Ch. 48 Humans as a Planetary Force

Anthropocene Epoch

modern era

• reflecting the dominant impact of humans of Earth

Ecological footprint

represents an attempt to quantify our individual claims on global resources by adding up all the energy, food, materials, and services we use and estimating how much land is required to provide those resources

Greenhouse gases

a gas that absorbs heat energy and then emits it in all directions

Ocean acidification

increasing the abundance of CO2 causes the pH of seawater to decrease (become more acidic)

“Deadly Trio” effects of CO2 on oceans

• warming temperatures

• acidification

• deoxygenation

Eutrophication

the addition of nutrients to a body of water greatly stimulates the growth of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, often leading to a decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration and therefore a decline in species diversify

Invasive species

harmful nonnative species that become established in new ecosystems

Conservation biology

addresses the challenge of sustaining biodiversity in a changing world crowded with people

Biodiversity hotspots

a relatively small area that has an unusually high number of endemic species; often at the center of conservation efforts

Endemic species

species found in one place and nowhere else

Ecosystem services

a benefit or contribution to human welfare that derives from a healthy, working ecosystem

Corridors

provide routes for species to migrate from one reserve to another

Sustainable development

use of natural resources at rates no higher than the rate at which they can be replenished