Exam 1 Flashcards
Environmental worldviews (3)
Anthropocentric (people-centered), biocentric (values all life), and ecocentric (prioritizes the ecosystem as a whole)
4 characteristics of sustainability
Rely on renewable energy, recycle matter, have population control, depend on local biodiversity
What is the wicked problem? (3)
Multiple causes and consequences, different stakeholders prefer different outcomes, potential solutions come with trade offs
Triple bottom line
A solution to a wicked problem must be good for the environment, good for society and affordable
Anthropocene
Our current geologic era that is marked by the impact of humans on the environment. This is occurring because humans actions are altering global stability on a global scale
Empirical vs applied science
Empirical investigates the natural world through systematic observation and experimentation. Applied uses findings to inform actions and hopefully bring about positive change
Purpose and scope of environmental science
To draw on scientific and nonscientific disciplines to understand the natural world and our relationship to it
Def. of interdisciplinary and its applications for envs
Relating to more than one field or branch of knowledge. This is important envs because a multifaceted approach is needed to solve envs problems
Science as a body of knowledge vs as a process
As a body of knowledge science refers to facts and explanations about the natural world which can change, but the process of science refers to the scientific method.
Steps of the scientific process (5)
1) Make observations. 2) Develop a hypothesis. 3) Design an experiment. 4) Perform the experiment & collect results. 5) Accept or reject hypothesis based on findings.
Observation vs inference
An observation is information that is detected with sense or with equipment that extends/enhances our senses. An inference is a conclusion that is drawn based on observations.
Critical thinking (4)
Involves being skeptical, evaluating the evidence, watching out for author biases, and being open-minded
Falsifiable
Able to be objectively proved false
Observational vs experimental study
Observing variables in a natural setting vs manipulating variables to compare against a control group
Test/treatment group & why control groups are important
A test/treatment group is the group in an experimental study that is manipulated so it differs from the control group in one way. Control groups provide a baseline to compare results against
Independent vs dependent variables & and which would be placed on the y or the x axis
The independent variable (X) is the factor that being manipulated to see if it changes any aspects of the dependent variable (Y)
Correlation vs causation
Being able to show that two things occur together vs showing that one thing definitely caused another
Ecosystem defintion
All the organisms in an area + all the abiotic components
Sinks (4)
Are components of the environment that serve as storage places for nutrients. The 4 main sinks are fossil fuels, rocks, atmosphere, and water.
How do nutrients move from one sink to another?/ Residence time
By organisms acquiring them from a sink and then they go through the food chain and return to a sink. Residence time is how long nutrients spend in a sink which varies by the sink
Range of tolerance
Is the gradient of how well species survive in a given range of critical resources or conditions for that factor. Species with more genetic diversity will have a wider range and will be better able to adapt
3 Main nutrient cycles/ how are humans disrupting these cycles?
Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus. Carbon is affected by burning fossil fuels and cutting forests. Nitrogen is affected by sewage and vehicle emissions. Phosphorus is interrupted by mining, fertilizers, and sewage
The ecological hierarchy (6)
1) Individual 2) Population 3) Community 4) Ecosystem 5) Biome 6) Biosphere
Definitions for the elements of the ecological hierarchy
Pop: all the individuals of a species in a given area. Community: all the biotic populations living in an area. Ecosystem: all the biotic/abiotic components in an area. Biome: a distinct type of ecosystem determined by climate and identified by predominant vegetation/organisms
Species habitat and niche
A habitat is the physical environment in which individuals of a particular species can be found. Niche is the role a species plays in its community, how it gets energy, what other aspects of its ecosystem it interacts with.
Energy and nutrient cycles (open, or closed?)
Matter is closed, we have a finite amount and it is recycled constantly. Energy is open and constantly flowing to the Earth via the Sun
First two laws of thermodynamics
1) Energy cannot be created or destroyed 2) every energy transfer increases entropy and energy is lost
Photosynthesis and the carbon cycle
Photosynthesis uses carbon and water to make sugar (nutrients). In photosynthesis, carbon comes from soil and then is released by the plant through cellular respiration into the atmosphere before returning to the soil
Population range, density, and distribution
R: the geographic area where a species is found. DE: # of individuals per unit area. DI: the location/spacing of individuals within their range
Distribution patterns (3)
Random: like some plants that randomly drop seeds. Clumped: herding animals. Uniform: more or less equally spaced, like creosote bushes
What is the population growth rate?
Change in population over time. Additions-losses. Factors that determine this are birth/emigration and death/immigration
Biotic potential, and what does growth look like at optimal biotic potential?
The maximum rate at which the population can grow if each member survives & reproduces. Exponential
Habitat (2) & niche (3)
H: The environment/resources that are necessary for a species to survive. N: An organism’s role and interactions in a community, how its gets energy, and its preferred habitat
Predation, parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism
Predation (+/-), Parasitism: a symbiotic relationship where one benefits and one is harmed (+/-), Mutualism: is a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit (+/+), Commensalism: symbiotic relationship where one benefits and the other isn’t affected (+/0)
Decomposers vs detritivores in trophic levels
Decomposers are microbiotic lifeforms like bacteria/fungi that break matter down into basic forms, detritivores are animals that eat dead organic materials. Both can be found at all trophic levels
The two key key components of biodiversity
Species richness and species evenness
Resilience
The ability of ecosystem to recover when its damaged
Ecotone
A region of transition between two biological communities
Restoration ecology
Seeks to repair ecosystems, but it is easier to conserve that restore
Ecological succession
Progressive replacement of plant and then animal species in a community over time due to the changing conditions that plants create.
Evolution definition
The change in the characteristics of a species over several generations that relies on the process of natural selection
Extinction vs Extirpation
The complete loss of a species globally vs the the complete loss of a species locally
Individuals are ____and through this process populations _____
Selected, evolve
Nonrandom vs random selection
Selective pressure due to predation, resources, habitat, etc vs genetic drift, bottleneck, or founder effects
Stabilizing selection
Favors the norm, selects against extremes
Directional selection
Favors a particular extreme
Disruptive selection
Favors both extremes, but selects against intermediate forms
Genetic drift
Some variations happen to be more common than others for no reason
Founder effects
A part of the population relocated to another area
Coevolution and the red queen hypothesis
When two species each provide the selective pressure that determines the traits favored by natural selection in the other species. In Alice/Wonderland, Alice and the queen run the same speed and never meet each other
Gene vs allele
G: Stretches of DNA that each direct the production of proteins and influence traits. A: Variants of genes that code for the diversity of traits seen in a population
Factors that influence the pace of evolution (5)
Genetic diversity, strength of the selective pressure, reproductive rate, population size, and generation time.
Bottleneck affect
When a chunk of the population is somehow lost
Genetic vs species vs ecological diversity
G: heritable diversity among individuals or the species as a whole. S: Richness/evenness. E: Variety of habitats, niches, and ecological communities in an ecosystem
Endemic species
A species that is only found in one area and nowhere else on Earth
Where are biodiverse hotspots located? What biomes are more/less diverse?
Small areas with high numbers of endemic & endangered species. Tropical biomes and isolated terrestrial ecosystems are highly diverse, and areas extremely north or south of the equator are less diverse
Main threats to biodiversity
Overexploitation, pollution, climate change, invasive species, and the #1 cause: habitat destruction and fragmentation
Ecosystem services (3) (4 each)
Human provisions: food, fiber, fuel, pharmaceuticals. Cultural Benefits: Aesthetic, spiritual, educational, recreational. Ecosystem regulation/support: nutrient cycling, pollination, climate regulation, soil formtation
Conservation biology
The science of preserving biodiversity. Conservation biologists focus on protecting species and maintaining/restoring ecosystems
IUCN threatened species categories (3)
Vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered
Flagship species
Well-known or “popular species” that are used as a poster child for conservation
Ecosystem conservation vs landscape conservation
Working at an ecosystem level to restore habitats/resources vs monitoring a group of species that use all parts of a habitat to monitor ecosystem health
Conservation genetics
refers to using genetic samples (DNA from “fingerprints,” dung, and microsatellites) to track where poached animals are coming from and how they’re related
Ecotourism
Low-impact travel to natural areas the contributes to the protection of the environment
Debt-for-nature swaps
Are when a wealthy country forgives the debt of a developing country in exchange for protecting certain ecosystems
