Environmental Indicators Flashcards
Chapter 9
What are environmental indicators?
Factors of the environment identified and used as a way of assessing the overall condition of an environment.
define range of tolerance
tolerance to chemical and physical conditions within which an organism will live, grow, and function normally
define tolerance limit
The point where physical and chemical conditions become harmful to an organism
define limiting factors
Any condition that approaches or exceeds an organisms limits of tolerance.
What is an ecological niche
The description of an organisms structural and functional role in an ecosystem
What is a generalist
A species that occupies a broad ecological niche and feeds on many kind of food
What is a specialist
Organisms which have very specialised niches and feed on very few types of food
How is air quality determined?
through the chemical composition of the atmosphere
what is a physical indicator?
Physical (Physical feature)
what is a chemical indicator
Chemical (Chemical factor)
What is a biological indicator?
Biological (Effects on a plant or animal)
what is a socio-economic indicator?
Socio-economic (effects on people)
What is turbidity?
Measure of suspended fine particles in water
What is light intensity
Measure of the amount of sunlight reaching a surface
What is pH
The measure of acidity or alkalinity (basic) of water or soil
What is dissolved oxygen (as an indicator)
a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in the water - the amount of oxygen available to living aquatic organisms.
What is biological oxygen demand?
amount of organic material (e.g waste) in the water
What is salinity?
salt levels (measured in mg/L)
How is salinity measured?
Measured by conductivity - measures the number of inorganic salt materials dissolved in a soil or water sample (Conductivity probe)
What are two key nutrients as aquatic indicators?
phosphorus and nitrogen
What is the role of phosphorus and nitrogen in aquatic systems?
Phosphorus: Needed for metabolism and growth
Nitrogen: Needed for the production of proteins
Why are frogs good environmental indicators?
Frogs are amphibians which absorb pollutants and and other environmental stressors
They are usually the first to be affected by environmental changes
Why are fish good environmental indicators?
The presence of native fish is used as a good indicator, as they are easy to identify and live for long periods.
This means the effects of the environment can be seen in them
Why is algae a god environmental indicator?
Algae indicates nutrient levels in water
Why are aquatic macroinvertebrates good environmental indicators
- sensitive to mild pollutants and water quality changes
- exhibit easily predictable and detectable responses to changes in water quality
Why are introduced species good environmental indicators?
Introduced species can affect food chains and habitat structure, and can indicate the health of an ecosystem through their populations
Why are soil biota good environmental indicators?
These are the living things within the soil, plants, animals and microbes.
They are sensitive to changes in the soil conditions
What are pollutant-tolerant species?
species able to survive in polluted conditions (tolerant)
What are pollutant-sensitive species?
Species that live only in unpolluted conditions (sensitive)
What is a biomarker species?
Species which have a low threshold for a particular contaminant
What are bioassays
Expose an indicator organism to a test material & measure the response
What is primary salinity
Natural salinity
What is secondary salinity
Salinity that has occurred or increased due to human activity
What is the state of the environment model
a national overview of the Australian Environment that is published by the Australian government every 5 years
How is the state of the environment model used?
it is used to develop:
- indicators to measure environmental pressure
- Indicators to measure the state, or condition, of the environment
- indicators to measure societal responses taken in the light of pressures and state of the environment
What are some examples of the state of the environment indicators?
- southern oscillation index to indicate climate change
- UV radiation flux at the surface to indicate stratospheric ozone depletion
- groundwater salinity to indicate the condition of groundwater
What are some environmental indicators for air quality?
carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, lead
How is the standard for physiological, ecological or environmental conditions determined?
- Historic levels of indicators
- Desired levels
- Potential levels and threshold levels
