ENV200 Final Flashcards
1
Q
Agricultural Challenges: GHG Emissions
A
- agriculture accounts for > 25% worldwide; if current global diet continues, the GHG emissions could increase by 50% by 2050
2
Q
Ecological Niche Examples
A
- Several bird species occupy different branches (realized niche) of 1 tree (fundamental niche)
- There are biological benefits to avoiding conflict = saves energy that can be used for other natural processes (ex. Hunting, raising offspring, etc)
3
Q
Ecological Community: Food Chains
A
- energy, chemical elements and components transferred from creature to creature
- Ex. producer (plant) gets eaten by consumer (herbivore animal), which gets eaten by consumer (carnivore animal) -> (up to 5 trophic levels)
4
Q
Food Price Rollercoaster
A
- ‘Perfect Storm’ of factors (volatile oil prices, demand for animal products, extreme weather, drought, diversion of land) that affects food prices
5
Q
Conservation Biology
A
Study of human impacts on organisms; development of ways to protect
6
Q
Genetic Load
A
- difference between the fittest genotype of a population and the average fitness of that population
- Inbreeding among individuals with genetic load increases probability of lethal alleles, which causes an inbreeding depression
- This threatens genetic diversity, and compromises adaptation / specie quality
7
Q
Founder Effect
A
- Small group or population that are isolated from the primary group (either through chance survival or specialized adaptation)
- Small populations ( subject to genetic drift) can arise from the founder effect
8
Q
Biotechnology
A
- Modification of plant/animal by modifying genes -> transgenic/GMO
9
Q
Biodiversity Distribution
A
- Why is biodiversity distributed differently?
- Because of the diversity in physical conditions, which lead to adaptation
- Favorable and stable environments = greater # of species
- Regular disturbances or extreme seasonality = lesser # of species
10
Q
Natural Forcing Mechanisms: Distance and Angles Between Earth and Sun
A
- Milankovitch cycles -> bring us closer/farther from the sun in terms of orbit, tilt, distance, etc
11
Q
Regulation of Ecosystem Functions: Top-Down
A
- abundance of organisms at high trophic levels (top predators) that influence ecosystems
12
Q
Fossil Fuels
A
- Supply 85%~ of world’s commercially traded energy -> essentially concentrated and stored solar energy (coal, oil, natural gases)
- Remains of living organisms that were preserved and altered hundreds of millions of years ago
13
Q
Types of Radiative Forcing
A
- Climate
- Anthropogenic
- Natural
14
Q
Threats to Biodiversity: Predator and Pest Control
A
- many species targeted as threats to humans (Ex. Wolves, birds, coyotes, etc)
15
Q
Agricultural Challenges: Improving Yields
A
- In response to rising demand for livestock; using hormones and antibiotics to boost and quicken development
- Land is limited: increase yields by genetic engineering/better methods
16
Q
Conserving Species
A
- Collecting eggs, seeds, captive breeding with aim to release into the wild
- Ex. Condors = 27 individuals taken into captivity and reintroduced to the wild as over 500 individuals
- Concerns of sustainability; genetic diversity is a concern; high costs and labor intensive
17
Q
Seed Banks
A
- Over 100 seed collections worldwide
- Norway alone has over 1M samples
- Disadvantages: some species cannot be stored, expensive, disrupts natural selection and diversity
18
Q
Value of Biodiversity: Food Security
A
- genetic diversity supports disease resistance + feeds us
19
Q
Negative Radiative Forcing
A
- reducing energy trapped in atmosphere = cooling effect
- Ex. institutions spray aerosols into the atmosphere to create cooling
20
Q
Ecological Fundamental Niche
A
- Entire range of conditions a species could potentially occupy
- wide tolerance range for flourishing
21
Q
Sustainable Agriculture
A
- Gentler on land to maintain topsoil, low-input sustainable farming, diversification of species
22
Q
Ex Situ Conservation
A
- conservation OUTSIDE natural habitat; extensive, yet expensive opportunities
23
Q
Why 1.5 Degrees Celsius?
A
- This is the maximum point that natural systems can endure before tipping past a dangerous turning point
- If 1.5C is exceeded: heatwaves, sea level rising, climate related risks, poverty, food scarcity will all increase
24
Q
Causes of GHG Effect
A
- amount of gas emitted, properties of the gas, average residence time, global warming potential (compared to CO2)
25
How do Species Coexist?: Habitat Complexity
- solution to Competition Exclusion Principle
- variation in physical space that generates specie diversity
26
Natural Forcing Mechanisms: Continental Drift and Climate
- oceans respond to continent movement by transporting cold and warm water -> large continents = large surface area = more heat absorption = warmer temperatures
27
Threats to Biodiversity: Natural Causes to Extinction
- mass extinction events due to changes in environmental conditions
- WWF Report: Post Industrial Revolution = Anthropocene
28
Ecological Community: Keystone Species
- species that play a large role in the overall wellbeing of their ecosystem, despite not being numerically dominant
- Top-down effect on species diversity and competition is large
- *Top-down effect: when a higher entity species has large effects on lower-entity ones, despite not having a large population #
29
Ecosystem Energy and Matter Cycling: Net Primary Productivity
- amount of energy left for other organisms after producers' own respiration and maintenance
30
Value of Biodiversity: Environmental Monitoring
- healthy environment for wildlife = healthy environment for humans
- serves as a baseline for observation
31
Radiative Forcing
- imbalance in the earth’s energy budget (leads to warming/cooling)
32
Canada’s 49th Parallel
- stretch of land on the same latitude, but with different landscapes due to uneven topography
- mountain ranges, rocky mountains, great plains, boreal shields
33
Value of Biodiversity: Biomimicry
- study of natural processes which are then used to solve human problems via imitation
34
International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- Created assessment reports (by scientists)to advise climate education and policy
- these impact vulnerable populations and regions
35
Geographic Variation on Biodiversity
- Variation in kinds and # species differ geographically (due to different topography, temperature, landscape, biomes, etc.)
- Biomes are classified by Latitude and Humidity (higher latitude + lower temperature)
- Species must adapt to survive in their biomes
36
Agricultural Challenges: Water Quality and Quantity
- water pollution and eutrophication by chemical runoff (nitrogen/phosphorus) creates algae blooms
- Virtual Water: water hidden in production of commodities
37
Threats to Biodiversity: Human Impacts
- exploitation, consumption, habitat degradation, climate change, invasive species, pollution, disease, etc
38
Producers and Consumers Relationship
- Autotrophs self-feed through photosynthesis (inorganic carbon to organic carbon and capturing energy)
- Heterotrophs feed themselves by consuming fixed carbon from autotrophs, then extract energy through respiration
- Energy is lost at each trophic level (that's why 5 levels is the max)
39
Lab Grown Meat
- animal/slaughter free
- meat grown from stem cells
- 3D printing food
40
Agricultural Challenges: Loss of Domesticated Varieties
- Farmers use fewer varieties of plants and animals, which risks genetic diversity
- Farmers also buy seeds from corporations rather than utilizing their own crops’ seed fallout
41
Survival of the Fittest
- Fitness can improve through adaptation and natural processes
- This form of natural selection ensures the species will produce stronger and more resilient generations
42
Carbon Cycle: Carbon Pools/Sinks
- Atmosphere (875GT)
- Forests and Soils (610 and 1580 GT)
- Surface Ocean (1020 GT)
- Deep Ocean (38100 GT)
- Fossil Fuels (5000 GT)
43
Ecological Effects of Climate Change
- Every species on earth will be affected; some will thrive, some will go extinct
- Habitats and biomes are also at risk: polar seas, coral reefs, mountain ecosystems, coastal wetlands, tundras, etc.
44
Ecosystem Energy and Matter Cycling
- Only 10% of energy is passed from trophic levels; thus, limited food chains/web
45
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
- Aims to improve production, yield, composition, etc
- Genome Editing: CRISPR technique
- Ex: corn, canola, soy, apple, etc
46
Biodiversity: Genetic Diversity
- different versions of same genes
47
Natural Forcing Mechanisms: Deep Ocean/Thermohaline Circulation
- system of ocean currents that transports warm/cold water, due to water salinity and temp; may cause ocean cooling but new research is needed
48
Non-Living / Abiotic Factors
- These factors affect the ability of organisms to survive
- Ex. sunlight, water, temperature, moisture, soil, etc.
- Individual organisms may have a different genetically determines response to said factor -> populations differ in response to abiotic factors due to individual variation -> nature of ecosystems will be a result of this variation
49
Genetic Diversity
- Results of genetic ‘mistakes’
- Mutations lead to different nucleotide sequences on a particular gene in different members of a population
- Critical in maintaining ecological diversity which may be acted upon by natural selection
- natural selection is a mechanism
50
Carbon Cycle
- how carbon is stored and moved around
51
Biodiversity
- Richness of biological variation due to variety of biomes, ecosystems, and conditions on earth
52
Climate Change: Mitigation
- Mitigation: action to reduce emissions that cause climate change
- Ex. sustainable transportation, clear and efficient energy, plant trees, geoengineering (CO2 management and solar radiation management)
53
Evolution and Natural Selection
- Any advantageous adaptation/characteristics must be heritable to ensure specie longevity
- Species with traits that promote reproduction will eventually dominate
- Examples of adaptation: coping with cold, obtaining food, escaping predation, finding mates, pollination, seed dispersal, migration, etc
- Ex. giraffes grew to have long necks to reach taller trees and vegetation
54
Ecosystem Energy and Matter Cycling: Gross Primary Productivity
- total amount of energy captured by producers through photosynthesis
55
Natural Forcing Mechanisms: Solar Output (Luminosity)
- variations in the intensity and amount of solar radiation hitting earth -> periods of maximum luminosity have the potential to warm earth more; still not enough to answer for the GW experienced
56
Ecosystems
- interaction of many organisms functioning together through physical and chemical environments
- Organized into interconnected systems that are made up of abiotic and biotic components, typically in 4 hierarchical layers (ecosystem, community, population, and organism)
- Group ecosystems by landscapes into biomes
- Natural ecosystems and self-sustaining
57
Importance of Agriculture
- The world's population is estimated to be 9B by 2050
- There is a need to feed significantly more people whilst maintaining environmental integrity
58
Value of Biodiversity: Ecosystem Services
- provide resources and services freely for human consumption (food, fuel, fibre, etc)
59
Threats to Biodiversity: Increasing Wealth and Poverty
- increased consumption to fuel population growth leads to increased resource use and exploitation
60
Agricultural Challenges: Loss of Prime Farmland
- Housing takes up space (esp in growing nations)
- There is very little prime agricultural land left
- In Canada, 14000 sq km of occupied urban land is located on dependable agricultural land (we are wasting prime land)
61
Agricultural Challenges: Increasing Meat Production
- 4 billion livestock graze on 42% of world’s rangeland; animal waste, pressure on grain/water supply, overgrazing, loss of biodiversity, overall inefficiency
62
Ecological Community: Food Webs
- more complex and interdynamic; the reality for most ecosystems as there is more linkages and stronger support (ecosystem is strong)
- Structure: tertiary consumers/decomposers (heterotrophs) -> producers/autotrophs (self-feeding) -> primary consumers, grazers, herbivores (heterotrophs) -> secondary consumers, carnivores (heterotrophs)
63
5 Ecosystem Cycles
- energy
- water
- carbon
- nitrogen
- phosphorus
64
Threats to Biodiversity: Commercial Harvest
- zoos, laboratories, pet stores, wildlife smuggling, etc
65
Value of Biodiversity: Intrinsic Value
- value for species’ own sake; unique and innate value
66
Evolutionary Mechanisms: Sexual Selection
- Non-Random/Active Mate Choice
- Choose mates through: M/M competition, M display/F choice, F/F competition
- Females must be picky with their mates to ensure specie longevity and due to their limited egg cells/energy
67
In Situ Conservation
- conservation IN natural habitat; protect and rehabilitate habitats by focusing on megafauna species (umbrella species)
68
Threats to Biodiversity: Habitat Destruction
- Largest threat = destruction, fragmentation, degradation
- Island Biogeography Theory: distant and small islands support less species, but have higher extinction rates
- Migratory Patterns (Flyways): animals affected by man-made infrastructure
69
World Nutrition Status
- Overnutrition in Global North ; Undernutrition in Global South due to uneven distribution of wealth and resources
70
Mutations
- Random
- Can be good, bad, or neutral
- Not all mutations matter to evolution
- The ultimate source of genetic diversity
71
Agricultural Challenges: Curbing Environmental Impacts
- Conversion of Ecosystems: ecosystem/land loss, degradation, fragmentation)
- Declining Site Capabilities: soil degradation/barrenness (takes 500-10K years to recover topsoil) -> makes agriculture impossible
- Agricultural Pollution (Pesticides/Insecticides): harms soil, crops, and nearby ecosystems through genetic resistance, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification
72
Value of Biodiversity: Drugs and Medicine
- 25% of pharmaceuticals are derived from nature
73
Food Security
- Guarantee of an adequate, reliable, and available food supply to all people at all times
- Food availability, access, stability, resilience, and utilization
74
Genetic bottleneck
- May occur due to founder effect
- Reduction in population when small group of individuals leave to create a new population in a new environment/catastrophic event reduces population to a few survivors
75
Natural Forcing Mechanisms
- factors that influence the earth’s climate system (cooling/warming) through natural processes
76
Evolutionary Mechanisms: Genetic Drift
- Random gene frequency change in small populations (deviation by change is expected in smaller populations)
- Populations have no ‘genetic memory’ of past generations, so chance can cause departure from expected result
- Alleles frequencies lessen and disappear over time
77
Evolutionary Mechanisms: Microevolution
- Small, short term changes in genetic makeup that's driven by mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift -> allows adaptation to change
- Ex. peppered moth’s change in alleles from black -> white wings allows camo
78
Threats to Biodiversity: Overexploitation
- overharvesting of game species and endangered species consumption (sharks, whales, dolphins, bushmeat)
79
Temperature of Earth
- Earth was very hot in the past
- Temperature and Carbon Emissions mirror each other (information proven by ice core research)
80
Greenhouse Gas Effect
- GHG absorb infrared radiation which warms the atmosphere -> increasing concentration of GHG through industrial activity
81
How Climate shapes Biomes
- Biomes differ in the amounts of precipitation they receive
- At higher latitudes, temperature is more important than precipitation at shaping biomes
- In temperate/tropical zones, precipitation is more important than temperature at shaping biomes
82
Prime Farmland: Canadian Land Inventory
- Classes 1-7 of land quality/fertility
- Ontario has highest # of Class 1, but overall Saskatchewan has most Class 1-3
83
Natural Forcing Mechanisms: Changes in Atmospheric Composition
- fluctuation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere affect how hot/cool it gets; still not enough to answer for the GW experienced, but the most likely candidate
84
Future of Agriculture
- Plant-based diets, hydroponics, urban farming, technology (drones, precision)
85
Biodiversity: Species Diversity
- species richness in a particular ecosystem
- Species richness is greater at ecotones and weaker due to env stress, dominant species, and geographic relation
- Species Evenness: extent to which number of species are even/skewed
- Current # of species: 1.9M identified/ total richness is 3-100M
86
Species Interaction: Parasitism/Predation
- where one benefits, but one is harmed
- Ex. Fleas on a dog
87
Species Interaction: Competition
- niche overlap creates resource competition
- Ex. two animals competing for one food source/mate/habitat
88
Carbon Fluxes
- movement of carbon within the carbon cycle
- Ex. photosynthesis, respiration, changing land uses, surface ocean fluxes, etc.
89
Impacts of Climate Change
- Temperature increases, melting ice and snow, rising sea levels, extreme weather, ecological and societal impacts
90
3 Pillars of Agriculture
- social life of farmers, environmental impact, economic viability/sustainability
91
Ecosystem Interconnectedness / Interdependence
- Terrestrial biomes are connected by water, and vice versa
- Share a common hydrologic cycle and atmosphere
- All species on earth are technically 1 ecosystem, the Biosphere
92
Value of Biodiversity: Maintenance of Ecosystem Function
- ecosystem integrity and stability (keystone species)
93
Environmental Factors
- Prime Ecosystems are created due to high population # and diversity, which is encouraged by optimal conditions needed for thriving (temperature, light, oxygen, etc)
- Some organisms have wide range of tolerance (generalists), some have narrow ranges (specialists)
- Restricting environmental factors will limit a population, and researchers spend time/resources to find species ‘niches’ that affect their population
94
Changes in Arctic and Antarctica: Polar Amplification
- temperatures rising in arctic regions at faster rates due to feedback loops, permafrost melting (GHG trapped inside), wildlife populations
95
How do Species Coexist?: Ecological Niche
- what an organism does for a living; all the environmental conditions under which a species can exists and carry out its functions
96
Ecological Realized Niche
- Actual range of conditions a species occupies, considering other biological interactions
97
Natural Sinks
- Fluxes OUT of the atmosphere
- Ex. diffusion into the ocean, uptake by photosynthesis
- can these natural sinks handle anthropogenic increases in emissions?
98
Geoengineering
- cooling the atmosphere through man-made means/technology
- sulfur, aerosols, cloud seeding, space mirrors, etc.
99
Threats to Biodiversity: Species Loss
- IUCN Red List (measures species vulnerability) and Living Planet Index (measures extinction trends)
100
Role of Genetics: Chromosomes and Genes
- Genes are a region of chromosomes that code for characteristics
- Chromosomes come in pairs (alleles) that are maternal/paternal traits
- Alleles may be homozygous (XX), heterozygous (Xx), dominant, or recessive
101
Evolution Summary
- Survival of the fittest
- Adaptations: improve fitness, possible due to genetic diversity (mutation)
- Change over time; populations evolve (not individuals)
102
Role of Genetics
- Adaptations have to be Heritable (passable to the next generation)
- Heritability via DNA: all adaptation stems from 4 nucleotides (adenine, thymine/guanine, cytosine)
- All species are interrelated = have DNA, RNA, and 4 nucleotides (same composition)
103
Positive Radiative Forcing
- increase energy trapped in atmosphere = warming effect
- Ex. atmosphere absorbs greenhouse gases, causing warming
104
Biodiversity: Ecological Diversity
- measures richness and complexity of a community
- The # of niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes that capture energy
- Natural landscapes contain species that evolved together
105
Green Revolution
- The doubling of global food supply since the 1950s has been due to technology, fossil fuels, industrialization, machinery, etc.
- With productivity comes problems: high costs and high degradation
- Industrial farming uses 70% of all freshwater and 17% of all commercial energy in the US
- Food production, processing, and distribution = net energy LOSS
106
Regulation of Ecosystem Functions: Down-Top
- resource availability (producers) that influence ecosystem
107
Ecotone
- intermediate zone between 2 ecosystems, where species can flux between them
- Ex. Frogs live both on land and in water ecosystems
108
Role of Genetics: Complex Traits
- Most traits involve interactions among various groups of genes
- various behavioral and physical features result from this
109
Species Interaction: Symbiosis
- mutualism where both parties benefit
- Ex. Pollination between bees and flowers
110
How do Species Coexist?: Competition Exclusion Principle
- two species with exactly the same requirements cannot coexist in the same habitat
111
Threats to Biodiversity: Exotic species Introduction
- non-native species are biological pollution (dominate ecosystem due to lack of threats)
112
Biodiversity Hotspots
- Small areas of land with high populations of endemic species, which are also threatened by human activity
- Guide for where research efforts, funding, etc should focus
113
Climate Change: Adaptation
- Adaptation: action to manage the risks of climate change impacts
- Ex. emergency preparedness plans, flood protection, infrastructure upgrades, etc
114
Value of Biodiversity: Aesthetic, Recreational, and Cultural Benefits
- love for nature, hunting, livelihood tied to biodiversity, etc.
- Nature Deficit Disorder: children growing without exposure to nature are known to have behavioral issues
