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APES Terms
All the terms on the study sheet
66
Environmental Studies
12th Grade
11/16/2006

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Term
Inorganic
Definition
All things such as air, water, minerals, and metals, that are neither living organisms nor products uniquely produced by living things
Term
Ion
Definition
An atom (or group of) that has lost or gained one or more electrons and, consequently, has aquired a positive or negative charge
Term
Solubility
Definition
The degree to which a substance will dissolve and enter into solution
Term
Law of Conservation of Matter
Definition
Matter cannot be created nor destroyed, but it can be transformed
Term
First Law of Thermodynamics
Definition
Law of conservation of energy- energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed
Term
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Definition
In any energy conversion, some of the usuable energy will be lost (usually heat)
Term
Ecology
Definition
The study of any and all aspects of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment
Term
Biomass
Definition
Mass of biological material. Usually the total mass of a particular group or category; for example, biomass of producers
Term
Biosphere
Definition
The overall ecosystem of the earth. The sum total of all the biomes and smaller ecosystems, which ultimately are all interconnected
Term
Trophic Level/Structure
Definition
Feeding level with respect to the primary source of energy. Green plants are at the first trophic level, primary consumers are at the second, secondary consumers at the third, and so on
Term
Ecosystem
Definition
A grouping of plants, animals, and other organisms interacting with each other and with their environment. They have characteristic forms, such as deserts, grasslands, tundra, deciduos forest, tropical rainforest, etc.
Term
Food Chain
Definition
The transfer of energy and material through a series of organisms as each of is fed upon by the next
Term
Food Web
Definition
The combination of all the feeding relationships that exist in an ecosystem
Term
Biotic
Definition
Living or derived from living things
Term
Abiotic
Definition
Pertaining to factors or things that are seperate and independant from living things; non-living
Term
Mutualism
Definition
A close relationship between two organisms from which both derive a benefit
Term
Symbiosis
Definition
The intimate living together or association of two kinds of organisms
Term
Population
Definition
A group within a single species whose individuals can and do freely interbreed
Term
Species
Definition
All of the organisms of a single kind
Term
Stewardship
Definition
An attitude of ative care and concern for natural lands, an ethical and moral frameowrk that informs our public and private actions
Term
Sustainability
Definition
A property whereby a process can be continued indefinately without depleting the energy or material resources on which it depends
Term
Environmental Science
Definition
The branch of science concerned with environmental issues
Term
Sound Science
Definition
The results of scientific work based on peer reviewed reason/basis of our understanding of how the world works and how human systems interact with it
Term
Junk Science
Definition
Information presented as valid sciecne, but unsupported by peer review research. Often, politically motivated and biased results are selected to promote a particular point of view
Term
Ecological Footprint
Definition
A concept for measuring the demand placed on Earth's resources by individuals from different parts of the world, involing calculations of the natural area required to satisfy human needs
Term
NIMBY
Definition
"Not In My BackYard"; common attitude regarding undesirable facilites whereby people do everything possible to prevent such facilites from being located near their residences
Term
Environmental Justice
Definition
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations
Term
Environmental Racism
Definition
The placement of waste sites and other hazardous facilities in towns and neighborhoods in which most of the residents are non-white
Term
Ecosystem Capital
Definition
The sum of goods and services provided by natural and managed ecosystems, provided free of charge and essential to human life and well-being
Term
Goods and Services
Definition
Products, such as wood and food, that are extracted from natural ecosystems to satisfy human needs; ecosystem functions that are essential to human well-being, such as waste breakdown, climate regulation, erosion control, etc.
Term
Biodiversity
Definition
The diversity of living things found in the natural world
Term
Species Richness
Definition
The richness/number of/species in an environment
Term
Eutrophication
Definition
The process of nutrient-rich water supporting an abundant growth of algae or other aquatic plants at the surface. Deep eutrophic water has little or no dissolved oxygen
Term
Organic
Definition
All living things and products that are uniquely produced by living things
Term
Ecotone
Definition
The transitional region between two ecosystems
Term
Habitat
Definition
The specific environment in which species live in
Term
Landscape
Definition
Interacting ecosystems in same area
Term
Niche
Definition
The role an organism has in an ecosystem (eats, lives, etc.)
Term
Biome
Definition
A group of ecosystems with similar climate and vegetation
Term
Synergism
Definition
When two factors have greater effect than one (ex. two people lifting something instead of one)
Term
Producer
Definition
Organisms that use light to create inorganic compounds
Term
Consumer
Definition
Organisms that feed on other organisms or their products
Term
Detritus
Definition
Dead organic matter (fallen leaves, poop)
Term
Decomposer
Definition
Organisms whose feeding habits result in decay (bacteria, fungi)
Term
Photosynthesis
Definition
Light energy used to produce glucose from CO2 and water (O2 is released)

6CO2 + 6 H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2
Term
Chemosynthesis
Definition
Microorganisms utlize the chemical energy contained in reduced inorganic chemicals to produce organic material
Term
Pathogen
Definition
Any organism, usually a microbe, that can cause disease
Term
Parasite
Definition
Organisms that feed on another organism over a period of time, without killing it immediately, but usually does do it harm
Term
Autotroph
Definition
Any organism that can synthesize all its organic substances from inorganic nutrients, using light or certain inorganic chemicals as a source of energy. Green plants are principle autotrophs
Term
Heterotroph
Definition
Any organism that consumes organic matter as a source of energy
Term
Kyoto Protocol
Definition
1997 UN treaty on climate change, assigning mandatory targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to signatory nations. US has not ratified the Protocol
Term
Denitrification
Definition
The process of reducing oxidized nitrogen compounds present in soil or water back to nitrogen gas in the atmosphere. Denitrification is a natural process conducted by certain bacteria, and is now utilized in the treatment of sewage effluents
Term
Nitrate formula
Definition
NO3-
Term
Sulfate formula
Definition
SO4-2
Term
Phosphate formula
Definition
PO4-3
Term
Competitive Exclusion Principle
Definition
The concept that when two species compete very directly for resources, one eventually excludes the other from the area
Term
Biosphere
Definition
The overall ecosystem of Earth. The sum total of all the biomes and smaller ecosystems, which ultimately are all interconnected and interdependant through global processes such as the water cycle and the atmospheric cycle
Term
Detritus Feeders
Definition
Organisms such as termites, fungi, and bacteria that obtain their nutrients and energy mainly by feeding on dead organic matter
Term
Ammonification
Definition
Process where bacteria in the soil convert organic nitrogen (i.e. from decomposition) into NH3 (ammonia) and NH4+ (ammonium); useful because plants can take ammonia and ammonium in
Term
Nitrification
Definition
Process where bacteria in soil convert NH3 ( ammonia) and NH4+ (ammonium) to nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-)
Term
Polar
Definition
A molecule with a slight charge (i.e. water). In solubility rules, polar dissolves polar
Term
Non-polar
Definition
A molecule with no charge. In solubility rules, non-polar dissolves non-polar
Term
Soluble
Definition
Able to be dissolved in a solvent
Term
Insoluble
Definition
Not able to be dissolved in a solvent
Term
Rhizobia
Definition
Bacteria that live in nodules in the roots of legumes (legumes= peas, beans, etc.)
Term
Fixation
Definition
The process of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a useful compound
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