Midterm Exam Flashcards
- Variety of communities or habitats that exist in the geographical communities is called:
Ecosystem diversity
- Hotspot covers 50% of earth and contents 50% of terrestrial biodiversity
False
- Define the factors determine soil erosison
All Above
- Who can monitor air quality?
All Above
- Measure of demands made by a person or group of people on global natural resources
Footprint
- What is the major natural source of sulfur dioxide?
Volcanic eruption
- Complete the formula by adding the reactant on the left side + VOC + Sunlight = Ozone
Nitrogen Oxides
- Population with higher genetic diversity are better able to respond to environmental changes
True
- What are the factors that determine global overshoot?
Biocapacity and footprint
- Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil
True
- The pH of acid lake
4.5
EPA called them mixture of mixtures
Particular Matter
AQI 175 indicates air quality as per the following category
Unhealthy
Leaching out of nitrogen compounds from fertilized agricultural lands is a point source water pollution
False
The rapid development of seaweed and phytoplankton (tiny microscopic plants) is called
Algal Bloom
Toxic particles that could travel deeper in body
PM 2.5
The lack of Oxygen creates zones in which most aquatic species cannot survive. It is called
Dead Zone
Excretory products of livestock and human beings used as manure, pollute the soil besides giving high …
True
This layer of the soil is made of dead plants
Organic layer
Soil Texture refers to the proportion of
Sand, Silt, Clay
What CLORPT stands for?
Climate, Organisms, Parent Material, Time and Topography.
86% of terrestrial species and 91% of the marine species have been described by scientists
False
An event causes a drastic decrease in a population if disaster strikes is called
Bottleneck Effect
Estimate the biocapacity reserve/deficit in the following example. Explain your response. Biocapacity per person = 7.5gha and footprint per person = 0.9 gha
Biocapacity reserve = 7.5-0.9 = 6.6 Since biocapacity is more than footprint, there will be reserve, not deficit.
Species diversity is often used as an environmental indicator for the health of ecosystems. Why?
A wide variety of species will fight better with threats than a limited number of them in large populations.
Provide examples of the global air quality improvement during the Covid-19 lockdowns
- NO2 and PM2.5 declined during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to historical years.
- In northern India, the Himalayas were visible in the distance for the first time in a generation.
- And during the first nine weeks of the UK lockdown, nitrogen dioxide along London’s roads decreased by an average of 31% compared with the pre-lockdown period.
Provide the formula of environmental impact
P(Population) x Consumption per person (affluence, A ) x Technological impact per unit of consumption (T) = Environmental impact of population (I)
List activities that cause the loss of large predatory fish. What is the percentage of this loss today?
Overfishing, Pollution, and Climate Change. Today the loss percentage is 90%.
Provide the formula of acid rain formation
SO3+H2O=H2SO4
2NO2+H2O=HNO3+HNO2
List types of water pollutants
Surface water pollution
Groundwater pollution
Microbiological pollution
Oxygen Depletion Pollution
How noise and light pollution types impact the living organisms?
Artificial lights attract the birds and when they fly into buildings, they smash into them and die. It attracts other animals like frogs, moths etc. to places that they should not be there and because of lack of food there, they die. Noise pollution increases the heart rate of animals, they are scared and leave the habitats. Moreover, they sometimes lose hearing ability as well.
What is bioaccumulation? Provide examples.
As is widely appreciated, some pollutants, even when present in very small amounts within the environment, can be taken up by living organisms and become concentrated in their tissues over time.
Biodiversity hotspot is
is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.
What is GMO and why it is important for some nations?
GMO is genetically modified organisms. With the help of GMO, farmers can increase the crops and extend the life of products. It will strength the economy as well.
Provide case studies for 1. Water pollution 2. Soil pollution 3. Air pollution
In the 1970s, the Chesapeake Bay was found to contain one of the planet’s first identified marine dead zones, where waters were so depleted of oxygen that they were unable to support life, resulting in massive fish kills.
In 2006-2010, there were 20 major lead pollution incidents across the whole of China. In 2009, there were a total of 178 documented cases of lead pollution. The blame lies largely with China’s metal refineries, with China suffering the downsides of being a major producer and user of heavy metals.
Dead or dying trees are a common sight in areas effected by acid rain like these woods in the Jezera Mountains in the Czech Republic. Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil. That aluminum may be harmful to plants as well as animals.
What is the result of hypoxia in water reservoirs?
Hypoxia occurs when algae and other organisms die from lack of oxygen and available nutrients. Hypoxia Events often follow algal blooms. And because of lack of oxygen, a lot of marine animals die.
List the steps of environmental monitoring
- Start from sampling
- Test the samples
- Prepare report for decision makers
What is biodiversity conversation? Provide types and examples of biodiversity
Biodiversity is saving life on Earth in all its forms and keeping natural ecosystems functional and healthy. It has 2 types: In-situ and ex-situ. In-situ = national parks, ex-situ = botanical garden
What does cause soil desertification?
Soil desertification is the process that soil becomes drier. It may occur because of lack of water, deforestation, climate change, soil erosion and salinization.
What makes Bt cotton resistant to insect pests?
Modified genes
PM could consist of a number of pollutants
True
Which layer of soil is parent material from which upper soil layers developed?
Substratum ©
How are PM10 made?
Grinding rocks
Tiny particles with various composition of substance that cross the alveolar barrier and either destroy endothelial cells directly or act through endocrine disruption
PM 2.5
