Notes 1

Linear Measurement:

• • Linear measurement is the distance between two points. In the metric system, the main unit of linear measurement is the meter. When measuring small distances in the metric system, it is appropriate to use centimeters (cm) and millimeters (mm).

Liquid Capacity:

• • Liquid Capacity is the amount of liquid a container can hold. The unit of measure used for liquid capacity in the metric system is liters. The units used for smaller amounts is ml.

  • Meniscus - The curved surface of a liquid in a tube

Macroinvertebrates:

• • Stream dwelling organisms, without a backbone, that are large enough to see with the naked eye

Taxa 1:

• • Macroinvertebrates that are pollution sensitive (cannot live in polluted water)

Taxa 2:

• • Macroinvertebrates that are somewhat pollution sensitive (can live in some pollution)

Taxa 3:

• • Macroinvertebrates that are pollution tolerant (can live in polluted water)

Macroinvertebrate Link

Watershed:

• • an area of land (including all of the water on that land) that drains into a body of water. We are part of the Croton Watershed.

    • • Our watershed

      • Build your own watershed

Phragmites:

• • An invasive, reed-like plant that thrives in wetlands

    • • all about phragmites

Runoff:

• • When rain and other forms of precipitation carry/wash away sediment, litter and other pollutants from the land into a body of water.

    • • Runoff link

Point Source Pollution:

• • A specific source of pollution that can be identified

Non-Point Source Pollution:

• • A widely spread source of pollution that can't be tied to a specific point of origin

Intro to pollution

Types of pollution

Eutrophication:

• • Eutrophication occurs when a body of water receives an excessive amount of nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen. This often results in an overgrowth of algae. As the algae die and decompose, oxygen is depleted from the water, and this lack of oxygen in the water causes the death of aquatic animals, like fish.

Bioaccumulation:

• A process in which toxic substances (such as pesticides) accumulate in living organisms. This poses a threat to health, life, and the environment.

Riffle:

• • A shallow or rocky part of a stream or river that has a rough and bubbling flow

Turbidity:

• • The cloudiness or haziness of a fluid (water) caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air.

Water Properties

Dissolved Oxygen:

• • a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in the water

pH:

• • a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base.

Temperature:

• • How warm stream water is can affect the aquatic life in the stream. Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cool water, and may not contain enough dissolved oxygen for the survival of different species of aquatic life.