Midterm Flashcards
what is the anthropocene
period when human activity replaced natural processes as the dominant force shaping the earth
what is overshoot day
each year we go into deficit
what can mass extinction be caused by
major volcanic events, asteroids, natural changes in temperature/ sea levels
what is the definition of the environment
the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates
OR: the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area
what is environmentalism
term refers to social movements with aims of improving/ protecting aspects of the environment
why do we study the environment
we use scientific and social science methods to generate a continually improving understanding of Earth, its systems, and human role within them
what are the 4 challenges in environmental studies
complexity of the systems
scale of phenomena being studies
timeframes
bias, ignorance
human activity has caused significant changes to..
the climate system (elevated CO2 levels)
stratosphere (ozone depleting substances)
oceans (acidification, plastic debris)
what is natural capital
natural resources (air, water, soil, energy, etc) ecosystem services (ability of environment to break down waste, water purification)
what is carrying capacity
the maximum number of individuals of a given species that can be sustained indefinitely in a given space
what is sustainable development
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
3 key elements to develop a sustainable society
intragenerational equity
intergenerational equity
integration of economic, social, political and environment in decision making, policy making and management
what is the ImPAcT model
I=PxA*xT where I- impact on environment P- population A- affluence*/ consumption T- technology
what does the ImPAct model suggest
that a small, affluent and technology advanced population will have a greater impact on the environment than a larger, poorer, less technologically advanced population
small numbers of wealthy people have greater impact
What were the the reasons for bison hunting
for skins
to open grazing land for cattle
some say to hasten extermination of indigenous people on the plains
What are the limiting factors for bison population before European contact
human predation climate, weather non- human predation disease availability of grass natural hazards (eg. flood, fires)
what were the limiting factors for the bison population after the european contact
european predation
anthropogenic habitat change
disease
what is the decline of the bison population an example of
of biodiversity loss
steep decline in last century
what does “background” extinction mean
the number of species that might go extinct for natural reasons
what are the key causes of biodiversity decline and species extinction
destruction or damage to habitat caused by humans pollution overexploitation invasive species climate change (an emerging threat)
what are the 4 reasons that biodiversity is important
livelihood importance
economic importance
food systems
cultural, spiritual, intrinsic value
what is biodiversity
at local: the variety of species in a given location or habitat and their relative abundance
at larger: the genetic diversity of species
the diversity of habitats in ecosystems
the diversity of ecosystems
What are keystone species
a species that, when it is missing, causes habitat or ecosystem to change
when this species is removed, other species may either grow or fall in numbers
definition of carrying capacity
describes the upper limit to the number of organisms that an ecosystem can support over the long term
What is environmental resistance
sum total of factors that limit the potential for a species to increase its numbers or its geographic range
can be abiotic factors (temperature) or biotic factors (disease)
what is biotic potential
the ability for a species to increase in number under optimum conditions
what is the r rate
r represents the fastest rate of population increase (if population had unlimited resource and no environmental resistance)- does not actually occur because there is always
what are r- selected species
species that can reproduce quickly, with large numbers of offspring
ex. fruit flies
j- curve; rapid increase and decline
what are k- selected species
species that reproduce slowly, with small numbers of offspring
typically have trouble alongside humans
what is the critical number
the minimum number of organisms required to ensure that a population will not go extinct
what are the 4 trees in danger of extinction
butternut
elm
ash
chestnut
what are the key causes of biodiversity loss
destruction or damage to habitat caused by humans pollution overexploitation invasive species climate change
what are some options to lessen the destruction to habitats caused by humans
protect habitat/ species
with laws and regulations
create protected areas; through education and collective action
what were the 2 birds that are protected under the migratory birds convention act
trumpeter swans and whooping cranes
what are the implications of a SARA listing
cannot harm any individual or destroy its residence
what are protected areas
areas set aside to minimize human disturbance
parks could be set aside for conservation or protection
what are some proactive interventions
citizen interventions
habitat recreation or modification
zoos, sanctuaries
what is energy
the capacity to do work, move things, or cause changes of state
what are the 3 types of energy
kinetic= when matter is moving
potential= energy not in use ATM
electromagnetic radiation= waves of energy in space/ emitted
what are the 2 laws of thermodynamics
1) new energy can not be spontaneously created
2) when energy changes from one form to another, you always lose some efficiency
environmental impacts of fossil fuels
extraction
transportation
consumption
why are the alberta tar sands inefficient and polluting
only 1 unit of oil is produced for every 15 units of tar sand unearthed
energy intensive and uses a lot of water
not cost- effective
contaminates water
what is fracking
horizontal slickwater hydraulic fracturing
process whereby pressurized water, chemicals and sand are injected into rock containing oil or natural gas
what is remediation
remove toxins from site, cap and seal pipes, wells and revegetate site
companies try to delay cleaning their stuff up cause of costs
to reduce environmental impact we need to grow what and shrink…
grow biomass a little
grow electricity a lot
shrink oil, natural gas and eliminate motor gasoline
what is the electricity distribution model
large amounts of electricity are generated at single points and then distributed by a network of wires to consumers
“the grid”
what is biomass energy
term that refers to the burning of any number of combustible materials to generate heat
what is biomass energy farming
planting fast growing plants specifically for use as fuel for steam turbines
what are the different human factors to blame for the decrease in salmon population
overfishing, pollution, damming of rivers and deforestation
what was the problem between salmon and electricity
in the 1920s-1950s, 3 dams were built to supply electricity but it interrupted the sockeye salmon migration route, population declined
what are the 4 key factors to aquatic biodiversity
access to sunlight
temperature
dissolved oxygen availability
dissolved nutrients
what are dead zones
zones from large amounts of nutrient pollution (phosphates, fertilizers) that were washed off farmland into rivers and discharged
what is a mangrove
a mix of shrubs and trees common in coastal areas of the tropics
can withstand having their roots in standing salt water
what is ocean acidification
carbon dioxide in atmosphere gets slowly dissolved into oceans water surface
increasing acidity harms creatures that make shells
what does protecting ocean biodiversity require
strong laws and enforcement to reduce pollution
collective action to reduce plastic
regulation of fishing
what is the key problem when it comes to the open ocean and protecting it
countries only have jurisdiction over their coastal waters, open ocean belongs to no one and few rules
what are the 2 important properties of fresh water
1) water is at its densest when the temperature is 4 degrees
2) cold water contains more dissolved oxygen than warm water
how do humans impact freshwater systems
damming
draining wetlands
changing the shore environment
pollution
what is bio- accumulation/ bio- concentration
processes by which toxins accumulate in the tissues of living organisms
2 ways to deal with water pollution and key challenge
1) reduce the production of pollution at source
2) collect polluted water and treat it
challenge is to prevent and capture “non- point source”
what is an example of a non- point source
urban streets
suburban development
what are the 3 stages of evolution of sewage capture and treatment
1) no capture, wastewarer collects in low- lying areas
2) storm drain and collection sewers built
3) interception trunk and treatment centre built
what is the ontario clean water act
requires planning at the watershed level to protect water quality
“watershed”= large area that drains to a single point
what was the walkerton crisis
in 2000, 7 people died and 2300 people became sick after e.coli bacteria entered the towns drinking water supply wells
what does protecting freshwater resources require
active management of watersheds
minimize nutrient run- off
treat waste water before discharge
laws, regulation
why are there water problems in poorer countries
most low- income countries are colonies of European powers that did not invest in sanitation
lack money to invest
weak governments to fund enforcement
