Unit 1 + 2 Study guide Flashcards
the _____ is the sum of all conditions that influence life
environment
once a reading on the AQI reachers ___, it is considered unhealthy
150
sustainability is
allowing an environment to do thing without jeopardizing future generations
environmental science is _____ because it borrows ideas from other sciences
interdisciplinary
what characterizes a disease as zoonotic?
it is spread through a vector like a mosquito
which of the following is not considered to be one of the “big ideas” of Environmental Science?
a) energy transfer
b) sustainability
c) interactions between extinct species and levels of carbon in the air
d) interactions between humans and the environment
c) interactions between extinct species and levels of carbon in the air
what type of atmospheric pattern set up to draw smoke from the Canadian wildfires south?
Omega block
A rock would be an example of a(n) _____ factor in an environment
abiotic
Which of the following is true concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and the environment?
CO2 levels dropped on average but not enough to reverse the damage done by previous CO2 emissions
immigration is ______
the movement of people into another country or region
which of the following would a demographer study
human population and population trends
_____ is the number of deaths per 1,000 individuals per year
crude death rate
_____ is the number of births per 1,000 individuals per year
crude birth rate
which factor will generally lead to a higher life expectancy in a region?
a) higher crude death rates
b) better health care
c) lower inflation rates
d) all of the above
b) better health care
_____ is the difference between immigration and emigration in a given year per 1,000 people in a country
net migration rate
_____ is the process of converting old material into new material
recycling
t/f the average US life expectancy is 83 years
f; 78
t/f the COVID-19 pandemic caused wildlife to migrate out of their natural habitats
f; move back
t/f the food chain is a great example of how an energy transfers energy
t
t/f humans are not considered to be the apex of the food chain
f
t/f the 1st law of thermodynamics states that energy is neither created nor destroyed but can change from one form to another
t
t/f infant mortality rates are higher in developed countries and lower in developing countries
f; lower, higher
t/f the production of homegrown food will lower your resource usage
t
t/f as global populations grow, the effect on the environment decreases
f
t/f biomes are larger than ecosystems and are dependent on their longitude
f; latitude
t/f a pond is a classic example of an ecosystem
t
t/f environmental science is the field that examines the interactions among human systems and those found in nature
t
t/f for approximately 500,000 years, humans and our direct ancestors have lived on earth
f
t/f population density is the number of organisms living in a unit area
t
t/f population densities are lowest along the coast and higher in rural areas
f
4 ways to positively influence the environment
-recycling
-planting trees/gardens to make home grown foods
implementing -governmental policies to protect the environment
-carpooling/walking/biking to release less CO2
what role does the scientific method play in environmental science
ability to hypothesize, test, and dissect the deeper truth and understanding of the natural world, grasping a better idea of it.
3 population growth factors
-suitable access to health care
-production of food/suitable materials
-higher crude birth rates
3 population limiting factors
-air pollution
-higher crude death rates
-little to no access to health care
Who was Thomas Malthus and what was his 2 main arguments concerning population
English-man who argued population was growing exponentially and food production was growing linearly, meaning that the Earth would soon reach it’s population capacity.
-compared humans to rabbits stating that if we do not want to starve, our reproduction rates would need to decrease
-also used the poor to back his argument, stating the Irish potato famine were warnings and served a purpose for population control.
two arguments against Thomas Malthus
-not looking beyond the poor and Irish potato famine
-advancements of technology (machines and fertilizers)
what role does “bias” play when a researcher describes or defines an environment
-specific understanding of their field.
-ex: environmental researcher may define a definition differently as opposed to a biologist or chemical researcher because of this different backgrounds of study
what is the world population
7.8 billion
what is the US population
332 million
population of CT
3.6 million
two most populated countries in the world?
China and India
highest populated US State
California
In 2021 there were 18.3 births and 6.8 deaths per 1000 people worldwide. Calculate the global population growth
GPG= (CBR-CDR)/10
(18.3-6.8)/10= 1.15%
In 2016, Spain had a population of 46,000,000 people and a total fertility rate of 1.34, and a net migration of 0.37 per 1000. How many people would you expect Spain to gain in the following year because of migration?
NMR= (number of immigrants/year)/(number of people in the population)
0.37/1000=x/46,000,000
x= 17,020 people
variable dependent on other measured factors
dependent variable
non-living components in an environment
abiotic
living components in an environment
biotic
states that energy is not created or destroyed but can change form
1st Law of Thermodynamics
sum of all conditions that influence life
environment
field of study that looks at human/nature interactions
environmental science
being able to do something without jeopardizing future generations from doing the same activities
sustainability
variable not dependent on other measured factors
independent variable
a hypothesis that has repeatedly been confirmed and accepted
theory
How does an air pattern like an “Omega Block” affect the distribution of pollution, such as the Canadian wildfires, across the United States
by pulling the polluted air into its streamline and carrying it through populated areas, following the path of the air pattern.
How did the COVID-19 affect the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere? What has happened post pandemic with the CO2 levels?
As not many people were using air pollutant machines, this decreased the amount of CO2 in the air. Although the CO2 levels dropped during the pandemic, the levels were still high in the atmosphere due to the prolonged exposure of CO2 in the air. post-pandemic, however, CO2 levels are beginning to return to the CO2 levels pre-pandemic as we return to commutes on the road.
the wildfires produced hazardous air for ____ million Americans
115
the wildfires affected areas as far south as _______ and Georgia
North Carolina
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is scaled from _ to ___
1 to 500
An AQI score of ____ or higher is considered unhealthy
150
According to Mayor Eric Adams, New York City had an AQI score of ____
484
Breathing in this smoke continuously is comparable to smoking over _____ pack of cigarettes a day
half
approximately _ million acres have burned in Canada due to this event
6
Which of the following statements is not true?
a) larger islands contain more species than smaller islands
b) larger islands contain more biotic and less biotic factors than smaller islands
c) larger islands are more common than smaller islands and can support more species
d) none of the above
b) larger islands contain more biotic and less biotic factors than smaller islands
______ is the only plant that has evolved to live fully in the ocean
seagrass
why does kelp not survive in tropical waters
it cannot take in the nutrients it needs to survive
which of the following was an example of an invasive species
brown tree snake
t/f upwelling helps to stir up nutrients from deep in the ocean
t
t/f distance between habitats and a source of colonization does not affect species richness
f; it does
t/f islands are subject to invasive species because they are primarily generalist species
f; specialist
according to the video on “human and ecosystem services,” new york city had a major problem with
quality of source water
_____ are places for the recycling and removal of dangerous chemicals from water and for clarifying and cleaning water
wetlands
boreal forests are another name for
taiga
if you wanted to visit a tropical rainforest, where would you most likely travel
central africa
if you were to travel from the north pole southward toward the equator, what would be the most logical order of biomes you would encounter
tundra, taiga, temperate, tropical
which of the following species is considered a generalist species?
anaconda
poison dart frog
parrot
none of the above
none of the above
which of the following species is considered a specialist species
snow leopard
white tailed deer
skunk
none of the above
snow leopard
1 hectare is equal to ___ acres
2.5 acres
If a National Park contains 312.4 hectares, what is the approximate size in acres
781 acres
scientists estimate there are approximately _________ species on Earth
10,000,000
what are the four biodiversity scales discussed in class
habitat, exosystem, species, genetic
what biome is the most biodiverse in the world
tropical rainforest
what is a key factor when determining if a biome is a desert
precipitation/how dry it is
t/f if a species has low genetic diversity, the population will increase when exposed to environmental change and disease
f
t/f the loss of several habitats can lead to a loss of generalist species
t
t/f species biodiversity is an indicator as to the health of an environment
t
t/f species richness is the best indicator when determining if there is a dominant species in a given area
f
