Ecosystem L1 Flashcards
Explain the main tools for environmental management in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Laws (enacted Acts) (i.e. RMA)
Regulations (i.e. consenting process through permits issued after AEE approved)
National Environmental standards (i.e. National Policy Statements)
District Plans (i.e. Long Term Regional Plans, LTRPs)
Consultation (i.e. with all interested or affected parties)
Explain the role civil engineers play in environmental kaitiatikanga | stewardship.
By creating and building infrastructure projects that reduce environmental impact, support sustainability, and protect natural resources, especially water.
What’s an EIA/AEE and what are the main steps to follow in one? What aspects are considered?
the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects/impacts of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made.
Mains steps are identify, predict, evaluate and avoid/mitigate
Succinctly explain the input-output rules of sustainable engineering practice.
Sustainable engineering minimizes resource use (inputs) and waste (outputs) by using efficient, renewable resources and reducing, reusing, or recycling waste.
What is Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms that interact with each other and their environment, like forests, oceans, or wetlands.
what is the term environment
The environment includes everything around us, both living and non-living, that affects organisms, such as ecosystems, climate, and natural resources.
List the main operating principles of ecosystems
Mass conservation, Energy Conservation. Diverse, Dynamic, Interdependence, Carrying capacity, self-design
Briefly explain what mass conservation in ecosystem
Mass is neither created nor destroyed (mass of reactants = mass of the products). Material loops closed
Briefly explain what energy conservation is in ecosystem
energy cannot be created nor destroyed but only transformed between states. Ecosystems are closed systems and reduce entropy (first law of thermodynamic)
Briefly explain what diverse is in ecosystem
Diversity helps protect against disruptions, while biodiversity boosts resilience and productivity.
Briefly explain what dynamic is in ecosystem
Ecosystems are dynamic, adapting to disturbances while maintaining functionality, often shifting between multiple stable states.
Briefly explain what interdependence is in ecosystem
All life forms, including humans, are interconnected through various roles and symbiotic relationships
Briefly explain what carrying capacity is in ecosystem
upper limits to how many members ecosystems can sustain. Beyond this, ecological overshoot occurs (negative feedback loops)
Briefly explain what self design is in ecosystem
ability to self-organise (optimise within) over time
List the main types of ecosystems services
Provisioning services
Regulating services
Cultural services
Supporting services
what is Provisioning services
These include the supply of resources like food, water, timber, and medicinal plants. They are essential for human survival and economic activity.
What is regulating services
These services help control climate, prevent floods, and manage diseases, keeping nature balanced and protecting people.
What is cultural services
These involve non-material benefits like recreation, spiritual values, and cultural identity. They enhance quality of life and foster connections to nature.
What is supporting services
These are foundational processes like nutrient cycling, soil formation, and photosynthesis. They enable other services and are crucial for ecosystem stability and resilience.
What is the ‘Framework for Engineering in the Ecological Age’ and how did it originate?
The Framework for Engineering in the Ecological Age promotes using ecological principles in engineering to support sustainability and protect the environment. It was created to shift traditional engineering toward solutions that maintain ecosystem health and long-term resilience.
Explain the Tragedy of the Commons.
The Tragedy of the Commons occurs when individuals exploit a shared resource for personal gain, leading to its depletion and harm to the collective well-being, as the costs of overuse are shared by all.
