Exam 1 Flashcards
temperature
speed with which molecules collide with each other
mass
relates to amount of matter contained in a substance
density
mass of substance in a given volume
pressure
force of molecules bombarding a given area
concentration
mass/volume
Kelvin
absolute temperature scale
-495F=0K
no molecular motion at 0K
4 common themes of science
- scales- micro, meso, macro
- systems
- constancy of change- everything stays the same even when there’s disruption (chemical example)
- models- a tentative representation of an observation based on an interpretation from available information (representation of real world situation)
1 meter is larger than ____
1 yard
1 liter is larger than _____
1 quart
1 kilogram is larger than ____
1 pound (lb is a unit of force, mass X gravity)
what is science?
“knowledge”
study of cause and effect
scientific method (3 steps)
- observation
- hypothesize
- testing/experimentation
(a verified hypothesis can lead to a theory)
deductive reasoning
reasoning from general to specific
inductive reasoning
reasoning from many observations
what is environmental science?
incorporates and shows relation/interaction between all the sciences
landscape definition
grouping of interactive ecosystems in a particular area
ecotone
transitional region that contains some species and characteristics of 2 adjacent ecosystems and certain species and characteristics of an ecosystem itself
landscape
grouping of interactive ecosystems in a particular area
biosphere
the zone of air, land, and water at the surface of the earth that is accepted by organisms
biome
a large, stable, terrestrial ecosystem characterized by specific plant and animal communities; usually is named for its dominant vegetation
examples: tropical rainforest, desert, arctic and alpine tundra, template rain forest
what does HIPPO stand for?
Habitat destruction Invasive species Pollution Population Overharvesting
Linnaean Hierarchy
interconnectedness of different species
levels in Hierarchy (start from outside)
Kingdom Phyla Class Order Family Genus Species (genus and species are part of microevolution, the rest are part of macroevolution)
what is the acronym for the Hierarchy
Kids Play Chess On Fuming Gas Stations
Speciesism
refers to a bias against nonhuman animals simply because they are members of another species
Major environmental worldviews
planetary management
- humans manage nature
- unlimited natural resources
- economic growth beneficial
- success depends on beneficial use of earth’s life-support systems
Major environmental worldviews
earth-wisdom
- nature exists for all species
- limited natural resources
- controlled economic growth
- success depends on learning to work with the earth and each other
requirements of a natural landscape
less water
less toxic chemicals
less maintenance
Environmental management tools (James Trefil)
genomics experimental ecology complexity theory informatics garden and gardener analogy benefit to humans principle
benefit to humans principle
“the planet should be managed to maximize the welfare, broadly conceived, of human beings”
what are the 4 things that all organisms need in order to survive?
food
water
space
cover
what is one thing that is a major cause of extinction?
loss of habitat
environmental landscaping
a way of caring for property that impacts the environment as little as possible using plants native to the area
external factors that impact population growth factors
food availability
interactions with others
habitat condition/quality
weather
internal factors that impact population growth factors
maturity
body size
hormonal status
disease
what are 5 things that ecosystems do for sustainability?
- use sunlight or geothermal heat or energy source
- remove wastes and replenish nutrients via recycling elements
- control size of consumer populations so over use does not occur
- show resilience
- maintain “biodiversity”
biodiversity
the genetic, species, and ecological, and functional diversity of the organisms in a given area
causes for extinction and biodiversity decline
alteration of habitat
pollution
loss of “keystone species”
evolution
a process that results in heritable (able to be inherited) changes in a population spread over many generations
natural selection
the process by which the forms of organisms in a population that are best adapted to the environment increase in frequency relative to less well-adapted forms over a number of generations
adaptation
the feature of an organism that enables it to serve and reproduce in its natural environment better than if it lacked the feature
models
a tentative representation of an observation based on an interpretation from available information (representation of real world situation)
