Chapter 4 pt 2 Flashcards
How does habitat degradation differ from destruction?
Degradation is how the quality of the habitat is affected as opposed to the structure
How and why did DDT affect living organisms? Who figured this out first?
-Caused thinning of eggshells, abnormal behavior, developmental problems
-Interfered with estrogen and function and Ca deposits
-High concentrations found in aquatic systems
-Killed beneficial insects as well as mosquitoes
-Caused aching joints, tremors, and depression in humans
-Rachel Carlson
What characteristics should a chemical possess for biomagnification to occur? Why is this an issue for humans?
Concentration of toxins increase as you move up the food chain—fat soluble compounds—stored not excreted.
An issue for humans because we are at the top of the food chain
What are some of the major types of water pollutants?
Sediment, heavy metals, oil/gasoline, etc
How is Cultural eutrophication different than eutrophication?
Humans have sped up the process
What nutrients are typically limiting in Aquatic (Freshwater) and Marine systems? What are the major sources for these nutrient inputs?
Phosphate, nitrogen
Animal waste, runoff
***What is a dead zone and how does it form? Be familiar with the examples! How is what occurring in Lake Erie similar to that of Lake Okeechobee? What is Hypoxia?
-A lake that suffered sever habitat degradation and/or species decrease
-Occurs due to nutrient addition, algae blooms, dead matter, low oxygen, etc.
-Occurred in lake Erie (sever algae blooms) and Lake Okeechobee
How is a red tide different from a typical algae bloom? What nutrients typically play a role in each? How is this affecting the marine organisms in South Florida? What about people?
- A red tide is a phytoplankton bloom, may also be triggered by nutrient loading.
- Lead, zinc, mercury
-Dinatoms
-strip water of O2
What are some major ways that toxic metals enter the water?
Mining operations
Waste incineration
Leaded gasoline
Why should you be careful about eating fish from the Greatlakes? Why would the size of the fish be a factor?
There is most likely toxic material in the fish. The bigger the fish the more toxins (food chain increase)
What common chemicals may mimic estrogen? How might their presence in the water affect wild populations? Why could this be a problem?
- Atrazine (herbicide), Triclosan (used in antibacterial soap), pharmaceuticals (birth control pill, can be excreted), Bisphenol-A (water bottles, can liners).
- Feminization of males, delayed sexual maturity, decreased sixe of male reproductive anatomy, thinner eggs.
The line 5- pipeline that goes under the Straights of Mackinac is controversial, why are some people concerned about this pipeline? Consider recent history.
- People are concerned about it leaking into the straights. There have been many spills in the past (I.e, flint, kalamazoo)
Why is plastic an issue (in the water and on beaches)? How might we remove it? Is removing it a long term solution?
-A lot of the wildlife will ingest it, possibly mistaking it for prey. Some will get stuck in it. We could remove it by helping the ocean clean up groups. This may not be a long-term solution if we don’t stop ocean dumping globally.
What causes Photochemical smog? acid precipitation? What are the costs of this air pollution (to humans and wildlife).
- Ozone and other chemicals produced by reaction of chemicals from car emissions with sunlight.
-Acid Precipitation: Due to the presence of sulfuric and nitric acids, release of sulfur oxides (coal burning0 and nitric oxides (cars) - Costs: Acidifies soil,
What causes acid precipitation? What happens to a lake when it becomes acidified? How can this be reversed?
-The presence of sulfuric (coal burning) and nitric acids (cars)
-Harmful/fatal to lake species, can create white moss (prevents exchange of nutrients between water and sediment, prevents sediment from buffering water), can be done via ‘acid shock’ (acidic snow melt)
-Treatment: Add a buffer, like limestone (needs continual management).
