Environmental Science and Ecology Review

This set of flashcards covers critical concepts in environmental science and ecology, including demographic trends, ecosystems, climate change impacts, and biodiversity.

What does the demographic transition model illustrate?

It shows how birth and death rates change as a country develops economically.

What characterizes the urban heat island effect?

It refers to the concentration of buildings and pavement that increases urban temperatures.

What is the largest marine ecosystem?

The open ocean.

What is eutrophic zone in the ocean known for?

It is the area of highest photosynthesis.

Which human activities most affect freshwater systems?

Building dams and canals.

What is located at the bottom sediments of a lake?

The benthic zone.

What do inland wetlands NOT provide?

Oil production.

How does deforestation contribute to climate change?

By releasing stored carbon and reducing CO2 uptake.

What is the purpose of a nature reserve network connected by corridors?

To increase genetic flow and reduce isolation.

What is the demographic dividend?

Economic growth that occurs when the working-age population is large.

When did the world's urban population exceed the rural population?

Approximately in 2008.

What drives Hadley cell circulation?

Warm air rising near the equator and descending near 30 degrees latitude.

What critical role do mountains play ecologically?

They act as water storage and regulate climate.

What is polar amplification?

Warming at high latitudes occurring faster than the global average.

What is expected to happen due to biome shift from global climate change?

Biomes are expected to move towards the poles.

How does the Coriolis effect influence wind?

It deflects winds to the right in the northern hemisphere.

What brings cold, nutrient-rich water from deep ocean layers?

Upwelling.

Which freshwater ecosystem has the highest oxygen content?

Oligotrophic mountain stream.

What causes ocean acidification?

Increased uptake of atmospheric CO2 by seawater.

What is the background extinction rate?

Roughly one species per million per year.

What does HIPPCO stand for?

Habitat loss and degradation.

What defines a biodiversity hotspot?

An area that has many endemic species under threat.

What did the Wilderness Act (1964) establish?

Areas that are legally protected from human development.