Mid term Flashcards
What are the basic components of ecosystems?
- energy source
physical like geology
What are the on-going processes that maintain the stability and functioning of ecosystems?
Adjacent ecosystems closely interact and often are interdependent for maintenance of community structure and functional processes that maintain productivity and biodiversity.
How is energy flow different in human ecosystems vs. “wild” ecosystems?
the wild uses photosynthesis vs humans use food for energy
What happens to the amount of energy in each trophic level as energy flows though ecosystems?
losses energy the higher the level you go, as little as 10% goes to the next level.
Malthusian worldview
the world has gone over the limit it can hold.
Cornucopian worldview
continued progress and provision of material items for mankind can be met by similarly continued advances in technology.
can our ecological economic system be saved?
no, unless we find something to replace the fossil fuels
can we get treatment for our addiction to economic growth on our finite planet?
yes. we need to slow down on the usage of our finite resources
can/should we value natural capital more then human capital?
yes because if we don’t then there won’t be a planet to live on, or it will be very hard to live with no natural resources
how did the basics and history of env. sci. develop?
started with national parks and the study of them and preserving them
who were the pioneers of pragmatic resource conservation?
Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot
what is pollution?
anything that degrades and impacts human health
what is a sustainable society?
manages a population and economy in a way that does not exeed the earths capacity to provide resources or to absorb generated waste
who is Rachel Carson?
Rachel Carson is a biologist best known for her bestseller.
what was Silent Spring about?
Silent Spring brought environmental concerns to the public. It spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy leading to the nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides.
what is Modern Conventional Agriculture?
the size is huge, uses insecticides and fungicides
Industrial Organic Farming?
size is big but not huge, uses organic insecticides and prostitutes.
Rotational grazing
a process whereby livestock are strategically moved to fresh paddocks
Perennial Polyculture
is an assemblage of plant species that aims to mimic the structure and function of natural ecosystems to sustainably produce an agricultural yield while simultaneously restoring ecosystem services
small scale organic
local organic farmers, that only sell to nearby people.
what laws exist to protect us from toxins
the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 banned most toxins
what is biodiversity?
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
what threatens biodiversity?
Biodiversity is threatened by the sum of all human activities. It is useful to group threats into the categories of over-hunting, habitat destruction, invasion of non-native species, domino effects, pollution, and climate change.
