Midterm Flashcards
1
Q
Lenntech, 2020
human population growth is one of the driving forces behind ___________________________
A
human population growth is one of the driving forces behind all these environmental problems, because the growing population demands more and more resources
2
Q
Evolution of modern humans
A
Modern humans evolved from archaic humans primarily in East Africa
3
Q
Evidence of modern human evolution
A
195,000 year old fossil from the Omo 1 in Ethiopia
shows the beginnings of the skull changes that we associate with modern people, including a rounded skull case and possibly a projecting chin.
4
Q
When did humans begin to migrate?
A
Humans began migrating 100,000 years ago.
5
Q
What was the population 200,000 years ago (BC)
A
1 million
6
Q
What was the population during the starting year 1 (AD)?
A
170 million
7
Q
When plotted, J-shaped graph indicates ______
A
exponential growth in population
8
Q
the number of people increases at a fixed percentage per unit of time
A
exponential growth
9
Q
How do you think did human population grow faster? (3+1)
A
Industrial Revolution (great advances in science and technology)
(1) increase in food production and distribution
(2) improvement in public health (water and sanitation)
(3) inventions of medical technology (vaccines and
antibiotics)
(4) Births significantly outpace deaths on average.
along with gains in education and standards of living within
many developing nations.
10
Q
What is the projected human population in 2100?
A
11 billion was the projected population by 2100 if the
population continues to increase by the same rate per unit of time.
11
Q
What does it mean by leveling off of the human population?
A
human population will steadily grow fewer.
12
Q
When plotted, S-shaped graph indicates ______
A
leveling off in population
13
Q
What are the possible effects of the human population growth? (3)
A
(1) outstrip the resources
(2) poverty
(3) widespread environmental damage
14
Q
What decisions should humans do to slow down population growth?
A
family planning
15
Q
Effect of leveling off in population
A
reduced consumption of the Earth’s resources
16
Q
Scientific study of human populations
A
Demography
17
Q
Human population of countries and cities grow or decline through the interplay of _________ (3)
A
(1) births (fertility)
(2) deaths (mortality)
(3) migration (immigration and emigration)
18
Q
Population change equation
A
(birth + immigration) - (deaths + emigration)
19
Q
number of live births in 1 year per 1,000 people in the population
A
birth rate
20
Q
number of children born to a woman during her lifetime
A
fertility rate
21
Q
Types of fertility rate (2)
A
Replacement-level fertility rate
Total fertility rate
22
Q
average number of children that couples in a population must bear to replace themselves
A
replacement-level fertility rate
23
Q
average number of children born to women in a population during their reproductive years
A
total fertility rate
24
Q
net number of people added to a population in 1 year per 1000 people in the population
A
population growth rate
24
Legend
P0 = starting population (year zero)
Pn = ending population (after n)
n = number of intervals (between P0 and Pn)
25
Absolute change equation
Pn - P0
26
Percentage change
(Pn - P0 / P0) x 100
27
Average annual increase
Pn - P0 / n
28
Arithmetic growth rate
(Pn - P0 / n) / P0
29
measurement of the number of people in an area
calculated by dividing the number of people by the area of the land
(people / km2)
population density
30
spread of people across the world
population distribution
31
True of False
The world as a whole has more empty areas than crowded areas
32
Factors affecting the distribution of the population (3 physical & 3 human)
PHYSICAL
Topography (high: low land coz flat / low: high land - mountainous)
Resources (high: rich in resources / low: few resources)
Climate (high: temperate climates / low: extreme climates)
HUMAN
Political (high: stable government / low: unstable government)
Social (high: close to each other for security / low: far-flung - isolated)
Economic (high: good job opportunities / low: limited job opportunities)
33
Age and Sex structure is produced by
the interaction between fertility, mortality, migration, and growth
34
a snapshot of a population in time
population pyramid
35
Types of Population Pyramid (3)
Expansive
Constrictive
Stationary
36
shape: broad base that narrows towards the apex (high br / low dr)
A & S: more young / less old
social: pressure on education and healthcare infrastructure
political: high demand for policies (ex 1 child policy)
economic: low quality
Expansive Population Pyramid (shape, A&S, implications)
37
shape: beehive
A & S: more old and mid-age / few young (higher dr on male than female)
social: increased social isolation
political: competition for resources / improvement of healthcare benefits for the aged
economic: decrease in labor force
Constrictive Population Pyramid (shape, A&S, implications)
38
shape: rectangular (equilibrium in br and dr)
A & S: equally distributed (there is a youth bulge)
social: risk of violence
political: instability
economic: high unemployment rate
Stationary Population Pyramid (shape, A&S, implications)
39
relatively large increase in the number and proportion of a country's population of youthful age
youth bulge
40
communities of organism living together in combination with their physical environment
ecosystem
41
consists of all the populations of all the species that live together in a particular area
community
42
Difference between ecosystem and community
an ecosystem includes the physical environment, while a community does not
43
True or False
a community is the biotic, or living, component of an ecosystem
44
Components of an ecosystem (2)
Biotic - living things
Abiotic - physical environment
45
study of interactions between living organisms and their biotic and abiotic environments
ecology
46
Types of ecosystems (3)
freshwater
ocean water
terrestrial
47
large group of ecosystems that share certain characteristics (ex. dessert and forest)
biomes
48
True or False
Energy flows through the system—usually from light to heat—while matter is recycled.
49
True or False
Ecosystems with higher biodiversity tend to be more stable with greater resistance and resilience in the face of disturbances and disruptive events.
50
Influences on basic physiological processes (11)
weather
earth
sun
soil
climate
atmosphere
ambient temperature
humidity
moisture
concentration of O2 and CO2
light intensity
51
Resources for which organisms compete include (4)
organic material from living or previously living
organisms
sunlight
mineral nutrients
52
Critical factors influencing community dynamics - both physical and geographical (4)
habitat’s latitude
amount of rainfall
topography (elevation)
available species
53
Ocean Ecosystems - most common 75% (3)
shallow ocean
deep ocean water
deep ocean surfaces
54
What supports deep ocean surfaces?
plankton and krill
55
Performs 40 percent of all photosynthesis on Earth
phytoplankton
56
Freshwater Ecosystems - rarest 1.8% (4)
lakes
rivers
streams
springs
57
Freshwater ecosystems support a variety of _________ (7)
fish
amphibians
reptiles
insects
phytoplankton
fungi
bacteria
58
Terrestrial Ecosystems are grouped into large categories called ______, based largely on __________
biomes; climate
59
Terrestrial biomes (6)
tropical rain forests
savannas
desserts
coniferous forests
deciduous forests
tundra
60
Environmental processes caused by human activities (8)
human agricultural practices
air pollution
acid rain
global deforestation
overfishing
eutrophication
oil spills
illegal dumping on land and into the ocean
61
large group of ecosystems that share certain characteristics (ex. dessert and forest)
equilibrium
62
2 parameters used to measure changes in ecosystem
resistance - ability of an ecosystem to remain at equilibrium in spite of disturbances
resilience - speed at which an ecosystem recovers equilibrium after being disturbed
63
Levels of organization of matter (atoms - biosphere)
organisms
population
communities
ecosystems
biosphere
64
a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same place at the same time
population
65
Variation in a population
genetic diversity
66
place where a population or an individual organism normally lives
habitat
67
consists of all the populations of different species that live in a particular place
community
68
True or False
Matter and energy move from one ecosystem to another
69
consists of the parts of the earth’s air, water, and soil where life is found
biosphere
70
A community of different species interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment of matter and energy.
ecosystem
71
An individual living being
organism
72
The fundamental structural and functional unit of life.
cell
73
Chemical combination of two or more atoms of the same or different elements.
molecule
74
smallest unit of a chemical element that exhibits it
atom
75
True or False
atoms
molecules
cells
tissues
organs
organ systems
76
2 types of metabolism
photosynthesis - energy from sun converted to chemical energy in food
cellular respiration - chemical energy in molecules taken in as food
77
self-propelled movement
motility
78
movement toward or away from chemicals
chemotaxis
79
movement toward or away from light
phototaxis
80
2 types of responsiveness
positive response - toward a stimulus
negative response - away from a stimulus
81
reproduction of single-celled organisms
duplication of their DNA
equal division as the cell prepares to divide to form two new cells
82
reproduction of multicellular organisms
production of specialized reproductive germline cells
formation of new individuals
83
True or False
Organisms grow and develop following specific instructions coded for by their genes.
84
the transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring
heredity
85
the units of inheritance that control an organism’s trait
genes
86
descent with modification (based on changes in the frequencies of genes within populations
over time)
evolution
87
ability to maintain internal conditions within a narrow range almost constantly, despite environmental changes
homeostasis
88
regulation of body temperature
thermoregulation
89
Characteristics that define life (10)
order
responsiveness
reproduction
development
motility
heredity
evolution
adaptation
homeostasis
metabolism
90
Specific structures, behaviors, and abilities suit life- forms to their environment.
adaptation
91
Populations of organisms change over time, acquiring new ways to survive, to obtain and use energy, and to reproduce
evolution
92
Ordered sequences of progressive changes result in an individual acquiring increased complexity
development
93
Organisms perceive the environment and react to it.
responsiveness
94
Each structure or activity lies in a specific relationship to all other structures and activities
order
95
Organized chemical steps break down and build up molecules making energy available or building needed parts.
metabolism
96
the smallest and most fundamental structural and functional units of life
cell
97
a cell surrounded by a membrane and has a distinct nucleus (a membrane-bounded structure containing genetic material in the form of DNA) and several other internal parts called organelles
eukaryotic cell
98
a cell surrounded by a membrane, but it has no distinct nucleus and no other internal parts surrounded by membranes
prokaryotic cell (all bacteria)
99
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt
considered the universe as one interacting entity
100
4 main spherical systems
atmosphere (air)
hydrosphere (water)
geosphere (rock, soil, sediment)
biosphere (living things)
101
thin spherical envelope of gases surrounding the earth’s surface
atmosphere
102
inner layer of the atmosphere
troposphere (majority of the air that we breathe
103
they trap heat and thus warm the lower atmosphere
greenhouse gases
104
above the Earth's surface - its lower portion contains enough ozone (O3) gas to filter out most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation
stratosphere
105
consists of all of the water on or near the earth’s surface
hydrosphere
106
consists of the earth’s intensely hot core, a thick mantle composed mostly of rock, and a thin outer crust
geosphere
107
3 factors sustaining the Earth's life
one-way flow of high-quality energy from the sun (-through living things in their feeding interactions, into the environment as low-quality energy, and eventually back into space as heat)
cycling of matter or nutrients (-through parts of the biosphere / ex. atoms, ions, and compounds needed for survival by living organisms)
gravity (allows the planet to hold onto its atmosphere and helps to enable the movement and cycling of chemicals through the air, water, soil, and organisms)
108
True or False
Biotic factors also include dead organisms, dead parts of organisms, and the
waste products of organisms.
109
Too much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a population, even if all other factors are at or near the optimal range of tolerance.
Limiting factor principle
110
common limiting factor on land
precipitation
111
feeding level depending on its source of food or nutrients
trophic level
112
autotrophic members of the ecosystem - green plants (capable of synthesizing food from the nonliving simple inorganic compounds)
producers
ex. phytoplankton, algae
113
heterotrophic organisms which are called as macro consumers or phagotrophs (consume the producers directly or indirectly)
consumers
114
primary consumers - solely feed upon vegetation or plants
herbivores
115
secondary consumers - feed upon the herbivorous animals
primary carnivores / omnivores
116
third-level (highest) consumers - feed on the flesh of other carnivores
carnivores (biophages)
117
micro-organisms (bacteria and molds) of the ecosystem - feed upon dead decaying living organisms (both plants and animals) and break them into simpler compounds
decomposers
118
feed on the wastes or dead bodies of other organisms
detritivores (scavengers)
119
sequence of organisms, each of which serves as a source of food or energy for the
next
food chain
120
a complex network of interconnected food chains
food web
121
True or False
only energy storied as biomass can get eaten
121
10% rule of energy transfer
only about 10% of the energy that's stored as biomass in one trophic level—per unit time—ends up stored as biomass in the next trophic level—per the same unit time
122
amount, or mass, of living organic material
biomass
123
the rate at which an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy into chemical energy as biomass found in their tissues
gross primary productivity (GPP)
124
how to measure GPP
energy production per unit area over a given time span
kilocalories per square meter per year
(kcal/m2/yr)
125
rate at which producers use photosynthesis to produce and store chemical energy minus the rate at which they use some of this stored chemical energy through aerobic respiration
net primary productivity (NPP)
126
NPP equation
NPP = GPP - R (R is energy used in respiration)
127
NPP measures _________
how fast producers can provide the chemical energy stored in their tissue that is potentially available to other organisms (consumers) in an ecosystem
128
NPP on land
generally decreases from the equator toward the poles because the amount of solar radiation available to terrestrial plant producers is highest at the equator and lowest at the poles
129
NPP in the ocean
highest NPP: estuaries (high inputs of plant nutrients flow from nutrient-laden rivers, which also stir up nutrients in bottom sediments)
low NPP: open ocean (because of lack of nutrients, except at occasional areas where an upwelling brings nutrients in bottom sediments to the surface
130
3 fundamental aspects of productivity
standing crop
material removed
production rate
131
continuous movement of elements and compounds that make up nutrients through air, water, soil, rock, and living organisms in ecosystems and in the biosphere cycles
biogeochemical cycles (nutrient cycles)
132
the most important cycles in ecosystems involve ________ (5) driven directly or indirectly by _______ (6)
water
carbon
nitrogen
phosphorus
sulfur
incoming solar energy and gravity
include the hydrologic (water) cycles
carbon cycles
nitrogen cycles
phosphorus cycles
sulfur cycles
133
2 elements that make up water
oxygen and hydrogen
134
water that falls to Earth’s surface
precipitation
135
For precipitation to occur, water vapor must ________
condense
136
Water returns to the atmosphere when heated, changing back into vapor, a process called ________
evaporation
137
Plants release water vapor through a process called _____
transpiration
138
3 major ways of water alteration
(1) withdrawal of large quantities of freshwater from streams, lakes, and underground sources
(2) we clear vegetation from land for
agriculture, mining, road building, and other activities
(3) increasing flooding
139
Most precipitation falling on terrestrial ecosystems becomes __________
surface runoff
140
How does surface runoff continue the hydrologic cycle? (2)
(1) water flows into streams and lakes, which eventually carry water back to the oceans, from which it can evaporate to repeat the cycle
(2) some also seeps into the upper layer of soils and some evaporates from soil, lakes, and streams back into the atmosphere
141
Some water combine with _________ during photosynthesis to produce high-energy organic compounds such as _________
carbon dioxide; carbohydrates
142
Consumers get their water from ______ (2)
(1) their food
(2) by drinking it
143
How is water the primary sculptor of the earth's landscape?
Surface runoff replenishes streams and lakes, but also causes soil erosion, which moves soil and rock fragments from one place to another.
144
Plants use carbon dioxide to produce sugar—a process called __________
photosynthesis
144
_________ are carbon compounds that are important building blocks in food and all living matter
sugars
144
To release the energy in food, organisms break down the carbon compounds—a process called __________
respiration
144
True or False
Buried deposits of dead plant matter and bacteria are compressed between layers of sediment, where high pressure and heat convert them to carbon-containing fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
144
2 ways in which humans intervene in the earth’s carbon cycle by adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
(1) in some areas, especially in tropical forests, we clear
trees and other plants, which absorb CO2 through photo synthesis, faster than they can grow back
(2) we add large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere by burning carbon-containing fossil fuels and wood
144
The element found in all living things
carbon
144
The hydrologic cycle can be viewed as a cycle of natural renewal of water quality, how so?
Because water dissolves many nutrient compounds, it is a major medium for transporting nutrients within and between ecosystems.
144
145
146
refers to water that fills pores and cracks in rock and soil layers beneath the Earth's surface
replenishes through infiltration of surface water and is discharged through springs, wells, or seeps into bodies of water
groundwater
147
the process by which liquid water transforms into a gas (water vapor) due to heat from the sun
main driver of the water cycle, initiating the movement of water into the atmosphere
evaporation
148
Similar to evaporation, releases water vapor into the air, but specifically from plants
helps regulate plant temperature and water transport
transporation
149
not directly part of the water cycle, but contributes water vapor to the atmosphere as a byproduct
respiration
150
Once water evaporates or transpires, it becomes an invisible gas dispersed in the atmosphere.
acts as a greenhouse gas, and forms the basis for clouds and precipitation
water vapor in air
151
As water vapor rises in the atmosphere, it cools and condenses around tiny particles like dust and salt, forming clouds
the opposite of evaporation and is essential for returning water to the Earth's surface
condensation
152
When condensed water droplets in clouds become too heavy to stay suspended, they fall back to Earth in various forms like rain, snow, sleet, or hail
precipitation
153
This refers to the flow of water across land surfaces due to gravity. It can be caused by precipitation, melted snow or ice, or the release of groundwater
Runoff
154
the temporary capture and storage of precipitation (mainly rain or snow) by vegetation, structures, and other surfaces before reaching the ground
interception
155
refers to the process where water on the land surface, mainly from precipitation, soaks down into the soil and rock layers
infiltration
156
the downward movement of water through the soil and rock layers after it has infiltrate
the process by which water travels deeper into the ground, eventually reaching the water table
percolation
157
where does the carbon cycle mainly revolve (5)
(1) atmosphere
(2) terrestrial biosphere
(3) earth’s interior
(4) ocean
(5) human influence
158
2 ways in which carbon is found in the atmosphere
carbon dioxide and methane
159
living organisms require sulfure to create ___________
protein
160
sulfur reserves are found in the __________ and are released by ________
lithosphere; weathering
161
we need nitrogen in our DNA to create _______
protein
162
nitrogen fixation
nitrogen + oxygen + ammonia
163
nitrification
ammonia + oxygen from bacteria = nitrite
164
what form of nitrogen can be absorbed by plants and through what process
nitrate; assimilation
165
the process of bacteria taking nitrogen from dead animals or wastes
ammonification
166
the steps in nitrogen cycle (5)
fixation, ammonification nitrification, denitrification, sedimentation
167
phosphorous - rich runoff causes___________
production of hug populations of algae - which can be toxic once they die
168
photosynthesis formula
carbon dioxide + wate + solar energy to glucose + oxygen
6CO2 + 6H2O + solar energy to C6H12O6 + 6CO2
169
chemosynthesis
he process by which food is made by bacteria or other living things using chemicals as the energy source, typically in the absence of sunlight
170
aerobic respiration formula
glucose + oxygen to carbon dioxide + water + energy
171
PRB
Population Reference Bureau
172
the world’s population could swell to __________ by 2050
9.9 billion
173
biogeochemical process that doesn't involve the atmosphere
phosphorous cycle
