APES – Vocab Quiz (Integrated Waste Management – Natural Selection) – Flashcards
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integrated waste management
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the use of several options for the handling of solid wastes; includes recycling, waste reduction, composting, landfulling, and others
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intrinsic value
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an idea that things are valuable, without dollar value, just for their own being
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keystone species
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an organism that is absolutely necessary for the survival of many other species
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kinetic energy
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refers to energy of motion
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K strategist
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a reprodution approach where an organism has few offspring that are born at one time, and then the young are carefully cared for; typical of mammals and birds
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la nina
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a major climatic phenomenon characterized by intense easterly trade winds in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean; results in extensive disruption of weather around the world, often opposite to el nino
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Lacey Act
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the first national act, passed in 1900, that gave protection to wildlife by forbidding interstate commerce in illegally killed wildlife
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landfill
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a site where wastes (municipal, industrial, or chemical) are disposed of and sealed in large under or above ground cells
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land subsidence
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the phenomenon where land gradually sinks, due to excessive removal or ground water or oil
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law of limiting factors
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also known as Liebig's Law of Minimums; an ecosystem can be limited by the absence or minimum amount of any one vital factor
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LD 50
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stands for lethal dose 50%, where half of organisms are killed due to an application of a pollutant
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leachate
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the mixture of water and materials that are leaching (moving) through the ground; typically pertains to landfills
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legumes
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a groups of land plants that have the ability to fix nitrogen; examples include peas, beans, alfalfa and clovers
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limiting factor
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a single factor that an organism must have for survival, regardless of how much of the other resources are present; ex. oxygen
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limits of tolerance
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the absolute extreme of any factor; ex. temperature or pressure that an organism can tolerate before it will die
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litter
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in an ecosystem it regers to leaves, twigs, and other dead plant matter
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loam
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a soil consisting of a mixture of about 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay; considered the best soil for agriculture
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maximum sustainable yield
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the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be taken year after year without depleting the resource
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meltdown
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when a nuclear reactor loses its cooling water and melts from the excessive heat produced; also known as the China Syndrome because it was once jokingly said that a complete meltdown would cause radioactive substances to melt to China
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methane
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a natural gas, CH4, that is produced through the decomposition orf organic material
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microbe
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any microscopic organism, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoan
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mitigation
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used in restoring or moderating the quality or condition of an ecosystem; may reduce the intensity of a pollutant, or include replacing a clear cut forest to moderate or alleviate an environmental problem; may also include a punishment or penalty
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microclimate
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abiotic conditions of particular location in an ecosystem that may include a shaded area, a pond, etc.
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monoculture
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the growing of a single crop with the same genetic makeup over a very large area
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monsoon
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seasonal heavy rainfall
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morbidity
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the occurrence of disease in a population
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mortality
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the occurrence of death in a population
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mutagenic
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causing mutations, genetic disformities, and cancer
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mutualism
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a relationship between two organisms in which both organisms benefit from the relationship
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municipal solid waste
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refers to trash that is thrown away, mostly paper, from communities
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natural biological control
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used in sewage treatment to remove nitrogen and phosphorus
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natural chemical control
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use of one or more natural chemicals such as hormones or pheromones to control a pest
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natural selection
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states that organisms which are best suited for the environmental conditions of an ecosystem have a better chance of survival and passing their genes on to the next generation
