Exam #3

Question 1

Endemic species

Answer 1

Species that are only found in specific environments or restricted locations

Question 2

Species richness

Answer 2

number of different types of organisms

Question 3

Species evenness

Answer 3

how the quantity of each organism compares to each other in an area (butterflies equal to dragonflies)

Question 3

Structural diversity

Answer 3

More structurally complex environments have higher biodiversity (mountains v. flat desert)

Question 4

Genetic diversity

Answer 4

Amount of genetic variation within individuals in a population (how many variations of a finch within a forest)

Question 5

Topography

Answer 5

More topographic variation (more variation in landscape) allows for more species

Question 6

Islands and patches

Answer 6

Isolated habitats with no corridors to similar habitats, have less biodiversity

Question 7

Invasive species

Answer 7

Non-native species, can increase biodiversity if they don’t have competition or predators

Question 8

Preserves and protected areas

Answer 8

Purpose is to maintain biodiversity, based on principles of island biogeography

Question 9

Migration corridors

Answer 9

They connect fragmented habitats (ex: hedgerows for hedgehogs)

Question 10

Pleistocene

Answer 10

Glacial period before holocene with alternating cold and warm phases

Question 11

Holocene

Answer 11

Glacial period we are currently in, warm phases

Question 12

Milankovitch cycles

Answer 12

Earth’s orbit and tilt change every 100,000 years, and this leads to glacial and interglacial phases

Question 13

Green Sahara v. Sahara today

Answer 13

Used to be green because there was water without clouds above it, allowing for rain cycle, but its a desert today because of underground water replacing surface water

Question 14

Effects of volcanic eruptions

Answer 14

Spews ash into the air, which blocks sunlight from hitting the ground, leads to colder atmosphere. Volcanic eruptions cool down the climate, and it can last for years

Question 15

Greenhouse effect

Answer 15

Gases trap heat radiation from Earth’s surface

Question 16

Consequences of global warming (especially sea level rise)

Answer 16

• Ocean levels get higher as glaciers melt because of rising heat
• Islands are at risk
• Rainfall is both increasing and decreasing

Question 17

Climate change mitigation: sustainable future v. business as usual

Answer 17

Business as usual: If we take no actions
Sustainable future: Stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at current levels

Question 18

Transportation conservation

Answer 18

More people on public transit

Question 19

Transportation (fuel) efficiency

Answer 19

Hybrid technology, electric cars, lighter materials, renewable energy

Question 20

Air pollution

Answer 20

Gases or particles present in high enough concentrations to hurt humans, other organisms, or buildings/art

Question 21

Smog

Answer 21

Thick air pollutant that is a mix of smoke and fog, trapped air that can’t move up or down, cold air trapped beneath warm air above

Question 22

Height of emissions

Answer 22

Increasing height of smokestacks moves pollutants away from ground –> wind speeds faster high up –> higher wind speed moves pollutants away (less smog)

Question 23

Acid deposition (acid rain)

Answer 23

Tall smokestacks move exhaust away from power plant –> exhaust contains sulfur, nitrogen oxides that dissolve in water –> once they dissolve in water, sulfuric and nitric acids form –> acids fall = acid deposition

Question 24

Lead pollution in air and mitigation

Answer 24

Smoke stacks added “scrubbers” to stop pollutants from being released into the atmosphere. This is the solution to acid rain.

Question 25

Air Quality Index

Answer 25

Measure daily quality of air (high levels are dangerous)

Question 26

Hydrologic cycle

Answer 26

Water moves from one source to another (driven by solar energy + gravity): Rain from a cloud --> into a lake --> evaporates back into the atmosphere --> starts again

Question 27

Where is most of Earth's water?

Answer 27

97% in the ocean, can't use it bc its energy+money consuming to desalinate it, 3% trapped in ice

Question 28

Groundwater

Answer 28

30% of Earth's freshwater in rocks and soil beneath ground (in aquifers, sediment, rock)

Question 29

Aquifers

Answer 29

Formed in the past when it was water, extracted using wells+pumps, can be drained+polluted

Question 30

Mitigating too much water

Answer 30

If we take all the water out, the ground will collapse and create a cave

Question 31

Overdrawing groundwater

Answer 31

There is a limited amount of groundwater, and if it is overdrawn, it will not be replenished because groundwater and aquifers can take thousands of years to form

Question 32

Subsidence

Answer 32

Land caves in as we take too much water out, happens over time and very slowly

Question 33

Sinkholes

Answer 33

Land caves in because we take too much water out, happens all at once and very quickly

Question 34

Uses of wastewater

Answer 34

Treated wastewater can be used to irrigate crops, landscaping, and injected back into groundwater to limit saltwater intrusion

Question 35

Origins of agriculture

Answer 35

Climate became warmer --> longer plant growing season --> human pop. size increased --> humans became sedentary

Question 36

Animal domestication: how do we identify it?

Answer 36

Human-impact evidence (sheeps with smaller horns, less dangerous), meaty parts are bigger

Question 37

Lactose intolerance

Answer 37

Can't process lactose, inherited

Question 38

Plant domestication: how do we identify it?

Answer 38

Larger seeds, larger fruit, more benefit to humans

Question 39

Agroecosystem

Answer 39

Ecosystem includes crops and domestic animals, physical, environments, and communities of organisms associated with them (ex: a crop)

Question 40

Goal of agroecosystem

Answer 40

Use as much primary production as possible from ecosystem for human use

Question 41

Harvest index

Answer 41

Fraction of produced food that can be used by humans

Question 42

Primary energy

Answer 42

Energy contained in natural resources (coal, oil, sunlight, wind, uranium)

Question 43

Secondary energy

Answer 43

The result of energy conversion (electricity)

Question 44

Energy conversion efficiency

Answer 44

Some forms of energy conversion are more efficient than others. Coal needs to be burned so that we can use it, and when coal is burned 70% of the energy is lost as heat so only 30% can be used for electricity. Some types of coal are more efficient when burned than others.

Question 45

Nonrenewable energy

Answer 45

Exists in limited quantities or from sources that are replenished at rates well below the rate of consumption (ex: fossil fuels)

Question 46

Renewable energy

Answer 46

Not depleted when used (ex: sun, wind)

Question 47

Where does coal come from?

Answer 47

Formed hundreds of million years ago -->plants falling into swamps, getting covered with sediments --> pressure pushed water out and plants closer together --> pressure + time led to coal formation

Question 48

How do we find coal?

Answer 48

Underground mining and surface mining (mountain tops removed to expose coal)

Question 49

Where does oil/natural gas come from?

Answer 49

Organisms live in shallow water hundreds of million years ago --> compacted over millions of years --> produces oil (takes a long time so we can't create coal)

Question 50

Where does nuclear energy come from?

Answer 50

Fission: splitting of an isotope of uranium is used to heat pressurized steam --> steam turns generator turbines = electric power

Question 51

Pros and cons of nuclear power

Answer 51

Pro: few greenhouse gases Cons: uranium mining, waste management danger

Question 52

Nuclear waste

Answer 52

Used fuel rods remain radioactive, placed in repositories, sealed in geologic nuclear repository (deep in mountains)

Question 53

Toxic testing and regulation

Answer 53

Chemicals in products, tested to make sure safe for humans

Question 54

Citizen science

Answer 54

Flint water crisis