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Envs > Midterm 1 > Flashcards

Midterm 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Ion vs isotope

A

Ion: a charged atom
Isotope: an atom that has a different neutron count

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2
Q

2 major forms of energy

A

Kinetic: energy of motion
Potential: energy of position

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3
Q

4 characteristics of water

A

Cohesion
Ice is less dense
Transparent
Polarity (universal solvent)

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4
Q

What cause the ecological and humanitarian crisis in Japan at the Fukushima nuclear power plant?

A

An earthquake followed by a tsunami

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5
Q

What is unique about the snail Oreohelix?

A

Endemic to Canada

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6
Q

What is the difference between environmental science and environmentalism?

A

ES is interdisciplinary and environmentalism is focused on activism

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7
Q

What is ES the study of?

A

How the natural world works, how our environment effects us, and how we affect our environment

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8
Q

What type of energy source causes more deaths: coal, oil, or nuclear?

A

Coal then oil, then at the bottom nuclear

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9
Q

What are SMRs?

A

Small modular reactors for nuclear energy

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10
Q

What are the 6 steps of the scientific method?

A

Observe
Question
Hypothesis
Predict
Test
Analyze

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11
Q

What is a manipulative experiment and its benefits

A

When a factor is directly manipulated
Can show direct causation, strongest evidence

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12
Q

What are natural experiments and the main issue with them?

A

They are experiments that follow the order of nature, show complexity
They rarely show causation, only correlation

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13
Q

On the scale of lab manipulations to natural studies, where are field experiments found?

A

In the middle, has aspects of both

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14
Q

What are the most at risk invertebrates?

A

Amphibians

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15
Q

What was determined the likely cause of the extirpation of long-toed salamanders?

A

Introduced trout

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16
Q

What 3 types of experiments were used to determine trout were wiping out the long-toed salamanders?

A

Field study
Mesocosm experiment
Laboratory experiment

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17
Q

What did the field study of the long-toed salamanders reveal?

A

There were salamander larvae at all trout-less sites

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18
Q

What did the mesocosm experiment of the long-toed salamanders reveal?

A

Fewer salamander survivors in trout tanks

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19
Q

What did the laboratory experiment of long-toed salamanders reveal?

A

Trout eat 100% of hatchlings offered
Salamander larvae do not respond to trout cues in the water

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20
Q

How did energy flow and matter transfer create the Fukushima destruction?

A

Energy flow from the water coming in (tsunami)
Transfer of matter caused mixing of radioactive materials everywhere

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21
Q

Matter

A

All material in the universe that has mass and occupies space

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22
Q

Law of conservation of matter

A

Matter cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another

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23
Q

What is the importance of isotopes in ES?

A

Can track animal migration paths based on hydrogen isotope ratios

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24
Q

Where else are isotopes used in ES? 3

A

Reconstructing past climates
Understanding past and present animal diets
Archaeology

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25
Q

Energy definition

A

Capacity to change the position, physical composition, or temperature of matter
Force that can accomplish work

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26
Q

What type of energy drives most living systems?

A

Light energy

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27
Q

What is the photosynthesis equation?

A
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28
Q

Autotrophs/primary producers

A

Produce their own food

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29
Q

Why are the beluga whales in trouble? 3

A

Bioaccumulation of toxins
Eutrophication
Hypoxia

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30
Q

Eutrophication

A

An increase in available nutrients, can lead to blooms and excess oxygen use resulting in decreased available oxygen = hypoxia

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31
Q

Who is John Muir, what did he say?

A

A naturalist who said that everything is connected

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32
Q

Why is the population size of mussels decreasing in Alberta? 3

A

Changes in river flows
Biomagnification of toxins
Loss of fish biodiversity

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33
Q

Systems definition

A

Networks of relationships among components that interact and influence each other

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34
Q

Open system definition

A

Receive input of energy and matter, and output both

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35
Q

Closed system definition

A

Receive input and creates output of only energy, not matter

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36
Q

What is an example of negative feedback in climate change?

A

Ice sheets melt = more water vapour = more cloud cover = less heat absorption

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37
Q

Ecosystem definition

A

All organisms and non living things that occur and interact in an area at the same time

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38
Q

Biomass

A

Organic material which organisms are formed from

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39
Q

Primary production

A

Conversion of solar energy to chemical energy by autotrophs

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40
Q

Gross primary production (GPP)

A

All the energy produced by autotrophs

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41
Q

Net primary production (NPP)

A

Energy remaining after respiration, used to generate biomass

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42
Q

Secondary production

A

Biomass generated by heterotrophs

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43
Q

What nutrients limit primary productivity? 3

A

N, C, and P

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44
Q

What are environmental goods?

A

Tangible material that can be extracted from the environment, value in $

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45
Q

What are environmental services?

A

Functions and processes vital to living organisms (nutrient cycling), not easy to value in $

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46
Q

Nutrient/biogeochemical cycle definition

A

Movement of nutrients through ecosystems

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47
Q

Reservoirs

A

Where nutrients reside for varying amounts of time

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48
Q

Flux

A

Movement of nutrients among reservoirs
Can be influenced by human activities

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49
Q

Sources

A

Reservoirs that release more nutrients than they accept
i.e power plants

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50
Q

Sinks

A

Accept more nutrients than they release
i.e forests

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51
Q

What are 4 examples of carbon sinks?

A

Rainforest
Canada’s boreal forest
Coral reefs
Grasslands

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52
Q

What are 3 main processes in the hydrologic cycle?

A

Evaporation: land systems to air
Transpiration: release of water vapour by plants
Precipitation: rain or snow

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53
Q

What are the 2 main processes in the carbon cycle?

A

Photosynthesis: carbon from air to organisms
Respiration: return carbon to air

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54
Q

Where is carbon mainly found? 6

A

Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, bones, ocean, sediment

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55
Q

What are 2 anthropogenic alterations to the carbon cycle?

A

Burning fossil fuels: move carbon from ground to the air
Deforestation: carbon from organisms to the air

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56
Q

What is the most important process in the nitrogen cycle?

A

Nitrogen fixation by bacteria

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57
Q

Where are the nitrogen fixing bacteria found?

A

Roots of legumes

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58
Q

Nitrifying bacteria

A

Convert ammonium into nitrite and nitrate that the plants can use

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59
Q

Denitrifying bacteria

A

Converts nitrates in the soil back to gaseous N2

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60
Q

What are 2 anthropogenic alterations to the nitrogen cycle?

A

Industrial nitrogen fixation
Enhanced legume production = more fixing bacteria

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61
Q

What were the 2 main sources of nutrients that were in excess causing the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone?

A

Nitrogen and phosphorus

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62
Q

Why is evolution important in ES?

A

It is foundational and allows us to interpret patterns in nature

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63
Q

Why would ants go and sit on the top of flowers all night?

A

Due to a parasite in the brain of ants that cause behavioural changes

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64
Q

Evolution definition

A

Change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations

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65
Q

Natural selection definition

A

The process by which traits that enhance survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently to future generations

66
Q

What are 3 requirements for natural selection to occur?

A

Traits must vary in their expression

Variation in the trait must be associated with variation in survival success

Trait must be heritable

67
Q

Adaptation

A

A trait that promotes the reproduction of the organism

68
Q

Selection pressure

A

In a certain environment, some variants (of traits) have a survival advantage over others - drives NS

69
Q

Directional selection

A

The movement of a trait to one extreme or the other (fast vs slow, black vs white)

70
Q

Stabilizing selection

A

Intermediate of the traits is favoured

71
Q

Disruptive selection

A

Traits diverge to either end of the original trait

72
Q

What does the fossil record show? 5

A

Life has existed for 3.5 billion years

Number of species has increased throughout time

Extinction is a natural process

Several episodes of mass extinction

Modern organisms evolved from ancestral organisms

73
Q

What could be a possible 6th mass extinction?

A

Anthropocene

74
Q

Biodiversity

A

Total number of types of organisms in an area

  • can also include the number of individuals, genes, populations, etc. in an area
75
Q

Allopatric speciation

A

Formation of a species due to a physical separation of populations

76
Q

What is a local example of allopatric speciation?

A

Bluebird species

77
Q

Hybridization

A

Mating genetically different individuals that can lead to a new species over time

78
Q

Example of hybridization in Alberta?

A

3 species of cottonwoods and their hybrids

79
Q

What are the levels of ecological organization? 5

A

Biosphere
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism

80
Q

Habitat use

A

Each organism thrives in certain habitats, but not others

81
Q

Habitat selection

A

The process of organisms selecting which habitats to live in

82
Q

Niche

A

An organism’s use of resources and its functional role in a community

83
Q

Specialist vs generalist

A

Specialist: narrow niche and specific requirements
Generalist: broad niche that can use a variety of habitats and resources

84
Q

Population

A

Individuals of the same species inhabiting a certain area

85
Q

Population ecology

A

Study of the dynamics of populations

86
Q

Population size

A

Number of individual organisms present at a given time

87
Q

Population density

A

Number of individuals within a population per unit area

88
Q

Sex ratio

A

Proportion of males to females

89
Q

Age structure

A

Relative number of organisms of each age within a population

90
Q

4 key rates that determine changes in population sizes

A

Natalie
Mortality
Immigration
Emigration

91
Q

What is the equation for population growth rate?

A

(Natality-Mortality) + (Immigration - Emigration) = pop growth rate

92
Q

Carrying capacity

A

Maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain

93
Q

What is the shape of the curve for carrying capacity?

A

S-shaped, logistic growth curve

94
Q

Are perfect logistic curves seen in nature?

A

Not often

95
Q

What are 2 types of limiting factors that constrain population growth?

A

Density-dependent factors: competition
Density-independent factors: fires

96
Q

What is competition?

A

Relationship b/w 2 organisms that struggle for a resource that is limiting

97
Q

In competition, what resources do organisms fight for? 4

A

Nutrients (sunlight)
Water
Space
Mates

98
Q

Intraspecific competition

A

Occurs among members of the same species

99
Q

Interspecific competition

A

Occurs between members of two or more species

100
Q

Resource partitioning

A

Species divide shared resources by specializing in different ways
- day vs night feeding

101
Q

Character displacement

A

Evolving physical characteristics of species that reflects their reliance on the portion of the resource they use

102
Q

How does character displacement help competition?

A

Character displacement alters the species and therefore reduces competition

103
Q

What is an example of resource partitioning that leads to character displacement?

A

Beak length in Galapagos finches; they partitioned the resource of specific seeds and adapted for which beak fit best

104
Q

Predation definition

A

Process by which individuals capture, kill, and consume prey

105
Q

Importance of predatory interactions 3

A

Structure food webs
Influence community composition
Agent of natural selection

106
Q

What are 3 types of evolutionary innovations that natural selection via predation has lead to?

A

Cryptic colouration
Warning colouration
Mimicry

107
Q

What is an example of an Alberta parasite?

A

Winter tick on moose

108
Q

What is a defence mechanism protecting the plants from herbivory?

A

Chemical: distasteful parts
Physical: thorns

109
Q

What is an example of mutualism?

A

Pollination

110
Q

What status does the polar bear have in Canada?

A

Species of special concern

111
Q

What is north America’s most endangered mammal?

A

Black-footed ferret

112
Q

What caused the situation of the black-footed ferret?

A

A bottleneck that resulted in 7 individuals in Wyoming

113
Q

Conservation biology

A

Describes the loss (and cause of the loss) of variety on earth

114
Q

Species richness

A

Number of species in an area

115
Q

Relative abundance

A

Relative dominance of one species over another

116
Q

How is genetic diversity measured?

A

Variation in DNA sequences
Genome-wide structure b/w individuals or populations

117
Q

What mammal has the lowest genetic diversity?

A

Cheetah, because of bottleneck

118
Q

What are the categories that species can be classified under SARA? 4

A

Extinct
Extirpated
Endangered: in imminent danger of becoming extinct
Threatened: species likely to become endangered in the near future

119
Q

What percentage of species that ever lived are now extinct according to the fossil record?

A

99%

120
Q

Why might we be causing a 6th mass extinction?

A

Extinctions have occurred after humans have arrived on islands and continents

121
Q

4 points of biodiversity loss on ecosystems/communities

A
  1. BL reduces efficiency by which communities capture resources and convert them into biomass
  2. BL decreases stability of ecosystem over time
  3. Impact of BL on ecosystem function is non-linear
  4. Diverse communities are better because they are more likely to contain keystone species
122
Q

What are 5 causes of population decline and biodiversity loss?

A

Habitat alteration
Invasive species
Pollution
Overharvesting

Climate change

123
Q

Of the 4/5 causes, which is the biggest cause of biodiversity loss?

A

Habitat alteration

124
Q

What is an example of accidental and deliberate invasive species introduction?

A

Accidental: zebra mussels
Deliberate: food crops

125
Q

Why are invasive species so hard to control?

A

No natural predators, competitors, or parasites

126
Q

What is a local example of an invasive species?

A

Hawkweed

127
Q

What is important about the sage grouse?

A

There is an effort to restore it’s population size due to a drastic decline over the last 60 years (80%) decline

  • Alberta example of trying to conserve biodiversity
128
Q

What factors caused the loss in sage grouse populations?

A

Lack of their natural diet, climate disturbance, energy developments, predation, disease

129
Q

How is the Calgary zoo involved in the greater sage grouse (GSG)?

A

They have a breeding program for the GSGs

130
Q

Can a natural population size decline result in SARA action?

A

Not usually, has to have clear factors that impacted it

131
Q

Why is the greater sage grouse important?

A

It is indicative of a healthy grassland area and for the other organisms that rely on this location too

  • grassland areas are at high risk
132
Q

What are the 2 EPO’d animals protected federally?

A

GSG
Western chorus frogs

133
Q

What is the purpose of Kim Pearson’s work?

A

Looked at the environmental impact in the 5 years after the Kenow wildfire

134
Q

What is the one intervening step that Kim’s group is doing at the wildfire site?

A

They are only trying to prevent the introduction of invasive species; they are leaving everything else up to nature

135
Q

In terms of forest regrowth, what has changed since 2000?

A

Before 2000, 85% regrew
After 2000, only 70% regrew

136
Q

What was a main difference in the Kenow wildfire compared to most other wildfires?

A

It became more active at night and spread more rapidly than most other wildfires because they usually die down at night

137
Q

What animal was removed before the wildfire came through the national park?

A

A herd of bison

138
Q

What are the 3 takeaways from the Kenow wildfire?

A
  • resulted in extreme ecological changes
  • renewal is occurring, but may look much different than we are used to
  • good opportunity to study how nature responds
139
Q

Who is Edward Wilson of Harvard?

A

Father of modern studies in biodiversity

140
Q

How does biodiversity influence ecosystem stability?

A

Biodiversity can increase stability and resilience of ecosystems
Can also increase resistance to invaders

141
Q

Why is biodiversity especially important for humans?

A

Provides drugs and medicines

142
Q

What is an example of biodiversity being used for human survival?

A

Vaccines being tested on horseshoe crabs

143
Q

What is a local example of biodiversity being used medicinally?

A

A toxic Canadian prairie plant that has anti-mitosis activity (cancer therapy)

144
Q

How does biodiversity support economies?

A

Ecotourism: Costa Rica, Belize
Recreation

145
Q

What is nature-deficit disorder?

A

NDD is the idea that we (especially children) are spending less and less time outside and that can reflect behaviourally

146
Q

What is a potential support for NDD?

A

Outdoor recess time can reduce the risk of nearsightedness in children

147
Q

What do conservation biologists try to understand?

A

Factors and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biodiversity

  • scientific basis for managing and protecting biological diversity
148
Q

What is the tragedy of commons and an example?

A

Individuals with access to a public resource (common) act in their own interest and deplete the resource

  • deforestation, fishing
149
Q

What is the curve shape of a logistic population growth curve? What does it demonstrate?

A

It is S-shaped
Demonstrates exponential growth until carrying capacity factors limit that growth and it flattens off to an S

150
Q

What kind of feedback loop is a logistic growth curve? What is its importance?

A

Negative feedback loop, regulates the population

151
Q

What is an example of an animal experiencing a logistic growth curve?

A

Any animal where the population size increases too much and then disease, or lack of habitat reduce its population size

  • mice exponentially growing in population, disease or predation regulates and levels off the size
152
Q

What is the ecological footprint?

A

Tracks the use of surface areas for human demand

153
Q

What is the relationship between ecological footprint and biocapacity?

A

As humans’ ecological footprint has increased, biocapacity has decreased

154
Q

What factors are responsible for the continued decline in biocapacity?

A

Mainly an increase in human population (need more resources)

This increase in human population also results in pollution that further reduces biocapacity

155
Q

What prediction of Darwin’s theory was tested here? What is the result?

A

Variation in the expression of a trait is associated with its variation in survivability

The more elongated the tail, the more desirable and therefore the more that survive compared to the shorter tail and the control

156
Q

How are ES issues topical and complex?

A

They are topical in the sense that they can often be quantified and understood relatively well scientifically, but they increase in complexity when policies are attempted to be enacted

157
Q

What is an example of a local topical and complex ES concern?

A

Oreohelix, endemic to Canada - cypress hills park

  • know it is endemic
  • attempt to navigate all policies, ethics, and implications
158
Q

What are 3 ways that humans have influenced the nitrogen cycle in southern Alberta?

A

Eutrophication of waterbodies
Combustion of fossil fuels
Excess available nitrogen (fertilizer)

159
Q

How can isotopes be used to track movement of nitrogen?

A

Isotope fingerprinting

  • animals retain 15-N but excrete 14-N, so there will be a higher concentration of 15-N isotope higher up the food chain, compared to lower on the food chain
  • isotopic signatures are also different in different geographic areas so this can be tracked throughout movement
160
Q

Why are the local grasslands deemed carbon-capture colossuses?

A

They store about 34% of the world’s carbon, underground

  • major carbon sink

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