Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Ecotoxicology Final
2nd card set
46
Environmental Studies
Graduate
12/13/2007

Additional Environmental Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
By far, the major source of CO2 from Brazil
Definition
deforestation for ag use
Term
Toxic metal expected in outflows from tanneries
Definition
Chromium
Term
Element that is reduced in sediments and is associated with methylation of mercury (helps drive the process).
Definition
sulphur
Term
Correlations between human disturbance, species diversity, & susceptibility to exotic spp. Invasions (from Brazil lecture)
Definition
Streams more affected by humans more susceptible to invasions. Highest species richness in leas disturbed streams.
Term
Critical habitat to protect in order to protect stream biota
Definition
Riparian zones
Term
Impacts of industry on Rio de Janeiro coastal water quality
Definition
decrease in dissolved oxygen, increased algae, incresed heavy metals
Term
A herbicide formerly used on marijuana, used in Brazil and used in the US for defoliating soybeans (and cotton
Definition
Paraquot
Term
Crop that is consuming the highest quantities of water in Brazilian agriculture
Definition
Sugar cane
Term
Sensitivity of aquatic invertebrates to paraquat
Definition
lethal to insects, prawn, snails, zooplankton
Term
Major causes of population decline in condors, including life history & human impacts.
Definition
DDT, collecting, Animal trade, collisions with power lines, lead poisoning, shooting. Slow population growth.
Term
How the condor populations are being assisted
Definition
captive breeding and release
Term
Primary source of lead that has impaired recovery of condors.
Definition
lead shot/ bullet fragment ingestion
Term
How the individual birds are assessed; body fluid that is tested for lead in live birds (and mammals).
Definition
blood samples
Term
Evidence that lead shot was the source of the problem in condors.
Definition
isotope ratios, found shot in birds
Term
Principal clinical signs of lead toxicosis in condors.
Definition
weight loss, weakness, reduction in movement, uncoordination, nervous system, kidney, and circulatory system impacts
Term
General detoxification method for condors if their lead body burden is high
Definition
chelation
Term
How the birds are managed in captivity to reduce interactions with people and human changes in environment after release
Definition
puppet rearing, parent rearing, isolation, aversion therapy
Term
Approximate number of California condors in the wild today
Definition
100
Term
Long term solutions to the problem lead toxicosis in condors
Definition
get rid of lead shot, acquire more hunting-free zones
Term
Why specialized species including polar bears are particularly at risk from climate change
Definition
narrow nitch. Cascade effect of warming in arctic
Term
How being at the top of a food chain results in an animal having to deal with the summation of effects on other trophic orders (polar bear talk)
Definition
Cascade effect
Term
Why climate change increases the period of fasting in female polar bears
Definition
Pregnant females fast for longer. Can't den on fast ice if it's melting
Term
How climate change alters the food web so that polar bears may have less to eat.
Definition
Decreased sea ice - water interface

Preferred environment of algae

Algae main food of Atlantic Cod

Atlantic Cod Prey for many species

Seals prey on cod

Seals are main prey of polar bears
Term
How climate change alters the access to prey that are there when the bears are hunting on the ice
Definition
Seals have more air holes
Term
Reason why GPS tracking does not always work
Definition
Substrate in the way of satellite reception
Term
Why studies of the Hudson Bay coastal polar bears may be a good predictor of future conditions
Definition
Southern most population
Term
Trends in body condition & body fat over time in polar bears
Definition
Bears were returning to land in poorer condition
Factor in survival – lose between 0.7 and 0.85 kg/day when fasting, fat loss is 93% of mass change
Related to ringed seal numbers
change in fish populations and change in bear hunting environment
Term
The major causes of deer overpopulation in the US.
Definition
Restricted seasons & game laws
- Introductions
- Tree planting/forested landscaping
- Decline in predators
- Moderate climates (Global warming
Term
How global warming influences deer population size.
Definition
- Moderate climates
- Mild winters
 Increase deer body mass
& winter survival  population
growth
Term
How overpopulated deer aggravate global CO2 burdens
Definition
reduced vegetation??
Term
Some major diseases associated with high deer populations.
Definition
Tick-borne zoonoses
- Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis
Bovine tuberculosis
- Mycobacterium bovis
Chronic Wasting Disease (“Mad Cow”)
- Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
Term
How woody plants evolve to rely on toxins more earlier in life than later in life
Definition
once too big to be browsed, makes sense to produce fewer toxins
Term
How browsers may favor and then later degrade plant diversity
Definition
forage on dominant species, those get reduced, browse resistant species do better, then become dominant
Term
How overpopulated deer may increase silt & nutrients in water
Definition
reduced ground cover-> increased erosion
Term
How over-browsing favors conifers & reduced soil nitrogen.
Definition
Reduced leaf litter favors conifers
Term
Duration of relatively low deer abundance needed for recovery of the plant community
Definition
long time
Term
Current “control” methods to reduce deer impacts on the environment
Definition
hunting, sharp shooting, fencing, repellents, sensors, birth control
Term
How gill raker spacing influences ecological impacts & nutrients free in the water
Definition
Influences ability to filter small algae
Term
Origin of Asian carp before they became an exotic pest species in the US
Definition
Eastern Asia. Brought in for management of aquaculture water quality
Term
Four major exotic species with major adverse impacts in the Great Lakes.
Definition
Sea Lamprey, Zebra Mussels, Round Goby, Eurasian Ruffe
Term
Meaning of oligotrophic & mesotrophic, which lakes have which condition, & why this influences whether an exotic carp will become established in sufficient numbers to become a pest species.
Definition
nutrient availability impacts phytoplankton which in turn impacts fish survivability
Term
Meaning of stoichiometry in terms of energy budgets
Definition
Balance of what goes in and what goes out and what is used for growth and reproduction. Equations need to account for all energy and all matter.
Term
Why feces were removed from the aquaria in this study.
Definition
They eat their own feces
Term
Current assumption as to the efficiency of bighead carp in filtering small algae
Definition
not particularly efficient
Term
How long ago the Great Lakes were covered by glaciers
Definition
9-14,000 years ago
Term
Two Great Lakes with the longest and two with the shortest water retention times; & how this may affect exposures of aquatic biota to persistent contaminants
Definition
Superior/ Erie
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