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Biology Year 2 > planetary boundaries > Flashcards

planetary boundaries Flashcards

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1
Q

how many proccesses regulate the stability of the land atmosphere and sea

A

9

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2
Q

Has the climate change boundary been crossed

A

yes

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3
Q

What is the earths temperature controlled by

A

greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere

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4
Q

What is there evidence for between the link of CO2 and temperature

A

Higher concentration of atmospheric carbon Dioxide is correlated with higher average global temperature

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5
Q

What else does atmospheric temperature impact

A

wind patterns Ocean currents Rainfall

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6
Q

How does positive feedback occur

A

there are warmer seas which melt polar ice,

The sea is less reflective than ice so more heat is absorbed so the sea gets even warmer

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7
Q

What is the issue with the increase of atmospheric temperature

A

Thermal expansion and melted ice running off land raise the average sea level.

Without significant action, a rise of up to 7 m is predicted by 2100.

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8
Q

What was the boundary for atmospheric cabon dioxide

A

350 ppm

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9
Q

what does ppm mean

A

parts per million

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10
Q

What are two examples of international agreements to combat climate change

A

Kyoto protocol

COP21

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11
Q

Kyoto protocol

A

The Kyoto Protocol, agreed by 84 countries in 1997,

was the first of many major international agreements to address global warming.

It set targets for reducing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Some major polluters did not sign the agreement

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12
Q

COP21

A

Keep global temperatures ‘well below’ 2.0oC above pre-industrial times and ‘to endeavour to limit’ them to 1.5oC

Limit greenhouse gas emission by human activity to what can be naturally absorbed,

to start between 2050 and 2100 Review each country’s achievements every five years

For rich countries to help poorer nations to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy

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13
Q

Has The Biosphere Integrity Boundary been crossed

A

yes

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14
Q

what has been the route to biodiversity lost

A

Habitat destruction Populations of living organisms are reduced

Too few individuals in a species remain the survival of the species may be under threat and it may become extinct

Species interact so entire communities come under threat

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15
Q

What are some of the ways to protect species

A

Monitor biodiversity Species conservation e.g. seed banks, sperm banks

Prohibit international trade in endangered species and their products e.g. ivory

Limit fishing when fish are spawning

Limit logging

Limit the use of agricultural chemicals e.g. fertilisers, pesticides Increase

public awareness

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16
Q

Has The Land System Change Boundary been crossed

A

Yes

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17
Q

What is the problem with this

A

Natural ecosystems, including rainforests, have been used for urban development, raising livestock and farming,

including growing biofuel crops this lead to pollutants made from agriculture and other activities further degrade the remaining land

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18
Q

The boundary and how to live within it

A

no more than 15% of ice free land should be used for crop growing and human habitation

farming concentrated in the most productive areas

people should eat less meat to reduce the area under cultivation

more efficient crop plants should be grown

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19
Q

Has The Biogeochemical Flows Boundary been crossed

A

yes

20
Q

How has the balance of chemical elements maintained by natural cycles been disrupted

A

Fertiliser use (atmospheric nitrogen fixed in the Haber process and phosphorous extracted from rocks)

Agricultural nitrogen fixation

Combustion of fossil fuels and biomass

21
Q

What are the consequences of this balance being changed

A

Eutrophication from nitrate and phosphate run off into bodies of water

acidification as excess carbon dioxide dissolves in sea lakes and rivers

22
Q

what is the consequence of acidification

A

can cause a disruption of gas exchange in fish and the softening of the shells of molluscs

23
Q

What is the boundary defined by

A

no more than 62 million tonnes of nitrogen should be added to the ecosystems each year to prevent disruption of the global nitrogen cycle

24
Q

Has The Stratospheric Ozone Boundary been crossed

A

no it has been avoided

25
Q

what was the problem

A

by 1970 the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere had decreased so much that in spring a hole in the ozone layer could be detected over Antarctica

ozone absorbs UV light

UV light generate mutation in DNA and cause damage to living organisms

26
Q

What is the thickness of the ozone layer measured in

A

DOBSON UNITS

27
Q

what should be the thickness of the ozone layer minimum

A

276 dobson units

28
Q

what is the thickness of the ozone layer more recently

A

roughly 300

29
Q

Has The Ocean Acidification Boundary been crossed yet

A

no but it is avoidable

30
Q

What is the problem

A

atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in bodies of water and decreases the ph

31
Q

what is the impact of lowered ph

A

Gas exchange in fish is less efficient calcium leaches out of the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral making them more susceptible to predators

32
Q

What is the boundary defined by

A

saturation ratio of aragonite (calcium carbonate) the boundary is 2.75:1

33
Q

Has The Fresh Water Use Boundary been crossed yet

A

no and it is avoidable

34
Q

what is the problem

A

only 2.5% of the water on earth is fresh 61% of that is frozen Not all available fresh water is drinkable as it may contain toxic ions or dust

Fresh water is not uniformly distributed around the world so some places have very little.

35
Q

What are reasons for the water availability being reduced

A

increased irrigating crops climate change pollution change in land use

increased human population and longer life spans

36
Q

what are the consequences

A

Desertification Rives may fail to reach the sea Fisheries are destroyed

The loss of bodies of water gives a wider area more extreme temperatures and makes it more arid

37
Q

What is the boundary defined by

A

we should limit the volume of water we take from rivers to 4000 km^3 y -1

38
Q

how can we avoid the boundary

A

stop irrigating non food crops use drip irrigation for food crops apply the REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE method use desalinated water

39
Q

Has The Atmospheric Aerosol Loading Boundary been crossed yet

A

we dont know because it hasn’t been quantified

40
Q

What is the problem

A

the atmospher contain minute particles some are natural but others are put there by human activity their effect depends upon their physical and chemical nature they are so varied that their effects have not been quantified but they are estimated to cause premature deaths

41
Q

What are some examples of consequences

A

The Asian brown cloud over India

extreme drought in the sahel soot especially from burning felled trees after deforestation

42
Q

What is the boundary defined ny

A

it has not yet been defined as particulates are so variable that it is not currently possible to determine safe limits

43
Q

Has The Introduction of Novel Entities Boundary been cross yet

A

no it has not been quantified

44
Q

What is the problem

A

novel entities may be persistent and have irreversible effects synthetic organic pollutants e.g. DDT, PCBs radioactive materials e.g. 131I, 32P, 14C, 90Sr genetically modified organisms micro-plastics e.g. plastic beads in cosmetics nanomaterials i.e. particles with at least one dimension no bigger than 100 nm

45
Q

BOUNDARIES PASSED AND NOT TABLE

A

Biology Year 2 (37 decks)

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