Unit 0: Lesson 1 - Introduction to Environmental Science

Environmental Science

The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature

Ecosystem

A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components

Biotic

living

Abotic

Non-living

System

A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements or parts that function together as a whole to accomplish a goal.

enivronment

the sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life

Ecosystem Services

the processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced

Biodiversity

The amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.

greenhouse gases

Gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface (CO2 is most significant)

renewable resource

A natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed

nonrewable resources

resources that cannot regenerate in our lifetime (fossil fuels) or are found on earth in a finite amount

per capita

per person

Anthopogenic

derived from human activities

Sustainability

Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources

ecological footprint

A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land

independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

dependent variable

a variable that is dependent on other factors

Hypothesis

a testable prediction about how something works

null hypothesis

A prediction that there is no difference between groups or conditions that are compared

control group

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

Fossil fuels

coal, oil and natural gas which are derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago.

Fracking (hydraulic fracturing)

method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open cracks in rocks deep underground.

Negatives of fracking

uses large quantities of water, high concentrations of natural gas leaks into the water, becomes flammable, natural gas leaks into the atmosphere, methane released

Positives of fracking

Increased production, lower energy prices, reduced reliance on oil (cleaner air), more jobs, economically beneficial if a country wants to sell it to others.

Environmentalist

A person who participates in environmentalism

Environmentalism

A social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education

Environmental studies

the field of study that includes environmental science and additional subjects such as environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics.

Environmental indicator

An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system.

Which ecosystems are strongest?

diverse ecosystems

5 environmental indicators

1. Biological diversity 2. food production (per capita = per person) 3. average global surface temperature and CO2 concentration 4. human population 5. resources depletion

What 3 scales does biodiversity exist on?

1. Genetic 2. species 3. ecosystem

Genetic diversity

A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population

Species

a group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties

Species diversity

the number of species in a region or in a particular type of ecosystem.

Speciation

the evolution of new species

Background extinction rate

the average rate at which species become extinct over the long-term

Food production

our ability to grow food to nourish the human population (we use science and technology to increase the amount of food we can produce on a given area of land). we produce enough food but not everyone is being fed.

World grain production per person

increased since the 1950's, but recently began to level off.

Elements that make up living things

CHNOPS

Human population

8.4 billion --> predicted to reach 10 billion by 2050

Development

improvement in human well-being through economic advancement

Biophilia

love of life