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Nres102 final
NRES 102 final exam
61
Environmental Studies
Undergraduate 1
12/13/2019

Additional Environmental Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Soil is made up of
Definition
[image]
Term
Weathering
Definition
physical and chemical breakdown of parent
material into smaller fragments
Term
Soil fertility
Definition
soil’s ability to support plant growth
Term
Rank sand silt and clay in particle size
Definition
clay < silt < sand
Term
Soil aeration
Definition
allows diffusion of oxygen into, and carbon dioxide out of the soil
Term
Desertification
Definition
* Not spread of deserts
* Actually land degradation
Term
Soil Degradation Vs Soil Erosion
Definition
Degradation is the change in quality of soil (reduction of capacity to support plants), and erosion is when soil particles are carried away.
Term
Salinization
Definition
Salts forming in soils
Term
Non-consumptive vs consumptive water
Definition
Non-comsumptive - Water may be "tainted", but still available. Ex industrial waste water, etc.

Consumptive - Water does not return to source (ex: evaporates and moves)
Term
Estuaries
Definition
Where freshwater mixes with saltwater and is used productively
Term
Water table
Definition
the upper surface of groundwater
Term
falling water table means ___
Definition
wetlands, etc dry up
Term
Land Subsidence
Definition
gradual settling or sudden sinking of earths materials (ex: sinkholes)

[image]
Term
Greatest threat to irrigated agriculture
Definition
Groundwater depletion
Term
Xeriscaping
Definition
Plants that don't need extra water
Term
Gray water
Definition
slightly dirtied water from sinks, etc
Term
40% of US land drains into the ____
Definition
Mississippi River
Term
Point-source pollution vs non-point source
Definition
defined (waste from factory) and easy to see, vs hard to define and hard to see (agriculture runoff)
Term
the two most important nutrients for aquatic plant growth
Definition
Phosphorous and Nitrogen
Term
Nutrients become pollutants when ______
Definition
They simulate undesired growth in water
Term
Eutrophication
Definition
Overgrowth of organisms (ex: algae bloom)
Term
hypoxia
Definition
oxygen depletion
Term
Subsistence Agriculture
Definition
Farmers grow food for themselves (limited trade).
Term
Slash-and-burn agriculture
Definition
Burn forest, use ash as nutrient topsoil
Term
The Green Revolution
Definition
Technologies in the 1940s/50s that expanded food production
Term
Pastoralists
Definition
subsistence farmers who constantly move their livestock (similar to nomads that serve themselves)
Term
Undernourishment vs malnutrition
Definition
Undernourishment = lack of calories
malnutrition = lack of nutrients
Term
Modern agriculture can be thought of as unsustainable. Why?
Definition
It damages the ecosystems around us
Term
Pest
Definition
Organism that interferes with human activity
Term
Integrated pest management (IPM)
Definition
Combines chemical and ecological control to manage pests
Term
Pesticide use has (increased/decreased)
Definition
greatly increased
Term
Biomagnification
Definition
Harmful chemicals get more concentrated (biomass example)
Term
Synergistic effects
Definition
multiple factors work together to create a common outcome
Term
Primary vs secondary energy sources
Definition
Primary -> comes from nature (sun)
Secondary -> stored (electric)
Term
Fracking
Definition
Fractures shale to release trapped gas
Term
Nuclear Power Plant # in the US
Definition
Has been stagnant since 1970s
Term
Nuclear Energy is made by __
Definition
a the nuclear reaction, so energy is released gradually as heat
Term
Fission vs Fusion
Definition
Fission is atom splitting. Fusion is atom joining
Term
nuclear plants use ____
Definition
fission of uranium-235
Term
Hydropower - how it works
Definition
dams under high pressure generate energy
Term
Albedo
Definition
reflectivity of Earth’s surface to sunlight
Term
Radioactive decay
Definition
Unstable isotopes become stable by ejection of particles and radiation
Term
Renewable energy
Definition
energy that regenerates
Term
Biomass energy
Definition
Energy derived from present-day photosynthesis
Term
Photovoltaic Cells
Definition
Electrical device that converts energy of light to electricity
Term
Global warming potential
Definition
How much energy a gas will absorb or retain in the atmosphere
Term
Methane heats ____ more effectively than Co2
Definition
25 times
Term
anthropogenic
Definition
originating from humans
Term
Thermohaline circulation
Definition
Effects of temperature and salinity on density of seawater
Term
troposphere
Definition
6 km to 10 km
Term
stratosphere
Definition
10 km to 50 km
Term
Primary vs secondary pollutants
Definition
primary - direct products of combustion and evaporation (ex: CO, lead, etc) Secondary - formed by primary (ex: ozone)
Term
Industrial vs photochemical smog
Definition
Industrial - An irritating, grayish mix of soot, sulfur compounds, and water
vapor (ex: china)

Photochemical - Brownish, irritating haze in warm areas. Arises during morning traffic in big cities.

[image]
Term
In the troposphere, temperatures _____ with height
In the stratosphere, they _____ with height
Definition
decrease in troposphere, increase in stratosphere
Term
Temperature inversion (definition and affects)
Definition
Temperatures increase as you go up in troposphere
Causes pollution to build up
Term
Acid precipitation (pH)
Definition
Precipitation with pH < 5.5
Term
Which places are urbanizing the fastest?
Definition
Africa and Asia
Term
Metropolis
Definition
Regional center for a whole area
Term
Spatial inequality
Definition
Rural residents are poorer and have less access to healthcare
Term
shantytowns
Definition
Squatter area made of plywood and sheets of metal and plastic
Term
Urban Sprawl
Definition
Suburbs, low density residential areas
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