LEC 1&2: DEF'N & LEVELS OF ECO SYSTEMS Flashcards
what is sustainability?
an economic, social and environmental concept that involves meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs
what are the 3 pillars of sustainability?
- environment
- economic
- social
what percent of canadians live in ‘urbanized’ areas?
83
what are the 4 major themes involved in ecological footprint calculations?
- food
- shelter
- transportation
- consumption
what does SITES stand for?
Sustainable Sites Initiative
what is SITES
program based on understanding that land is crucial component of the built env’t and can be planned, designed, developed and maintained to protect and enhance benefits we derive from healthy functioning landscapes
what is Sustainable Sites equivalent to?
LEED in architecture
how do plants benefit our env’t?
detoxify and cleanse air, soil and water through evaporation, transpiration and carbon uptake
how do trees benefit our env’t?
regulate climate by providing shade and acting as a windbreak
how does vegetation benefit our env’t?
- helps with erosion control; prevents deposition of sediment and prevents loss of soil foundation
how do pollinator species help our ecosystem?
promote growth of plants and crops
how do wetlands benefit our ecosystem?
protect against damaging floods, improve water quality
what are contributing factors that benefit our ecosystem/ Ecosystem Services?
- plants- detoxify air, soil and water
- trees- regulate climate via shade and windbreak
- vegetation- erosion control
- pollinator species- growth plants and crops
- wetlands- protecting against floods, improve water quality
- sense of place- improve human health and well- being
define ecology
’ The science that focuses on how organisms interact with one another and with their nonliving env’t of matter and energy’
what are the 5 levels of ecology that interact with another
- biomes
- ecosystem
- communities
- population
- organism
applied vs pure science
applied: understanding how the findings fit within the real world
Pure: documentation of structure and functions- descriptive and unsystematic
what was the concept that Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace came up with?
Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection; indv with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce under a particular set of env’ conditions vs those without
who first came up with the idea that organisms change over time and descend from a single common ancestor?
early greek philosophers
what is Permaculture
- combo of science and philosophy, considered pseudoscience, not based on scientific processes
what does Hügelkultur mean? Why doesn’t it work?
‘mound gardening’ ; upside down gardening - put woody material on bottom, then more broken down material then soil on top
–> doesn’t make sense ; doesn’t occur in nature
what is lasagna gardening? why doesn’t it work
- based on mulching; prep soil for planting (remove weeds, replenish nutrients) then alt layers of cardboard and compost
- -> doesn’t work because cardboard is a barrier to water and oxygen movement , results of soil becoming oxygen deficient
what is the CRAP test
-evaluate garden info Credible -resource Relevant- to you as a gardener Accurate- dated Purpose - give you info or sell product
what are the 3 sources of accessing garden info? Additional resources?
- scientific journals 2. professional journals 3. books and magazines 4. online .edu or .gov sites NOT .com
what are biomes?
-large regions such as forests, deserts and grasslands with distinct climates and species adapted to them
what are biomes made of?
biotic (living) and abiotic (non living) things
what are biotic components?
plants, animals, microbes, organisms
what are abiotic components?
water, air, nutrients, rocks, heat, solar energy
describe tundra
- characterized by permafrost; amount of vegetation able to grow reduces farther north
- usually only flora and fauna can grow
what flora and fauna can grow in tundra?
- lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, dwarf trees
- some birds, insects; migration
describe Taiga
- northern coniferous forest belt across NA and Eurasia
- liquid water unavailable for most of year–> extended hibernation period –> lack of diversity
what flora can grow in Taiga
pines, larch, birch, aspen, spruce
describe Temperate forest
periods where liquid water in short supply because evaporation > precipitation and soil water
–> mixed conifer and broad-lead forests of NA and central europe to broad leaf evergreen forests of lower lat.
describe Temperate forest fauna
often migratory
describe Grasslands/ Savanna
-seasonal drought, role of climate overridden by effects of grazing animals –> flora must be able to withstand frequent defoliation
describe fauna of grasslands/ savanna
-grazers, migrating birds, few
describe Chaparral
mediterranean type climate
- less rainfall than grasslands
- hard-leaved scrub, woody plants
- fire-dependent
describe desert
- extreme water shortage >25cm / yr
- hot and cold climates
- flora; opportunistic or slow growing, adaptation such as closed stomata
describe tropical rainforest
- most productive biome
- high solar radiation and reg rainfall
- high species richness
describe ecosystem
a community of plants and animals within a particular physical env’t, which are linked by a flow through non living and living parts of system
what is the canadian shield? how is it an example of linkage?
specific type of bedrock with unique properties- weathering of this rock creates soils that are favourable to some species
ex canadian shield soil in warm climates would result in different plant and animal communities than cold weather climates ie abiotic factors (geology and climate) affect biotic ( plants and animals)
what is community?
a nauturally occuring, non random collection of plant and animal life within a specific env’t
what 3 things can communities be named after?
- dominant species ex maple forest
- physical feature ex wetland
- location ex temperate rainforest
what is population?
a group of interbreeding individuals of the same species
why are pop’ns formed? (4)
- species cluster where resources available
- indv in groups have better chance of getting resources vs solo
- protection from predators
- packs give predator species better chance at meal
what is organism?
an individual living being
how many earth’s would we need if everyone lived like canadians? why did this happen?
- 7
- family life put on hold during WW2 and during great depression
- post war, biggest consumerism assoc with the housing boom–> cue suburbs
when did ecology first emmerge?
1960s
what occurred in regards to Ecology in 1969?
- Multiply and Subdue Earth
- first integrated policy changes in regard to env’t
- relized problems that can occur with lack of planning and thoughtless habitation
describe the 1969 nature in the city
-Ian Mcharg
“no human action should proceed without a study of its suitability in regard to topography…. and other features of the site” ie inv and analysis
-case study in Philadelphia
describe ecology sig event in 1973?
- Guidelines for Site Planning
- by Mcharg Roberts and Tod ; ecological inv with summary sheets
describe ecology sig event in in 1976
Environemental Resources of the Toronto Central Waterfront
- Mchard roberts and todd
- inventory, interpretation, synthesis and performance requirement for future
describe ecology sig event in 1984
Granite Garden
- Anne Whiston Spirn
- “cities are part of nature and should be designed with nature”
describe ecology sig event in 2006
Design for Ecological Democracy
- Randolph Hester
- “the big wild” outside LA
- blended science and democracy
describe ecology sig event in 2015
Planting in the Post- wild world
- Thomas Rainer and Claudia West
- guide creating ecologically connected landscapes
