Unit 3 APES Flashcards
what are ecosystem services?
the contributions ecosystems provide for human well-being and quality of life
what are the 4 types of ecosystem services?
provisioning, regulating, cultural, supporting
what are provisioning services?
any type of benefit to people that can be extracted from nature. examples: food, water, timber, wood fuel (charcoal, firewood)
what are regulating services?
the benefit provided by ecosystems that moderate natural phenomena. examples: regulation of climate, air quality, water runoff, erosion, natural hazards
plants - clean air & filter water
bacteria - decompose waste
bees - pollinate flowers
tree roots - hold soil in place to prevent erosion
what are cultural services?
non-material benefits that contribute to the development and cultural advancement of people. examples: education, heritage, culture, ethical values, existence values, recreation
what are supporting services?
most basic natural cycle nature needs to function. examples: water cycle, photosynthesis, soil formation, nutrient cycling, water cycling.
describe clear cutting
when all trees are removed from an area. it increases risk of soil erosion, flooding, and increases stream temperatures ($$$$)
describe seed tree cutting
cut most trees but leave some to reseed. similar cons to clear cutting ($$$)
describe strip cutting
clear cutting but in strips ($$)
describe selective cutting
only removing certain trees. it leaves the forest intact and is the most sustainable ($)
options for sustainable forestry use
reuse wood, reforestation, IPM (integrated pest management) which protects from insects
causes and effects of deforestation
causes: the timber industry, clearing for agriculture, pollution.
effects: erosion, increased runoff in streams, climate change, increased CO2
what is urban sprawl?
the process of making an area more urban
what is weathering?
chemical or physical breakdown of rock
what is erosion?
the physical removal of soil and rock by things like wind, water, ice
O horizon
humus. organic matter
A horizon
topsoil. organics and minerals
E horizon
eluviation layer. minerals removed due to leaching
B horizon
subsoil. zone of accumulation - build up of iron, carbonate, etc.
C horizon
regolith. weathered parent material
R horizon
bedrock. base layer of solid rock
which type of soil could hold the most water?
clay
which type of soil would allow water to move through most easily?
sand
combination of all three types (sand, clay, silt) of soil is called
loam
soil types and their description
sand - largest particle size: good infiltration, poor water holding, poor nutrient holding
silt - medium size particle: medium infiltration, water and nutrient holding
clay - smallest particle size: slow infiltration, good water and nutrient holding
loam - a combination of all types: best for farming
undernutrition and malnutrition
undernutrition: not enough calories
malnutrition: not the right type of calories (ex: protein deficiency, anemia)
what was the green revolution?
a change in agriculture that allowed us to grow food faster. it relies heavily on mono culture-only planting one crop, the use of synthetic fertilizers, and the use of chemical pesticides to increase yield
monoculture
meaning: one crop only; cultivation of a single crop in a given area.
monocultures - more vulnerable to pests as there is no variety to deter the pest from eating crops. leaves land vulnerable to erosion. uses a lot of fertilizer.
industrial agriculture
a high input type of farming, using a lot of fossil fuels, machines, and fertilizers. used on large scale farms.
narrow spectrum and broad spectrum (pesticides)
narrow spectrum - antibiotics target a few types of bacteria (ex. fungicide, rodentcide)
broad spectrum - antibiotics target many types of bacteria
pesticides cause
bio magnification - an increase in concentration of a toxin as you move up the food chain
pros of pesticides
saves lives, increases food supplies, increases profit, works fast
what is DDT?
a broad spectrum pesticide that kills mosquitoes (and other insects).
cons of pesticides
genetic resistance, persistence, reactions in environment, health effects, kills beneficial species, wide spectrum toxcicity
integrated pest management (IPM)
broad-based approach that integrates both chemical and non-chemical practices for control of pests.
GMO (genetically modified organism)
food whose DNA has been altered through genetic engineering
examples of integrated pest management
- biological control: bringing in predators (like spiders) to kill/eat pests
- multiculture (polyculture)
- physical methods like screens or scarecrows
concerns of GMO
potential health risks (little evidence to prove, though), changes to wild population (reduces biodiversity)
benefits of GMO
greater yield, reduction of pesticides, greater nutrition
free range grazing
animals that graze on fields during their entire life
benefits of free range grazing
- less/no antibiotic use
- waste serves as fertilizer
- healthier for both animals & humans
- more sustainable
- less need to supply food
problems of free range grazing
- requires LARGE areas of land (which is expensive for farmers & consumers)
- runoff of waste can lead to disease and eutrophication
- can damage soil
- compacts soil due to livestock walking on land
CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)
agricultural facility where animals are kept & raised in confinement
pros of CAFO
- source of protein, vitamins (because it’s meat)
- profitable-costs less for farmers and consumers
- helps to meet high demand
cons of CAFO
- waste collected can cause overflow into streams (can cause disease & eutrophication)
- possible contamination of groundwater
- exposure to antibiotics and hormones in meat
more sustainable ways to eat meat
- focus on local foods
- chose to eat organic meats with no hormones or antibiotics
fishery
harvestable population of fish
aquaculture
the breeding, raising, farming of aquatic organisms
- it is efficient, no/little land use
- low fuel use
- abundance of shrimp, oyster, fish
- high volume=high level of antibiotics to prevent disease
trawling
funnel shaped net behind boats that trap in all fish
trolling
drag long fishing lines behind boat. boat tows a line or lines with one or more hooks with a natural bait. kinda like regular fishing but with a lot of lines
purse seine
circular net is dropped in an encircles fish, pulling it up from the bottom
gill net
long net hung vertically in water. invisible to fish and traps them in the mesh of the net
long line
miles of hooks are baited and pulled back in after set time
size limits (control of fisheries)
can only catch adult size fish to insure they have had the opportunity to reproduce
catch limits
quotas for individuals and quotas for number of individual species to limit overfishing
MSY
maximum sustainable yield. 1/2 the carrying capacity
OSY
optimum carrying capacity. a limit that is below MSY to provide a buffer zone in case carrying capacity isn’t measured properly/if fish don’t reproduce as expected. insures population will continue to increase
overfishing
overfishing is the process of fishing too much. this leads to fishermen not catching big fish anymore. this results in fishermen targeting fish lower on the food chain which impacts all levels because larger fish are now losing their food source and die out
bycatch
unintended catch, most common in trawling. bycatch is pulled up on a boat with catch, sorted out and tossed overboard, usually dead at that point. cannot be used because often not something wanted, eaten, boat isn’t set up to process the catch, or the catch isn’t permitted
TED (turtle exclusion device)
required to reduce bycatch of turtles. trap door on trawl nets that turtle s can trigger because of their size
plate tectonics
scientific theory that explains how major landforms are created as a result of earth’s movements
support for plate tectonics
- the shape of the continents (they all fit together… pangea)
- similar rock formations and fossils across continents
- age of oceanic rocks
divergent boundary
when plates move away from each other
convergent moving
when plates collide
transform plate boundary
when plates slide past each other
strip mining
remove surface layer - coal and sand
open pit mining
large hole - copper
mountain top removal
blow off the top of a mountain - coal
placer mining
river sediments - metals and precious stones
subsurface
series of tunnels - coal, diamond, and gold
environmental effects of mining
- habitat destruction
- water pollution
- erosion
- toxic wastes
- acid mine drainage
- danger to humans
processing of mining
- separate metal ore from gangue
- melted and converted
- reused and recycles
after processing complete - reclamation
- restore land to pre-mining conditions
- re-establish vegetation
- encourage animals to return
