Environment Flashcards
Environmental change
is a change or disturbance in the environment most often caused by human influences and natural ecological processes
Ecological Footprints:
Is the impact a person or community has on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources
Subsistence farming
Subsistence farming is a type of agriculture where farmers grow food primarily to feed themselves and their families, with little or no surplus for sale or trade.
Biomes
Biomes are large ecological areas on Earth with distinct climates, plants, and animals. Examples include deserts, forests, grasslands, tundras, and aquatic environments.
What is land Degradation and some causes
Land degradation is the decline in the quality and productivity of land due to factors like deforestation, overgrazing, mining, agriculture, and urbanization, leading to soil erosion, loss of fertility, and habitat destruction.
Habitat
A habitat is the natural environment where a particular species of plant, animal, or other organism lives and grows, providing the necessary resources like food, water, shelter, and space for survival and reproduction.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the variety of all life forms on Earth, including different species of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, as well as the ecosystems they form and the genetic diversity within them. It is crucial for ecosystem health, resilience, and the provision of ecosystem services.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with each other and their non-living environment (such as air, water, and soil) in a specific area. These interactions create a balanced system where energy flows and nutrients cycle.
Urbanization
Urbanization is the process by which rural areas are transformed into cities and towns as populations move from countryside to urban centers. This process often leads to the expansion of infrastructure, changes in land use, and shifts in social and economic dynamics
What is urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled and expansive growth of urban areas into surrounding rural or undeveloped land. It often results in low-density development, increased reliance on automobiles, and the spread of infrastructure into natural habitats.
Urban Growth
Urban growth is the increase in the population and expansion of urban areas, including the development of infrastructure, housing, and services to accommodate this growth. It often involves both the densification of existing urban areas and the outward expansion into previously undeveloped areas.
Biocapacity
The capacity of ecosystem to produce useful biological materials and to absorb waste materials generated by humans
Climate change
Is the long-term change in weather. Global climate change occurs very slowly over thousands of years
Anthropogenic activities
Anthropogenic activities are actions or processes resulting from human activity that impact the environment. Examples include industrial production, deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, and pollution.
What are three areas that need to be considered when making sustainable decisions
Environments, Economics and Socials
What are the two viewpoints
Earth-centered Viewpoint
Human-centered viewpoint
What are the four ecological services
Cultural Services
Provisioning Services
Regulating Services
Support Services:
What are support services
Supporting services are the underlying processes that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services. These services support the basic structure and functioning of ecosystems.
Examples:
Nutrient cycling: The movement of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus through ecosystems, which supports plant growth.
Soil formation: The process of creating soil over long periods, providing a medium for plants to grow.
Primary production: The production of organic compounds (like plant biomass) from carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
Biodiversity maintenance: Maintaining a variety of species that support various ecological functions.
What are provisioning services
GIve us the the raw materials we need to live like ocean for food, river for food, plants and animals for clothing and shelter, wood for fuel or hydropower from rivers
Regulating Services:
Regulating services are the natural processes that help control environmental conditions and keep ecosystems functioning properly. These services regulate the climate, natural hazards, disease, and water purification.
Climate regulation: Forests and oceans help regulate global temperatures by storing and absorbing carbon dioxide.
Water purification: Wetlands filter pollutants from water, improving water quality.
Pollination: Insects like bees pollinate crops, which is vital for food production.
Flood regulation: Mangroves and wetlands reduce the impacts of storms and flooding.
2. Supporting Ecosystem Services
What are cultural services
being able to enjoy the environment
What are some human induced Environmental changes
Pollution
Enhanced greenhouse effect
Overharvesting
Deforestation
Desertification
Global Warming
Invasive Species
Urbanisation
What is some evidence for climate change
Rising Sea levels (thermal expansion)
Glacial retreat
Increase in global temperatures
CO2 in the Ice Core
What are some strategies to mitigate climate change
Alternative Energy Production - hydro, solar, wind
Carbon Capture
Planting Trees (afforestation)
International Agreements
What are the most prominent international agreements
2005 Kyoto Protocol
2009 Copenhagen Accord
2015 Paris Agreement
Identify impacts of Climate change on people
Health: Increased heatwaves and disease risks.
Food/Water: Disruptions in supply and agriculture.
Economy: Damage to infrastructure and financial losses.
Migration: Forced relocation and potential conflicts.
Inequality: Greater effects on vulnerable communities.
What are positive feedback mechanisms
Positive feedback mechanisms are processes that amplify or increase the effects of a change in a system. I
What is the quaternary period
The Quaternary Period is the most recent geological period, spanning from about 2.6 million years ago to the present.
What is sustainability
Sustainability is the practice of managing resources and activities in a way that meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What are natural factors that can drive climate change
Solar Energy: Sun emits energy as infrared radiation.
Greenhouse Effect: Greenhouse gases trap infrared radiation, reflecting heat back to Earth.
Volcanic Impact: Eruptions release sulfur dioxide, forming aerosols that reflect solar radiation, potentially cooling the Earth’s surface.
Milankovitch cycles
What is the Milankovitch cycle
The Milankovitch cycles are long-term variations in Earth’s orbit and axial tilt that affect its climate over thousands of years.
Eccentricity: Changes in the shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, ranging from more circular to more elliptical, occurring over about 100,000 years. This affects the distance between Earth and the Sun, influencing the amount of solar energy received.
Axial Tilt (Obliquity): Variations in the tilt of Earth’s axis, ranging from 22.1 to 24.5 degrees, occurring over about 41,000 years. This affects the distribution of solar energy between the equator and the poles.
Precession: The wobble in Earth’s rotation axis, which affects the timing of the seasons in relation to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. This cycle has a period of about 26,000 years.
What are humans doing to interfere with these natural drivers of climate change?
Populations are much bigger - 8 billion
Industrial revolution that uses mass amounts of fossil fuels
3 / 4 of energy in UK is fossil fuels
Fossil fuels produce CO2 when burned
Human race creates 7 gigatons of carbon dioxide a year
Greenhouse effect is becoming too effective
Trees absorb carbon dioxide - however trees are getting cut down and reducing CO2 stores
What are sunspots
Sunspots are temporary, dark spots on the surface of the Sun (the photosphere) caused by intense magnetic activity. Can influence space weather and solar radiation levels.
What is an ecological footprint
An ecological footprint is a measure of the environmental impact of an individual, community, or activity, expressed in terms of the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to support their lifestyle and absorb their waste.
What is albedo
Albedo is a measure of how much sunlight is reflected by a surface, expressed as a percentage.
What should you do when describing a location
Continent, Country, Coordinates, City, Close to, Compass Distance
What steps should you do to create a scatter graph
L - LIne of best fit
A - Accuracy
T - Title
A - Axis labeled
A - Identify anomalies
K - key
S - scaling
What is a positive correlation
As one variable increases so does the other variable
What is a negative correlation
As one variable increases the other decreases
What is no correlation
There is no relationship between the two variables
What is a strategy to describe scatter graphs relationships
When describing a scatter plot, highlight the highest and lowest values, rank them, and note any minimal differences (e.g., no more than 1 unit) to illustrate the relationship between data points.
How to reduce your ecological footprint
Eating less meat, using solar panels, use sustainable transport, recycle
What are some human causes of climate change
Burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, industrial processes, waste management, urbanisation, Transportation
What is the opposite of deforestation
Afforestation
Difference between urbanisation, urban growth and urban sprawl
In summary, urbanization is the overall shift to urban living, urban growth is the increase in size and population of urban areas, and urban sprawl is the uncontrolled spread of urban development into surrounding areas
Identify impacts of Climate change on
the natural world (BOWIE)
Biodiversity: Loss of species unable to adapt.
Oceans: Acidification and impacts on marine life.
Weather: More frequent and severe extreme events.
Ice Melt: Rising sea levels and reduced freshwater.
Ecosystems: Disruption and species shifts.
Examples of positive feedback mechanisms
Ice-Albedo Feedback: Melting ice reduces reflectivity, absorbing more heat and causing further ice melt.
Water Vapor Feedback: Increased temperatures lead to more water vapor, which traps more heat and warms the planet further.
Permafrost Thawing: Thawing permafrost releases greenhouse gases, which intensify warming and cause more permafrost to thaw.
Vegetation Feedback: Loss of vegetation reduces carbon sequestration, increasing CO2 levels and warming the climate.
Ocean Circulation Feedback: Disruptions in ocean currents from warming affect global climate patterns, amplifying the warming effect.
how do scientists know that carbon dioxide levels relate to global temperatures
Ice Core Sampling: Scientists drill into glaciers and ice sheets to extract long cylindrical samples called ice cores. These cores contain layers of ice that have accumulated over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years.
What is the Kyoto Protocol
Adopted: December 1997
Effective: February 2005
Goal: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change
Targets: 37 developed countries (Annex I) to cut emissions by 5.2% below 1990 levels (2008-2012)
Notable Absentees: USA, Australia.
What is the Copenhagen Accord
2009 Copenhagen Accord was a pledge for financial support to developing notions to help them cope with impacts of climate change. However was not legally binding.
Compare and contrast regulating and support services
Regulating services directly manage and moderate ecosystem processes that impact human well-being, like flood control and air quality.
Supporting services are more foundational and indirect, creating the conditions for ecosystems to function and provide other services, such as soil formation and nutrient cycling.
What is the Paris Agreement
Paris Agreement
2015 Paris agreement. 195 countries adopted first ever legally binding global climate deal. It aims to peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and balance emissions and absorption in the second half of the century (2050-2100). The goal is to keep global temperature increases below 2°C, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Progress will be reviewed every five years. Developed countries committed $100 billion annually by 2020 to support climate initiatives in developing countries, with plans for continued funding Criticisms include that many aspects of the agreement are seen as promises or aims rather than firm commitments.
explain what primary jobs are and explain the relationship to GDP
Definition: Jobs involved in extracting natural resources.
Examples: Farming, fishing, mining, forestry.
GDP Contribution: Typically lower in developed economies; higher in less developed countries reliant on agriculture or resource extraction.
explain what secondary jobs are and explain the relationship to GDP
Definition: Jobs focused on manufacturing and processing raw materials into finished goods.
Examples: Factory work, construction, car production, textile manufacturing.
GDP Contribution: Moderate to significant in industrialized nations; decreases as economies move toward service-based sectors.
explain what are tertiary jobs are and explain the relationship to GDP
Definition: Service-based jobs that provide support or services to people and businesses.
Examples: Healthcare, education, retail, banking, tourism.
GDP Contribution: Dominates in developed economies, where services typically account for the largest share of GDP.
What are some strategies of mitigation for CC
Mitigating: switching to renewable energy, carbon capturing, international agreements
What are some strategies of adaption for CC
Adapting: afforestation, genetically modified crops, water surplus, sea defences
Describe the location of the GPGP (C’s)
The ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ is located in the North Pacific Ocean, to the West of California and NE of the Hawaii islands. It stretches from approximately 140 - 130W of the Prime Meridian and 25 – 40N of the Equator.
Why are oceans so important
Humans are interconnected with ocean - provide water, oxygen, weather, food, minerals, and resources
Allow for transport and habitat for 80% of life on Earth
Oceans are under threat due to extraction of resources, dump waste and destring them
What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The garbage patch is an area of marine debris concentration in the North Pacific Ocean.
How big is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.
How much plastic is the oceans
79000 tonnes of floating debris
What is a gyre
Gyres are large-scale circular oceanic currents. They are driven primarily by the global wind patterns and the Coriolis effect, Gyres form as the wind drags water along, causing the surface currents to move in a circular pattern.
Evaluate the properties of plastic and identify the issues associated with plastic in our oceans.
Breakdown: Plastic breaks into microplastics but doesn’t fully decompose, causing long-term pollution.
Impact: Harms marine life, disrupts ecosystems, and can enter the food chain.
Explain how plastic accumulates in our oceans.
Sources: Plastic enters oceans through rivers, beaches, storm drains, and littering.
Transport: Currents and winds carry plastic debris across the globe.
Accumulation: Plastic collects in large areas like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch due to ocean currents (gyres).
Ø Analyse strategies to address ocean plastics.
Prevention: Bans on single-use plastics, promoting recycling, and increasing consumer awareness.
Improved Waste Management: Better recycling systems, enhanced waste collection, and supporting a circular economy.
Cleanup Efforts: Ocean cleanup technologies and community beach cleanups.
Innovation: Development of biodegradable plastics and sustainable alternatives.
Global Cooperation: International agreements and collaborations among governments, NGOs, and businesses.
How can gyres be used to explain plastic concentrations in ocean
Gyres are vast rotating ocean current systems that trap debris in their circular flow. Once plastic enters a gyre, it accumulates in the center, forming large patches like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Plastics break down into microplastics but rarely degrade, posing a persistent environmental threat.
Describe distribution of Ecological footproints
The global distribution of ecological footprints (EF) is highly uneven, with wealthier, industrialized nations like the USA, Canada, and Western Europe showing the highest EF, far exceeding the 1.6 gha per person threshold for resource regeneration. In contrast, much of Africa, Southeast Asia, and South Asia have significantly lower EFs, indicating lower resource consumption. Notable outliers include Australia, which has a much higher EF than its Southeast Asian neighbors, and Mongolia, which has a higher EF compared to China and Russia. Overall, the map highlights stark disparities in environmental impact across different regions.
Sea level fact
Sea levels have risen by 17cm in the last 100 years
Glacier Fact
Glaciers Melt a Madagascar’s worth of landmass each year - 1.2 trillions tons of ice per year
Arctic sea ice
Artic sea ice has thinned by 65% since 1975 and in 2014 its extent was at an all-time low.
Global Temps
The earth’s average surface air temperature has increased by approximately 1 degrees over last 100 years
Deforestation
If deforestation continues at the current rate, the world’s forests could disappear completely within 100 years.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels make up 50% of Green house gasses
CO2 levels
The current global average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere is 421 ppm (0.04%) as of May 2022. This is an increase of 50% since the start of the Industrial Revolution, up from 280 ppm
Projected temps
Global temps are expected to increase by 2 - 5%
Agriculture - cattle
Western cattle produce 120kg of methane per year per cattle
Plastic recycling percentage
Only 9% of plastic is recycled
Great Pacific Garbage Patch Size
1.6 million km2 79,000 tonnes of floating debris - an amount of plastic the same size as texas
Agricultures contributions to climate change
The global food system is responsible for ~21–37% of annual emissions
If a source says explain how much piece of evidence
generally 2, can add facts in and need to explain why
What turtle primarily eat plastic thinking it is food and what is chance of death if eaten
Hawksbill
One piece of plastic = 20% chance of death
Fourteen pieces of plastic = 50%
What is the greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. It occurs when certain gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases, trap heat from the Sun. Here’s how it works:
Solar radiation from the Sun reaches the Earth in the form of light and heat. Some of this energy is absorbed by the Earth’s surface, warming it.
The Earth then emits heat energy in the form of infrared radiation back toward space.
Greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), water vapor (H₂O), and nitrous oxide (N₂O)—trap some of this infrared radiation, preventing it from escaping into space.
As a result, this trapped heat warms the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a more hospitable climate for life.
How much CO2 does the human race produce per year
Human race creates 7 gigatons of carbon dioxide a year
Explain how Human activity is to blame for recent global warming
DO deforestation and CO2 emissions
How much forest is lost each year
An estimated 18 million acres of forest is lost each year.
Explain evidence of climate change
DO increased sea levels / melting ice caps and temperatures
strategies to describe scatter graphs
Trend: Identify positive, negative, or no correlation between variables.
Clusters: Look for groupings of data points.
Outliers: Highlight points that deviate from the trend.
Strength of Correlation: Describe if the relationship is strong or weak.
Shape: Note if the pattern is linear, non-linear, or follows another shape.
Axes Description: Explain what the x-axis and y-axis represent.
Direction: Describe the slope or direction of change (upward, downward, flat).
Strategies to describe regular graphs
Trend: Identify if values are increasing, decreasing, or staying constant over time.
Peaks and Troughs: Highlight the highest (peaks) and lowest (troughs) points.
Rate of Change: Describe if the changes are rapid, gradual, or fluctuating.
Comparisons: Compare different data series (if applicable) or time periods.
Shape: Note the overall shape (steady, zigzag, bell curve, etc.).
Axes Description: Clearly explain what the x-axis and y-axis represent.
Anomalies: Point out any unexpected or unusual data points.
