Honors Biology: Chapter 7

What is ecological footprint?

the total area of healthy land and water ecosystems needed to provide the resources someone uses

What does the ecological footprint include?

the use of energy, food, water, shelter, and the production of wastes like sewage, trash, and greenhouse gasses

The average American has an ecological footprint more than ___ times larger than the global average.

four

What was "The Great Acceleration?"

a period where birthrate, technology, burning of fossil fuels and pretty much all human activity was greatly accelerating

What is the Anthropocene?

the period during which human activity has become the major cause of global change

What are anthromes?

globally significant ecological patterns created by long-term interactions between humans and ecosystems

What are examples of anthromes?

cities, villages, croplands, rangelands

How do human activities affect global systems?

by changing the atmosphere in ways that change climate, changing the way we use land, over-harvesting some species, introducing species to new environments, and producing plastics and other pollutants

What is climate change?

measurable long-term changes in averages of temperature, clouds, winds, precipitation, and the frequency of extreme weather events

What drives climate change?

global warming

What is global warming?

increase in the average temperature on Earth

What causes global warming?

increased concentration of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane)

Climate change is a threat to___ and ecosystem stability.

biodiversity

What causes acid rain?

sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides from burning fossil fuels

What causes ocean acidification?

carbon dioxide that dissolves in seawater released by burning fossil fuels

What causes algal blooms?

nitrogen released from burning fossil fuels

What do certain agricultural practices release?

methane

What is deforestation?

the cutting of forests for lumber or farming

What does deforestation affect?

water quality in streams and rivers and increasing soil erosion in mountainous areas

What is one of the most important ecosystem services that reforestation can restore?

dependable, clean drinking water

What is monoculture?

the production of a single crop in a given area

When large areas are used for grazing, or to grow monocultures for long periods, fertilizers and pesticides can...

change soil structure and microbiomes in ways that degrade soil and prevent secondary succession

What is one result of urbanization?

hint: feces

sewage

What is habitat loss?

when natural habitats are completely changed, species that once lived in that area either emigrate or disappear

What is habitat fragmentation?

when parts of a habitat are split apart into separate pieces

What can habitat fragmentation cause?

biodiversity loss and make ecosystems more vulnerable to other disturbances

What is habitat restoration?

return of a habitat to its prior condition

What are invasive species?

any nonnative species whose introduction causes, or is likely to cause, economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health

What is a pollutant?

any harmful material created as a result of human activity and released into the environment

What are common forms of air pollution?

smog, greenhouse gases, heavy metals, and aerosols

What are the primary sources of water pollution?

industrial and agricultural chemicals, residential sewage, and nonpoint sources

What is smog?

a gray-brown haze formed by chemical reactions among pollutants released into the air by industrial processes and automobile exhaust

What resulted in the destruction of the ozone layer?

CFCs

What is biological magnification?

the process in which pollutants are concentrated as they pass through trophic levels

What does the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) provide?

the best possible scientific information on climate change

What does data suggest about Earth's climate?

it is getting warmer

The sea levels are...

rising

What other effects are expected from climate change?

chances in total precipitation and seasonal distribution of precipitation, longer and more intense heat waves, and more episodes of extreme heat and storms in many areas

How does global warming affect animals?

it changes the timing of their migration

Changes in temperature and precipitation have already begun to negatively affect...

crop yields of corn and wheat in some places and water availability in many agricultural areas

What is sustainable development?

using resources in ways that preserve ecosystem services

Sustainable development includes three nested spheres:

Earth's life support system (the environment), society, the economy

What is a renewable resource?

a resource that can be produced or replaced by a healthy ecosystem

What is a nonrenewable resource?

a resource that natural processes cannot replenish within a reasonable time

What is resilience?

the ability to deal with change and move on