APES Chapter 1 Review Flashcards
Natural Resource
Anything humans obtain from nature that is useful or economically valuable
Renewable Resource
Resources that are replenished in a period of time that will allow them to be replenished for human consumption (up to about 100 years).
Ex: Solar Energy
Wind Energy
Timber
Water
Fertile Soil
Fisheries
Nonrenewable Resources
Resources for which a fixed quantity is available for human use; They are not renewed in a viable period of time for human reuse.
Ex: Coal
Crude Oil
Copper
Iron
Gold
Sustainablility
The practice of using a resource at a rate that is less than or equal to the rate at which it is naturally replenished
Ex: A cow eats less than an inch of grass a day and the grass grows one inch a day.
Name renewable resources that are depleted due to unsustainable use.
Timber
Fertile Soil
Fisheries
Name nonrenewable resources that are depleted due to unsustainable use.
Crude Oil
Coal
Uranium
Common
A resource that is free and available to every one in a population
Ex: Publicly Owned Forests
Rangelands
Fisheries
Open Ocean
Air
Rivers
Aquifers
Tragedy of the Commons
Degradation of the common resource
Poverty
Significant obstacle to sustainability and environmental protection
Affluence
The rapid unsustainable consumption of resources that is associated with the lifestyles of citizens in developed countries
Per Capita
Per Person
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
Developed Countries
Countries with relatively high per capita gross domestic products
Ex: United States
Canada
Japan
Australia
Most of Europe
Developing Countries
Countries with a relatively low per capita gross domestic product
Ex: China
India
African Countries
Southeast Asia
Where are the least developed countries found?
Sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan\
Where are moderately developed countries found?
China, India, and Brazil
Ecological Footprint
The amount of biologically productive land and water that is required to provide all of the resources to support the lifestyle of the owner and of the footprint
Ecosystem Service
When nature provides humans with numerous economically valuable services
Ex: Pollination
Water Purification ad Storage
Climate Regulation
Flood Control
Protection from UV Radiation
Protection from storms
Pest Control
Lumber Production
Pharmaceutical Production
Food Production
Soil Formation
Nitrogen Fixation
Recreational Opportunities
What are examples of pollinators?
Bees and butterflies.
Aldo Leopold
Land Ethic: Humans are only one member of a complex community and should not abuse nature as if it belongs to them
Pollution
The contamination of a resource that decreases its purity and renders it unsafe for human health
Point Source Pollution
A source of pollution that introduces pollutants into the environment from a single point or source
Ex: Factories
Power Plants
Refineries
Sewage Treatment Plants
Non-point Source Pollution
A pollution source that introduces pollutants into the environment over a large area rather than at a single point
Ex: Pesticide and Fertilizer Runoff; Agricultural Lands and Golf Courses
Oil Runoff; Roads and Parking Lots
Sediment Pollution and Dust; Construction Sites and Strip Mining Operations
Wind-Blown Topsoil; Agricultural Lands
Controlled Experiment
Type of experiment that needs to be analyzed or designed
Independent Variable
Manipulated during the experiment
Dependent Variable
Measured during the experiment
Anthropogenic
Manmade
Ex: Chlorofluorocarbons
Carbon
The backbone of all organic compounds, which includes all of the important molecules found in living organisms. Fossil fuel use shifts the equilibrium of the global carbon cycle.
Nitrogen
The most abundant element in the earth’s atmosphere at 78%. Found in the amino group of every amino acid, the building blocks of proteins, also components of nucleic acids. Nitrogen runoff from agricultural land is an important contributor to nutrient pollution in waterways. Nitrous oxide is an important greenhouse gas
Oxygen
The second most abundant element in the atmosphere at 21% and the most abundant element in the earth’s crust. Oxygen was not a significant component of the atmosphere when it was formed, but was added later through photosynthesis by green plant, especially cyanobacteria. Oxygen is necessary for cellular respiration.
Phosphorus
A component of nucleic acids and phospholipids. In many ecosystems, phosphorus is the limiting factor for primary production (plant growth). Phosphorus runoff from agricultural land is an important contributor to nutrient pollution in waterways. Phosphorus does not have a significant presence in the earth’s atmosphere.
Sulfur
A component of some amino acids and proteins. Sulfur is a major constituent of volcanic eruptions and a contaminant of coal that contributes to acid rain.
pH
pH is a logarithmic scale covering a range of 0-14 that is used to differentiate between acidic and base environments. Neutral environments have a pH of approximately 7. A basic solution will have a high pH; for example, household ammonia may have a pH of 10-11. An acidic solution will have a low pH; for example, vinegar may have a pH of 3 and acid rain may have a pH of 4-5. Rainwater naturally has a slightly acidic pH of 5.5-6.0 due to dissolved carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that forms a dilute solution of carbonic acid in raindrops.
Half-life
The time it takes for one-half of a sample to decay
Energy
The ability to do work; Unit of energy: Joule (J)
Ex: Mechanical
Electrical
Chemical
Nuclear
Solar
Thermal
HeatHeat
Special form of energy that initially was not recognized as such
One Calorie
The heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one Celsius degree
BTUs
British Thermal Units
One BTU
The heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one Fahrenheit degree; The amount of heat released by burning one large kitchen match
What are the connections between calories, Joules, and BTUs?
1 cal = 4.184 J
1 Btu = 252 cal = 1055 J
Power
The rate at which energy is used
Watt
International unit of power; Equivalent to about 1 Joule per second
Ex: 1 Joule = 1 watt-sec
The First Law of Thermodynamics/Law of Conservation of Energy
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted to different forms
The Second Law of Thermodynamics
In all energy conversions, some low quality heat (waste heat) will always be produced
Open System
Systems that exchange both energy and matter across their boundaries. Most environmental systems are open systems.
Closed System
Systems the exchange energy but not matter across their boundaries. The global water cycle is one example of a close system since no matter (water) enters or leaves the system.
Isolated System
Systems that exchange neither energy nor matter across their boundaries. There are not examples of isolated environmental systems.
Input
Energy or matter that enters a system
Output
Energy or matter that leaves a system
Positive Feedback Loop
When the initial change to a component of the system is amplified by the series of changes within the feedback loop
Negative Feedback Loop
When the initial change to a component of the system is undone by the series of changes within the feedback loop.
