MEH SCI 2.0 Flashcards
Environmental science
the study of the impacts that human activities have on the environment
What is required to study climate change
an interdisciplinary approach
What is environmental science composed of
Biology, Earth and atmospheric sciences, fundamental principles of chemistry and physics, human population dynamics, natural resources
What are large scale actions that impact environmental systems
clearing land for agriculture, fishing the oceans for food, mining the land for minerals and fuels, and changing our planet’s climate through emission of decades worth of greenhouse gases.
What are some small scale actions that impact environment systems
driving a car to the store, turning on your lights, and choosing whether to use plastic, paper, or reusable containers
Environment
the sum total of all living and nonliving factors that surround an organism
local environment
the sum total of all things immediately surrounding the person
Scale of an environment
small as a pond and large as a mountain range or ocean
What is the sum total of aspected of earth called
the global environment
Is the global environment complicated
YEs
What discipline is environmental science
a science based discipline
What does it mean to be a science based discipline
It means that you are following the scientific method
What are the step for the scientific method
observations, hypothesis testing,
field and laboratory research, and other practices
System
set of living and or nonliving components connected in such a way that changes in one part of the system affects other parts
Can systems be isolated and studied sperately
usually yes
What are some examples of a system
Earth, ant colony, lake ecosystem, and a farm
What might we use to determine if a person is healthy
body temp, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure
What does is mean if something is amiss with one of these indicators
the person is not completely heathy
Environment indicator
measure that reflects the environmental health of a system
Is there a single indicator for the entire world
no there is not
True or false the same environmental
indicator can tell a very different story depending on
when or where the measurement is taken.
True
biological diversity
diversity of
genes, species, habitats, and ecosystems on Earth.
diversity of
genes, species, habitats, and ecosystems on Earth can help us do what
measure the
biological status of the planet
species
a group of organisms that is distinct from other groups
in morphology (body type), physiology, or biochemical
properties
How many species known are on Earth
1.8 million
Actual Number of species on Earth
Highly debated but thought to be 10 times higher than known species
How many of the species that have lived on Earth are extinct
99.9%
Background extinction rate
2 mammals per 10,000 species extinct per 100 years
By much have humans increased the extinction rate
by over 100 times
How many species are going extinct
Up to 40,000 per year
The amount of species is declining at a rate to rival what
mass extinction events
What is an example of an mass extinction event
The extinction of the dinosaurs
What are endangered species
species that are in danger of going extinct
Examples of endangered species
Bengal tiger, snow leopard, and west indian manatee
Keystone species
a species of particular importance in that ecosystem
What can the extinction of a keystone species cause
a cascade of other extinctions
If we use species diversity as an indicator
of environmental quality what we must conclude
the
situation is getting worse and is not sustainable.
