Exam 1

Question 1

How is environmental science different from environmentalism

Answer 1

Environmental science is the use of the scientific method to study processes and systems in the environment

Environmentalism involves working to influence attitudes and policies that affect our environment- agenda driven

Question 2

Do environmental problems commonly result from a single or a few isolated factors or from a complex set of interrelated problems. Give examples

Answer 2

A complex set of interrelated

Examples: water pollution

Question 3

What are the characteristics and leaders of pragmatic utilitarian conservatism

Answer 3

Leaders: George Perkins Marsh, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gifford Pinchot

For the greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time

Question 4

What are the characteristics and leaders of bio enteric preservationists

Answer 4

Leader: john Muir

Nature exists for its own sake regardless of usefulness to humans. Man shouldn’t value themselves over nature

Question 5

What are the characteristics and leaders of concern about health and ecological damage

Answer 5

Leader: Aldo Leopold

The land ethic- we abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us

Question 6

What are the characteristics and leaders of global environmental citizenship

Answer 6

Leaders: wangari maathai (Kenya)
You xiaogang (China) Muhammad yunus (India) gro brundtland ( Norway)

Modern information technology allow for increased international communications and efforts for local and regional leaders to have an increased environmental impact

Question 7

What is the worlds population today and how has it changed over the last 5000 years

Answer 7

Today’s population: 7.1 billion

Over the past 5000 years the population has increased drastically. Exponential growth since the industrial revolution

Question 8

Definition of sustainable

Answer 8

Able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed

-able to last or continue for a long time

Question 9

What are the characteristics of sustainable development

Answer 9

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations

Benefits available to all humans
Economic growth, political stability, democracy, and equitable economic opportunity

Potential impossible for long run due to limits on no renewable resources and the eart waste capacity

Question 10

What are the characteristics of science

Answer 10

A methodical logic process for gaining knowledge about natural phenomenon

Cumulative body of knowledge produced by informed, learned scholars

Process based on observation and hypothesis testing

A way to explain how the natural world works

Question 11

What are the characteristics of the scientific method

Answer 11

Empiricism: careful observation of real things
Uniformitarianism: basic patterns across time
Parisomy: go with simplest explanation when two are reasonable answers
Uncertainty: knowledge changes as new information comes
Repeatability: test and experiments are repeatable
Proof is elusive: new evidence can always undermine old, nothing is proven
Testable questions: hypothesis are testable

Question 12

Is positive proof achievable I science

Answer 12

No

New evidence can always undermine old

Question 13

What is the nature of the relationship among scientists in a given discipline

Answer 13

Scientist verify and vilify the work of other scientists. They use each other’s work to build upon the knowledge already possessed and critique the work of one another.

Question 14

How do scientists inter-act and inter-relate with the scientific methods

Answer 14

Scientists use the scientific method for their experiments and exploration of knowledge.

Question 15

Define deductive reasoning and give an example

Answer 15

Logical reasoning from general to specific

Ex.) the sun rises in the morning, the sun always rises in the west, the earth is tilted on an axis which makes the sun “rise” in the west

Question 16

Define inductive reasoning and give an example

Answer 16

Reasoning from many observations to produce a general rule

Ex.) sun rises in the west for 6 days on the 7th day it will a,so rise the in the west

Question 17

What is a blind study

Answer 17

When the researcher doesn’t know which group has been treated until after the data has been analyzed

Question 18

What is a double blind study

Answer 18

An experiment in which neither the subject or the researcher know who is in the treatment group

Question 19

In what discipline are double blind studies especially useful

Answer 19

In a controlled study during a manipulative experiment

Ex.) pharmaceutical testing

Question 20

In experimentation what are independent and dependent variables and how are the represented in a graph

Answer 20

Independent variable: what is changed in the experiment and affected the dependent variable it is located not the x axis

Dependent variable: what is being measured and depends on the independent variable is on the y axis

Question 21

What are systems? Give examples

Answer 21

Networks of interdependent components and processes with materials and energy flowing from one component to the other. Central concept in environmental science

Examples: ecosystems, climate systems, geological systems, and economic systems

Question 22

What are the characteristics of an open system

Answer 22

Exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings

Question 23

What are the characteristics of a closed system

Answer 23

Self contained and exchanges no matter or energy with the outside

Question 24

What would be the term that would be applied to a hurricane or wildfire within a system. Give definition with term

Answer 24

A disturbance

Periodic destructive events (fire or flood)

Question 25

Does a positive or negative feedback loop provide equilibrium or stability to a system

Answer 25

Negative feedback loops help maintain stability in a system

Question 26

What is a paradigm shift

Answer 26

A great change in explanatory frameworks that occur when a majority of scientists agree that an old explanation no longer works very well

Question 27

Matter has stages, give and example of each phase

Answer 27

Solid: wood Liquid: water Gas: helium Plasma: neon sign

Question 28

The law of conservation of matter tells us what about matter

Answer 28

Matter cannot be created or destroyed it but is recycled over and over again from one form to another

Question 29

What is the definition of an atom

Answer 29

Smallest particles exhibiting characteristics of the elements. Composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons

Question 30

What is the definition of a molecule

Answer 30

Two or more atoms joined together

Question 31

What is the definition of an isotope

Answer 31

Forms of an element differing in atomic mass due to the fact that the isotopes have different numbers of neutrons

Question 32

Is H2O an atom, molecule, or isotope

Answer 32

Molecule because it is two atoms joined together

Question 33

Define ion and give examples

Answer 33

Atoms that have a positive or negative charge because they have more or less electrons than protons.

Question 34

What characterizes a cell

Answer 34

Minute compartments in a living organism which carry out processes of life. Surrounded by membrane control flow of materials in and out of a cell Interior is subdivided into organelles and subcellular particles

Question 35

What is metabolism

Answer 35

Multitude of enzymatic reactions performed by an organism

Question 36

What is potential energy

Answer 36

Stored energy

Question 37

What is kinetic energy

Answer 37

Energy in moving objects

Question 38

Is chemical energy potential or kinetic energy

Answer 38

Potential- it is stored in food or fossil fuels

Question 39

The second law of thermodynamics states that as energy moves through different forms and systems it gradually does what

Answer 39

Less usable energy is available to perform work Entropy (disorder) increases

Question 40

What is the distinction between an open and closed ecosystem

Answer 40

And open ecosystem exchanges materials and organisms with other ecosystems Closed ecosystems to not charge materials or organisms with other ecosystems

Question 41

What input goes into photosynthesis and what is the output

Answer 41

Input: CO2, water, solar energy Output: sugar and oxygen

Question 42

Does much of solar energy that falls on plants get captured for photosynthesis

Answer 42

No most solar energy is wavelengths unsuitable for photosynthesis. Only 1-2% is available to be captured by plants

Question 43

Photosynthesis produces sugars among other important byproducts, what are the inputs

Answer 43

CO2 H2O and solar energy

Question 44

What is cellular respiration

Answer 44

The metabolic reactions within a cell which splits carbon and hydrogen atoms form sugar and recombined them with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water The opposite of photosynthesis. How animals get their energy

Question 45

Do both plant and animal cells respire

Answer 45

Yes, they. Both respire but plants cells also require photosynthesis

Question 46

What are the characteristics of a species

Answer 46

All organisms of the same kind that re genetically similar enough to breed in nature and produce live and fertile offspring

Question 47

What is a population

Answer 47

All members of a species living in a given area at the same time

Question 48

What is a biological community

Answer 48

All of the populations of organisms living and interacting in a particular area

Question 49

What does an ecosystem consist of

Answer 49

A biological community and its environment Physical environment- climate, water, minerals, sunlight Biological community- all the populations of organisms

Question 50

What is a food chain

Answer 50

Linked feeding series Simple arrows showing what eats what

Question 51

What is a food web

Answer 51

Interconnected food chains as most consumers have multiple food sources Crazy arrows who all eats who and what

Question 52

What are examples of primary producers

Answer 52

Plants that do photosynthesis

Question 53

What are examples of primary consumers

Answer 53

Animals that eat plants only herbivores - deer, rabbits

Question 54

What are examples of secondary consumers

Answer 54

Animals that eat other animals Carnivores and omnivores Bears and wolves

Question 55

Characteristics and examples of an herbivore

Answer 55

Eats only plants Deer

Question 56

Characteristic and examples of carnivores

Answer 56

Eats only meat Wolves

Question 57

Characteristics and examples of detritivores

Answer 57

Eats debris like wood and leaves Ants

Question 58

Characteristics and examples of scavengers

Answer 58

Eats dead carcasses Crows

Question 59

Characteristics and examples of decomposers

Answer 59

Eat everything Bacteria

Question 60

What are examples of a carbon sink in nature

Answer 60

Parts of the carbon cycle that remove carbon dioxide form the atmosphere Plants, soils, oil, coal, the ocean

Question 61

What are the major biochemical cycles in the environment

Answer 61

``` Hydrologic cycle- water Carbon cycle-carbon Nitrogen cycle- nitrogen Phosphorous cycle- phosphorous Sulfur cycle- sulfur ```

Question 62

What major biochemical cycle does not have an atmospheric phase

Answer 62

Phosphorous cycle

Question 63

What natural processes release large quantities of sulfur into the atmosphere and seawater

Answer 63

Volcanic eruptions and weathering

Question 64

What human activity can release significant sulfur into the environment

Answer 64

Burning fossil fuels

Question 65

When did the world population reach 1 billion

Answer 65

1804 It took thousands of years

Question 66

How did it take to to exceed 6 billion people

Answer 66

Took 12 years to go from 5 to 6 billion Reached 6 billion in 1999 Thousands of years

Question 67

Up until the Middle Ages populations were mostly limited by what processes

Answer 67

Diseases, famine, and war

Question 68

In what parts of the world is 90% of the worlds population growth in the next century expected to occur

Answer 68

Less developed countries

Question 69

In what terms to demographers quantify crude birth rate

Answer 69

The number of live births among a population per population of 1,000 in a given year

Question 70

How is it that zero population growth rate is slightly over two children per couple.

Answer 70

For every child born an older person dies. The birth rate is equal to the death rate.

Question 71

In what terms do demographers measure/quantify morality

Answer 71

Deaths per 1,000 population in a given year

Question 72

What is it meant by doubling time for a population?

Answer 72

How long it takes for a population to double in size

Question 73

What is the doubling time for a 7% growth rate

Answer 73

10 years Doubling time= 70/ rate as a whole number 10=70/7

Question 74

What is called the average age that a newborn can expect to attain in a given society

Answer 74

Life expectancy/ life span

Question 75

What are the factors that increase or decrease life expectancy

Answer 75

``` Incomes Capita GDP Employment Education Healthcare systems Nutrition access Economic and social development ```

Question 76

What factors impact whether women in developing societies have many or few children

Answer 76

Education level Economic and social development Marriage Age

Question 77

What interrelated changes are associated with a demographic transition in a country

Answer 77

Economic and social development Technology, education, economics