IB ESS: Final Exam

Ecocentric

pure ecology & nature is central to humanity and emphasizes a less materialist approach to life with greater self-sufficiency of societies

Technocentric

believes that technological development can provide solutions to environmental problems

Anthropocentric

believes humans must sustainably manage the global system

Environmental Manager

believe governments need to legislate to protect environment and resources from overexploitation and make sustainable economics - humans have ethical duty to protect & nurture Earth

Cornucopian

through technology & inventiveness, humans can solve any environmental problem & improve living standards - little government intervention

Biocentric

all life has inherent value - no harm to individual species

Deep Ecologist

put more value on nature than humanity - believe in biorights; no human intervention in nature

System / Systems Diagram

set of components that function together & form integrated units

Open System

exchanges matter & energy with its surroundings

Closed System

exchanges energy with its surroundings

Isolated System

exchanges no energy or matter with its surroundings

Transfer

a change in location

Transformation

a change in chemical nature, state, or energy

Matter

gas, liquid, solid

Atoms

makes up matter

1st Law of Thermodynamics / Principle of Conservation of Energy

energy is neither created nor destroyed

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

the entropy of an isolated system not in equilibrium will increase over time

Entropy

the measure of the disorder of a system - refers to spreading out or dispersal of energy

Enthalpy

equivalent to total heat content of a system

Equilibrium: Steady State, Static, Unstable/stable

the tendency to return to its original state

-the system is constant with continuous inputs & outputs

-no change over time

-unstable: returns to new equilibrium; stable: returns to same

Efficiency (Energy)

useful energy, work or output produced by a process divided by the amount of energy consumed, bring the input to the process

Negative Feedback

damp down, neutralize, or counteract any deviation from an equilibrium; stablizies systems in steady-state

Positive Feedback

further increases or decreases in output that enhances the change in the system

System Resilience

how a system responds to a disturbance

-more resilient: more distrubance dealt with

Tipping Point

reached when ecosystem experiences a shift to a new state in which there are significant changes to its biodiversity & services it provides

Ecological Overshoot

surpassing the sustainable level of resources exploitation

Sustainable Development

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

Natural Capita

goods & services the environment provides humans with in order to provide natural income

Natural Income

natural resources that can be sold for profit

Abiotic vs. Biotic

Abiotic: non-living physical factors influencing organisms & the ecosystem

Biotic: living organisms

Species

a group of organisms sharing common characteristics that interbreed & produced fertile offspring

Population

a group of organisms of same specifies living in the same area at the same time

Community

a group of populations living & influencing with each other in a common habitat

Habitat

environment in which a species normally lives

Ecosystem

community & the physical environment it interacts with

Biome

collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions

Biosphere

collection of biomes; Earth

Fundamental Niche vs. Realized Niche

Fundamental: full range of conditions & resources in which a species could survive & reproduce

Realized: actual conditions & resources in which a species exists due to biome interactions

Limiting Factor (Density Independent vs. Dependent)

factors which slow down growth of popuation

Carrying Capacity

maximum number of a species that can be sustanbly supported by a given area

Intra vs. Interspecific Competition

Intra: between members of same species

Inter: between members of different species

Population Dynamics

study of factors that cause changes in population sizes

Competitive Exclusion

one species totally out competes another species

Predation

predator (hunter) feeds on prey (attacked)

Tragedy of the Commons

individuals act in own self-interest to harvest a resource but destroy long-term future of that resource to there is none for anyone

Environmental Impact Assessment

report prepared before a development project to change the use of land

Ecological Footprint

a model used to estimate the demands that the human population places in the environment

Pollution/Types

the addition of a substance or agent to an environment at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendured harmless by the environment

Primary/Secondary Pollutants

Primary: active in emission

Secondary: formed by primary pollutants undergoing physical or chemical changes

Point source/Non-Point Source Pollutants

Point: release of polltants from single, clearly indentifiable site

Non-point: release of pollutants from numerous, widely dispersed origins

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

resistant to breaking down & remain active in the environment for a long time

Biodegradable Pollutants

do not persist in the environment & break down quickly

Pollution Management

-change human activites

-regulate/prevent release of pollutant

-work to clean up/restore damaged ecosystems

Herbivory

animal eating a plant

Parastism

a relationship between two species in which one species lives in or on another, gaining its food from it

Mutualism

relation between two or more species in which all benefit & none suffer

Bioaccumulation/Magnification

Accumulation: build-up of persistent/non-biodegradable pollutants within an organism or trophic level

Magnification: increase in concentration of presistent/non-biodegradable pollutants along a food chain

Commensalism

relationship between two species where on benefits from the other without attacking it

S-curves vs. J-curves (Reasons behind increase/decrease)

S: exponential growth, but growth rate slows to population with constant size

J: exponential growth, then collapse

Birth vs. Death Rate

Birth: number of live deaths per 1000 of a population each year

Death: number of deaths per 1000 of a population each yeah

Environmental Resistance

area between exponential growth curve & the S-curve

Exponential vs. Logistic Growth

Exponential: no limiting factors slowing growth

Logistic: limited resources slow down growth

Photosynthesis (Process)

plants convert light energy into chemical energy

6CO2 + 12H2O --light--> C6H12O6 + 6O2

Cellular Respiration (Process)

conversion of organic matter into carbon dioxide & water in all living organisms, releasing energy

C6H12O6 + 6O2 ----> 12H2O + 6CO2 + ATP

Primary Productivity (Gross and Net)

Gross: total gain in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time by plants

Net: GPP - respiration

Food Chain/Web (Trophic Levels) and Trophic Efficiency

Chain: flow of energy between organisms

Web: series of food chains

Trophic efficiency: amount of energy transferred to the next trophic level (10%)

Ecological Pyramids (Numbers, Biomass, Productivity)

Numbers: number of organism at each trophic level

Biomass: biomass at each trophic level

Productivity: rate of flow of energy of biomass through each trophic level

Secondary Productivity (Gross and Net)

Gross: total energy/biomass assimilated by consumers

GPP: food eaten - fecal loss

Net: total gain in energy/biomass after respiration

Assimilaton

process of food cross wall of alimentary canal (gut wall) to be absorbed & used to power life processes

Nitrogen cycle

Phosphorus cycle

Carbon cycle

Energy Budget vs. Energy Subsidy

Budget: quantity of energy entering, staying within & leaving the animal/population

Subsidy: additional energy that needs to be put in a system above that which limits from the sum's energy

Climate Change and Biome Shift (Cause/Effects)

altering the distribution of biomes

Biome shift: biomees moving to a different climate

Zonation

change in community along environmental gradient due to factors such as altitude, latitude, tidal level or distance from shore

Succession (Primary vs. Secondary, Seral Stages)

process of change over time in an ecosystem

Primary: bare ground

Secondary: soil has already formed

R and K Selected Species

R: species with small size, short life cycle, rapid growth & high production

K: species with large size, longer life cycles, slower growth, & delayed reproduction

Climax Community (Sub-Climax vs. Plagioclimax)

stable & self-perpetuating; maximum possible development

Sub-climax: only continue development if limiting factor removed

Plagioclimax: continue development if human activity ceases

Pioneer Species

feral species to colonize an area

Kite Diagram

graph showing the density or distributon of a species that has been found along a transect

Sampling Methods (Quadrats, Transects-Belt, Line, continuous and interrupted, Lincoln Index/Simpson Diversity Index, Catching Organisms: Large/Small, Motile, Non-motile)

Quadrat: frame of specific size which may be divided into sub-sections

Transect-belt: strip of chosen width through ecosystem (parallel lines)

Transect-line: measuring tape laid out in direction of environmental gradient

Continuous: whole line/belt sampled

Interrupted: samples taken at points along line/belt

Lincoln: capture, mark, release, recapture

Simpson number of different species & relative number of individuals of each species

Small/motile: pitfall traps, nets, etc.

Turbidity

cloudiness of body of fresh water

Dissolved Oxygen vs. Biochemical Oxygen Demand

DO: measures oxygen concentration of water

BOD: DO needed to break down organic material in given volume of water

Dichotomous Keys

tool that allows the user to determine the identity of items in the natural world

Biodiversity (genetic, species, habitat)

Genetic: range of genetic material present in population of species

Species: number of species & their relative proportions

Habitat: range of different habitats in ecosystem/biome

Biodiversity Hotspot

region with a high level of biodiversity that is under threat from human activites

Theory of Evolution (Origin of Species)

each individual is different/differently adapted to its environment

-whole population gradually changes over time

Speciation (Allopatric vs. Sympatric)

formation of a new species when populations of a species become isolated or evolve differently

Allopatric: biological species become isolated

Sympatric: non-species evolves within same area as ancestor

Isolation (Geographic, Temporal, Reproductive)

Geographic population separated by a physical barrier

Temporal: prevents mating because species breed at different times

Reproductive: the different species cannot reproduce with one another

Continental Drift/Plate Tectonics

Continental drift: movement of plates on crust

Plate tectonics: study of movement of plates

Mass Extinction (Extinction Rates)

species become extinct at a rate far greater than the background rate (one species per million species per year)

Weed Species

species with potential for overpopulating an area & upsetting the normal biological balance

Natural Hazards vs. Disasters

Natural hazards: naturally occuring events that may have a negative impact on the environment

Disasters: caused by human activites

Inertia (in reference to disasters)

property of an ecosystem to resist change when subjected to a disruptive force

Invasive (non-active) species

exotic species drastically upset a natural ecosystem

Over exploitation

human population expand & technology allows better catching, hunting, harvesting

11 characteristics that make a species prone to extinction

narrow geographical range, small population size/declining numbers, low population density/large territories, low populations, large body, low reproductive potential, seasonal migrants, poor dispersal, specialized feeders/niches, edible to humans, island organisms

IUCN Red List Criteria

extinct, extinct in wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened, least concerned, data deficient, not evaluated

Direct values vs. Indirect values of biodiversity

Direct: food sources, natural product

Indirect: environmental services, science/education, biological control agents, gene pools, future potential, human health, human rights, recreational, ecotourism, ethical/intrinsic value, biorights

Approaches to Conservation/Preservation of Biodiversity

Conservation: sustainable use/management of natural resources

Preservation: attempts to exclude human acitvity in area where humans have not yet encroached