exam 2 Flashcards
externalizing costs
costs generated by producers but carried by society as a whole, how companies make profit
materials throughput
the amount of a product a company can produce within a specific timeframe, beginning with raw materials and spanning all the way through finished product completion
planned obsolescence
the practice of designing products to break quickly or become obsolete in the short to mid-term
perceived obsolescence
when customers believe that a product is no longer useful or no longer holds value, so they purchase the newer model/upgrade
ecosystem resilience
the ability of an ecosystem to maintain its normal patterns of nutrient cycling and biomass production after being subjected to damage caused by an ecological disturbance
biodiversity
a measure of all of the plant, animal & microbial species in an area or on Earth
composting
can reduce waste sent to the landfill and product and offer farmers and gardeners a useful product, can be done successfully on both large and small scales
pronatalist
society advocates and encourages couples to have children
greenwashing
the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice, process of conveying a false impression or misleading information
monoculture
a single variety (genetically identical individuals) of a single crop
is planted over a large land area
watershed
a geographic area within which all water drains to the same point
indicator species
an organism that serves as a measure of the environmental conditions that exist in a given locale, its presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition
eutrophication
the gradual increase in the concentration of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other plant nutrients in an aging aquatic ecosystem
human population growth spurts
two growth spurts: agricultural revolution (10,000 years ago) and industrial revolution (1700s), worldwide population growth rates are declining but the overall number is still positive, so world population is still increasing
green revolution
an effort to eliminate hunger by improving crop performance through use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, modern irrigation and equipment, as well as high-yield varieties of crops
ecosystems services
essential ecological processes that make life on Earth possible, indirect and direct contributions of ecosystems to human well-being
conservation vs preservation
conservation is the proper use of natural resources through responsible use, preservation is the protection of natural resources through restriction of human activities
food chain vs food web
a food chain outlines who eats whom while a food web includes all food chains and connections in an ecosystem
extant
a species is present
extinct
all members of a species are dead
extirpation
a species ceases to exists in a particular area but continues to exist somewhere else
worldwide population growth rate
rate is decreasing but overall increasing (not exponential growth)
age structure diagrams
use diagrams to predict the future growth potential of a population males to females vs age
strategies for slowing down population growth
educating women on birth contraceptives, providing contraceptives, providing information and health care access
population growth and ecological footprints
high population = high ecological footprint, environmental impact depends on the size of the population
waste incineration
the burning of solid waste under controlled conditions
pro: eliminates trash
cons: releases air pollution
challenges with recycling plastics
in many areas, only 1 or 2 plastics can be recycled, most are single use, people are unsure of how to recycle, recycling materials often end up in landfills anyways
alternative waste strategies
landfills are the most predominant so alternatives include compost, incineration, and recycling
fast fashion and human/ecological impacts
does not promote decent work conditions, fosters a culture of discrimination and harassment, impact fashion contributes to environmental pollution in several ways, the production processes require 43 million tonnes of chemicals a year, one of the largest uses of water
CAFOs
concentrated animal feeding operations- livestock is raised in a confined space with the focus on growing as many animals as possible in a small space, which contributes to global warming
pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers and human/ecological impacts
when exposed to humans, they can cause cancers, respiratory issues, or other related illnesses, contain carcinogens, can contaminate water sources, soil, and air leading to pest resilience and environmental damage
farm like an ecosystem
ex.) the three sisters
1. Beans are allowed to grow on corn and help recharge the soil
2. Squash works as a ground cover that reduces weeds and retains moisture, their prickly leaves help keep pests from the corn
3. Some native americans began fertilizing the soil with fish prior to planting the corn
true cost
seeks to determine the true cost of a good or service by including the cost of negative externalities, such as pollution, and the negative effects it has on people and the environment, accounts for all external costs
water percentages
water scarcity impacts 40% of the world,
water accounts for 70% of natural disaster deaths
the agricultural sector,
accounts for 69% of all groundwater abstractions,
domestic uses account for 22% of all groundwater abstractions,
Industrial purposes account for 9% of all groundwater abstractions
water and climate change
climate change’s impacts on water scarcity: increased evaporation rates, more intense rain events leading to flooding, more intense droughts
point source vs nonpoint source pollution
point source: any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, regulated by the clean water act
nonpoint source: cannot specifically find the source of pollution, not managed by regulation but by “best management practices”
water pollution
when harmful substances, often chemicals or microorganisms, contaminate a body of water, water quality degrades and renders it toxic to humans and the environment
campus forestry tour
see handout from campus tour
haitian forests
forests of Haiti were cleared to make way for coffee and sugar plantations, many of these trees along with the coffee and sugar crops were sold overseas, most of the remaining forest provided fuel for heating haitian homes and cooking meals, less than 2% of the original haitian forests remains today, 6% of the land has no soil remaining
forests and human health
forests protect from diseases by protecting biodiversity, protect air quality and water quality, increase mental wellbeing and help with recovery
everglades issues and solutions
issues: humans drained much of the wetland and reordered the landscape and pollution has disrupted nutrient cycles
solutions: comprehensive everglades restoration plan: goal is to restore some of the natural flow of water through the everglades,
restoration ecology: the science that deals with the repair of damaged or disturbed ecosystems (indicator species such as the wood stork are monitored as a gauge of success in the restoration efforts)
macro-invertebrates/aquatic invertebrates
any animal lacking a backbone and large enough to see without the aid of a microscope/ with the naked eye
community ecology
the study of all the populations, including plants, animals, and other species living and interacting in an area
niche specialist vs niche generalist
niche specialist: species with very specific habitat or resource requirements that restrict where it can live - often highly adapted to acquire their resources and can outcompete others that might be trying to utilize the same resources (ex. koala, orchid mantis, wood stork)
niche generalist: species with a broad niche that is easily adaptable to many environmental conditions - very flexible, are very proficient at switching from one resource to another (ex. alligator, cockroach, raccoon)
biodiversity hotspots vs cold spots
hotspot: areas with high biodiversity and endemic species value, and high threat
coldspot: - areas with low biodiversity and few species altogether
intrinsic value vs instrumental value
intrinsic: the value a species or entity has itself in that ecosystem, sense of belonging naturally
instrumental: annual value of ecosystem services, valued for the end results gained from it conditional
threats to ecosystems and species
habitat destruction, invasive species, population growth, pollution, climate change, overexploitation (HIPPCO)
hellbender threats and solutions
threats: pollution and silt buildup
solutions: prevent people from destroying habitats that hellbenders occupy
