Exam Flashcards
Briefly describe what Biosphere 2 was
Biosphere 2 was an experiment where humans were tested if they could live in a closed system for 2 years without any supplies from the outside world.
What type of system was biosphere 2 conducted in? Did the system change over time?
Biosphere 2 was a closed system at first, however as time went on they ran out of oxygen. Therefore, they needed to pump more oxygen in from the outside. Unfortunately meaning that the system was no longer closed; it had become an open system.
Briefly describe the 3 types of systems
Isolated: nothing can come in or out
Closed : Only energy comes in and out (submarine underwater)
Open: Both energy and mass come in and out (classroom)
Name the four S’s of ecosystem services
Sources, Sinks, Services and Spirituality.
What is a Source (or provisioning service) and provide examples
Sources (also called provisioning services) are those natural products that can be used or converted by humans for our use. For example, mineral deposits such as coal which we turn into fuel, iron ore which we use in manufacturing, timber from natural forests, and food sources – from plant crops to deep sea fish.
What is a Sink (or regulating service) and provide examples
Sinks (also called regulating services) are those processes in the natural environment that absorb our waste. For example, micro-organisms in oceans break down oil spills.
What is a Service (or supporting service) and provide examples
Services (also called supporting services) are things that are done for us by the natural environment that don’t produce consumable resources. For example, wetlands filter water and slow floodwaters. Forests absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
What is Spirituality and provide examples
The environment also has a spiritual function for many people. For some, this is a deep connection to the
land formed over many generations. For example, the connection that Indigenous Australians have with
their tribal lands. For others, it is the experience of spending time in the natural environment and the sense of wellbeing that this brings.
What are the two human-centred views and briefly describe them.
Egocentric: I am the most important creature on Earth. Everything and everyone else is important to the extent that they support me and my lifestyle. (Trump/ Jake Paul)
Anthropocentric: Humans are the most important species. We are in charge of the Earth and the natural world. We can use nature to support us and our lifestyle. (Michael Vick)
What are the two earth-centred views and briefly describe them.
Ecocentric: We should do whatever we can to minimise our impact and preserve the Earth’s biodiversity. We are no more important than any other organism.
Biocentric: We have a responsibility to use the Earth’s resources in a sustainable way. Other species may be useful to us but they also have as much right to exist as we do. (weird ass vegans)
How do the different world-views effect sustainability?
Ecocentric worldviews promote sustainability whereas human centric worldview endangers sustainability.
What is an open-access resource?
Anyone can use the resource, e.g cod in sea
What is the tragedy of the common?
This is the loss of something which had become routinely used and the tragedy is that people take too much of a limited resource and it gets ruined. Short term interest against the common good.
How many people are employed in the fishing industry?
540 million people are employed in the fishing industry
What percent of fish species are fully exploited and over exploited?
More than half of the species investigated by the United Nations are described as being ‘fully exploited’ and have no potential for increased production in the future. Another third of fish species are described as being ‘over exploited’. This means that they are currently being fished at an unsustainable level.
What is maximum sustainable yield?
M.SY is the greatest amount of a resource that we can harvest without affecting the ability of that resource to re-stock to a healthy level. For example, continually increasing effort to catch fish beyond the M.S.Y ultimately reduces the ability of species to maintain a population.
What is the carrying capacity?
Carrying Capacity is the total frequency of individuals within a community a habitat can sustain. For example, within a population of foxes, there is enough space and water for 20 individuals.
Define biodiversity and biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms on the planet or in a certain habitat. Biodiversity loss is the extinction of species in a habitat or world-wide.
What is causing biodiversity loss?
This loss of biodiversity is due almost entirely to the impact of just one species – humans.
The five main causes of this are:
• habitat change such as deforestation
• over exploitation of resources such as fresh water
• pollution of land, water and air
• the spread of invasive species
• climate change brought about by human activity.
What species are being affected the most from biodiversity loss?
Birds and amphibians (such as frogs)
What are the 4 types of greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides and fluorinated gases
What are the 4 ways in which plants and animals respond to climate change, at briefly describe the methods.
they change their basic biology – certain animals may
reproduce less often or lay smaller eggs.
they change the timing of certain events such as
flowering – certain plants may flower earlier or later depending on the conditions. This can impact on birds that rely on these plants for food.
they die out – when a species dies out it can have serious impacts on the entire ecosystem.
they move – in general, many plants and animals are moving towards the poles and into higher altitudes, as temperatures in these places are similar to those in their previous habitats. This affects plants and animals already living in these places.
