hsie term 2 test Flashcards
biomes meaning
Major life zones characterized by vegetation type (terrestrial biomes) or physical environment (aquatic biomes)
Desertification
The process of vegetation in grasslands slowly disappearing, typically as a result of drought or deforestation.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is a term used to describe the enormous variety of life on Earth. Plants and animals
Abiotic factors
Abiotic factors are non-living components that impact an ecosystem, water and climate.
biotic factors
Biotic factors are the living parts of an ecosystem, animals and plants.
biospheres
the biosphere is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients.
lithosphere
The lithosphere is the rocky outer part of Earth. It comprises the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle. The lithosphere is the coolest and most rigid part of Earth.
atmosphere
the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet
life expectency
the number of years that an individual or group of a certain age can expect to live on the average based on experience in the past for individuals or groups of the same kind
mortality rate
ratiobetween deaths and individuals in a specified population and during a particular period
human development index
a measure of economic development and economic welfare that evaluates countries in terms of the well-being of their citizens
Gross domestic product
the total market value of the goods and services produced by a country’s economy during a specified period
qualitative factors
Qualitative factors are outcomes from certain actions that are difficult or impossible to measure for example happiness, product quality
Quantitative factors
Quantitative factors are numerical outcomes from a decision that can be measured.
human wellbeing
A state of existence that fulfils various humans need including material living conditions and quantity of life
population pyramid
An age-sex pyramid is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a population, which forms the shape of a pyramid when the population is growing.
primary needs
Primary needs are the necessities required for humans to survive; water, shelter, air and clothing.
Habitat loss
Habitat loss is the reduction or elimination of the space in which a species or community of organisms lives and reproduces
Degradation-
The worsening of natural resources due to human activity
Hydrosphere-
The hydrosphere is the aqueous envelope of the earth, including water in different states and locations
environmental change
Many environmental changes have allowed for population and economic growth. However, this is not sustainable, and how we think about how our environment has changed dramatically over the last few decades.
What is the Gulf of Mexico-
The Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin or bay of the Atlantic Ocean. It serves as a marginal sea of North America, bordered by the United States of America, Mexico, and Cuba
What are the human impacts currently affecting the Gulf of Mexico
overfishing, pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, mining and farming.
How have human activities on land taken a significant toll on the Gulf environment?
Deepwater Horizon caused an oil leak that damaged a bunch of ecosystems, in an attempt to clean it up they used Corexit which made the situation worse
Discuss the management strategies in place for the Gulf of Mexico
Mexican authorities made closed seasons, where no boats can go fishing. Other restrictions were also placed regarding the size and amount of fish that could be taken out of the sea. The Gulf of Mexico program was made and improve the quality of rivers.
what is e-waste
electronic waste, refers to discarded electrical and electronic devices that have reached the end of their life
how is e-waste managed
e-waste is managed using educational workshops and awareness, reduce, reuse recycle, and recycling programs like mobile muster.
Human-induced changes meaning
refers to alterations in the environment caused directly or indirectly by human activities.
effects of human-induced changes
extreme weather- earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods.
-rising sea levels
-global warming
how is human induced changes reduced
reducing the impacts through renewable energy and using less fossil fuels, it can be tracked through tracking technologies including satellite images and gps tracking.
what are some causes of habitat loss and which species have been affected
it is caused by deforestation, farming, mining, and climate change.
species affected by it is koalas, amazon rainforest and Bengal tigers.
Identify the human-centred worldview towards the environment
human-centred worldview: humans are separate from nature and any environmental problems can be solved.
identify the earth-centred worldview towards the environment
earth-centred worldview: humans are a part of, and dependent on, nature and have to work with nature to resolve environmental problems.
identify the life-centred worldview towards the environment
Life-centred: humans are stewards of the Earth and have an ethical responsibility to be caring managers of the Earth
Look at the interconnection between human well-being and wealth.
wealth is crucial to human well-being because, without money, people cannot attend to their basic needs, meaning they won’t live a fulfilling life, more money means quality food, education, and resources.
What is the interconnection between human well-being and education?
education paves the way for jobs which provides money, which allows people to buy the things they need to live.
What do the Human Development Index and the Gross Domestic Product measure about a country?
The Human Development Index (HDI) measures life expectancy, years in education, and standard of living. Meanwhile, Gross Domestic Product economic performance of a country with a focus on gender differences
How to read a choropleth map?
To read a choropleth map, you need to start by reading the instructions provided, as well as the colour key or legend. This will help you understand what the shading or pattern on the map represents. Look for regions with the darkest shades, as these indicate the highest values. On the other hand, lighter colours represent lower values.
environment
An environment is the interrelationship between living components (biotic) and non-living components (abiotic). ▪ The living and non-living components are very closely linked to each other through the flow of energy involved in food chains and food webs.
what are three different scales in which environmental change can occur
global scale- climate change, global warming, ozone depletion
national scale-politics, deforestation, overfishing,
local scale- urbanization and pollution
