Text Flashcards
Two word definition of sustainability “____ _____”
one planet- Mathis Wackernagel
When was the first photograph of the planet first taken=
____(year)
1967- Confirmed by Apollo 17
environment
is more then just land, air, and water
-it is the sum total of our surroundings. It includes biotic and abiotic components.
abiotic: continents, oceans, clouds, rivers, and ice caps
in the most inclusive sense, the environment includes scientific,ethical,political, economic, and social relationships and institutions
built environment
urban centers,living spaces and physical infrastructure that humans created
Environmental science
is the study of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us, and how we affect it.
social sciences that are involved in environmental science prefer the name environmental ____ or _____.
studies or management
Environmentalism versus environmental science
is the social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world-and, by extension, humans- from undesirable changes brought about by human choices.
is the pursuit of scientific knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interactions with it.
Rapa Nui
Easter Island
An example of over consumption of natural capital
or
european intervention with disease
5 critical factors that determine the survival of civilizations
- Climate change
- hostile neighbors
- trade partners
- environmental problems
- societies response to environmental problems
natural resources
the substances and energy sources provided by the environment that are economically valuable, and that we need for survival and for the functioning of our modern society.
renewable natural resources
resources that that are replenishable over a short period of time
Resource management
is strategic decision-making and planning aimed at balancing the use of a resource with its protection and preservation
the ______ is the harvestable portion of a resource
stock
renewable resources are sometimes called ____and ____ resources
stock and flow
it can take _____million years for natural geological processes to form an ore deposit or a petroleum deposit
100
tragedy of the commons
each individual withdraws whatever benefits are available from the common property until the resources become overused and depleted.
Human population has _____ in the past 100 years
quadrupled
More then ___ million people are added to the planet each year
80
more then ______ people are added per day
200,000
4 significant periods which influenced population growth
- Paleolithic period(old stone age) when early humans began to use tools and discovered fire
- Transition from nomadic,hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled, agricultural. Began around 10,000-12,000 years ago in the Neolithic or agricultural revolution
- Industrial Revolution-mid 1700’s shift from rural life
- Today- modern Medical-Technological Revolution
- advances in medicine and sanitation, the explosion of communication technologies, and the shift to modern agricultural practices.
IPAT model
represents our total impact(I) on the environment as the product of population(P), affluence(A), and technology(T):
I= P X A X T
Who created Ecological Footprint?
Wackernagel and Rees of UofBC
Ecological Footprint
expresses the environmental impact of an individual or a population in terms of the area of land and water required to provide the raw materials that person or population consumes, and to absorb or recycle their wastes, including direct and indirect impacts.
biocapacity
The capacity of a terrestrial or aquatic system to be biologically productive and to absorb waste, especially carbon dioxide
We are usingabout ___% more resources then are presently available
__ earth’s are needed in order to support that
47
1.47
The ecological footprint in Canada is approximately __gha per person
Global average per person=__gha
Global Biocapacity=__gha
7
- 7
- 8
Sustainable development
development that meets the needs of the present without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
SD came from the ____ Brundtland commission report “___ ______ ______”
1987
our common future
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
and
4 Main Findings
The assessment makes clear that our degradation of the world’s environmental systems is having negative impacts on all of us, bu that with care and diligence we can still turn many of these trends around.
- Over past 50 years humans have affected the natural environment more then in all the rest of human history
- Net gains have been made in economic and social aspects at a cost of the environment
- Could get much worse in first half of century
- In order to reverse the degradation of ecosystems while maintaining important advances, changes in policies,institutions, and practices must be made
Out of 9 key systems ,that are crucially important to the earth system as a whole, which have passed the safe operating space needed to ensure is continuance?
- Nitrogen Cycle-Way Past
- Climate Change-Past
- Biodiversity Loss-WAY WAY PAST
_______ epoch named in accordance with a new geological epoch recognizing human impacts
anthropocene
The peoples Republic of China is the worlds most populous nation, home to /(__ billion) of the 7.3 Billion people on Earth in 2015
1/5
1.4 Billion
Thomas Malthus
A british economist
.claimed that unless population growth was limited by laws or other social controls, the number of people would outgrow the available food supply until starvation, war, or disease arose and reduced the population.
. Most influental work was “An Essay on the Principle of Population” published in 1798 argued that a growing population would eventually be checked by either limits on births or increases in deaths.Without population control the death tole would continue to rise.
.Inspiration came from rapid urbanization and industrialization that he witnessed during the industrial revolution.
Paul Erlich
Biologist
.Known as a “neo-malthisian” because of his warnings that population growth would have disastrous effects on the environment and human welfare
.1968 book “The Population Bomb” predicted the rapidly increasing human population would unleash widespread famine and conflict that would consume civilization by the end of the 20th century.
Sheldon Richman
argued that there is no population problem and that human innovation(technological fix) would always be able to supply the needs of humans.
.carrying capacity does not apply to people
IPAT MODEL
.variation of a formula created by Ehrlich
.our total impact(I) on the environment results from the interaction among population(P), affluence(A), and technology(T):
I =P x A x T
.Increased population intensifies impact on the environment as more individuals take up space, use natural resources, and generate waste
.Increased affluence magnifies environmental impact through the greater per capita resource consumption that generally has accompanied enhanced wealth
.Changes in technology may either decrease or increase human impact
.Sensitivity can be added to respond to differeing environments
I= P x A x T x S
Humans are responsible for using up ___% of the worlds NPP
23.8
Demography is the study of
statistical change in human populations
population density is
the number of people per unit of land area
__ cities are mega-cities home to more then __ million residents
36-home to more then 10 million residents
non in canada, toronto 6 million
for every 100 women born about ___ to ___ men are born
105-106
Total Fertility Rate(TFR)
the average number of children born per female member of a population during her lifetime
Replacement fertility
is a TFR that keeps the size of the population stable
TFR= 2.1 <2.1= population will shrink
rate of natural increase=
subtracting crude death rate from crude birth rate
4 Stages of Transition in population
- Pre-industrial stage
- death and birth rates are high because of lack of medical aid and uncertainty of food access - Industrialization and falling death rates(Transitional Stage)
- increased food production and medicare decreases death rates, birth rates remain high - the industrialized stage and falling birth rates
- Children become less valuable, birth rates drop, reducing rate of population growth - The post-industrial stage
- Population sizes stabilize
- some cultures will not be able to complete this final stage
India will take over 1st place in population size from china in the year ____
2030
cycles
flows of key chemical elements and compounds that move substances from on place to another within the system, facilitates environmental processes, regulate climate, and support life.
systems approach
looking at an issue from a multifacited viewpoint
system
network of relationships among parts, elements, or components that interact with and influence one another through the exchange of energy, matter, or information.
open systems
that receive inputs of both energy and matter and produce outputs of both
closed system
systems that receive inputs and produce outputs of energy, but not matter are called closed systems
Energy is converted for use by organisms through…
photosynthesis, respiration, and other processes of metabolism, and by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion
the circular process of a systems output serving as an input in the same system is called a
feedback loop
negative feedback loop
output that results from a system moving in one direction acts as an input that moves the system in the other direction. Input and output essentially nutrialize one another effects, stabilizing the system .
ex: furnace and our bodies
positive feedback loop
rather then stabilizing a system, they drive it further toward one extreme or another.
ex: erosion
rare in nature
a ____ feedback loop is common with human interference in the system
positive
dynamic equilibrium
when processes within a system move in opposing direction at equivalent rates so that their effects balance out
homeostasis 2 types
the tendency of a system to maintain constant or stable internal conditions
resistance- the strength of the systems tendency to remain constant-that is, to resist disturbance
resiliency- is a measure of how readily the system will return to its original state once disturbed
homeostatic systems are often said to be in stable condition of dynamic equilibrium called a ___ ____
steady state
ex: earth- experienced changes in composition of atmos over geological time, yet life has adapted and earth remains a homeostatic system
emergent properties
characteristics that are not evident in the individual components on their own
Earths 4 main subsystems in the Ecosphere
Biosphere, lithosphere(geosphere), hydrosphere, atmposphere
is the geosphere the same as the lithosphere? Yes or No and why?
NO,
lithosphere is only the topmost portion of the mantle and crust, together.
geosphere is composed of solid rock, but also includes broken-up rock(product of weathering and erosion in the rock cycle) and soil. Provides physical and chemical foundation for life on planet.Source of mineral nutrients and other cycling materials.
composition of our atmosphere is mostly (2)
another minor concentration is
nitrogen and oxygen
carbon dioxide
cryosphere
frozen parts of the hydrosphere
primordial or juvenile water
water that has been inside the planet for billions of years and has never participated in near-surface processes of the hydrosphere
encompasses the parts of the earth system that are modified by humans or constructed for human use, including built environment in which we live, work, and study.
anthroposphere (technosphere)
epoch named because of human change to the environment
What have we really affected?
anthropocene
erosion, atmosphere make-up,ocean acidity, pollution, habitat disturbance,
earths mean temperature has increase ___ degrees celcius in the past century
predicted to rise ___ to ____ in the current century
- 7
1. 8-4.0
ecosystem consists of
all organisms and non-living entities that occur and interact in a particular area at the same time
Arthur Tansley
originally came up with idea of ecosystems in early 20th century
-saw that they are biological entities tightly intertwined with chemical and physical entities.
ecosystem ecology
study of energy and material flows among non-living and living components of systems
gpp
conversion of solar energy into energy of chemical bonds in surgars
npp
gpp-r
highest NPP ecosytems versus low NPP ecosystems
Freshwater wetlands, tropical forests, coral reefs, and algal beds
deserts, tundra, and open ocean
the availability of _____ and _____ nutrients act as a ______ _____.
nitrogen and phosphorous
limiting factor
Nitrogen is the main limiting factor for ___ water ecosystems while phosphorous is for ____ water.
marine, fresh
the transitional zone where two ecosystems interact and meet is called a
ecotones
landscape ecology
study how landscapes structure effects the abundance, distribution, and interaction of organisms
metapopulation
network of subpopulations
conservation biology
study the loss, protection, and restoration of species and their habitats
biogeochemical(nutrient) cycle
the process involves is biological, geological, and chemical(as well as physical)
flux
movement of materials among reservoirs
.are rates
Resevoirs that release more nutrients then they accept are called ___ while resevoirs that accept more then release are called ___.
sources, sinks
turnover time
the time it would take for all of the atoms of a particular material to be flushed through a particular resevoir
hydrological cycle
.ocean is main reservoir for water 97% of all water on earth
.fresh water 3%
.less then 1% of fresh water is actually accessible for use
.evaporation(into atmos), transpiration(into atmos), precipitation(onto earths surface)
transpiration
release of water into atmos by plants through their leaves
Carbon Cycle
found is carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, bones, cartilage, and shells of all living things
.carbon is pulled from the atmosphere and surface water by producers to use in photosynthesis
.when producers are eaten by PC,SC, decomposers more carbohydrates are broken down producing carbon dioxide and water
.sedimentary rock makes up the biggest single reservoir in carbon cycle
.ocean is the 2nd biggest reservoir
-calcium carbonate is an essential ingredient in skeletons and shells of marine organisms
.excess CO2 that is in the atmos is being absorbed by ocean water increasing its acidity
Photosynthesis and respiration equation=
.also name what each part of the equation is
6CO2(Carbon Dioxide)+6H20(Water)+ENERGY= C6H12O6(Sugar/Glucose)+6O2(OXYGEN)
Respiration is opposite
______ ______ is an essential ingredient in skeletons and shells of marine organisms
calcium carbonate
____ billion metric tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere because of fossil fuel combustion since mid-eighteenth century
250
Nitrogen Cycle
.nitrogen gas is chemically inert and cannot cycle out without the use of lightning, specialized bacteria, or human intervention- nitrogen fixation
.nitrogen in the elemental form is scarce and works as a limiting factor
.Nitrogen gas(N2) ‘fixed’ or combined with hydrogen-> ammonia(NH3)->ammonium(NH4+) can be taken up by plants
.aquatic cyanobacteria in mutually beneficial relationship with land plants like clover and soybeans in nitrogen fixation
.nitrification- ammonium ions are first converted into nitrite ions(NO2-) and then Nitrate ions(NO3-)
.Denitrification occurs when bacteria convert nitrates in soil or water back to gaseous nitrogen
.nitrogen in fertilizers have increased the flux of nitrogen from atmosphere to earths surface
.largest resevoir- Atmosphere
nitrogen makes up to ___% of the atmosphere
78
aquatic _______ and land plants like _____ and ______ that are in a mutually beneficial relationship that works for nitrogen fixation
-used by farmers
cyanobacteria, clover, soybeans
Haber-Bosch process
a chemical process for synthesizing ammonium, therby fixing nitrogen on an industrial scale, enabled people to overcome the limits on agricultural productivity long imposed by nitrogen scarcity in nature, but also greatly increased our impacts of the cycle
biochemical oxygen demand
large scale decomposition uses up oxygen in water
Phosphorous Cycle
. key component of cell membranes and of sevel molecules vital for life
.no atmospheric component
.mostly present in rocks mobilized by weathering
.can only be used by plants if dissolved in water
.used for fertilizers
.
eutrophication
excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.
detergents used to contain _______
phosphorous
ex: lake erie
.International Joint Commision set up under International Boundary Waters Treaty adopted the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
maladaptive
a trait that reduces success
Three fundamental forms of Natural Selection
- Directional- selection that drives a feature in one direction rather then another for example larger or smaller, faster or slower, longer or shorter
- stabilizing- produces intermediate traits, in essence preserving the status quo
- disruptive- diverge from their starting condition into two or more directions
divergent evolution
individuals and populations that live in even slightly different environments experience different selective pressures; eventually, they will tend to diverge in their traits as differing pressures drive their adaptions
ex: Hawaiian Honeycreepers
convergent evolution
when unrelated species develop similar traits as a result of adapting to selective pressures from similar environments
ex: arizona and canary island cacti
species
is a particular type of organism or, more precisely a population or group of populations whose members share certain characteristics and can interbreed successfully in nature to produce fertile offspring.
scientists have described about ___ million species. Estimates of total number of species in the world range up to ___ million.
1.8, 100
speciation
the process by which a new species are generated
allopatric speciation
the emergence of a new species as a result of the physical separation of populations over some geographical distance
-main/most abundant version of speciation
sympatric speciation
when species form from populations that become reproductively isolated, occupying a new ecological role, or niche, within the same geographical area
scientists represent the history of divergence using branching diagrams called
phylogenetic trees
Today most biologists view the three of life as a three-pronged ediface consisting of ….
bacteria, archea, and eukaryotes
-all three originated from prokaryotic and split into three about 3500 million years ago
genera/genus
related specues are grouped together
families
related genera are grouped together
Carl Linnaeus
the system of naming and classification was devised by swedish botanist
Hemignthus munroi
First word is the ____ and second word is the ____
genus, species
taxonomic classification 8 parts from smallest to largest
- Species
- Genus
- Family
- Order
- Class
- Phylum
- Kingdom
- Domain
Some->Guys->Find->Orange->Coloured->Pussy->Kindve->Dirty
Fossil Record shows
.life existed on earth for at least 3.5 billion years
.modern organisms developed, or evolved, from earlier ancestral organisms, some of which are no longer extant
.the number of species existing at any one time has generally increased over time
.the species living today are a tiny fraction of all species that ever lived; the vast majority are long extinct
.there have been several episodes of mass extinction, or simultaneous loss of great numbers of species
Golden toad
example of an endemic species to cloud forest, costa rica
-now extinct
background extinction rate
most extinction occurs gradually one species at a time. The rate at which it occurs is called
5 events of mass extinction that wiped out ___% of our planets species each time
95
- Ordovician-Silurian 450 mya
- Late Devonian 374 mya
- Permian-Triassic 252 mya
- Triassic-Jurrassic 201 mya
- Cretacious-Paleogene(or cretacious-tertiary) 66 mya
- current or anthropocene
Hierarchy of Matter within organisms(9)
- organism
- organ system
- organ
- tissue
- cell
- organelle
- macro-molecule
- molecule
- atom
Levels of ecological organization(5)
- Biosphere
- Ecosystem
- Community
- Population
- Organism
epiphytes
plants that use other plants as their habitat
Three types of population distribution
- Random-very rare in nature
- Uniform-occurs when competing for space or resource
- Clumped-most common in nature
- hang around areas with resources they need to survive
3 types of survivorship curves
type 1: Humans, large mammals that have low numbers of offspring
-higher death rates at older ages
type 2: is intermediate and indicates equal rates of death at all ages. Birds, small mammals
type 3: toads, higher death rates at younger ages
-rapid die-off among young-offsping
Population growth or decline is determined by 4 factors
- Natality: births within the population
- Mortality: deaths within the population
- Immigration
- Emigration
_________ reflects the degree to which a population is growing or shrinking as a result of its own internal factors
_________ takes into affect the rate of change as a result of birth and death + immigration and emigration
natural state of population growth
population growth rate
linear vs. exponential growth
linear: set amount every time
exponential: set percentage, so grows each time
J shaped curve
exponential
S shaped curve
Sigmoidial(logistic)
_______ and ______ provide both half’s of population regulation
biotic potential and limiting factors
K vs R selected/strategists species
K= low biotic potential, small number of offspring and take long time to gestate and raise
-populations usually stabilize around carrying capacity
R= quantity over quality, high biotic potential, high number of offspring, population fluctuates alot
Scientific Method(6)
- Observations
- Questions
- Hypothesis
- Predictions
- Test
- Results
element
is a fundamental type of matter, a chemical substance with a given set of properties.
- 92 elements recognized naturally occuring
- 20 artificially created
atoms
smallest component that maintains the chemical properties of that element
- every atom has a nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons
- atomic number: defined number or protons per atom
- electrons surround the nucleus and balance the positive charge of protons
isotope
atoms of the same element with differing numbers of neutrons
radioisotopes
radioactive isotopes that decay spontaneously changing their chemical identity as they shed subatomic particles and emit high-energy radiation
- they keep decaying into lighter radioisotopes until they eventually become stable isotopes
- each radioisotope decays at a rate determined by its half-life, the amount of time it takes for half of the atoms to decay
half life
the ammount of time it takes for half of the atoms to decay
ions
electrically charged atoms or combinations of atoms
-have either gained or lost electrons from their outer shells
cations: ions that form when an atom loses electrons, and therefore carries a positive charge
anions: ions that form when an atom gains electrons and thereore carry a negative charge
anions
ions that form when an atom gains electrons and thereore carry a negative charge
cations
ions that form when an atom loses electrons, and therefore carries a positive charge
atoms link chemically to form _____
molecules-combinations of two or more atoms
a molecule composed of atoms of two or more different elements is called a
compound
atoms bond or combine chemically because of an attraction for one another’s ______
electrons
when attoms in a molecule share electrons they are a
covalent bond
hydrogen bond
in which oxygen atom of one water molecule is weakly attracted to the hydrogen atoms of another
.water exhibits strong cohesion
.water has a high heat capacity
.water molecule in ice are farther apart then in liquid water
ph scale
0 to 14
less then 7 =acidic
more then 7= basic
ex: pure water =7
igneous rock (2)
rock that forms when magma cools slowly and solidifies while it is below the surface
intrusive
extrusive
sedimentary rock
weathered random pieces of sediment that were forced together over long periods
metamorphic rock
when any type of rock is subjected to great heat or pressure it may alter its form, becoming metamorphic rock
-essentially a changed appearence
sequestration
carbon dioxide from the early atmosphere is bound up in thick sequences of carbonate rick-limestone
heterotrophic hypothesis
primordial soup
- first life formed using using organic compounds from their environment as an energy source
- need for electricity
panspermia hypothesis
microbes from elsewhere in the solar system
-was seeded by meteorites
chemoautotrophic hypothesis
life originated from deep-sea hydrothermal vents
-first life were chemoautotrophs
amensalism
one organism is harmed and the other is apparently unaffected
allelopathy
plants releasing poisonous chemicals that harm nearby plants
Mutalism vs. Symbiosis
the same except symbiosis is when the two different organisms are actually attached/associated
there are __ major terrestrial biomes
10 tundra boreal forest temperate deciduous forest temperate grassland temperate rain forest tropical rain forest tropical dry forest savannah desert mediterranean
3 types of weathering
Physical, Chemical, Biological( tree roots and lichen)
horizon
each layer of soil
soil profile
cross section of soil
5 types of horizons
O- Surface deposits (peat) full of undecomposed stuff
A-mix of inorganic mineral and litter from above, best for topsoil
B-where leaching from the topsoil, hard minieral rich soils
C-transition zone which consists of parent material from R and some soil characteristics
R-unaltered parent material
OLIVER ATE BANANA COOKIES RAW
To identify soil 4 characterisitics are important
PH, COLOUR, TEXTURE, AND STRUCTURE
ion exchange
positively charged particles(cations) and negatively charged particles (anions) are exchanged between the soil and the soil solution
cation excchange capacity
the ability of the soil to hold cations, preventing them from leaching away, thus making them available to plants
SIX farming techniques that may reduce the impacts of cultivation of soils
Crop rotation-reduces insect pest, protects from erosion and injects nitrogen back in
Intercropping and agroforestry-agroforestry seems to be more productive then regular crop
countour farming and terracing-best for farming on slopes
-plant furrows perpendicular to the slope
terracing- like countour but for very steep land
Shelterbelts and buffer zones-trees or bush used as windbreaks
-buffer zones between fields and waterways
Reduced Tillage: reducing till reduces runoff erosion
__% of all frshwater is used for irrigation
70
salinization:
buildup of salts in the surface soil areas
-occurs where precipitation is minimal and evapporation is high
agriculture appeared about __-__ thousand years ago
12-10
____ ____ ____ best technique for a wide attack on agriculture deterents
integrated pest management
______ is the fastest growing type of food production
aquaculture
1/3 of the worlds fish
-most common in asia
Stratification of forest: 7 ex: canopy
Emergent trees canopy subcanopy understorey shrub layer forest floor soil
__% of forests are designated for primarily timber production and harvesting
30
tributary
a smaller river flowing into a larger one
riparian
river side
5 major classes of wetlands
marshes-grassed areas
swamps-wooded areas
bogs-peatlands-at water table surface
-replenished by precipitation
Fens: similar to bogs but fed by ground water
shallow-water wetlands-open water ex: ponds
littoral zone
region fringing the edge of a lake, shallows
A lake has 3 depth dependent indentifiers
Limnetic-shallow
Profundal-only in deep lakes that have aphotic zone
Benthic-bottom:lake floor from shore to deepest point
LISTEN PRETTY BITCH
Oligotrophic vs. euthropic
low nutrient high oxygen
vs.
high nutrient low oxygen
confined aquifer(_____) vs unconfined aquifer
(artesian)-can’t be recharged easily as it is held in place by less permeable layers
unconfined-no impermeable layers so it can be recharged easily
__% of worlds largest 227 rivers have been diverted and therefore affected by humans
60
worldwide there are __000 large dams
45
world ocean covers __% of the earths surface
71
silinity of worlds ocean between __% and __%
3.1 and 3.8
El Nino vs. La Nina
El nino: normal air pressure reverses itself
-results in lack of delivery of upwelling of cold water shutting down the delivery of nutrients to support marine life and fisheries
La Nina: almost the same as normal weather patterns but more pronounced
nearly all of the oceans primary productivity occurs in the top ___m callled the photic zone
200
nekton are distinguished from plankton because nekton ____ rather then ____
swims, floats
ocean ph was __ 50 years ago now ___
- 2
8. 08=30% increase
aquaculture makes up __% of worlds production of fish
50
