EnvS 1 Midterm 1

what are the four principles of environmental ecological sustainability?

ecological integrity, social equity, economic efficiency, intergenerational equity

what is sustainable development

economic growth that meets the needs of the present w/o compromising the ability of future generations. Can only occur within the limits of the environment

what is the intertidal zone?

the region between low tide and high tide

how do the rocks in the racetrack playa move?

light winds and melting panels of thin ice

what are some examples of sustainability

renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable construction, three sisters

What are the basic, psychological, and self-fulfillment needs in Maslow’s hierarchy

basic needs: physiological (food, water, shelter), safety

psychological needs: belonging and love, esteem

self-fulfillment: self actualization, full potential, achievement

What's the difference between the deep ecology and western world view?

Western: superiority over the environment, frontier attitude, anthropocentric

Deep ecology: based on harmony and respect for nature, biocentric, organisms have intrinsic value

what is environmental risk?

probability of injury, disease, and death; probability of risks, consequences of risk, and economics of risk leads to decision making

What is the difference between acute and chronic toxicity?

acute: immediate and short effects

chronic: slowly gets worse and affects you your whole life

What factors do you look at when doing risk assessment?

how much of the stressor is present, how much exposure, and how does it affect health

what is bioaccumulation

occurs within an organism, where a concentration of a substance builds up in tissues and is absorbed faster than it is removed from water and food

what is biomagnification?

an increase in the concentration of a substance as you move up the food chain

what does a dose response curve show?

It shows the effects of different doses on a population of test organisms; there is not a safe dose for certain toxicants

What is the LD₅₀ vs ED?

ED_50 on the dose response curve is the effective dose at which 50% of a population will exhibit response

LD_50 on the dose response curve is the dose that is lethal to 50% of a population

What is the precautionary principle?

an idea that we shouldn’t adopt something new until we know the risks are small and the benefits will outweigh the risks

What is the total fertility rate? (TFR)

(TFR) the average number of children born to each woman

What is a megacity?

a population over ten million people, urban agglomeration, urbanization, high concentration of people

what is urban sprawl?

Suburbs expand around a city, encroaching onto natural areas and farmland. Because development is spread out in the suburbs, having an automobile is a necessity

What are the challenges of a fast-growing city?

Systems of water purification and sewage treatment, lack of education, poverty, unemployment, violence, overwhelmed economic growth

what are the benefits of urbanization?

Efficient land use, less motor vehicles, fewer parking lots and highways, well planned cities reduce pollution and preserve rural areas

Explain the growth rate and the calculation

Growth rate is r, which is the rate of change of a population expressed in percentage per year

What is maximum population growth?

Carrying capacity (K)

What does growth (exponential growth vs. logistic growth) tell you about a population?

Exponential growth is a J curve, which is at ideal conditions. Logistic growth is the S curve, where carrying capacity is being met.

what is carrying capacity?

Carrying capacity (K) is the largest population a particular environment can support long term if there are no changes to that environment.

why would a population crash?

A population crashes when the carrying capacity (K) is overshot and resources are exhausted

What is a demographic transition?

The process of a population going from high birth/death rates to low birth/death rates

what are the four demographic stages of a population progressing and becoming industrialized?

preindustrial, transitional, industrial, postindustrial

What is environmental resistance?

Factors that limit the growth of a population, such as the availability of food, water, shelter, healthcare, sanitization

How do microcredit programs affect TFR and why?

microcredit programs extend loans to start businesses, particularly to the world’s poorest women, which lowers the total fertility rate because of social resources, education, and not needing children to work

what are earth’s 9 major biomes?

tundra, boreal forest, temperate rain forest, temperate deciduous forest, temperate grassland, chaparral, desert, savanna, tropical rain forest

what is the tundra?

arctic, low primary productivity and low resilience, harsh winters and short summers, lichens and mosses

what is the boreal forest/taiga?

nutrient-poor soil, little precipitation, most of words forests

what is the temperate rain forest?

coniferous forest with high precipitation, cool weather, long wet winters, short dry summers

what is the temperate deciduous forest?

high biodiversity, high precipitation, rich in organic matter, many original forests destroyed, warm-moist summers

what is the temperate grassland?

less rainfall, rich in organic matter, low diversity of wildlife and high abundance, most plowed for agriculture

what is chaparral?

hot dry summers, mild moist winters, fire adapted plants, infertile soil

what is the savannah?

tropical grassland, low mineral content soil, low or intense seasonal rainfall with prolonged dry periods

what is the tropical rain forest?

high species richness and diversity, micro habitats, rains daily, climate moist and warm year round, mineral poor soil due to extensive rain dilute

what is the dessert?

temperate and torpical regions, soil is low in organic matter but high in minerals, small nocturnal animals, less predators, few plants

how do trees communicate with one another?

through a network of fungi releasing chemicals and scents into the air (mycorrhizal networks)

What does the unity of aquatic systems refer to?

regardless of habitat, aquatic systems can be divided into the shallow regions (fringing with plants), the pelagic community (water column governed by temp/salinity), and benthic community (in the floor)

what is the zonation in freshwater systems based on?

Thermal stratification (not salinity); temp changes with depth, and there can be seasonal mixing