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Environmental Science > Overall Study > Flashcards

Overall Study Flashcards

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1
Q

Scientific Method

A

Observations, Questions, Hypothesis, predictions, Test, Results

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2
Q

In manipulative (controlled) experiments

A

the researcher actively chooses and manipulates the independent variable.
These are not always possible, such as in the case of global climate change.

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3
Q

Natural experiments

A

compare how different variables are expressed in naturally occurring, but different, contexts.
The independent variable varies naturally, and scientists search for correlation, or statistical association, between variables.

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4
Q

Scientific Literature

A

Sources of scientific information:
o Peer-reviewed – double blind reviewed by experts
o Gray literature – technical documents written by
scientist/experts
o Popular press
o Primary v. secondary sources

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5
Q

Peer-Reviewed

A

Double Blind Reviewed by experts

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6
Q

Gray Literature

A

Technical documents written by scientists/ experts

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7
Q

Ecocentrism

A

judges actions based on their effects on ecological systems, which contain both living and nonliving elements and relationships between them.

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8
Q

Biocentrism

A

ascribes inherent value to living things.

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9
Q

Anthropocentrism

A

ascribes value to nature only to the extent that it benefits humans in some way

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10
Q

John Muir

A

promoted a preservation ethic, believing that the environment should be protected in a pristine, unaltered state.
o “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, Places to play in and pray in, where
nature may heal and give strength”

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11
Q

Gifford Pinochet

A

promoted the conservation ethic, which holds that people should put natural resources to use but have a responsibility to use them wisely.
o “…greatest good of the greatest number for the longest time…”

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12
Q

Aldo Leopold

A

was originally a forest manager who embraced the government policy of shooting predators to increase the population of deer and other game animals.
o “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the
biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

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13
Q

Environmental justice

A

involves the fair and equitable treatment of all people with respect to environmental policy and practice, regardless of their income, race, or ethnicity.
o Poor people and ethnic minorities tend to be exposed to more pollution, hazards,
and environmental degradation than wealthier people.

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14
Q

Distributional equity

A

how resources/burdens are distributed

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15
Q

Procedural equity

A

who gets to participate in decision making

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16
Q

Recognition

A

which frameworks/points of view are recognized

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17
Q

feedback loop

A

A system’s output may serve as input back into the same system

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18
Q

negative feedback loop

A

results when the system moving in one direction acts as an input that causes the system to move in the opposite direction.

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19
Q

Positive Feedback loops

A

occur when increased output in a system leads to increased input, which further stimulates output.

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20
Q

Matter

A

All material in the universe that has mass and occupies space.

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21
Q

Elements

A

A fundamental type of matter; a chemical substance with a given set of properties, which cannot be broken down into substances with other properties. Chemists currently recognize 92 elements that occur in nature, as well as more than 20 others that have been artificially created.

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22
Q

Atom

A

The smallest component of an element that maintains the chemical properties of that element.

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23
Q

Isotope/Radioisotope

A

An “isotope” refers to any atom of a particular element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, while a “radioisotope” is a specific type of isotope that is unstable and emits radiation due to its excess nuclear energy

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24
Q

Ions

A

An electrically charged atom or combination of atoms.

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25
Q

macromolecule

A

A very large molecule, such as a protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, or lipid.

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26
Q

DNA

A

A double-stranded nucleic acid composed of four nucleotides, each of which contains a sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. DNA carries the hereditary information for living organisms and is responsible for passing traits from parents to offspring. Compare RNA.

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27
Q

Proteins

A

A macromolecule made up of long chains of amino acids.

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28
Q

Carbohydrates

A

An organic compound consisting of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

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29
Q

Lipids

A

A class of chemical compounds that do not dissolve in water and are used in organisms for energy storage, for structural support, and as key components of cellular membranes.

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30
Q

PH scale

A

A measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14: A solution with a pH of 7 is neutral; solutions with a pH below 7 are acidic, and those with a pH higher than 7 are basic. Because the pH scale is logarithmic, each step on the scale represents a 10-fold difference in hydrogen ion concentration.

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31
Q

The overall process of photosynthesis can be summarized in this reaction:

A

6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2

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32
Q

The overall reaction for cellular respiration is the exact opposite of photosynthesis:

A

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

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33
Q

Energy

A

is the capacity to change the position, composition, or
temperature of matter.

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33
Q

Potential Energy

A

is the energy of position.
o For example, river water held behind a dam contains
potential energy.

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34
Q

Kinetic energy

A

is the energy of motion.
o River water rushing through a dam and downstream
contains kinetic energy.

Energy is able to be converted back and forth between these two forms.

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35
Q

The first law of thermo Dynamics

A

Energy can change from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

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36
Q

second law of thermodynamics

A

The nature of energy tends to change from a more-ordered to a less-ordered state as it changes form.

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37
Q

Primary Production

A

The conversion of solar energy into chemical bonds in sugars

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38
Q

Gross primary production

A

The total chemical energy produced by autotrophs

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39
Q

net primary production

A

The energy that remains after respiration is used to generate biomass (leaves, stems, and
roots)

40
Q

secondary production.

A

Energy used by consumers to generate
their own biomass

41
Q

Water cycle

A

the continuous movement of water on, above, and within the Earth and its atmosphere

42
Q

Carbon cycle

A

the process by which carbon atoms move between the Earth’s atmosphere, living organisms, ocean, and rocks and sediments

43
Q

Nitrogen cycle

A

the repeating circularization of nitrogen through organic and inorganic materials.

44
Q

Phosphorus Cycle

A

a biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the environment, including the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere

45
Q

Evolution is driven by natural selection

A

a process that favors certain inherited characteristics over others, causing them to be passed on more frequently.

46
Q

The idea of natural selection is based on three observations:

A

o Organisms face a constant struggle to survive and reproduce.
o Organisms tend to produce more offspring than can survive to maturity.
o Individuals of a species vary in their attributes.

47
Q

Biodiversity or biological diversity

A

refers to the variety of life across all levels.
o Species, genes, populations, and communities.

48
Q

speciation

A

The process by which new species are generated is termed

49
Q

Allopatric speciation

A

occurs when populations become
physically separated over a geographic distance

50
Q

The Sixth Mass Extinction Is Upon Us?

A

Many biologists have concluded that the Earth is currently entering its sixth mass extinction event.

51
Q

Causes stem from human population growth

A

Habitat Destruction
Invasive Species
Pollution
Hunting and Fishing
Climate Change

52
Q

Habitat

A

Each organism has a relationship with its habitat, the environment in which it lives.
o Rock, soil, leaf litter, plant life, etc.
o Depending on the species, a habitat may be a square meter of soil or many miles of land.

53
Q

Species Area Relationship

A

S=cA^z
S = Number of Species
c = Constant
A = habitat Area
Z = Slope of curve when plotted on log Scale

54
Q

Niche

A

An organism’s role in its community. Includes resource use and interaction with other organisms
o Generalist v. Specialist

55
Q

Population density

A

describes the number of individuals per unit area.

56
Q

limiting factors

A

Eventually, every population is constrained by
physical, chemical, and biological limiting factors in
the environment.

56
Q

The actual population growth rate includes the effects of emigration
and immigration:

A

(birth rate − death rate) + (immigration rate − emigration rate)
Rates may be expressed per 1000 individuals per year. These can be used in the formula.

57
Q

Population distribution

A

describes the spatial arrangement of organisms within an area.
o Random shows no particular pattern.
o Uniform has individuals spaced evenly.
o Clumped occurs when individuals concentrate in certain areas.

58
Q

Growth rates may be expressed as percentages:

A

population growth rate × 100%

59
Q

carrying capacity

A

the maximum population size of a species that an
environment can sustain.

60
Q

logistic growth

A

Population growth slows as it reaches the carrying capacity. This produces an S-shaped curve

61
Q

trophic level

A

Species in a community are given a rank within the feeding hierarchy

62
Q

Ecologists organize species interactions into several main categories

A

Competition − −
Predation, parasitism, herbivory + −
Mutualism + +

“+” denotes a positive effect; “−” denotes a negative effect.

63
Q

resource partitioning

A

Over many generations, natural selection may favor resource partitioning, where individuals use shared resources in different ways.

64
Q

Producers

A

use photosynthesis or chemosynthesis to make their own sugars

65
Q

Primary consumers

A

consume producers

66
Q

Secondary consumers

A

prey on primary consumers

67
Q

Tertiary consumers

A

prey on secondary consumers

68
Q

Detritivores

A

scavenge waste and dead bodies.

69
Q

Decomposers

A

break down nonliving matter into smaller molecules.
o These play an especially important role in cycling nutrients back into soil for plants to use.

70
Q

A trophic level will:

A

only have about 10% of the energy content,
organisms, and biomass compared to the level below it.

71
Q

At each trophic level:

A

most of the energy input is either used for
maintenance or lost as heat

72
Q

keystone species

A

A species that has an impact far greater than its abundance

73
Q

Keystone species include:

A

Decomposers that recycle nutrients and replenish the
soil.
“Ecosystem engineers,” such as beavers and prairie dogs, who physically alter ecosystems.
Top predators, who control populations of lower trophic
level consumers, are often keystone species.

74
Q

Primary succession

A

occurs when a disturbance removes all plant or soil life.
Lichens secrete acids that break down rock, beginning the process of soil formation.

75
Q

Secondary succession

A

begins with a disturbance that alters the community but leaves the soil life intact.
o Farming, fires, storms, and landslides are examples.

76
Q

Introduced species

A

are non-native arrivals to a community brought by people.

77
Q

invasive species.

A

introduced species that thrive

78
Q

Introduced species become invasive:

A

when limiting factors that normally regulate their population growth are absent.
o Lack of competition, predators, or parasites.

79
Q

Climate Helps Determine Biomes

A

Temperature and precipitation exert the
greatest influence on which biome is found in
a given area.

80
Q

Climate diagrams

A

also called climatographs, depict seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation and help to tell the story of a biome.

81
Q

Deciduous forests

A

for example, are found at mid-latitudes and have relatively even precipitation throughout the year.
o Winters are frozen, causing the trees to drop their leaves.

82
Q

An economy

A

is a social system that converts resources into
goods and services.
o Goods are material commodities.
o Services include work done for others.

83
Q

Economics

A

is the study of how people use potentially scarce resources to provide goods and services that are in demand.

84
Q

Economies receive

A

inputs from the environment, process them, and discharge outputs back into the environment.
o Traditionally economics overlooked these interactions.

85
Q

The market moves toward an

A

equilibrium point, where supply equals demand.

85
Q

Neoclassical economics

A

describes a conflict between buyers (who want a low price) and sellers (who want a high price).
o The compromise is the result of supply (the amount of product offered for sale at a given price) and demand (the amount of product people will buy at that
price).

85
Q

Natural resources

A

ecosystem goods, include fresh water, trees that provide timber, and the energy from the sun, wind, water, and fossil fuels

86
Q

Ecological services

A

include air and water purification, soil formation, climate regulation, pollination, and waste recycling.

87
Q

Adam Smith

A

argued that self-interested economic behavior can benefit society, as long as it is controlled.

88
Q

classical economics

A

where, under the right conditions, the marketplace will behave as if guided by an “invisible hand” to benefit society.

89
Q

Externalities

A

additional costs or benefits not reflected in the price of a good or service. The presence of those externalities is what causes the market failures.

90
Q

Market failure

A

occurs when positive outside forces (like ecosystem
services) and external costs are not considered.

91
Q

In markets, ideally supply and demand:

A

balance each other out. A change in one side leads to corresponding changes in the other to maintain equilibrium. A market failure is anything that interferes with this balance.

92
Q

Government intervention is intended to counteract market failure

A

o Taxes on harmful activities, like smoking.
o Laws and regulations to prevent long-term damaging behaviors.
o Economic incentives to promote conservation and
sustainability.

93
Q

External costs/benefits

A

affect others besides the buyer and seller. Examples
include:
o Health impact
o Depletion of resources
o Aesthetic damage
o Financial loss

94
Q

Tragedy of the Commons

A

Garrett Hardin theorized the Tragedy of the Commons as a particular type of Prisoner’s Dilemma.
o Tragedy of the Commons: If many people have unfettered access to a resource (e.g.
pasture, forests, fishery) they will tend to overuse it and make everyone worse off.

95
Q

The pasture example

A

o Everyone has access to a commonly held pasture
o No rules about sustainable numbers for grazing
o Each herder benefits more from adding more animals than they lose from overgrazing
o The result: the pasture is overgrazed

Environmental Science (4 decks)

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