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Idaho Natural History 1
Study Material
40
Biology
Undergraduate 1
05/29/2010

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Term
Extrusive Rock
Definition
rock formed from magma that has cooled above ground that protrudes from the earth's surface. Basalt- Kuna Butte
Term
Batholith
Definition
magma flows that have cooled below earth's surface forming igneous rock, extends 40mi^2 or more, found in Idaho from Bogus Basin to mtns, Idaho Batholith
Term
The "Great Meteor Shower"
Definition
the shower that came down upon the earth creating a series of combustions that hit the earth changing its surface, part of what originally formed the earth, no rocks exist from this period
Term
The K/T event
Definition
the 2nd biggest extinction event the earth has ever seen, existed between cretaceous and tertiary period, killed the majority of life, possibly killed the dinosaurs, could have been caused by a meteor
Term
Westerlies
Definition
winds that blow west to east, exist from 30 degrees to 60 degrees, can affect weather and trade routes
Term
Radiometric dating
Definition
the dating method that tells how old something is by the amount of the unstable isotope compared to the stable isotope, carbon 14 used for recent fossils, uranium used for meteors, rocks, planet-time period
Term
Stromatolites
Definition
the first living known organisms, still in existence today, formed the pedestals, and began known existence of organisms
Term
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
Definition
an oscillation in air pressure over the Northern Pacific
Term
Snowball Earth
Definition
triggered by breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia
Term
Cambrian
Definition
fossils of animals first become abundant
Term
Fundamental rules of stratigraphy
Definition
the oldest layers are usually found below younger layers, the fossils change in regular, predictable ways as one goes from older to younger strata, if rock layer 1 cuts through rock layer 2 then rock layer is the older
Term
Permian extinction and Triassic Period
Definition
atmospheric oxygen levels dipped to about 13%
Term
Ice-free corridor
Definition
the area in between the two ice plates, the Cordillerian that covered the western part of the Northwest and the Laurention that started in Montana and went eastward and to eastern Canada. Formed a split where ice sheets met and melted along the line of British Columbia. Allowed the first humans to come to NA and to hunt big game by crossing the Beringa bridge from Asia
Term
Folsom culture
Definition
second clearly defined and acknowledged culture in NA. Focused on hunting big game with the use of the adlatul and herding. More stationary than the Clovis. ate and used many of the resources of Indian creek. Moved with the seasons. Lived in caves and wikiups.
Term
B horizon
Definition
the horizon of seepage in which the real soil is observed. Nutrients sink into this area and make good growing conditions. Newer soil, area right above the line with bedrock. The heart of the soil that can distinguish parent material
Term
Riparian
Definition
area by a river, life zone that can be extended by beaver occupation, life right by a river bank like trees, small plants, animals, and moss. Affects the health of a stream and the kind of plants it supports
Term
Tundra
Definition
area highest in life zones in elevation. Does not support much life. Found in areas like Alaska and Antarctica. Typical plants are lichen and other small plants. Extremely productive but only for a tiny window of time. Lots of moisture a year.
Term
Oligiocene
Definition
a zone of sea-floor spreading (rift) was sub ducted under North America leading to subsequent mountain building beginnning
Term
Drake Passage
Definition
was ultimately responsible for massive global warming
Term
Lake Idaho
Definition
was a Miocene and Pliocene age lake system in southern Idaho, it was about the size of one of the Great Lakes, sculpins formed many new species in this deep, long-lasting lake
Term
Bonneville Flood
Definition
started in southeastern Idaho at Red Rocks Pass, left rounded boulders in patches along the course of the Snake River, eroded parts of Lizard Butte, contributing to its "lizard" shape
Term
Glacial cirque
Definition
a bowl-shaped depression on the mountainside where the glacier formed
Term
Glaciers
Definition
a structure that forms when more snow falls in the winter on average than melts in the summer, compacted snow that has been turned to ice, a mass of ice that moves under its own weight
Term
Hadley cells
Definition
a circulation pattern that dominates the tropical atmosphere, with rising motion near the equator, poleward flow 10-15 kilometers above the surface, descending motion in the subtropics, and equatorward flow near the surface. This circulation is intimately related to the trade winds, tropical rainbelts, subtropical deserts and the jet streams
Term
Atlatl
Definition
a handle used to throw a long light, spear called a dart
Term
Pleistocene "overkill"
Definition
that ice age mammals and birds were exterminated in a few hundred years by Paleolithic Indians
Term
Clovis point
Definition
type of spear point about 6-8 inches long used for killing big game such as mammoths
Term
Last ice age animals
Definition
saber tooth tigers, American lions, cheetahs, mammoths, ground sloths, musk oxen, vultures with 17' wingspans, zebras, camels, and dire wolves
Term
Ice ages are caused by
Definition
positions of the plates shift the ocean currents so that warm water does not reach high latitudes, when the Milankovitch cycles are aligned so that the Earth receives less solar radiation, when there is less CO2 in the atmosphere because of biological processes
Term
Evidence of past glaciation is found in
Definition
parallel scratches on bedrock, polished bedrock, piles of unsorted angular rocks and dirt called till
Term
Prior to obtaining horses, local Native American groups
Definition
they migrated seasonally
Term
During the Cenozoic Era, climate has
Definition
was especially warm during Eocene, and generally cooling since then, with major cooling in the Pliocene and Pleistocene and glaciation during the past 2 million years
Term
Galls
Definition
are swellings made on plant leaves by parasitic insects whose larvae eat the growing tissue
Term
The Kennewick man was
Definition
obviously a very touch person, was claimed immediately by both scientist and the Umatilla tribe, and was probably not an Indian, possibly a Korean, and indicates multiple colonizations of North America
Term
Important plants in Native American diet included
Definition
camas, cattails, currants, wild rose hips, bitterroot, grass seeds
Term
What are life zones? What are the life zones found in the Intermountain West?
Definition
Tundra-lichen and tiny plants, extremely cold, lots of moisture, 35-40" a year
Alpine- small trees up to tree line, very cold less moisture, 30-35" a year
Sub-alpine- trees such as fir, cold, less moisture, 25-30" as year
Forest- trees like pine (ponderosa), aspen, and other forest, 20-25" a year
Steppe/shrub- area of mostly grasses and small plants, our area, 10-15" a year
Upper Sonoran- Mexico- area of mostly sagebrush and small plants, 5-10" a year
Sonoran- Mexico- Mexico, desert, very few plants, dry, arid, 0-5" a year
Other life zones: aquatic/riparian

An area with specific changes in plant species as elevation changes. Contains particular species that occur in different elevations, depends on what area because some areas like the tropics would have many more zones, law that as elevation increases plants change with moisture levels
Term
What would be five consequences of removing beaver from a stream?
Definition
- tree growth and expansion would decrease as less beavers to create more of a riparian zone
-less ponds so less habitats for small fish
-more CO2 from less tree growth to counter-act
-stream would become dirtier as less settlement to filter through and less dams to catch on
-Water currents would become faster as there is less sediment to form a stable environment
-less small animals that feed on small fish and live in riparian environment
-keystone species because it could affect many animals like birds, small mammals, large mammals, predators
Term
allelopathy
Definition
a plant species that produces toxins and biological roadblocks for other plants growing in its ecosystem in an attempt to gain control and increase its numbers by poisoning *cheatgrass
Term
Biomagnification
Definition
when a small amount of something continues to grow as levels of animals eat larger quantities causing the small amount to grow exponentially to harmful *DDT in Clear Lake magnifying by 8,000x
Term
Secondary compounds
Definition
compounds that plants can develop that do not directly affect growth or reproduction but serve as protection against herbivores that can poison or limit herbivores and their reproduction
*chemicals in some sagebrush
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