| A | B |
|---|
| ecology | the study of ecosystems |
| ecosystem | a group of organisms such as plants and animals which continually interact with one another and their environment in order to survive. |
| photosynthesis | ability of plants to convert sunlight into energy and produce their own food |
| producers | produce food for themselves and other organisms |
| consumers | organisms who eat plants and are in the next level of the food chain |
| pollution | any type of contamination of the environment. Major types that effect our environment are air and water pollution |
| point-source | easy to identify because it comes from a specific source, such as a pipe discharging polluted water and air |
| non-point source | difficult to identify because there are many causes |
| stormwater runoff | water that washes over the land and which eventually ends up in our streams and lakes |
| water resources | ponds, lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands |
| watershed | all of the land area which drains to a particular body of water |
| hydrologic (water) cycle | process by which the water in our environment is constantly recycled and purified |
| evaporation | water is transformed from liquid to gas when warmed by the sun |
| condensation | when temperature falls, water vapor is sent down to the earth's surface as precipitation |
| precipitation | rain, snow, sleet sent down to the earth |
| transpiration | plants need to release water so they do so through their leaves |
