Ecosystem and Environmental Science Flashcard

Front

What are abiotic factors?

Back

Non-living components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, water, temperature, and minerals.

Front

How do abiotic factors influence biotic factors in an ecosystem?

Back

They create the environment in which biotic factors live.

Front

What is a watershed?

Back

An area of land where all the water that falls drains into a specific body of water.

Front

What is a divide?

Back

A ridge of land at a high elevation that separates one watershed from another.

Front

What role do estuaries play in the ecosystem?

Back

They serve as nurseries for many marine species.

Front

What is the Chesapeake Bay watershed?

Back

A region that drains into the Chesapeake Bay, impacting local climate and ecosystems.

Front

How does the Chesapeake Bay watershed impact local climate?

Back

By moderating temperatures and increasing humidity.

Front

What is a riparian buffer?

Back

Planting of trees and shrubs at the edge of the stream bank to slow down runoff, prevent bank erosion, and filter pollutants.

Front

What is biodiversity?

Back

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

A community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment.