Final Study Guide Flashcards by Kellyn Smith

an interdisciplinary field of
research that draws on the
natural and social sciences
and the humanities in order
to understand the natural
world and our relationship
with it is known as

Environmental Science

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Which type of science ask questions about how religion and tradition influence choice and how people can express their love, fears, and hopes for their homeland?

Humanities

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Which type of science ask questions about how indigenous people have lived in the area. What environmental policies would best fit this culture and place and if the residents will accept changes to their lifestyle that might benefit the environment

Social Sciences

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Which type of science ask questions about what the climate is like and where plants and animals live? It also asks questions about which energy sources are available and how they impact the environment?

Natural Sciences

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Why are environmental problems difficult to solve?

-there are multiple causes and consequences when acting
- different stakeholders prefer different solutions
- potential solutions come with trade-offs

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What type of literacy can help solve or prevent environmental problems

Environmental Literacy

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A basic understanding of how ecosystems function and of the impact of our choices on the environment is known as

Environmental Literacy

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What is the biggest wicked problem?

Climate Change

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What are some of the multiple causes of global warming?

Burning fossil fuels
Deforestation
Methane from agriculture
Overconsumption by modern society

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What are some of the many consequences of global warming?

Sea levels rising
Habitat loss and species endangerment
Spread of tropical disease
Agriculture; worse in some areas, better in others

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What are some solutions for climate change that will result in tradeoffs?

Alternative energy sources (less pollution but can be costly)
Irrigation( increases crop yields but can cause water shortages and soil problems)
Reforestation projects (lessen CO2 in atmosphere and increase habitats but may take land needed for agriculture or other uses)
Protecting flood-prone areas with levees or sea walls (may protect cities and farms buy may fragment aquatic habitats and isolates species’ populations)

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A triple bottom line is a solution that are:
A. Cheap, quickly done, and liked by a wide audience

B. Affordable, good for the environment and society

C. Effective at protecting against growing concerns, but extremely costly

D. The ideal solution that pleases all involved parties

B. Affordable, good for the environment and society

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the imperfect and sometimes problematic responses that we must at times choose between when addressing complex problems
- No one response is likely to present the ultimate solution.
- Each potential solution may create new problems that must be solved.
This is known as a

Trade-offs

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Triple bottom line solutions must be good for what 3 things?

good for the environment
good for society
affordable

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Which of the following is the most typical order for the scientific process?

A. Experimentation > Observation > Hypothesis > Results > Peer Review

B. Observation > Results > Experimentation > Peer Review > Hypothesis

C. Observation > Hypothesis > Experimentation > Results > Peer Review

D. Hypothesis > Peer Review > Experimentation > Results > Observation

C. Observation > Hypothesis > Experimentation > Results > Peer Review

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an inference that proposes a possible explanation for what we have observed and is based on some previous knowledge is known as

Hypothesis

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To test a hypothesis, a researcher designs an experiment (observational or manipulative) and makes an

Experimental Prediction

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T/F- a hypothesis must be falsifiable and replicable to be considered a hypothesis

True

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the variable in an experiment that a researcher manipulates is known as the

Independent Variable

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the variable in an experiment that is evaluated or measured is known as

Dependent Variable

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The group being manipulated by the independent is known as

Test Group

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A group in the experiment that is not being tested, but instead will be used to compare the results from the experiment

Control Group

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An implied relationship between two factors is known as

Correlation

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T/F- Correlation does not equal causation

True

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What type of relationship cannot be determined by observation, but by experimental studies?

Cause-and-effect relationship

Which of the following is a description of climate? A) Today’s temperature is around 60° F B) Overall, spring in south GA is mild and can be rainy; however, April is typically dry C) There is another winter storm (a bomb cyclone!) forecast for the northeast this weekend D) Another Arctic mass will push south and cause lower temperatures in Statesboro this week

B) Overall, spring in south GA is mild and can be rainy; however, April is typically dry

Variable conditions day to day describe what?

Weather

The overall temperature and weather themes that are expected annuals is known as

Climate

A change in the overall frequency of climate is known as

Climate Change

What is the leading greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere?

Carbon dioxide

What are the main reasons expressed from IG 3b: carbon dioxide gets released into the atmosphere

Fossil fuel use and industry Land use

What percentage of greenhouse gases get released into the atmosphere?

Carbon dioxide- 76% Methane- 16% Halocarbons- 6% Nitrous oxide- 2%

the ability of a surface to reflect away solar radiation is known as

Albedo

What type of albedo occurs on light colored surfaces? Example: light colored clothes in summer

High Albedo

What type of albedo occurs on darker surfaces? Example: ( cement in summer, absorbs the sunlight, and increases heat)

Low Albedo

Where does most of the incoming solar radiation go?

The ocean The radiation warms the ocean which are destroying the ocean and corals reefs which destroy the oceans habitat

Responding to the warming that has already or will inevitably occur is known as an **** approach

Adaptation Approach

Preventing further warming by addressing the causes of climate change is known as an ***** approach

Mitigation Approach

This type of approach that responds to climate change has tactics that: - Improve disease surveillance; improve sanitation in flood-prone areas - Plant crops to match new climate - Capture and conserve water - Erect coastal Barries to deal with sea-level rise; relocate coastal communities -pursue better fire prevention management - Provide migration corridors for wildlife and wildlife preserves What approach is this?

Adaptation Approach

This type of approach that responds to climate change has tactics that: - Pursue carbon capture and sequestration - Use sustainable ( non-fossil fuel) and nuclear energy - Pursue energy efficiency - Use waste management practices that decrease the release of methane - Stop deforestation; pursue reforestation projects - Use agricultural practices that prevent the release of methane This approach is known as

Mitigation

Individuals within a species living a specific place and time is known as

Population

The area where a species can be found is known as the

Range

Slide 23

What population distribution is shown in the picture? A) Random B) Clumped C) Uniform

C) Uniform

These problems are associated with below minimum population size or above carrying capacity - normal social behaviors are deficient (group foraging or defense) - normal courtship and mating behaviors don't occur - Genetic diversity falls (inbreeding) - Important community connections may be lost, lost affecting other species

These are problems that occur when population size and density is too low

These problems are associated with below minimum population size or above carrying capacity - social behaviors break down with overcrowding - spread of disease increases - food supplies are insufficient - increased chances of conflict with humans - damage to environment from overuse of resources

These are problems that occur when the population size and density are too high ( above carrying capacity)

The change in population size over time that takes into account the number of births and deaths as well as immigration and emigration numbers is known as

Population Growth Rate

Resources individuals need to survive and reproduce are known as what kind of factors

Growth Factors

Things that directly (predators, disease) or indirectly (competitors) reduce population size are known as

Resistance Factors

Slide 27

Factors, such as predation and disease whose impact on a population is influenced by the size of that population is known as

Density Dependent

Factors such as a storm or avalanche, whose impact on a population is not related to population size

Density Independent

Populations that are bound to increase for another generation are known as

Population Momentum**

T/F- Nigeria- Most of the population are under 30 ( high capacity for growth)

True

India’s pre-reproductive and reproductive cohorts are not as dramatic. Population rise bound to slow. There are noticeably more males than females. This describes what type of population?

Transitional Population

Slide 31

What are some of the advantages of urbanization?

- Lower impact per person due to smaller homes and less traveling - Higher energy efficiency in stacked housing than in freestanding buildings -More transportation options, which lessens the need for personal vehicles - Closer proximity to destinations, which makes walking and mass transit viable options - Easier to implement zoning ordinances - More job opportunities because local collaboration from a diverse community fosters innovation and ingenuity - More services, including more educational and cultural opportunities and better healthcare options

What are some of the disadvantages of urbanization?

- Dependence on food and resource inputs from outside the city - Concentrated wastes that have to be transported - Urban heat island effect, which increases energy needs and can have health consequences - Traffic congestion and its associated air pollution due to high population densities - Possibly higher disease and violence in concentrated inner-city areas - Higher cost of living, which limits who can afford to live in the city - Less green space, which leads to stormwater problems

The right of everyone to a safe and healthy environment and a voice in policies that impact their environment is known as

Environmental Justice

SLide 34

What are societal benefits of green spaces in cities?

- Community pride and participation - Higher property values - lower crime rates

What are the health benefits of green spaces in cities?

- Physical activity opportunities - Relaxation and rejuvenation - Social interactions

What are the environmental benefits of green spaces in cities?

- Trees absorb CO2 and offset greenhouse gas emissions - Unpaved areas reduce stormwater runoff and flooding - Wildlife Habitat - Reduced urban heat island effect

A city designed to improve environmental quality and social equity while reducing its overall environmental impact is known as a

Green City

strategies that help create walkable communities with lower environmental impacts are known as

Smart Growth

the development of empty lots within a city are known as an

Infill Development

the unique role a species plays in its community, including how it gets its energy and nutrients, what habitat requirements it has, and with which other species and parts of the ecosystem it interacts is known as

Niche

This type of niche is unlikely to occur but if it does it is assumed the species fulfills all of its roles and uses all the resources it can

Fundamental Niche

This type of niche is most likely to occur in nature when the species is limited in its roles or uses only a subset of resources

Realized Niche

What is the foundation of every ecosystem; it is captured by photosynthetic organisms and then passed from organism to organism.

Energy

A simple, linear path starting with a plant that identifies what each organism in the path eats

Food Chain

A linkage of all the food chains together that shows the many connections in the community is known as

Food Web

Feeding levels in a food web are known as

Trophic Levels

An ecological pyramid that represents designed to show the energy flow at each trophic level in an ecosystem is known as a

Trophic Pyramid

A type of species that are particularly important to other members of their community, and if their numbers decline, many other species may be negatively affected.

Keystones Species

The range of the Siberian Tiger used to stretch over most of Asia, but the species can only be found in a small region now. What type of extinction has occurred? A) Biological extinction B) Total extinction C) Ecological extinction D) Local extinction/ Extirpation

D) Local extinction/ Extirpation

What are the two main causes of extinction?

HIPPO + C

The extinction of a population from a single habitat can also be recognized as a dispersion of the creature to a different area

Local Extirpation

The complete disappearance of a species that will be unable to return to Earth

Biological Extinction

the reduction of a species to such low abundance that it is deemed as critically endangered

Ecological Extinction

A symbiotic relationship between individuals of two species in which both parties benefit is known as

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship b/w individuals of two species in which one benefits form the presence of the other but the other is unaffected this is known as

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship between individuals of two species in which one benefits and the other is negatively affected is known as

Parasitism

Which symbiosis distinction means that the two individuals are tied together and is reliant of a specific species is known as

Obligate interaction

Which symbiotic relationship distinction means that the individual involved can use any individual available not just one

Facultative interaction

What is an example of a facultative interaction?

Clownfish and sea anemone

What is an example of an obligate interaction?

Whale and barnacles

What are some of the many causes of extinction?

- Habitat alteration/loss - invasive species - pollution - human population size - over-harvesting - climate change

T/F- A panda pelt can be sold for $100,000 each and is a huge contributor to there only being 1000 left in the wild

True

T/F- the panda is a K-selected species and is vulnerable

True

the lowering of the pH solution is known as

Acidification

the science concerned with preserving biodiversity is known as

Conservation Biology

T/F- Conservation biologists focus on protecting individual species and maintaining or restoring entire ecosystems. Conservation biologists work to understand the threats facing species and ecosystems

True

species that are at risk for extinction; various threat levels have been identified, ranging from least concern to extinct are known as

Threatened Species

A species that has legal protection based off of its habitat is known as

Umbrella Species

A species that is native to a particular area and is not naturally found elsewhere is known as

Endemic Species

What is an example of an endemic species?

Lemurs in Madagascar

A species that is particularly vulnerable to ecosystem perturbations, and that, when we monitor it, can give us advance warning go a problem is known as

Indicator Species

Species that do not live in biodiversity hot spots and can be classified as

Gap Species

An area that contains a large number of endangered endemic species is known as a

Biodiversity Hotspot

low-impact travel to natural areas that contributes to the protection of the environment and respects the local people are known as

Ecotourism

T/F- Ecotourism is a win-win; it protects not only the species in question but also the humans who share its habitat.

True

Arrangements in which a wealthy nation forgives the debt of a developing nation in return for a pledge to protect nature; areas in that developing nation is known as

Debt for nature swap

Conservation Concession-pay for conservation concessions rather than resource extraction--country gets money and keeps its natural resources

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