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Nicolle Paisley Erdkunde English 116 cards

Cards in this deck (116)

  1. 1What levels of rain do you expect in: Lowland Rainforest dry forest<600mm
    >8000mm
    1000-2000mm
  2. 2IsotropyCondition in which the hydraulic properties of an aquifer are equal in all directions
  3. 3AnisotropyOne or more of the hydraulic properties of an aquifer vary according to the direction of flow
  4. 4TortuosityActual length of groundwater flow path, in sinious form, divided by the straight line distance between two ends of the flow path
  5. 5Anion exchange capacityCapacity to retain anions
    Soils with low pH and high hydrous oxide clays can have a high anion exchange capacity
  6. 6Describe the distribution of the vascular tissues in shoots and rootsShoots- xylem and phloem arranged in discrete bundles, phloem closer to the stem
    Roots- Xylem forms a cross shaped structure in the middle of root, phloem present in discrete bundles between the arms of the cross
  7. 7What is longshore current and how is it formedA current within the surf zone that flows parallel to the coast- Oblique angling waves refracting after hitting a shoreline
  8. 8What is beach driftLateral movement of sediments on a beach when the angles of swash and backwash differ- zig zag movements
  9. 9Name types of physical weatheringJointing, sheeting, freeze thaw, abrasion, attrition
  10. 10Name types of chemical weatheringGases dissolved in water
    Dissolution of co2 in water produces hydrogen ions- making a weak acidic solution
    Bioweathering
  11. 11What the effects on pressure on the weather?High- slow downward motion leading to stable weather
    Low- rising motion, leading to high winds, clouds and rain
  12. 12Mean seal level pressureAverage atmospheric pressure at sea level
  13. 13Name main cloud typesStratus- sheet
    Cumulus- heap
    Cirrus- wispy, streaky
    Nimbus- rain cloud
  14. 14What is ecological dyanmicsProcesses by which species distributions change in time and space
  15. 15What defines an environmental nicherange of environments that can supply its required resources
    other abiotic and biotic factors
  16. 16How will climate change affect the ocean carbon sinkAbility to hold carbon dioxide decreases as ocean temps rise
  17. 17What is soil erosionRemoval of soil by action of agents like wind or water
  18. 18Name on-site effects of erosionChannelised flow, gully eroision, reduction of soil surface, reduced soil productivity, boidiversity
  19. 19What is required to maintain a constant organismConstant input of energy and materials to prevent it breaking down and degrading
  20. 20What is transpirationWater drawn up by plants through xylem, leaves, and then evaporated through the stomata
  21. 21Potential evaptranspirationMaximum value of evaporation for a saturated surface (more in summer/less in winter)
  22. 22What is cation exchange capacitythe ability for soil to absorb and exchange cations with surrounding soil solution
    depends on level of organic matter and the amount and type of clays in soil
  23. 23Main features of fluvial landformsValleys, alluvial fans, floodplains, terraces, deltas
  24. 24What do erosional features indicate (fluvial)Valleys etc= indicate material removed locally
  25. 25What do depositional features indicate?alluvial fans, flood plains = deltas added locally
  26. 26How do soils get modified by humans?Adding lime, organic material or mineral fertilisers
    Mechanically ploughing, tiling and draining to improve aeration
    Creating dams and flooding soils to encourage waterlogged conditions
  27. 27What does aluminium buffer area do?Release AL3+ into the solution which can damage vegetation and downstream biota
  28. 28What does soil organic matter influence?Nutrient supply, ion exchange, structure, water holding capacity, colour
  29. 29What is soil erosion?Removal of soil by action of agents like wind or water
  30. 30Name on-site effects of soil erosionChannelised flow, gully erosion, reduction of soil surface, reduced soil productivity and biodiversity
  31. 31What are chemoautrophsTend to be bacteria in the soil which is able to build its tissues from simple molecules (autotraph), using energy from chemical transformations such as the oxidation of sulphur compounds
  32. 32How do chemoautrophs obtain energy?Oxidising simple inorganic molecules
  33. 33What is field capacity and unavailable waterFC- soil holds as much water as it can against the force of gravity, after drainage
    Unavailable water as soil held to tightly in small pores for plants to extract
  34. 34What factors affect porosity?Grain shape, grain stacking, dissolution, degree of sorting, fracturing, sorting, intragiangular porosity, cementation levels,
  35. 35What is LHVWLatent heat of vaporisation of water
    Amount of energy (J) required to transfer 1 kilo of water from liquid to gas
    Varies depending on water temperature
  36. 36What is Darcys lawEquation that desribes the flow of a fluid through a porous medium
  37. 37What happens to glucose after photosynthesis1) Undergoes chemical reactions- combined with Nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorous and iron
    2) Converted into many organic substances such as fats, proteins, and storage carbs, such as starch
  38. 38How can a waves height and wavelenth affect the landform?Constructive= build up a beach, or destructive and remove material from beach
  39. 39How does wave refraction concentrate energy and its effects?Concentrates wave energy on headlands and other protuctions= erosion, disperses wave energy in bays= deposition
  40. 40Name erosional coastal features?Erosional= cliffs, wave-cut platforms, caves, arches, stacks
  41. 41Name erosional and depositional landformsDepositional= beaches, spits, tomboles, bay barriers and barrier islands
  42. 42Main threats to soil?Decline in soil matter, eroision, compaction, salinisation, landslides, floods, contamination, sealing
  43. 43What are the main routes where water over catchment can meet its exit?Channel precipitation- rain falling directly over drainage channels
    Overland flow- water flowing overland, rivets or trenches
    Groundwater flow
    Throughflow- upper unsaturated layers
  44. 44What is Throughflow?Water travelling through upper unsaturated rock layers
  45. 45What are the throughflow types?1) Quick throughflow- speeds through more permeable layers
    2) Delayed throughflow- travels slowly through permeable layers
  46. 46What happens to net primary production in grasslands, freshwater and oceans?Eaten by herbivores or enters food chain when they die- ecosystem in balance
  47. 47What is the Penman-Monleigh model?A model which measures evapotranspiration in terms of humidity, available radiant energy and vegetation resistance
  48. 48Name the shapes of peds?Blocky
    Platy
    Prism
    Crumb
  49. 49What is respiration?Breathing
    Chemical reactions that release energy and carbon dioxide from simple carbs such as glucose
  50. 50What features provide the success of grasslands?Growing points close to the ground, they can withstand close grazing
    2) many species resistant to trampling and have a variety of vegetative growth options- helps with resitance and fire
    3) The photosynthetic pathways (C3_C4) vary, which represents adaptions to colder and wamer conditions
    4) Over 10k species of grass
  51. 51How can two organisms interact?Resource, competitor, beneficial helper, predator
  52. 52What are bottom up and top down controlsBottom- regulation of an organisms polution size by the availability of a resource, such as food supply
    Top- limitation of species/distribution/abundance by a predator
  53. 53Name methods of measuring weather from ground levelStephenson screen, drybulb temp, wetbulb temp, hygrometer, amemometer, A-Campbell, Rain guages, dopplar radars, radar technology, visibility, barometer
  54. 54Name beach inputsLongshore drift, washed ashore
    Cliffs + dunes- transported by rivers
  55. 55Name beach outputsLongshore drift, offshore to sea floor, blown inland, in site weathering, swept upstream, into an estuary or inlet
  56. 56How does erosion affect locations far from the original site?Loess soils (accumilation of wind blown sediment)
    Sediments entering water bodies
    Wind blown dust hazards
  57. 57Name soil ecosystem services and mitigationSoil quality regulation, water purification, flood regulation/water storage, greenhouse gas retention, soil formation, nutrient cycling, carbon storage
    Mitgation- sustainable land management practices
  58. 58Name soil colour and main propertiesVery dark brown- usually highly organic
    Red soil- strongly leached/exposed to weathering (ion oxides predominate)
    Blue/green/grey- gley soil, waterlogging
    White- calcium carbonate precipitation or intense leaching
  59. 59Name stages of ice formationFrazil ice
    Pancake ice
    Pack ice
  60. 60Categories of soil and their sizes?Gravel >2mm
    Sand <2-0.02mm
    Silt <0.02-0.002
    Clay <0.002
  61. 61What microbes are easily accessed and hard to break downHard= starch + fat
    Easy= carbs such as glucose
  62. 62What is a dry adibatic lapse rate?Rate at which unsaturated air drops in temp as it ascends through the atmosphere without mixing with surroundings
  63. 63Which decomposers break down food externally and absorb nutrients?Saprophytes
  64. 64How do mycelia break down organic matter?They secrete digestive enzymes into surrounding environment and absorb nutrients once organic matter has been broken down
  65. 65Name the global carbon subcycles and their timescalesTerrestrial- months to decades
    Marine- hundreds of thousands of years
    Geological- millions of years
  66. 66What factors are responsible for soil formation?Parent materials, climate, biota, topography and time
  67. 674 stages of soil forming processAddition of materials, translocation of material, transformation, loss of components
  68. 68Example parent materialsAluvian, aeolian deposits, loose bedrock
  69. 69What are aeolian landforms?Wind eroding material by deflation and abrasion, and transporting eroded material by suspension, saltation and traction (surface creep)
  70. 70How is bedload material deposited?Small hills or dunes where there are distortions in the flow of air
  71. 71What are erosional and depositional landforms? (Aeolian)Erosional- blowouts, desert pavements, ventifacts+ yardangs
    Depositional- dunes, draas, loess plateaus
  72. 72What are dunes features and how are they formed?Features- asymeterical with gentle windward slope, steep leeward slope
    Formation- wind strength, direction, sediment supply and vegetation cover
  73. 73What is a rhizoidStructure of lower plants which provides anchor, but is not a root
  74. 74What is loess?Sediment formed by accumilation of wind blown salt
  75. 75What is a xylem vesselHollow tubes with walls stifferned by a tough chemical called lignin.
    Xylem conduct water and dissolved nutrients from the roots to all parts of the shoots
  76. 76What is a phloemNot hollow, contains active cytoplasm and seperated by perforated end walls. Associated with energy providing companion cells. Phloem transports sugars from the leaves, where they are formed during photosynthesis, to other parts of the plant
  77. 77Name the essential elements required for plant growthMacronutrients- carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium
    Micro- Iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, chlorine, colbalt, nickel
  78. 78What are the limiting nutrients and factors which limit a plants developmentNutrients- nitrogen and phosphorous
    Factor- water, sunlight or heat
  79. 79What is the atmopsheric concentration of methane?1.8ppmv
  80. 80How much is the methane concentration increasing per year?1% per year
  81. 81Why will the carbon atoms in methane continue to emit after methane is oxidised?The oxidation product of methane and carbon dioxide
  82. 82What is the role of plate techtonics in the carbon cycle?At plate margins, carbon containing sediments are subducted and subjected to high temps and pressures. Co2 is reintroduced via volcanoes
  83. 83At what rate is the carbon atmopsheric reservoir growing?3 x 10 (12)kgC y-1
  84. 84How could atmopsheric carbon increases disrupt the other carbon fluxesIncreased ocean and biomass fluxes
  85. 85Name types of habitat management?Coppicing, grazing of grasslands. Altering the course or rate of succession
  86. 86Name adaptions to evolve in aquatic habitatsClosely defined water movement charachteristics
  87. 87Example of biotic index of water qualityFreshwater invertebrate fauna
  88. 88How does the atmospheric composition change when buried carbon escapes?Increased atmospheric reservoir, every C that enters rock, one O left behind
  89. 89Why is carbon discarded as a biochemical cycle?Finite amounts of resources which are recyled through the biosphere
  90. 90What is the net result of carbon weathering and precipitationNet result is no change
  91. 91How does silicate weathering impact carbon weathering?Carbon leaks out of the reservoir and into the rock reservoir
  92. 92CommunityGroup of populations living together in the same habitat
  93. 93EcotoneHabitats that are transitional between two distinct vegetation types and a form of vegetation gradient between them
  94. 94LifeformPlants pattern of growth that reflect similarties of function rather than genetic relatedness
  95. 95HabitatThe environment in which an organism lives
  96. 96Perinnating tissueDormant plant parts which are capable of surviving unfavourable seasons before growth
  97. 97How do plants and animals store energy?Complex carbs such as starch (plants), animals- fats broken into glucose
  98. 98What is C=F+AC = F+ A
    C= food consumed
    F= faeces
    A= assimilated
  99. 99What is A=U+R+PU= animals
    R= respiration
    P= secondary production
  100. 100What is the most important carbon sink?Ocean = 50x more carbon than atmosphere
  101. 101How will climate change affect the ocean carbon sink?Ability to hold carbon dixoide decreases as ocean temps rise
  102. 102Name the stages of eutrophicationoligotrophic – mesotrophic – eutrophic – hypertrophic
  103. 103What are the features of the main eutrophical states?an oligotrophic lake has clear water with little phytoplankton
    an eutrophic lake is more turbid and green from dense phytoplankton growth
    a mesotrophic lake is intermediate between the two.
  104. 104What is interspecific competition?Interaction that occurs when the abundance of two or more neighbouring species is limited by the same resource
  105. 105What is a fundamental nicheentire set of conditions under which an animal (population, species) can survive and reproduce itself
  106. 106Realised nichethe set of conditions actually used by given animal (pop, species), after interactions with other species (predation and especially competition) have been taken into account.
  107. 107Competitive exclusionTheory that only one species can survive in a habitat
  108. 108What can high levels of Co2 do to water?More acidic and corrosive to CaCo3- due to carbonic acid
  109. 109Where can you expect to find carbonate rock?Shallow ocean, less than 4km, not deep ocean due to CCD and deep ocean holding more dissolved co2 due to low temp and high pressure
  110. 110DenitrificationProcess in the nitrogen cycle carried out by microbes in anaerobic conditions, where nitrate acts as an oxidizing agent, resulting in the loss of nitrogen as it is converted to nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitrogen gas.
  111. 111What is nitrogens role in proteins?Nitrogen is an important component of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein as well as RNA and DNA. Nitrogen is also necessary for making chlorophyll. Proteins are necessary for the growth of any organism while RNA and DNA comprise the genetic material of cells. Without chlorophyll the majority of plant life would be unable to harness the Sun’s energy through photosynthesis.
  112. 112What happens to Ammonium ions?he ions then bind with the soil particles – largely the clay and humus colloids.
  113. 113Are fish most at risk of suffocation in warm or cool water?In warm water because oxygen is less soluble at warmer temperatures. Therefore, oxygen is more rapidly depleted by respiring organisms, especially because respiration rate also increases with temperature.
  114. 114In terrestrial systems, which life strategy is likely to be most successful in (a) oligotrophic conditionsIn oligotrophic conditions, the stress-tolerant strategy is probably the most effective. Stress tolerators use nutrients very conservatively. They retain them within their tissues and have a slow turnover of tissues, to avoid releasing nutrients back to the soil.
  115. 115In terrestrial systems, which life strategy is likely to be most successful in eutrophic conditions?In eutrophic conditions, the competitive strategy is probably the most successful. Competitors can increase their growth rate and productivity to use the extra nutrient availability. They are rather wasteful of the nutrients they acquire because of the high turnover rate of their tissues (both roots and leaves). However, they succeed through rapid upward growth, which allows them to shade, and hence exclude, their neighbours.
  116. 116Permanent wilting pointwater held too tightly for plants to extract

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Erdkunde Flashcards on ESci, created by Nicolle Paisley on 26/04/2019.
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Nicolle Paisley
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