envi finality

Tragedy of the Commons

Tragedy of the Commons

the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain

Solutions to Tragedy of the Commons

-Private ownership -Voluntary organization to enforce responsible use -Governmental regulations

Ostrom Tragedy of the Commons

Ostrom promoted a form of civic education that would teach people and groups to manage commons more effective and use and improve the design principles

Science

An organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world.

Scientific Method Steps

Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analyze the Data, Conclusion

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

reliable science

the concepts and ideas that are widely accepted by experts in a particular field of the natural or social sciences

peer review

A process by which the procedures and results of an experiment are evaluated by other scientists who are in the same field or who are conducting similar research.

atomic number

the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

mass number

the sum of the number of neutrons and protons in an atomic nucleus

trophic levels

The successive levels of organisms consuming one another

Names of trophic levels

producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer

Producer

An organism that can make its own food. (plant)

primary consumer

An organism that eats producers (bird)

secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers (snake)

tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers (fox)

Evolution

Change in a kind of organism over time; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms.

natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

species interactions

predation, competition, parasitism

predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

competition

the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

primary productivity

rate at which organic matter is created by producers in an ecosystem

high primary productivity

high plant growth = lots of food & shelter for animals

low primary productivity

dessert- low H20 and nutrients; tundra- low temp and low H20; open ocean- low nutrients

ecological sucession

series of changes in the species in a community, often following a disturbance

primary succession

An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed

secondary sucession

Series of changes that occur in an area where the ecosystem has been disturbed, but where soil and organisms still exists.

climax succession

a stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species

density dependent factors

limiting factor that depends on population size

desnity independent

these populations, birth rate and death rate do not change with population density

Bioaccumulation

The accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in various tissues of a living organism.

biomagnification

accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain

global population and growth rate

increasing

Macro nutrients

carbohydrates, proteins, and fats

Micronutrients

vitamins and minerals

lack of vitamins

fatigue, hair loss, depression

Lack of minerals

weakness, cramps, hair loss

CAFOs

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

clay

the finest soil, made up of particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter.

silt

A mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks

sand

the coarsest soil, with particles 0.05,2.0 mm in diameter.

loam

A mixture of gravel, sand, silt, clay, and organic matter

pesticides

Chemicals used on plants that do not harm the plants, but kill pests and have negative repercussions on other species who ingest the chemicals.

Rodenticides

Pesticides that kill rodents.

insecticides

a chemical that kills insects

fungicide

substance that kills fungi or inhibits their growth

cross breeding

combining gametes from parents with different traits

transgenesis

introduction to new genes

gene editing

a highly precise type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted or replaced in the genome of an organism using engineered nucleases

Synthetic Pesticides Disadvantages

promote genetic resistance, kill natural pest enemies, pollute environment, can harm wildlife and people, expensive for farmers

Synthetic Pesticides Advantages

save lives from insect-transmitted diseases, increase food supplies, profitable, work fast, safe if used properly

alternatives to synthetic pesticides

fool the pest (crop rotate, change planting times); provide homes for pests' enemies (use polyculture); bring natural enemies (predators, parasites, and diseases); use insect perfumes (pheromones); bring hormones that interfere with the pests' life cycle

hydroponics

a technique of growing plants (without soil) in water containing dissolved nutrients

Endangered Species Act

(1973) identifies threatened and endangered species in the U.S., and puts their protection ahead of economic considerations

invasive species

plants and animals that have migrated to places where they are not native

selective cutting

cutting down only some trees in a forest and leaving a mix of tree sizes and species behind

clear cutting

The process of cutting down all the trees in an area at once

strip cutting

clear-cutting a strip of trees along the contour of land within a corridor narrow enough to allow natural regeneration

geology

Study of the earth

sedimentary rock

A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together

igneous rock

a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface

metamorphic rock

A type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.

greenhouse gases

Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect.

climate change effects

melting ice and glaciers, sea level rise, loss of biodiversity, changing ocean currents

acid rain trends

mostly caused by human activities, fossil fuels released into atmosphere react w/ water and oxygen to form sulfuric and nitric acid, winds spread -> acid rain enters water systems as runoff -> toxic to aquatic animals, robs soil of their nutrients

Water conservation methods

Protect fresh drinking water resources. Save money on household utilities. Conserve energy needed to pump, heat, and treat fresh water. Reduce harmful land erosion caused by agricultural irrigation. Maintain essential aquatic ecosystems

Dead Zone Gulf of Mexico

a large zone of hypoxia caused by excessive decomposition of algae

water pollution

the addition of any substance that has a negative effect on water or the living things that depend on the water

point source pollution

pollution that comes from a specific site

nonpoint source pollution

pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site

renewable energy

A resource that can be replaced when needed.

nonrenewable resource

a resource that cannot be replaced

EPA Waste Management Hierarchy

-source reduction & reuse -recycling / composting -energy recovery -treatment & disposal

Muncipal Waste

household/ commercial waste

china

a lot of e-waste was shipped there, now illegal but is still smuggled there

recycling

Convert waste into reusable material.

Composting

The process of helping biodegradable wastes to decompose naturally

anaerobic digesters

Organic matter is broken down by bacteria, bacteria release methane which is captured and burned for heat and electricity. Remaining organic matter can be used as fertilizer.

hazardous waste

Any material that can be harmful to human health or the environment if it is not properly disposed of

Love Canal

A neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, which became the subject of national and international attention, controversy, and eventual environmental notoriety following the discovery of 21,000 tons of toxic waste buried beneath the neighborhood.

RCRA

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

CERCLA

Puts a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries

Superfund Sites

abandoned sites w/ hazardous waste

phytoremediation

A method employed to clean up a hazardous waste site that uses plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials

city trends

more people are moving to urban areas

city definitions

census defines a city as an urban area with more than 2500 residents, but definitions are based on the function of the area

problems with population increase in cities

air pollution, wastewater treatment, water shortages, rising sea levels, informal settlement

urban sprawl

The process of urban areas expanding outwards, usually in the form of suburbs, and developing over fertile agricultural land.

environmental issues with cars

take up space, polluters

smart growth

strategies for well planned developments that make efficient and effective use of land resources and existing infrastructure

conservation development

Consideration of landscape history, human culture, topography, and ecological values in subdivision design. Using cluster housing, zoning, covenants, and other design features, at least half of a subdivision can be preserved as open space, farmland, or natural areas.

cluster development

Industry and homes grouped together. Leaves part of land undeveloped. Component of PUD. Zoning ordinance may allow smaller lot size.

open space zoning

the amount of open area on a zoning lot in the form of percentage relative to the building square footage

Economics

The study of how people seek to satisfy their needs and wants by making choices

natural capital

Natural resources and natural services that keep us and other species alive and support our economies.

human capital

the skills and knowledge gained by a worker through education and experience

manufactured capital

all goods and services that humans produce

neoclassical economics

view the earth's natural capital as a part of the human economic system - the potential for economic growth is unlimited - and we can find substitutes for any resource or ecological service that is depleted or degraded

ecological economics

there are no substitutes for many natural resources, like clean water, clean air, fertile soil, biodiversity and they provide important ecological services