or services Decomposer- organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so carry out the natural process of decomposition, by breaking down the complex organic molecules in those materials into simpler inorganic compounds and then absorbing the soluble nutrients. Denitrification- in which other specialized bacteria (mostly anaerobic bacteria in waterlogged soil or in the bottom sediments of lakes, oceans, swamps, and bogs) convert NH3 and NH4+ back into nitrite and nitrate ions and then into nitrogen gas and nitrogen oxide gas. These are then released to the atmosphere to begin the cycle again. Detritivore- organism that uses organic waste as a food source, as certain insects Succession- process in which communities of plant and animal species in a particular area are replaced over time by a series of different and often more complex communities Ecotones- the transition zone between 2 different plant communities, as that between forest and prairie

Food Chain- series of organisms interrelated in their feeding habits, the smallest being fed upon by a larger one, which in turn feeds a still larger one, etc. Food Web- complex network of many interconnecting food chains and feeding relationships Fundamental Niche- the full potential range of the physical, chemical, biological factors a species can use if there is no competition from other species Realized Niche- parts of the fundamental niche of a species that are actually used by that species Habitat- the natural environment of a plant or animal Habitat Fragmentation- breakup of a habitat into smaller species, usually as a result of human activities Heterotroph- organism requiring organic compounds for its principal source of food Exotic Species- species that migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans Interspecific Competition- members of 2 or more species trying to use trying to use the same limited resources in an ecosystem Intraspecific Competition- 2 or more organisms of a single species trying to use the same limited resource in an ecosystem Keystone Species- species that play roles affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem Law of Tolerances- existence, abundance, and distribution of a species in an ecosystem are determined by whether the levels of 1 or more physical or chemical factors fall within the range tolerated by the species Mutualism- relationship between 2 species of organisms in which both benefit from the association Commensalism- an organism that is living on, with, or in another organism without injury to either organism Parasitism- relationship between organisms in which one receives a benefit by living on another organism at that organisms expense Niche- an organisms role in its environment Nitrification- a 2 step process in which most of the ammonia in soil is converted by specialized aerobic bacteria to nitrite ions (NO2-) which are toxic to plants and nitrate ions (NO3-) which are easily taken up by plants as a nutrient Nitrogen Fixation- in which specialized bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen to ammonia that can be used by plants by the reaction N2+3H22NH3. This done mostly by cyanobacteria in soil and water and Rhizobium bacteria living in small nodules (swellings) on the root systems of a wide variety of plant species, including soybeans/alfalfa Photosynthesis- the conversion by plants of carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates, aided by light and chlorophyll Pioneer Species- 1st hardy species, often microbes, mosses, and lichens that begin colonizing a site as the 1st stage of ecological succession Ch. 5 Evolution- change in the genetic makeup of a population of a species in successive generations. If continued long enough, it can lead to the formation of a new species. Populations-not individuals-evolve Gene Pool- the total genetic info in the gametes of all the individuals in a population

Directional Natural Selection- changing environmental conditions cause allele frequencies to shift so individuals with traits at one end of the normal range become more common than midrange forms, most common during periods of environmental change Stabilizing Natural Selection- tends to eliminate individuals on both ends of the genetic spectrum and favor individuals with an average genetic makeup. Disrupting Natural Selection- environmental conditions favor individuals at both extremes of the genetic spectrum and eliminate/reduce numbers of individuals with normal or intermediate genetic traits Speciation- the formation of new species as a result of geographic, physiological, anatomical, or behavioral factors that prevent previously interbreeding populations from breeding with each other Convergent Evolution- the appearance of apparently similar structures n organisms of different lines of decent Gradualism- tenet in evolutionary theory maintaining that species evolve slowly and continuously over long periods of geological time Punctuated Equilibrium- hypothesis holding that the evolution of species proceeds in a characteristic pattern of relative stability for long periods of time interspersed with much shorter periods during which many species become extinct and new species emerge Generalist Species- Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live n many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. (Flies, cockroaches, human beings, mice rats) Specialist Species- species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only 1 type or a few types of food Geographic Isolation- separation of populations of a species for long times into different areas Reproductive Isolation- long term geographic separation of members of a particular sexually reproducing species Ch. 6 Troposphere- lowest layer of the atmosphere, contains 75% of the mass of earths air and extends 11 miles above sea level Latitude- distance in degrees north or south of the equator Hadley Cells- 6 large convection cells that distribute heat and moisture over the earths surface at different latitudes Coriolis Effect- the observed deflection of something relative to the surface of Earth, caused by Earth's rotation beneath the object. The deflection is to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. Jet Stream- strong, generally westerly winds concentrated in a relatively narrow and shallow stream in the upper troposphere of the earth Albedo- ability of a surface to reflect light Altitude- the height of something above a reference point, as sea level Rainshadow Effect- low precipitation on the far side (leeward side) of a mountain when prevailing winds flow up and over a high mountain or range of high mountains. This creates semiarid and arid conditions on the leeward side of a high mountain range Warm Front- transition zone between a mass of warm air and the colder air it is replacing

Cold Front- the zone separating 2 air masses, of which the cooler, denser mass is advancing and replacing the warmer Air Pressure- the force exerted by air, whether compressed or unconfined, on any surface in contact with it Relative Humidity- the amount of water vapor in the air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount that the air could hold at the given temperature, the ratio of the actual water vapor pressure to the saturation vapor pressure El Nino- warm ocean current of variable intensity that develops after late December along the coast of Ecuador and Peru and sometimes causes catastrophic weather conditions La Nina- causes more Atlantic Ocean hurricanes, colder winters in Canada/Northeast, warmer and drier winters in the southeastern and southwestern US, wetter winters in the Pacific Northwest, torrential rains in Southeast Asia, lower wheat yields in Argentina and more wildfires in Florida. The cooling counterpart of el nino. Upwelling- the process by which warm, less dense surface water is drawn away from along a shore by offshore currents and replaced by cold, denser water brought up from the subsurface Biomes- complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region, especially such a community that has developed to climax Ferrel Air Circulation Cells- comes about as a result of high and low pressure areasof the mid latitudes, ai its southern exent it overrides the Hadley cell and at its northern extent it overrides the Polar cell Polar Air Circulation Cells- exists as a direct consequence of by acting as a heat sink it balances the Hadley Cell in earths energy equation, its the primary weathermaker for regions above the middle northern latitudes Ch. 10 Geologic Time Scale- the relative age of various geological periods and the absolute time intervals Plate Tectonics- theory of global tectonics in which the lithosphere is divided into a number of crustal plates, each of which moves on the plastic asthenosphere more or less independently to collide with, slide under, or move past adjacent plates The Continental Drift Theory- the theory that all the continents were at one time joined (Pangaea). Over a vast period of time, the continents drifted apart to their current locations Seafloor Spreading Theory- theory of lithospheric evolution that the ocean floors are spreading outward from vast underwater ridges Divergent Plate Boundary- where the plates move apart in opposite directions Transform Plate Boundary- occur where plates slide past one another along a fracture (fault) in the lithosphere. Most transform faults are on the ocean floor Convergent Plate Boundary- where the plates are pushed together by internal forces Subduction- the process by which collision of the earths crustal plates results in one plates being drawn down or overridden by another, localized along the juncture (subduction zone) of 2 plates P-Waves- longitudinal earthquake wave that travels through the interior of the earth and is usually the 1st conspicuous wave to be recorded by a seismograph S-Waves- transverse earthquake wave that travels through the interior of the earth and is usually the 2nd conspicuous wave to reach a seismograph Epicenter- point directly above the center of an earthquake

Focus- the point of initial movement of an earthquake Richter Scale- scale for indicating the intensity of an earthquake Desertification- rapid depletion of plant life, loss of topsoil at desert boundaries and in semiarid regions, caused by a combination of drought and the overexploitation of grasses and other vegetation by people Salinization- process by which a nonsaline soil becomes saline, as by the irrigation of land with brackish water Waterlogging- to soak, fill, or saturate with water so as to make soggy or useless Sheet Erosion- erosion by sheets of running water, rather than by streams Rill Erosion- occurs when surface water forms fast-flowing rivulets that cut small channels in the soil Gulley Erosion- occurs when rivulets of fast-flowing water join together and with each succeeding rain cut the channels wider and deeper until they become ditches or gullies. Usually happens on steep slopes where all or most vegetation has been removed