ch 1-5 terms + concepts

phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen cycles not included but still important !

ecological footprint

the total area of biologically productiveland and water needed to produce the resources and absorb the wates of a given person or population

humanity is using renewable resources ____ faster than they are being replenished

50%

natural capital

the earth’s store of resources and the ecosystem services of the planet; think of it like a bank account

current u.s. eco footprint

china’s eco footprint

india’s eco footprint

7\.2ha/person

2\.1ha/person

0\.9ha/person

triple bottom line

people, planet, profit

sustainable development

satisfies our current needs without compromising the future availibility of natural resources or future quality of life

__% of the planet’s land surface is used for agricultural purposes

50

how to promote sustainability

audits, recycling, waste reduction, green buildins, water conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation alternatives, sustainable foot alts, etc.

millennium ecosystem assessment (2005)

evidence shows how value is maximized by conserving natural resources rather than exploiting them for short term profit

consumer power

vote govt officials with environmental awareness, vote with your wallet, reconsider economic growth as ultamite goal

acidic water pH

basic water pH

>7

water is ___. hydrogen bonds give the proporties of _______.__

polar, cohesion, high ability to dissolve substances, high specific heat

organic compounds

always composed of hydrogen and carbon atoms, and somtimes the elements N, O, S, and P, are essential to all living things

selective pressures

environmental conditions determine what pressures natural selection will exert, and these selective pressures affect which members of a population will survive and reproduce

speciation

process by which new species are generated

allopatric speciation

main mode of speciation, occurs when a population is geographically seperated and do not interbreed. isolated populations will adapt to surrounding environment differently and acquire traits specfic to that area. confirmed when the seperated populations come back together and *cannot* mate or reproduce viable offspring

sympatric speciation

occurs when a small part of a populayion becomes a new species because of reproductive isolation within the *same* geographic area

popultions vulnurable to extinction

endemic or small populations (not enough genetic variation or adaptability)

there have been ____ mass extinctions

5, thought to have wiped out 50-95% of species each time

sixth mass extinction

caused by human impact, population growth, industrialization, and resource extraction + use

K-strategists

species having few offspring that are larger in size, require longer parental care, and reach maturity at a later age

(big K = big Kids !)

r-strategists

species devoting energy and resources to producing many offsprinf in a relatively short time, with little to no parental care, that are small in size and reach maturity early

(little r = little runts !)

specialists

species that can survive in a very narrow range of habitats that contain specific resources

generalists

species with broad tolerances, able to use a wide array of resources, and suceeed by being able to live in many different places with variable conditions

ecology

the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environments

ecological hirarchy

organisms

populations

communities

ecosystems

biosphere

niche

an organism’s use of resources and its functional role ina community, its “profession”

population ecology

examines the dynamics of popuation change

community ecology

focuses on patterns of species diversity and interactions among species

ecosystem ecology

reveals parterns like energy flow and nutrient cycling

population growth potential attributes

population size

density

distribution (spatial arrangement)

sex ratio

age structure

birth/death rates

population growth rate

(births + immigration) - (deaths + emmigration) / pop size = growth rate

survivorship curves

type 1: humans. low death rates early in life, increases with age

type 2: birds. constant death rate over whole life

type 3: frogs. high death rates early in life, decreases for the small surviving poplation as they age

expotential growth

population increases by a fixed percent each year, J-CURVE, growth under ideal conditions

limiting factors

physical, chemicalm and biological attributes of the environment that restrain population growth

carrying capacity

maximum population size that a given environment can sustain. humans exceeded our planet’s carrying capacity for us in 2012, at 7b

logistic growth

pattern of growth in which a population initially growths rapidly, then slowly, then stabilizes at carrying capacity due to limiting factors, S-CURVE

density dependent factors

diseases, predation, competition

density idependent factors

temperature extremes, floods, fires

introduced species

bad! 0/10 would not recommend

intraspecific competition

occurs beteween two members of the same species

interspecific competition

occurs between two or more different species

resource partitioning

species adapt to competition by using slightly different resources and/or using them in slightly different ways

parasitism

one species derives benefit by harming without killing another

mutualism

both species benefit

trophic levels contain ___ the energy of the one below it

10%

tropic levels top-bottom

tertiary consumers, top carnivores

secondary consumers, carnivores

primary consumers, herbivores

producers, plants n’ shit

ecological succession

transition in species composition of an area over ecological time

temperate deciduous forest

fertile soils, deciduous trees (oaks and maple), precipitation spread evenly throughout the year

deserts

very sparse rainfall, extreme temperatures, plants and animals good at water conservation

temperate grassland (prairie)

marked by too little rainfall to support trees, fertile soil, occasional fires, large grazing mammals

tropical rainforest

biodiversity, warm temps and high rainfall, poor soil

tundra

permafrost, cold temps, little rainfall, low vegetation, no trees

boreal/coniferous forest (taiga)

cone-bearing plants, poor soil, cold winters, moderate precipitation

savanna

tropical grassland, high temps, rainy seasons, grazing animals

negative feedback loop

system’s output acts as an input that moves the system in the opposing direction, towards stabilization. these are good! common in nature, contribute to overall balance on Earth

positive feedback loops

increased ouput leads to increased input and destabilization of system (exponential pop growth and glacial melting)

hypoxia

low dissolved oxygen, excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizer

eutrophication

increaed nutrients like n and p causes algal blooms, which results in low dissolved oxygen, suffocating aquatic life

gross primary productivity

energy into biomass by autotrophs during photosynthesis

net primary productivity

energy/biomass that remains after respiration and is available for consumption by heterotrophs/consumers

ocean acidification

excess CO2 being absorbed by the ocean ! if you don’t remember this, i’d be concerned 🥳