ess all

EVS

a worldview that shapes the way people perceive and evaluate environmental issues. Influenced by cultural, economic and socio-political factors

ecocentrism

a worldview that puts ecology and nature as central to humanity and emphasizes a less materialistic approch to life. Emphasises the imprtance of education, prioritises bio-rights

deep ecologists

most extreme form of ecocentrism. Natural laws dictate human morality , nature is needed for humanity and has rights

self-reliance soft ecologists

less extreme form of ecocentrism, focus on community involvement to change political policices and practices

anthropocentrism

a worldview that regards humankind as the central or most important element of existence. Views the environment and other species as having value only in terms of their utility for human purposes. Humans must sustainabily manage the global system

technocentrism

a worldview that argues that technilogical development can provide solutions to environmental problems

cornucopian

a worldview that believes that environmental problems do not exist, that believes there are infinite natural resources. Priorities the economy and capitalism.

system

a system is an assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by way of some driving process which is influenced by various inputs and outputs

inputs for EVSs

education, science, culture, religion

outputs for EVSs

actions, decisions, viewpoints

reductionist approach

look at each infividual part

holistic approach

look at how the system works together

componenets of an environmental system

aviotic and biotic components

gaia hypothesis

the earth is a single living system that maintains homeostasis (1960s)

inputs for system

energy or matter entering a system

outputs for system

something produced at the end of a system

storage

areas where energy or matter is accumulated inside a system

flows

movement of energy or matter within a system

processes

transfer or transofrm energy or matter from storage to storgage

transformations

move energy and matter but in the process of doing so there is a change in state

transfers

move energy or matter from one place to another without changing it in any way

open system

a system in which both materials and energy are exchanged across the boundaries of the system (e.g. rainforest ecosystem)

closed system

a system in which energy is exchanged across boundaries but matter is not (e.g. possibly the earth)

isolated system

hypothetical concept in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged across the boundary

advantages of models as tools

can predict and simplify complex systems, results can be shared easily, inputs and outputs can be changed easily without waiting for real events

disadvantages of models as tools

the model is only as good as the data that was inputted, lack of detail may not be accurate, different models may show different outcomes

ecosysyem

A community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they inhabit.

the first law of thermodynamics\

energy can change forms but cannot be creater nor destroyed

how much energy is passed between trophic levels

10%

trophic level

The position that an organism occupies in a food chain, or a group of organisms in a community that occupy the same position in food chains.

food chain

chemcial energy passes along food chain, consumers eat lower trophic levels, some chemical energy is converted into mechanical energy during respiration

consumers

obtain energy by consuming other organisms, transferring energy up the trophic levels

decomposers

break down organsims and waste, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem making them available for producers

producers/autotrophs

self-feeding organsims that form the base of the food chain

the second law of thermodynamics

energy = work + heat, the entropy of a system increases over time

entropy

a measurement of the degree of randomness of energy in a system

equilibrium (system)

open systems exist in a state of balance know as equilibrium

stable equilibrium

system returns to the same equilibrium after the disturbance

(dynamic) steady-state equilibroum

characteristic of open systems, continuous inputs and outputs in a more or less constant state

static equilibrium

system experiences no change over time

unstable equilibrium

returns to a new equilibrium after the disturbance

ecological footprint

the theoretical measurement of the amount of land and water a population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its waste, under prevailing technology

natural capital

the standing stock (total amount) of a natural resource

renewable resources

resources that can be used over and over again

replenishable resources

non-living resources which are continuoisly restored by natural processes as fast as they are used up

non-renewable

natural resources which cannot be replenished within a timescale of the same order as which they are taken from the environment

goods

physical resources which are measureable and may (or may not) be monetised

services

natural processes that providfe benefits for humans such as water replenishment, clean air, and protection against eroision

natural income

the yield obtaineed from natural resources

pollution

the addition of a substance or an agent to an environment through human activity, at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered harmless by the environment and which has an appreciable effect on the organisms in the environment

primary pollution

pollutant emitted directly from a source

secondary pollution

forms hen other pollutants react in the atmosphere - not active on emission

examples of primary pollution

NOx from the exhaust of cars

examples of secondary pollution

acid rain

point source pollution examples

factories and sewage facilities

non-point source pollution examples

sediment in reivers

persistant organic pollutants (POPs)

a group of toxic chemicals that are resistant to degradation and can remain in the environment for a long time

biodegradable pollutants

capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms, do not build up in individuals or get passed along food chains

acute pollution

large amounts of pollutants released at one time causing a lot of harm, symptoms appear soon after short, intense exposure

acute pollution examples

Bhopal disaster

chronic pollution

long term release of pollutant in small quantitites, often goes undetected for a long time, symptoms appear after long term, low level exposure

chronic pollution examples

air pollution in beijing

direct ways to measure pollution

record the amount of pollution in water, air or soil (nitrates and phosphates in water, acidity of rainwater for air pollution)

indirect ways to measure pollution

record changes in an abiotic or biotic factor (dissolved oxygen levels), or biotic facotrs, lichen on trees

how many levels of pollution management strategies are there?

3

level 1 pollution management strategy

changing human activities to prevent/reduce the release of pollutants

level 2 pollution management strategy

preventing or regulating the production/release of pollutants

level 3 polluiion management strateegy

working to clean up or restore damaged ecosystems

cultural impact on environmental management

improverished pollute less because they consume less, substence farmers may pollute less because they have more intimate relationship with land

political impact on environmental management

weak regulations and lack of enforcement in LEDCs, strong corporate involvement and lobying in policy decisions

human factors impact on environmental management

economic ; cheaper to keep polluting, people in poverty recycle more out of necessity

DDT

modern synthetic insecticide that helped control diseases such as malaria but is toxic

health impacts of DDT

asthma and diabities, cancer, infertility

DDT case study

american bald eagle (North America), reduced to 400  nesting pairs, decline from habitat loss and DDT, egg shells too thin to survive

precautionary principle

when a human-induced activity raises a significant threat of harm to the environment or human health, then precautionary measure should be taken even if there is no scientific consensus regarding cause and effect

species

a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

habitat

the environment in which a species normally lives

niche

a niche describes the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources which an organism or population responds

abiotic factors

non-living , physical factors in the ecosystem that may influence an organism or a system

examples of abiotic factors

sunlight, temperature, movement of water, pH

ecology

the study of the living and non living parts that interact within an ecosystem

biotic factors

a living, biological factor that may influence an organism or ecosystem

examples of biotic factors

predation, parasitism, competition

keystone species

species that are crucial to the maintenance of their ecosystem

examples of keystone species

wolves in yellowstone

fundemental niche

the entire range of conditions in which a species could live

realized niche

the actual conditions under which the species lives (usually due to competition)

case study for niche

joseph connell's barnacles, both barnicles could live anywhere but competition for resources limit the size of teach species' realized niche

population

a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time and which are capable of interbreeding

predation

hunting

herbivory

the state or condition of feeding on plants

parasitism

one species depends on another for nutrition, harming the host organism in the process

mutualism

symbiosis which is beneficial to both organisms involved

symbiosis

interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both

competition

an interaction between organisms or species in which both require a resource that is in limited supply

amensalism

a type of biological interaction where one species causes harm to another organism without any cost or benefits to itself

neutralism

two organisms do not affect each other and have no relationship

population dynamics

the study of the change in populations over time

s population curve

k species,  exponential growth phase, transitional phase (competition), plateau phase (no longer growth)