Lecture 1/2/3 Flashcards
Define environment
The sum total of our surroundings
What factors make up the environment
- Biotic
- Abiotic
Define environmental science
The search for knowledge and understanding of:
1. How the environment works
2. What role humans play in their environment
3. What impact humans have on the structure and function of the environment where they live
How does environmental science involve many disciplines
It is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
Define interdisciplinary
Integrating knowledge and methods from many different disciplines
Define multidisciplinary
People from different disciplines working together, drawing on their expertise
What are the 5 critical factors that determine the survival of civilizations
- Climate change
- Hostile neighbors
- Trade partners
- Environmental problems
- Responses to environmental problems
What approach is being used to find sustainable solutions to environmental problems
The triple bottom line approach
What are the categories of the triple bottom line approach
Environmental goals: environmental protection
Social goals: social equity and justice
Economic goals: economic advancement
make question about the Viking civilization of Greenland
***make a question about the Rapa Nui (Easter Island) civilization
What are the 6 examples of major environmental problems
- Environmental pollution
- Land resource issues
- Aquatic resource issues
- Non-renewable resources
- Biodiversity decline
- Wicked Problems
Environmental pollution
- waste products/artificial chemicals pollute the air, water, and land
- pollution problems are becoming less visible, more global, more long-term/chronic/complex
What are some effects of environmental pollution
- Damage to human health and natural environments
- Causes ecosystem impairment and human illness/death
Land resource issues
- Increased food production causes increased environmental damage
- Growth of human pop. causes more pressure for forestry and mining resources
What are some examples of areas of land resource issues
- agriculture
- forestry
- mining
What are some examples of aquatic resource issues
- freshwater and marine pollution
- fisheries
- water supply
Aquatic resource issues
- overharvesting of seafood resources in oceans/freshwater
- aquatic pollution
Non-renewable resources
- Many non-renewable resources are overexploited
- Extraction can degrade the environment with significant consequences for people and the planet
What are some examples of non-renewable resources
- fossil fuels
- metals
- rare elements
Biodiversity decline
- Biodiversity loss is perhaps our biggest environmental problem, because we cannot correct mistakes later
- Humans actions are one of the main reasons for the high extinction rate
What are the four major threats to biodiversity loss
- Habitat fragmentation and destruction
- Introduction of invasive species
- Overexploitation of resources
- Disruption of “interaction networks”
What are four examples of biodiversity decline
- habitat fragmentation/loss
- invasive species
- network distribution
- overharvesting
What are wicked problems
- Environmental problems that are difficult to solve
- Involve compromise/trade-offs/ complex solutions
What are some examples of wicked problems
- climate change
- human health impacts
Define biodiversity
- the variety of all life on Earth
- the diversity of species
- their genes
- their ecological conditions habitats, niches, trophic levels and community interactions
Where are most species found
- In tropical rain forests and coastal areas
- Coral reefs especially
What are the levels of biodiversity
Genetic<species<ecological<bio
Define genetic diversity
Variations in the genes among individuals of the same species
Define species diversity
variety of species present in an area, # of different species that are present as well as their relative abundance
Define ecological diversity
variety of habitats, niches, trophic levels, and community interactions
Define endemic species
a species found in only one region of the world naturally, high extinction risk
- e.g Australia-> kangaroos, koalas, etc.
Define threatened species
a species considered likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future
Define endangered species
a species in danger of becoming extinct throughout its entire range
Define extirpated species
a species locally extinct in on or more areas but is still found in other parts of its range
Define extinct species
a species has become extinct throughout its entire range
What are the 5 factors that threaten biodiversity
- largely human based
1. Habitat destruction/fragmentation
2. Pollution
3. Invasive species
4. Overharvesting of resources
5. Disruption of “interaction networks” - e.g pollination
How many species have we lost since 1970
Roughly 69%
Define instrumental value
species valued by usefulness to humans
(anthropocentric worldview)
- human centered
Define intrinsic value
species have value in themselves
(biocentric worldview)
What strategies are used to conserve biodiversity
establishing protected areas to slow biodiversity loss
- especially in hot spots
Define biodiversity hot spot
relatively small areas with high concentration of endemic species and a large number of endangered species and threatened species
Define biological evolution
- changes in the genetic make-up of populations of organisms over time
How are Populations of Species Altered over Time?
Changes Genetic Variation within a Species’ Gene Pool
Define gene pool
a collection of different genes present in a population of a particular species
Define total genetic information
available to population
How does genetic variation affect a population
Genetic variation affects ability of a population of organisms to adapt (survive and reproduce) when conditions change
What causes the loss of genetic variation
Random events
- can select for less favourable traits hence random
What area the 3 ways populations of species altered over time
- Genetic drift
- Bottleneck effects
- Founder effects
Define genetic drift
- Uses random mating
- Amount of genetic variation in gene pool is reduced because some individuals in a population do not mate and reproduce
Define population bottleneck
- Due to random events (such as a forest fire wipes out half a population)
- Leads to a smaller gene pool of potential adaptive traits available for future generations to access
Define founder effect
- Due to random movement
- a small portion of a larger population is separated from the group
- Leads to a smaller gene pool of potential adaptive traits available for future generations to access
What are the 2 mechanisms that can lead to gain of genetic variation
- Mutations
- Recombination
Define mutations
random changes in DNA that pass to future generations
– may increase variation
– relatively slow for most species
Define recombination
– mixes genetic information of 2 individuals (parents)
– increases genetic variation quickly
Define natural selection
- Mechanism where traits that enhance survival, reproduction are passed on to future generations more frequently than those that do not enhance survival and reproduction
- Does not create new traits, only edits
What are the effects of natural selection
- changes in gene pool, favourable genetic traits passed down generations
- unfavourable traits are eliminated
What are the three different types of selection
- Stabilizing
- Directional
- Disruptive
Define stabilizing selection
favours normal and selects against extremes
- e.g tan trees so tan bugs are favoured while dark and light beetles are not
Define directional selection
continually favours a particular extreme of the trait
- darker trees from pollution so darker beetles are favoured
Define disruptive selection
favours the extremes but selects against the normal (intermediate)
- area of dark and light trees, dark and light beetles favoured, not tan beetles
Define artificial selection
Process of selection for desirable traits under human direction
- e,g dog breeds
Define species
a population or group of populations whose members share characteristics and freely breed with one another to produce fertile offspring
What is biodiversity defined by
- speciation
- extinction
Define speciation
an evolutionary process resulting in new species
- occurs through natural selection
What are the types of speciation
- Allopatric
- Sympatric
Define allopatric speciation
Species formation due to physical separation of populations (e.g. glaciers, rivers, mountains)
- squirrel island example
Define sympatric speciation
Species form from populations that become reproductively isolated within the same area
- feed in different areas
- mate in different seasons
- hybridization between 2 species
- mutations causing reproductive incompatibility
- fishes
Define extinction
The disappearance of an entire species from Earth
- occurs when a species cannot adapt quickly enough to changing environmental conditions
Define background extinction rate
extinction usually occurs one species at a time (slow rate)
Define mass extinction events
five events in Earth’s history that killed off massive numbers of species at once (often 50 to 95% of all species)
What was the 5th mass extinction
the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs
- led to the rise of mammals, human dominance
What is suspected to be the cause of the 6th mass extinction
humans
- habitat destruction
- habitat fragmentation
- pollution
- invasive species
- climate change
- overharvesting
Define carrying capacity
the maximum population size that the area can support (or sustain) over long term
- depends on resources available and resources required (or consumed)
What are some examples of renewable resources
- cannot be depleted
- sunlight, wind energy, wave energy, geothermal energy
What are some examples of resources that are renewable if not overused
agricultural crops, freshwater, forest products, soils
What are some examples of non-renewable resources
- can be depleted
- crude oil, natural gas, coal, gold, silver, other metals
Define ecosystem services
Essential ecological processes that make life (including human life) on earth possible
What are the links between social traps and environmental problems
Impediments to solving environmental problems include short-term thinking and social traps
Define social traps
decisions by individuals or groups that seem good at the time and produce a short-term benefit but that hurt society in the long run
What are the 3 types of social traps
- tragedy of the commons
- time delay
- sliding reinforcer
Define tragedy of the commons
- Social trap that often emerges when many people are using a commonly held resource (e.g water, public land)
- Tendency of an individual to abuse commonly held resources in order to maximize personal interest
- cow example
Define time delay
Social trap resulting from actions that produce a benefit today but set into motion events that cause problems later
- fishing methods example
Define sliding reinforcer
Social trap that results from actions that are beneficial at first but that changes conditions such that their benefit declines over time
- e.g pesticide immunity example
What are 5 ways environmental problems can be solved
- become familiar with problems
- determine trends causing problems
- understand scientific concepts of the trends
- take steps to reversing trends
- sustainability goal
Define environmental worldviews
- Describe how people see themselves in relation to the world around them
- Influence environmental ethics which affect how people interact with the natural world
What are some examples of environmental worldviews
- anthropocentrism
- biocentrism
- ecocentrism
Define anthropocentrism
human-centered, only humans have intrinsic value, and resources are here to meet human needs and wants
Define biocentrism
life centered: humans and other species have a right to exist and are worthy of protection
Define ecocentrism
system-centered: value is given to the importance of the ecosystem as a whole, including interactions such as those between wind and soil and between species (predator prey), as well as natural processes (e.g water cycle)
What trends have led to environmental problems
Trends that have contributed to environmental problems in recent decades:
1. Increasing disconnection from nature
2. Growing industrialization and urbanization
3. More corporatization and multinational companies
4. Emphasizing commodification
5. Focusing on a short-term view
6. Emphasizing goal of endless growth (profits)
7. More consumerism and consumption
8. Growing globalization and monoculturalism
9. Increasing wealth gap between richer and poor
How can environmental problems be solved
Need to change to new practices that offer sustainable solutions to environmental problems in very near future:
1. Re-connect with nature (appreciate interconnectedness)
2. Encourage sustainable growth and resource use
3. Encourage small business and support them
4. Understand non-monetary value of nature (diversity)
5. Focus on longer term view (long-term planning)
6. Switch to sustainable approaches (economy/society)
7. Reduce consumerism and consumption
8. Take more local approach and encourage diversity
9. Limit growth – use triple bottom line (more equitable)
Define sustainability
the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
What is the goal of sustainability
Limit human impact on the natural world so our civilization can continue to exist in a sustainable way
What are five examples of sustainability goals
- Develop ideas/technologies to lessen our impacts on planet
- Control pop. growth
- Reduce consumption
- Work towards sustainable solutions
- Increase research to help better understand our world and to develop sustainable solutions
Define triple bottom line in terms of sustainability
- new goals for sustainability
- finding ways to promote
- social justice (people)
- environmental quality (planet)
- economic well-being (profit)
What years have the united nations made sustainability goals to be achieved by
2015 and 2030
What are some challenges of sustainability
- We live on a planetary island in space with limited resources
- Human population and consumption are growing
- Biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, resource limitations, human health impacts and climate change threaten our world and the survival of all species on the planet including humans
