EXAM 1 Flashcards
What is the study of environmental science about?
the interactions between physical, chemical, and biological components of earth’s natural environment
ecology
the study of the relationships of organisms with their environment
ecosystem
one or more communities of organisms that are interacting with their environment as a unit
What are different types of human impacts on ecosystems?
Agriculture, Fossil fuels, Pollution, waste, Land development, Fires
What is the concept tragedy of the commons?
individuals with access to a public resource act in their own interest and ultimately deplete the resource
What are potential solutions to tragedy of the commons?
government regulation or making public property private
What has caused increases in environmental degradation?
pollution, economic growth and over population
What are the three main factors comprising the environmental crisis?
(over) population, (excessive consumption) resources, and environmental quality
What is the formula to evaluate human impact on the environment?
impact formula: I = P x A x T
What does the I stand for in the impact formula?
total environmental impact of human population
What does the P stand for in the impact formula?
population size
what does the A stand for in the impact formula?
estimate of per-capita affluence in resource use
What does the T stand for in impact formula?
degree of technology development
What are the three E’s?
environment, economy, equity
Sustainability
the capacity of the earth’s natural system to support life and human social systems to survive or adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely
sustainable development
development of economic system that uses natural resources in ways that do not deplete them
Examples of sustainable development
recycling, using water more effectively, harvesting energy for renewable resources
natural resource and examples
materials and energy provided by nature that are essential and useful to human life; land
ecosystem services and examples
natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life and human economies at no cost to us; trees
natural capital and examples
The natural resources and ecosystem services that support human life; minerals
science
the systematic examination of the structure and functioning of the natural world, both physical and biological attribute
steps of scientific method
observation, question, hypothesis, predict, experiment/observation, conclusion
hypothesis
a testable explanation for an observation, proposed explanation for the occurrence of phenomenon
data
information/measurements collected
sample size
number of observations
sum
total of your measurements
mean
average
standard deviation
How much the actual measurements deviate from the average
standard error
Tells us how accurately our sample represents a population
names of graphs
scatter, line, bar
scientific theory
structured explanation to explain a group of facts or phenomena in the natural world
what does reliable science mean?
how consistently a method measures something
what is the peer review process?
when other experts in the field review other work to make sure it is accurate
matter and examples
Any substance that occupies space and has mass and can exist in three physical states – solid, liquid, and gas; air
element and examples
substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by chemical reactions; hydrogen
compounds and examples
substances that contain 2 or more elements; salt
parts of atoms
protons, neutrons and electrons
atomic number
determined by number of protons (top left corner)
mass number
total # of protons and neutrons in nucleus
isotopes
different forms of an element that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons and masses
ions
atom/group of atoms with one or more net positive or negative electrical charges
molecules
two or more atoms of the same or different elements joined by chemical bonds
organic molecules
molecules that are carbon-based
what are the main four types of molecules?
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
monomer for carbohydrates
monosaccharides
monomer for lipids
1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids
monomer for protein
amino acids
monomer for nucleic acids
nucleotide
energy
fundamental physical entity, the capacity of a body or system to accomplish work
what are the two types of energy and examples of each
kinetic (motion) and potential (stored)
what is the first law of thermodynamics/law of conservation of energy?
when energy is converted from one form to another, no energy is created or destroyed
concept of energy efficiency
measure of how much work results from each unit of energy put into a system
trophic level
hierarchy in ecosystem about food and energy chain
name the different levels of the trophic level
producer -> primary -> secondary -> tertiary
inputs for photosynthesis
carbon dioxide
output for photosynthesis
oxygen
input for aerobic respiration
stored chemical energy
output for aerobic respiration
energy to produce life processes
how does energy transfer through trophic levels?
when organic molecules from one organism are eaten by another organism
what happens to energy as you travel up trophic levels?
decreases
what is GPP?
(gross primary productivity) the rate at which an ecosystem’s producers convert solar energy into chemical energy stored in their compounds found in their tissuestherateofphotosynthesis
What is NPP?
(net primary productivity) Energy directed toward growth and reproduction of primary producer
How do we assess NPP?
standing biomass: NPP = GPP - respiration
why do we see different levels of NPP across different ecosystems?
due to the type of plants, temperature, and precipitation
Where do we see NPP the highest and lowest?
highest = wet and warm ecosystems
lowest = desert and tundra
geology
study of dynamic processes taking place on the earth’s surface and in its interior
what are the three different zones of earth?
core, mantle, crust
mineral
naturally occurring chemical element or inorganic compound that exists as a crystalline solid
rock
solid combination of one or more minerals
what are the different types of rock
sedimentary, metamorphic, igenous
describe the rock cycle
crystallization, metamorphism, and erosion and sedimentation
examples of geological activity related to tectonic plates
divergent (away from each other), convergent (towards each other), transform (parallel to each other)
dynamics of volcanos and an example
vent in surface which molten lava flows onto the ground and all states of matter are ejected into the atmosphere (magma rising through the lithosphere, reaches the earths surface through a crack/fissure); Mount Vesuvius
dynamics of earthquakes
breakage and shifting of rocks, occurs at a fault, lead to destruction of buildings, landslips, tsunamis
dynamics of tsunamis and an example
series of huge waves generated when the ocean floor suddenly rises or drops; japan tsunami (damaged nuclear reactors)
dynamics of glaciers
sheets of ice formed from deep snowpack, compressed into ice from weight; can form mounded hills or bodies of water when melted
what is the breakdown of water on planet earth?
ocean (97.4%), freshwater (3%), surface water(2.3%), groundwater (0.32%)
zone of saturation
spaces in soil below a certain depth are filled with water (important for wells and farming)
water table
top zone of saturation
aquifers
a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater, recharged naturally by precipitation or by nearby lakes, rivers, and streams
what are the general processes in the hydrologic cycle?
precipitation, runoff, evaporation, atmospheric circulation
why is the Great Salt Lake drying up?
climate change and too much water is being diverted to other sources before it can reach the lake
what are the effects of the Great Salt Lake drying up?
metals at bottom are being exposed to atmosphere and are considered cancerous, migratory bird hotspot which cause them to go endangered
What can be done to deal with water shortages in the Great Salt Lake?
make housing more expensive or make reservoirs
atmosphere
thin blanket of gases surrounding the earth
composition of the two main gases in the atmosphere
nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%)
different layers of the atmosphere
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
defining features of the troposphere and stratosphere
troposphere- 20km, closest and overall supports life
stratosphere- 20-50 km, protective ozone layer that filters around 95% of harmful UV radition
difference between weather and climate
climate is long-term (temperature and humidity overall) vs. weather is short-term (temperature and humidity at a specific time)
how does solar radiation influence seasonal change as well as regional climate?
angled contact = more light less heat
straight contact = less light more heat
how does the tilt of earth’s axis influence seasonal change as well as regional climate?
cause seasons due to where the rays of the sun cover most surface area
how does the rotation of the earth on its axis influence seasonal change as well as regional climate?
cause day and night
how do Hadley cells impact climate?
Larger atmospheric cells or circulations where air rises at the equator and then sinks at medium latitudes (warm air falls, collects moisture, forced up, distributes water, falls back down)
how does air circulation impact climate?
redistributes heat and moisture
rain shadow effect (mentioning leeward and windward)
more precipitation on windward (where wind comes from) than leeward (where wind isn’t)
what is the urban heat island effect?
urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas (1-7 degrees higher during the day)
what are the causes and possible solutions of the urban heat island effect?
increased areas of black pavement, not enough trees to cool down/shade areas; plant more trees, add more shade structures, paint rooftops white
soil
complex and variable mixture of fragmented rock, organic matter moisture, gases, and living organisms that covers almost all terrestrial landscapes
how does soil form and what factors impact its formation?
mechanical weathering of rocks –> chemical weathering of the broken down rocks; parent material, biotic factors, climate, topography and time
what are the three different types of soil?
sand, silt, and clay
which kind of soil is the largest, smallest, and can hold the most water?
sand, clay, clay
loam
well-suited for plant-growth, allows water to pass through; 40-40-20 (sand, silt, clay)
list the soil layers
organic, topsoil, subsoil, parent material, and bedrock
what are the prominent soil orders in NY?
inceptisol, alfisol, and spodisol
how did soil erosion cause the dust bowl?
topsoil was dry and easily eroded by the wind due to the mass tilling the land, causing dust to travel with wind
what were the greater effects of the dust bowl?
mass migration and established the natural resources conservation service
carbon cycle process and how humans impact it
from the atmosphere to plants to soil/minerals to atmosphere again; pollution and deforestation
nitrogen cycle process and how humans impact it
When plant dies, bacteria break down plants and releases it back into the atmosphere; eutrophication (when sunlight is blocked, causing plants underwater to die) plants cannot absorb carbon
phosphorus cycle process and how humans impact it
Water runs over rocks – erodes the inorganic compounds – carries to soil, absorbed by roots – then transferred through the food system; eutrophication
do you know the tree ID’s based on its leaves?
yes
what are the different vegetation layers of the environment?
canopy (shading), understory (shading but smaller), shrub (woody plants), herb (low-light/shade tolerance), forest floor (forest nutrient recycling)
preservationist
john muir
conservationists
gifford pinchot and teddy roosevelt
who help found the US wilderness society
aldo leopold
who wrote a book that led to regulation of pesticides
rachel carson
when was the first earth day?
aprill 22, 1970
who coined the term tragedy of commons
garrett hardin
