AP Env. Science - Unit 2 Flashcards
Define
Environmental Science
- looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature.
- is interdisciplinary (see p.4)
- as **unique challenges **(most important = no “control planet”.(see p. 24)
Define
Environment
sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life.
Conditions include living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components.
Define
System
Set of interacting biotic and abiotic components that influence one another by exchanging energy, materials or information.
see p.4 first para left for exemple.
Fill the blanks
____ ____ allows us to assess the impact of humans on Earth.
Environmental Indicators.
Name
5 key global indicators of environmental health
- Biological diversity
- Food production
- Average global surface temperature and CO2 concentration.
- Human population
- Ressource depletion
Define
Ecosystem
A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic environments
Term to know:
Biotic
Living
Term to know:
Abiotic
Non-living
Define
Environmentalism
A social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism and education
Define
Environmental studies
The field of study that includes environmental science and additional subjects such as environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics.
Name
Environmental Sciences are interdisciplinary. Name 3 scientific discipline that contributes to our understanding of the impact of human activities on the environment.
- Biology
- Ecology
- Toxicology
- Atmospheric Sciences
- Chemistry
- Earth Sciences
Name:
3 Environmental social sciences
- Economics
- Politics
- Policy
- Ethics
- Literature
- Law
fill in the blanks
To a Physiologist, a cod is a ______
System
Fill in The Blanks
100x100 metres is one _______
Hectare
Define
Per Capita
Per Person
Define
Biophilia
Love of life/Love of living things
name
basic human needs
air, food, water, shelter
Define
Ecological Footprint
A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in an area of land
define
Ecosystem Services
The process through which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries and agricultural crops are produced.
define
Environmental Indicator
An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system
define
Indicator: Biodiversity
The diversity of life forms in an environment.
Biodiversity exists on three scales: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.
define
Genetic Diversity
A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population
Complete the sentence
Populations with high genetic diversity are better able to…
…respond to environmental change than populations with lower genetic diversity.
Define
Species
A group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure) behaviour, or biochemical properties
Define
Species Diversity
The number of species in a region or particular ecosystem
Complete the sentence
An ecosystem with higher species diversity is more…
…productive and resilient, and better able to recover from a disturbance.
Explain why frogs are critical environmental indicator at a regional level.
Frogs are exposed to both the air and the water in their ecosystem. A decrease may be an indicator of environmental problem there.
Define
Speciation
The evolution of a new species (est: 2 species\year.
Define
Background extinction rate
The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term. (est: 2 species\year.)
Fill the blank
Currently, _____ go extinct each year mainly due to habitat destruction and habitat degradation.
1000 species
Define
Ecosystem Diversity
A measure of the diversity of ecosystems or habitats that exist in a particular region.
Complete the sentence
A greater number of healthy and productive ecosystems means…
… a healthier environment overall.
Define
Indicator: Food Production
Our ability to grow food to nourish the human population has increased since the 1950’s but it has recently begun to level off.
Define
Greenhouse gases
Gases on Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat near the surface
What does the Average Global Surface Temperatures and Carbon Dioxide Concentrations indicator says about the current trend?
- Earth’s average global surface temperature has incresed steadily for at least the past 100 years.
- Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have variend over geologic time, but have risen steadily since 1960.
What does the Human Population indicator tell us about the current trend?
- The current human population is 7.6 million.
- Every 24 hours, 380 000 infants are born and 155000 people die.
- Over a million people are added to the Earth every 5 days.
- Rate of population growth has been slowing since the 1960s.
- Projections: 8 to 10 billion by 2050. 7 to 11 billion by 2100.
What is the effect of population growth on natural and human systems?
Unless humans devise a way to live more systainably, population increases will put additional strains on nature systems.
Types of Ressource Depletion
- Some natural ressources are finite and can’t be renewed.
- Other natural ressources are finite but can be recycled.
- other natural ressources are renewable but are being used faster than they can be renewed.
True or False
As economies develop, resource consumption also increases.
True
Define
Anthropogenic
Derived from human activities
Define
Development
Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement
JEOPARDY
Living on Earth in a wau that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those same resources
What is Sustainability?
Define
Sustainable Development
Development that balances with current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations
Define
Ecological footprint
A measureof how much an individual consumes, expressed in an area of land
define
Scientific Method
An objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes, or changes
define
Hypothesis
A testable conjecture about how something works
define
Variable
Any catagories, conditions, factors or traits that differ in the natural world or in experimental conditions
Define
Independent variable
A variable that is not dependent on other factors
Define
Dependent Variable
A variable that is dependent on other factors
Define
Null Hypothesis
a prediction that there is no difference between the groups or conditions that are being compared
Define
Replication
The data collection procedure of taking repeated measurements
Define
Sample Size
the number of times a measurement is replicated in data collection
Define
Accuracy
How close a measured value is to the actual or true value
Define
Precision
How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another
Define
Uncertainty
An estimate if how a measured or calculated valie differs from a true value
Define
Theory
A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance
Define
Control group
In a scientific investigation, a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the single variable under study
Define
Natural experiment
A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem
