Environmental change and management Flashcards
define biodiversity!
the varieties of species living in a particular biome
define ecosystem
an ecosystem is when a community of species interact with each other
what is environment
all living and non-living things that support life
what is biome
an area of the planet that can be classified according to the plants and animals that live in it.
three processes in the environment
hydrologic cycle, carbon cycle, and oxygen cycle
what is the hydrologic cycle
rain is a part of this cycle
what is the carbon cycle
decayed of dead organisms, burning of fossil fuels, how plants need CO2 for their photosynthesis and human respiration
what is the oxygen cycle
atmosphere, the total content
of biological matter within the biosphere, and the earth’s crust
what is biosphere
The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists.
what are the four S’s of ecosystem
services, sources, sinks, spirituality
what are services?
made by humans, and don’t produce consumable resources
what are sources
natural products that we can use
what are sinks
the processes in the natural environment that absorb our waste
what is spirituality
the connection we have to the land that is formed over many generations
what is worldview
how do we perceive the world around us and a philosophy we live our life by
what are the two philosophies
human-centred and earth-centred
what are human centred
egocentric - the idea that they are the most important creature on earth and everything else supports their lives
anthropocentric - humans are the most important creature and they are in charge of the natural world to support our life
what are earth centred
ecocentric - the idea that we need to do everything possible to minimise the impact on the environment and preserve biodiversity
biocentric - we hold all responsibility for using the earth’s resources in a sustainable way
what is a new ecological paradigm
The view that humans represent only one among many species on Earth, that human activities are determined by the environment as well as by social and cultural
lithosphere definition and what it is made up of
the rocky outer part of the Earth and it is made up of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle
lithospheric processes that could transform environments
erosion, weathering and tectonic processes
erosion definition
the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water
weathering definition
the physical and chemical disintegration of rocks and minerals
two types of weathering
physical - water freezing and expanding, seeds germinating, and cracking rocks, and when rocks are exposed and expand
chemical - when minerals react with oxygen and form oxides, acids dissolve minerals in rock or when rocks expand as their minerals combine with water
tectonic processes
fold mountains and fault mountains
fold mountains
created where two or more of Earth’s tectonic plates are pushed together.
fault mountains
formed by the movement of large crustal blocks when forces in the Earth’s crust pull it apart.
