Ecology: A Human Approach - Professor Pool - Test 4 Review Vocabulary

malnutrition

a condition resulting from the insufficient or excessive intake of nutrients

undernourishment

a condition resulting from the insufficient intake of nutrients

famine

a food shortage in a specific region that is so severe that it leads to widespread starvation

agriculture

the cultivation of plants and animals for human consumption

agricultural yield

the food output from crops grown in a specific area

Green Revolution

a series of technological changes during the 1900s including mechanization, fertilization, irrigation, use of pesticides, and plant breeding techniques that led to increased agricultural productivity

mechanization

a technology of the Green Revolution; ex: highly specialized and technologically advanced equipment such as harvesters and tractors developed during the mid 1900s allowed the rapid planting and harvesting of agricultural fields

fertilization

a technology of the Green Revolution; ex: industrially produced fertilizers, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), stimulate plant growth, starting in the 1940s new technologies were used to mass-produce and apply fertilizers in increasing quantities

irrigation

a technology of the Green Revolution; ex: many agricultural areas have limited water availability or are prone to droughts that can disrupt the growth of crops, groundwater or surface water stored behind dams is distributed to crops via this, thus increasing crop yields in dry states

pesticides

a technology of the Green Revolution; ex: from the 1940s to the present, new synthetic organic (carbon-based) chemicals were developed to kill the insect and animal pests that destroy crops and to prevent the growth of weeds that compete for water, light, and nutrients in agricultural fields

plant breeding

a technology of the Green Revolution; ex: advances in plant biology and genetics during the 1900s allowed the development of high-yield crop varieties that grow more quickly and produce larger amounts of harvestable products

industrial agriculture

highly mechanized and chemically intensive agriculture

monoculture

the practice of cultivating a large area with a single crop

concentrated animal feeding operation

(CAFO); a type of agricultural operation in which a large number of animals are housed and fed in a small area

organic fertilizers

fertilizer that is derived from plant or animal matter

Haber-Bosch process

the industrial process used to convert N2 gas to reactive forms of nitrogen

industrial fertilizers

fertilizer that is created from chemical processes or mined minerals

erosion

the physical loss of soil by water or wind

compaction

an increase in the density of soil usually caused by the compression of soil by heavy machinery

mechanical pest control

the physical removal of pests from crops

chemical pest control

the use of chemicals to repel or kill pests

biological pest control

the use of natural occurring predators to control pest species

selective breeding

a form of conventional breeding used to select desirable plant traits

persistent organic pollutants

an organic pollutant that degrades slowly and tends to accumulate in biological tissues

breeding

the process of altering the genetic material of plants and animals in ways that benefit humans

conventional breeding

plant and animal breeding accomplished through sexual reproduction

genetic engineering

change to the genetic material of an organism accomplished using the techniques of modern molecular biology

The 4 Basic Steps to Conventional Plant or Animal Breeding

1. Generate genetic diversity - a. uses sexual reproduction to cross (combine) genes of individuals from two varieties of the same or related species, b. particularly in plant breeding, exposes individuals to chemicals or radiation that causes mutations

2. Select desired traits - select two individuals that have desirable traits, these might include characteristics such as flavor, size, or slow ripening to allow for transportation

3. Perform cross - cross the individuals - have them sexually reproduce

   1. Test offspring - finally, the offspring, known as hybrid because if comes from genetically dissimilar parents, is tested for the desired trait or traits

hybrid

the offspring that results from the breeding of two genetically dissimilar parents

genetically modified organisms

(GMO); an organism that has undergone genetic engineering

transgenic organism

an organism with an inserted gene from another species

organic food

food that is grown without the use of pesticides and industrial fertilizers

integrated pest management

(IPM); a combination of pest control methods that includes the use of pesticides as a last resort only after other less-harmful approaches have failed

sustainable agriculture

the production of agricultural products through safe, efficient, and humane practices that protect the natural environment and the economic and social welfare of farmers

waste stream

the flow of waste from homes, businesses, schools, factories, and agricultural operations

nonhazardous solid waste

waste made up of materials that pose no specific risk to human health or the environment

hazardous waste

waste that is flammable, corrosive, reactive, and/or toxic

municipal solid waste

trash generated in cities and other communities

industrial solid wastes

garbage produced by industrial and manufacturing activities; ex: metal shavings from the manufacture of machinery, construction waste

sanitary landfills

a facility where waste is stored in a controlled manner until it no longer poses a risk to the environment or human health

Common features of a sanitary landfill

• solid waste - the solid waste is compacted and frequently covered with soil to help reduce odor and to control insects and rodents

• impermeable liner - landfills are lined on all sides and bottom with a flexible and impermeable membrane, the lining protects groundwater and the underlying soil from contaminated water

• methane gas recovery well - many landfills have systems that trap methane and then burn it to generate electricity, other landfills simply vent methane to the atmosphere

• leachate collection well - water that leaches out of the waste is collected on top of the impermeable liner and then removed for treatment and disposal

• groundwater monitoring well - this well is used to determine whether waster materials have escaped from the landfill

wastewater

wastes that are disposed of in water; ex: sewage, stormwater runoff

graywater

water from domestic uses other than toilets, including water from showers and sinks

ignitable wastes

flammable materials that burn spontaneously at temperatures lower than 60 degrees C (140F); these include oil and solvents used in cleaning and chemical applications; they are a risk because of the possibility of explosions and burns

corrosive wastes

are capable of corroding (rusting) metal; these wastes are strong acids (pH less than 2) or strong bases (pH greater than 12.5) that can also destroy living tissue on contact

reactive wastes

are unstable under normal environmental conditions and therefore may explode or release dangerous gases when heated, compressed, or mixed with water; examples are explosives and some battery types such as lithium-ion batteries

toxic wastes

are harmful or fatal to living organisms; many chemicals fall into this category, including cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and chemicals used in plastics that can interfere with animal hormone systems; many ignitable, corrosive, and reactive chemicals are also toxic

industrial ecology

an approach in which companies use energy and materials more efficiently during the manufacture, consumer use, and recycling or disposal of products

life-cycle analysis

the examination of the environmental impacts of a product, process, or activity over its entire lifetime

source reduction

a process through which companies change the design, manufacture, or use of materials or products to reduce their weight or volume before they become solid waste

decomposition

the breakdown or decay of organic compounds

composting

a process in which organic material such as food scraps and yard waste is collected and managed in a away that stimulates decomposition

recycling

the collection and reprocessing of a material so it can br reused to make a new product

half-life

the time it takes for half of the atomic nuclei of a radioactive substance to decay

low-level radioactive waste

materials that have become slightly radioactive because of exposure to primary sources of radiation or materials that contain low levels of radioactive materials

high-level radioactive waste

waste such as used fuel from nuclear reactors, by-products of the processing of radioactive waste, and materials taken from nuclear weapons that generate high levels of radiation

transuranic waste

material containing elements with atomic numbers higher than that of uranium that were artificially created during nuclear reactions in power plants or in association with the manufacture or handling of nuclear weapons

nuclear waste reprocessing

the separation of nuclear waste components using chemical techniques

environmental health

an area within the public health field concerned with how the natural and built environment affects human health

risk

a measuring of the probability and severity of some adverse effects on the biological or physical components of the environment

radiation

electromagnetic energy that is naturally produced by the atomic breakdown of certain elements

pathogens

a disease-causing agent such as a virus or bacterium

environmental justice

the principle that the environmental impacts of development, including risks to human health, should be spread evenly across all populations without regard to race, color, country of origin, or income

toxicity

a measure of the degree of harm a substance can cause

toxicology

the study of the health risks of chemical, physical, and biological agents

acute effect

the impact of short-term exposure to toxic substances

chronic effect

the impact of long-term exposure to toxic substances

risk assessment

a process for characterizing the health risks from chemicals or other environmental stressors

risk management

a process in which risk is weighed against economic, social, and legal consiederations

hazardous material

a substance that causes substantial general physical harm to organisms; ex: ignitable, corrosive, reactive, toxic materials

carcinogen

an agent that triggers cancer, the uncontrolled growth of cells

endocrine disruptor

a toxic chemical that interferes with the human endocrine system, the collection of glands that produce hormones

teratogen

a toxic chemical that causes abnormal fetal development

neurotoxic chemical

a toxic chemical that interferes with the function of the nervous system

neurons

a type of cell that passes electrical signals throughout the body

ionizing radiation

a form of radiation that breaks chemical bonds and strips electrons away from atoms

x-rays

a pure energy form of ionizing radiation that moves quickly and easily through many materials

biological accumulation

the increasing concentration in an organism’s tissues following absorption from the environment

biological magnification

the process by which toxins accumulate at increasingly higher concentrations in tissues of organisms from lower to higher levels of a food web

virus

a disease-causing entity composed of a small amount of RNA or DNA encased in a protein coat

pandemic

a global outbreak of disease

zoonosis

a disease that can be transmitted to humans from wild or domestic animals

traditional biomass fuels

fuel that is derived from living or recently living plants or from animal waste

energy density

the amount of energy in a volume or mass of fuel

energy quality

the ability of a unit of fuel to do useful work

primary energy sources

a raw fuel used to generate energy

secondary energy source

energy that has been converted from one form (such as coal) to another (such as electricity)

energy intensity

the amount of energy used to produce a specific quantity of goods and services

path dependency

a concept that explains how a range of possible decisions in the present depends on choices made in the past

electricity

the flow of charged particles

electric power grid

the network of wires carrying electricity from power plants to users

centralized power generation system

a model of power generation in which large power produce electricity that is then distributed to end years

decentralized power generation system

a model of power generation in which electricity is generated at or near the place where it is used; ex: solar panels, wind turbines, water flow, combustion portable generator combusting gasoline

smart grid

a new technology power grid with electric meters that give electric utilities real-time information demand

point sources

point-source pollution; pollution that comes from a single location (or point)

fractional distillation

the separation of a mixture into its component parts, usually through the use of heating or chemical separation

emissions

waste gasses produced by liquid fuel powered vehicles during combustion

hybrid car

a car with both an internal combustion and electric engine

electric car

a car with a battery-powered electric motor

energy conservation

the practice of using an energy-consuming device less often