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A paradigm
a dominate view in science
Scientific inquiry is based on
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specifi…
A hypothesis is
a statement that aims to explain a phenomenon or answers a scientific question
Ecology is
the science that deals with the distrabution and abudance of organisms, the interaction among them, and the interactions between organisms and their abiotic environments
The process by which several researchers review another researcherʹs manuscript prior to publication to ensure research quality is referred to as
...
Why was human population growth initially regarded as a good thing?
increases economic, political, and military strength
_________is best defined as the study of how we decide to use scarce resources in the face of demand.
economics
__________is defined as the number of protons plus the number of neutrons.
mass number
___________are composed of amino acids.
protein
River water held behind a dam is best described as a form of ________
potential energy
Coal, oil, and natural gas are ________.
fossil fuels
The eutrophication that has taken place in the Gulf of Mexico and other locations appears to be due to ________
excess nutrients from fertilizers
Ecotones are the ________.
transitional zones where ecosystems meet
Negatively charged particles surrounding an atomic nucleus are known as ________.
electrons
________ considered the ʺfourth branchʺ of government and the source of a great deal of policy.
agencies within the executive branch that deal laws passed by congress
The book Silent Spring ________.
awakened the public to the negative effects of pesticides
The Cuyahoga River ________.
caught fire several times in the 1950s and 1960s due to oil and industrial waste pollution
The role of green taxes is to ________.
The role of green taxes is to ________.
The first U.S. national park was ________.
Yellowstone
The oceans face pressure from ________.
overfishing
Quantitative data ________.
data that can be counted or measured
Extinction is ________.
the disappearance of a particular population from the face of the earth
Phytoplankton (algae) populations in Lake Erie and the Hudson River have declined by up to 70% since the arrival of zebra mussels because ________.
are an invasive introduced species clogging up water intake pipes at factories, power plants, and wastewater treatment facilities zebra mussels prey on zooplankton
By definition, parasites ________ their host.
feed on and harm
________ capture solar energy and use photosynthesis to produce sugars.
Producers (plants)
Microbes in our digestive tract that help us digest food demonstrate a(n) ________ association.
symbiotic
The loss of more than 10% productivity in arid areas due to erosion, soil compaction, forest removal, and an array of other factors is called ________.
Desertification
The U.S. agency charged with slowing soil degradation is the ________..
The NRCS which stands for natural resources conservation service.
The buildup of salts in soils as a result of overirrigation is ________.
salinization
Green manure is ________.
fresh vegetation (dead plants, but not composted)
The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to ________.
top cultivating highly erodible cropland
Monoculture ________.
describes the farming practice of growing large stands of a single species
Raising ________ requires the most land and water.
beef cattle
In agriculture, insects are usually beneficial as ________.
pollinators and predators
Seed banks are important for ________.
protecting genetic diversity
Biodiversity is greatest in ________.
insects
Fire history in an open pine woodland ecosystem would be best determined by ________.
tree ring scars
Land Trust
local and regional organizations that preserves lands valued by its members.
In the United States, most logging takes place in ________.
conifer forests in the west and pine plantations in the south
Deforestation ________.
the clearing and loss of forests
The worldʹs urban populations are ________.
...
The worldwide drop in sperm counts among men has been attributed to ________.
endocrine disruptors
Rock that has undergone heat or pressure that causes it to change form is called ________.
metamorphic
The process of subduction ________.
occurs when denser ocean crusts slide beneath lighter continental crusts
________ is the controversial name proposed in 2008 for the contemporary geological horizon that shows the effects of human impact on the surface of the planet.
...
______ is a type of mining method used by the exploited coltan miners of Congo.
placer mining
Rapidly moving, descending and sometimes fatal mass of toxic gases, ash and rock fragments accompanying a volcanic eruption are known as ________.
pyroclastic flow
Humans use freshwater primarily for ________.
agricultural irrigation
The ʺblue-babyʺ syndrome that suffocates infants is a consequence of excess ________ in the water supply.
nitrates
Salt marshes ________.
flat land that is intermediately flooded by the ocean where the tide reaches inland. Occur along temperate coastlines with thick vegetation.
The largest region of thinned stratospheric ozone has appeared over ________ since the 1960s.
The antarctic, or "south pole". This phenomenon is also know as the "Ozone hole".
Warm, moisture-laden air rushing into low pressure areas over warm tropical oceans can generate
...
Endemic species ________.
native or restricted to a particular geographic region. an endemic species occurs in one area and no where else on earth.
The functional role of a species in its community is its ________.
niche
Unregulated populations tend to increase by ________.
exponential growth
The carrying capacity is the ________.
maximum population size that a given environment can sustain
Density-dependent factors ________.
have a greater impact the higher the population density, like food and space
Selective breeding of dogs and agricultural crops is best described as ________.
artificial selection
Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace are best known for their ecological studies of ________.
natural selection and exotic animals in the Galapagos Islands and Malay Archipelago
A school of fish in the ocean is best described as a ________ population distribution.
clumped
Fingernails, hair, and enzymes are classified as ________.
proteins. Like other protein, enzymes consist of long chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds
Cellular respiration ________.
the process by which a cell uses the chemical reactivity of oxygen to split glucose into its constituent parts, water and carbon dioxide, and thereby release chemical energy that can be used to form chemical bonds or to preform other task within a cell
A small section of prairie grasses, over a year, produces enough biomass to feed insects, mice, rabbits, birds, deer, antelope, and a host of decomposers. The amount of food potentially available to the herbivores is the ________.
net primary production
The rate at which biomass becomes available to consumers is termed ________.
net primary productivity
The largest pools of carbon in the carbon cycle are ________.
...
The origin of all nitrogen in biological tissues is ________.
The earths air is not made up of only oxygen. it is actually about 75% Nitrogen, and only about 12% oxygen. In fact, nitrogen is the most common element on earth. so every time you breathe, or eat or sweat, your body absorbs nitrogen. The main pathway of nitrate (nitrogen) into the human…
Aquifers are ________.
sponge-like underground reservoirs
________ economists maintain that we must reduce population growth, but we can keep our economies growing as technology improves the efficiency and novelty of resource use
...
Affluenza is ________.
term coined by social critics to describe the failure of material goods to bring happiness to people who have the financial means to afford them
A person who judges his actions in relation to their impact on living beings or the entire bikotic realm has a ________ ethic.
biocentrism
Two horned lizards of a single species fighting over access to an anthill (their major food) is one example of ________.
intraspecific competition
Yucca moths are essential for pollinating yucca flowers; the flowers provide an important foodsource for the moths. This demonstrates ________.
mutualism
A climax community usually ________.
remains in place with little modification until disturbance restarts the succession process
Herbivory is a type of ________.
mutualism
Kelp ________.
suffers intense herbivory from sea urchins
As of 2008, the human population is approximately ________.
6.7 billion
________ is the worldʹs most populous nation, home to ________ of the people living on Earth
China
Areas with the least dense human populations are in ________.
areas with extreme-climate biome
If global fertility rates remain at 2009 levels, the United Nations predicts that world population will be approximately ________ in 2050.
2 billion
A country with ________ is not expected to grow quickly in the near future
high female literacy
The richest 1/5 of the worldʹs people possess over ________ times the income of the poorest 1/5 and use ________% of the worldʹs resources.
80 86%
The most accurate terms describing the trends in human agricultural and energy needs and use over the past 50 years are ________.
increasing and unsustainable
Humus is ________.
a dark, spongy crumby mass of partial decomposition of organic matter
Industrialization ________.
transformation from a primarily agricultural society to one based on the manufacturing of goods and services
The base geological material in a particular location is ________.
Parent Material
The breakdown of large rocks into smaller pieces is ________.
Weathering.
The O horizon is ________.
organic matter deposited by organisms - top layer
Since 1960, pesticide use has ________ worldwide
increased
Extinction is best defined as ________.
the disappearance of an entire species from the face of the earth
Extirpation is best defined as ________.
the disappearance of a particular population from a given area, not globally
The area effect of the Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography suggests that ________.
the number of species increases with the size of the island; all else being equal, larger islands contain more species
Species most often vulnerable to human impact are ________.
K -selected species
Approximately ________% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct
99.9%
________ is the greatest cause of biodiversity loss today
Habitat Destruction
The Endangered Species Act ________.
dictates that landowners can harm species only if they improve habitat for the species in other areas
Dan Simberloffʹs 1960s biogeography experiments
used mangrove island in the FL Keys to study island biography theory
Belize depends on lobster, fishing, tourism for income. Over the past 30 years the average size and age of an individual lobster has dropped, even as increasing numbers of Belizeans buy boats, build lobster traps and enter the industry. This is an example of
...
Wilderness areas ________. of
federal land that is designated off-limits to development of any kind but is open to public recreation
Second-growth forests ________.
describes trees that have sprouted and grown to partial maturity after primary forest has been cut down
One of the things that contributes to sprawl is ________.
sprawl - the unrestricted spread of urban or suburban development outward from a city center and across a landscape transportation, technology, economics, industry
An urban growth boundary (UGB) is intended to ________.
expand
A problem with urban centers is that they ________.
more vehicles and industry = more pollution less incentive to be active = decline in good health less wildlife, poor water use = :( ecosystems drains tax dollars
Forests reach their greatest ecological complexity when ________.
...
Carcinogens may be difficult to identify because ________.
there is a long lag time between exposure to the agent and disease
The book Our Stolen Future was important because it ________.
brought world-wide attention to scientific discoveries about endocrine disruption and the fact that common contaminants can interfere with the natural signals controlling development of the fetus.
The bald eagle, brown pelican, and peregrine falcon all are ________.
susceptible to eggshell damage caused by DDT
Chemicals used in cosmetics in the United States are ________.
phthalates
________ is a type of sedimentary rock formed from physically eroded material
clastic
The General Mining Act of 1872 permitted ________.
any U.S. citizen(s) to stake and patent a claim and keep all mineral benefits for him(them)selves
Mineral resources are ________.
Mineral resources are ________. aluminum = cans tantalum = phones silver and gold salt
Only about 2.5% of all the water on our planet is freshwater. However, ________.
One-fifth of Earthʹs total freshwater supply is in groundwater
Precipitation that falls on Earthʹs surface ________.
...
Dam removal in this country________
is the process of removing out-dated, dangerous, or ecologically damaging dams from river systems. There are thousands of out-dated dams in the United States that were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as many more recent ones that have caused such great ecological damage, tha…
The fish in the lake at the local park are dying. A professor from the local college comes to investigate, and first she measures the dissolved oxygen. She wants to check the ________.
. aquatic ecosystem health because surface waters that are low in oxygen support less aquatic life
In a municipal water treatment plant, the primary treatment step consists of ________.
removing large debris and allowing suspended solids to settle
Currently, the greatest dilemma facing marine systems is ________.
overfishing
The use of chlorine or UV radiation in wastewater treatment plants serves to ________.
kill pathogenic organisms
Concentrations of ________ have been reduced as a result of the Montreal Protocol
CFCs
In 1974, Rowland and Molina demonstrated that ________.
CFCs deplete stratospheric ozone
Carbon monoxide from automobiles ________.
. is a point source of air pollution
Radon, asbestos, formaldehyde, chloroform and mold spores are all ________.
major pollutants whose concentrations and emissions are regulated by the EPA
A population is ________.
a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area
Population distribution describes the ________.
the spatial arrangement of organisms within a particular area
Groups of organisms with low biotic potential ________.
are K-strategists
Scientists hypothesize that the average time that a species spends on Earth is ________ years.
...
Approximately ________ species are thought to presently inhabit Earth
5 million to 100 million species on the planet, but science has only identified about 2 million.
The spatial arrangement of organisms within an area is termed population ________.
distribution
Water molecules adhere to one another because of ________.
hydrogen bonds
Declining death rates due to increased food production and improved medical care while birth rates remain high is characteristic of the ________ stage
transitional
The transitional stage in Frank Notesteinʹs demographic model is initiated by ________.
industrialization
The annual global growth rate of the human population peaked in the ________ and has been declining ever since.
1960s
The world population growth rate is currently close to ________%.
1.2%
Recombinant DNA ________.
DNA that has been patched together from the DNA of multiple organisms in an attempt to produce desirable traits
You want to maintain a healthy pond at your school site. Last year another pond became eutrophic; to avoid that, you want to ________.
Avoid using fertilizers in the ponds watershed
________ are departures from the normal tropospheric temperature profile; they can trap pollutants near the ground.
...
Overpumping of groundwater in coastal areas can cause ________ into aquifers, making the water undrinkable.
salt to leak
The best-known technological approach to increasing water supply by generating freshwater is ________, the removal of salt from seawater
desalinization
One way to conserve water is by ________, replacing lawns and water-loving plants with droughttolerant species adapted to arid environments.
xeriscaping
Species-rich ecosystems dominated by ________, are found along tropical coastlines
...
Mining method whereby surface layers of soil and rock are removed to expose a resource ________.
strip mining
Mining method where tunnels are dug to extract deep-lying resources such as coal ________.
subsurface mining
________ are substances that cause changes in an organismʹs DNA.
mutagens
Studying the health effects of chemical agents suspected to be harmful is the focus of the field of ________.
toxicology
________ encompasses making decisions on how resources are extracted and then monitoring resource recovery to make sure resource levels are not overly depleted
...
Forest products have helped our society achieve the standard of living we enjoy today, but clearing and loss of forests, or ________, has altered the landscape and ecosystems of much of the planet.
deforestation
All of the valuable processes that intact ecosystems provide for us free of charge are known as ________.
ecosystem service
Soils that are not inverted by plowing are said to be ________ farming systems
no-till
The practice of planting vast areas with a single type of crop is known as ________.
monoculture
The artificial provision of water to support agriculture is known as ________.
irrigation
In 2006, ʺcolony collapse disorderʺ began decimating ________.
...
Many human food crops receive an ecosystem service from insects in the form of ________.
pollination
________, the advent of agriculture, and industrialization have allowed our species to raise its global carrying capacity.
tool making
The application of population ecology principles to the study of statistical change in human populations is the focus of the social science of ________.
Demographics
Removal of a ________ from an ecological community has particularly strong or far-reaching impact on food webs
keystone species
________, such as soil insects and millipedes, are consumers of nonliving organic matter
detrivores and decomposers
When multiple organisms seek the same limited resource, their relationship is said to be one of ________.
resource partitioning
A ________ is a widely accepted, well-tested explanation of one or more cause-and-effect relationships that have been rigorously tested
theory
The field of ________ studies organisms and their interaction with each other and with the abiotic environment.
ecology
The process of science, called the ________, is used to develop new information in scientific fields.
...
The total sum of our surroundings, the ________ is impacted by living and nonliving things.
biodiversity
________ can change the position, physical composition, or temperature of matter.
energy
Genetic change in organisms across generations that often leads to changes in appearance, functioning, or behavior is termed ________.
...
The degree of disorder in a substance, system, or process is called ________.
Entropy
The process of nutrient enrichment, subsequent increased production of organic matter, and eventual ecosystem degradation is known as ________.
Eutrophication
Earthʹs surface consists of a lightweight thin ________ of rock floating atop a malleable ________.
...
Substances move though the environment in cycles called nutrient cycles or ________ cycles
biogeochemical
In the process of ________ , autotrophs such as green algae and plants use the sunʹs energy, water, and carbon dioxide from the air to produce new biomass.
photosynthesis
________ is a method used by manufacturers that tells consumers which brands use manufacturing processes that are environmentally beneficial.
...
All of the land from which water drains into a river is called a ________.
...
________ is an EPA criteria pollutant that results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuel. It harms health by preventing hemoglobin from binding to oxygen.
...
___________are carbon-containing chemicals that can react to produce secondary pollutants. They are frequently indoor air pollutants and include solvents
...
Region of the atmosphere where ozone layer absorbs most of the sunʹs UV radiation ________.
stratosphere
Thinnest, densest, bottommost layer of the atmosphere blanketing the surface of Earth ________.
troposphere
Mining method in which material in riverbeds and stream beds is sifted for deposited resources
placer mining
Common type of water pollution generated as streams or rainfall leach sulfides from strip mining waste ________.
acid drainage
Toxicants, especially those that are lipid-soluble, may build up in an animalʹs tissue in the process called ________.
bioaccumulation
________ is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for over 1/4 of annual deaths.
cancer
Several organizations examine the practices of timber companies and offer ________ to products produced using methods they consider sustainable
...
E.O. Wilson described ________ as a reason to protect biodiversity; it is the connection that humans need and seek with the rest of life
E.O. Wilson's definition includes the variety of organisms at all levels, from genetic variants, through arrays of species, genera, families, and higher taxonomic levels. It includes the variety of ecosystems, which comprise both the communities of organisms within a particular habitat an…
Most species extinction preceding the appearance of humans occurred one by one, at a rate that paleontologists refer to as the ________.
background rate of extinction
________ is a scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity within and among ecosystems.
Conservation biology
Diversity generally increases as one approaches the equator. This pattern of variation is referred to as a ________.
latitudinal gradient
Lifestyle changes brought about by ________ and ________ have decreased the economic need for children.
industrialization; urbanization
Growing populations have a ________-shaped age structure diagram
pyramid
A branching diagram or ________ can be used to illustrate a scientistʹs hypothesis as to how speciation proceeds.
phylogenetic tree
________ is the process by which traits that enhance survival and reproduction are inherited more frequently than others, thus altering the genetic makeup of populations over time.
Natural Selection
The ________ of a species reflects its use of resources and its functional role in a community
function role
In ________ parts of a population are isolated by a physical barrier and undergo different regimes of natural selection and mutation, causing the organisms to diverge in form and become reproductively incompatible
Specication
ʺ________ flowsʺ occur when heavy rains overwhelm the ability of sewage treatment plants to process wastewater.
...
________ is a system where industries emitting below the allowed level of a pollutant sell ʺcreditsʺ to industries which do not meet the standards
...
________ are fire-retardant compounds present in computers, TVs, plastics and furniture that persist and accumulate in living tissue and affect thyroid hormones and the nervous system.
PBDE’s
Forest Service scientists in some districts have become involved in extensive programs of ________, attempting to protect, recover, or restore whole plant and animal communities that had been lost or degraded.
rehabilitation
________ can occur when markets do not take into account the environmentʹs positive effects on economies, or when they do not reflect the bad effects of economic activity on the environment and people
...
The innate reproductive capacity of a species is called its ________.
biotic potential
________ consists of a formal set of general plans and principles intended to address problems and guide decision-making. It requires input from science, ethics, and economics.
policy
Who is best known as the founder of the Sierra Club?
John Muir
Allopatric speciation describes ________.
the species due to physical separation of populations

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