Environ. Science Exam 1

environmental science

the study of environmental problems, their causes, and their possible solutions

sustainability

refers to an act, process or situation which is capable of being upheld, continued, maintained or defended

sustainable development

development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

risk analysis

how many effected, how badly effected, how long-lasting, reversibility?

conservation

sensible management of resources and sustainable use

preservation

the protection of ecosystems, natural resources, and landscapes from human alteration, degradation, or consumption

example of preservation and conservation

the land bridge in Houston

environmental views in 1700s-1800s

Widespread environmental destruction, promote settlement, frontier attitude, resources appeared inexhaustible, and Manifest Destiny (1800’s)

Manifest Destiny

the belief that America was destined by God to be expanded westward in North America

cause of early environmental movement

resources quickly being depleted

John James Audubon

wildlife artist that aroused public interest

Henry David Thoreau

a writer that lived simply who pushed for civil disobedience making him a key figure in transcendentalism, environmentalism, and social reform

American Forestry Association 1875

formed by citizens, concerned about forests

Forest Reserve Act 1891

president can establish forest reserves

National Park and Monuments

congress passed an act for the creation of national parks, monuments were designated by the president

Pace of change

pace has accelerated and is no longer at a constant pace but rather has a faster rate. leading to less time to adapt, respond, or change course

trends in pace of change

all of these have increased significantly : population, energy, fertilizer, CO2, metals, and plastics

scale of change

it has been altered to where it not only has effects locally but globally now. leading to a new term for it “global environmental change”

scales of change- local

produced within a region by proximate sources within that region stays in that region. ex: erosion and local stream contamination of local air pollution (1950s Pittsburgh)

scales of change- regional

change occurs in one region because of human activities in another region. ex: habitat loss in tropics and loss of birds in North America because of pesticides in Kansas that leads to toxic effects in Gulf of Mexico

DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane)

a man-made chemical widely used to control insects on agricultural crops and insects that carry diseases like malaria and
typhus

effects of DDT

DDT in water is less concentrated but as the food chain goes on it leads to a higher concentration. water→ fish → larger fish → bird

nature of change

it has been altered to where effects are now long-lasting, difficult to reserve and persistent

top environmental concerns for scientists

high risk ecological problems (extinction, habitat loss) , high risk human health problems (chemical exposure, polluted indoor + outdoors air/water), medium risk ecological problems (pesticides, surface water pollutants), and low risk ecological problems (radioactive material, oil spills)

public concerns by rank order

hazardous waste, toxic chemicals, ozone depletion, nuclear radiation, industrial accidents, underground storage tanks,
pesticides and farmers, greenhouse effect, trash disposal, x-rays

chemical industry

develops 1,000’s of new compounds, produces over 100 million tons of organic chemicals in the form of
70,000 different compounds but only a small fraction are tested or understood

present risk analysis

science tells us (some of) the risks and economics tells us (some of) the costs and benefits. make decisions that maximize benefits or minimizes costs to society as a whole or to that group of people that happens to have the most influence at the time

ecology

the study of the relationships between organisms and the totality of the physical and biological factors affecting them or influenced by them

ecosystem

a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving, physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water, and sunlight

realm of ecology

organisms → populations → communities → ecosystems → biosphere

what does a biosphere consist of?

physical layers of air, water, soil, minerals, and life

hydrosphere

all of earth’s water: liquid, ice, water vapor

lithosphere

the earth’s crust and upper mantle

atmosphere

consists of the troposphere and stratosphere

troposphere

surface to 11 miles up that contains the majority of the planet’s air

stratosphere

11-30 miles up that’s the lower portion contains ozone to filter out most of the sun’s harmful UV radiation

biomes

a major regional ecological community characterized by distinctive life forms and plant species

populations

members of a species interact in groups in a specific area

community

populations of different species living and interacting in an area

food chain

the sequence of food transfer from trophic level to trophic level; a linear pathway of energy flow

habitat

the type of environment occupied by a species

food web

consists of many interconnected food chains, representing the complex, realistic network of feeding relationships in an ecosystem

species

a group of organisms capable of breeding

solar energy

sustains life on earth; flows through he biosphere that warms the atmosphere which leads to evaporation and the recycling of water and it generates winds that supports plant growth

equation for photosynthesis

carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen air

heterotrophs (consumers)

get their food by eating or breaking down all or parts of other organisms or their remains

decomposers

recycle nutrients in ecosystems

detritivores

insects or other scavengers that feed on wastes or dead bodies

gross primary production (GPP)

rate at which an ecosystem’s producers convert solar energy into chemical energy

net primary production (NPP)

rate at which producers use photosynthesis to store energy minus the rate at which they use some of this energy through
respiration

primary succession

a process in which mature ecosystems form on barren ground where none previously existed

secondary succession

a long-term repair process that takes place after an ecosystem is destroyed by natural or human causes

homeostasis

a state of relative constancy vital to the survival of organisms and ecosystems

estuaries

nutrient-rich zones at the mouths of rivers, often associated with coastal wetlands, together forming the estuarine zone

coastal life zones

characterized by abundant sunlight and a rich supply of nutrients, both of which contribute to an abundance of life-forms

rivers and streams

are complex ecosystems that rely more on agitation for oxygenation of their waters than lakes do; quality of water in a stream is profoundly influenced by activities in the watershed

division of lakes

top to bottom littoral zone → limnetic zone → profundal zone → benthic zone

tropical rain forest biome

the richest and most diverse biome on Earth because of its abundant rainfall and warm climate

desert biome

characterized by dry, hot conditions, it abounds with plants and animals adapted to the heat and lack of moisture; expanding because of human activities such as overgrazing livestock and the production of greenhouse gases

grassland biome

occurs in regions of intermediate precipitation––enough to support grasses but not enough to support trees, used for agriculture

temperate deciduous forest biome

occurs in regions with abundant rainfall and long growing seasons, this biome has been heavily settled by humans
and dramatically altered

the taiga

a band of coniferous trees spreading across the northern continents south of the tundra. it’s climate is milder, and its life-forms are more diverse than those of the tundra.

tundra biome

a band of coniferous trees spreading across the northern continents south of the tundra, its climate is milder, and its life-forms are more diverse than those of the tundra.