Midterm 1 - ENVS 1000

Flash cards for terms/definitions

Environmental Science

The study of how the Earth works, how we interact with the Earth, and how to deal with environmental problems.

Environment

Everything that affects a living organism (any unique form of life).

Ecology

The branch of biology that deals with the relationships between living organisms and their environment, including interactions within ecosystems.

Environmentalism

A social movement dedicated to protecting the Earth’s life support systems for us and other species.

Science

The systematic process for learning about the world and testing that understanding. Also the accumulated body of knowledge that results from that process.

Utilitarian Value

Concerned with importance to human welfare.

Ecological Value

Concerned with importance to humans and to natural ecosystems.

Intrinsic Value

Individual organisms, species or natural ecosystems have an inherent right to exist.

Planetary Management Worldview

Humans are the planets most important species, who are responsible for managing the Earth. Technology and innovation, resources and economic growth can continue, provided we effectively manage the planets life-support systems for human benefit.

Stewardship Worldview

Humans are the most important species / have an ethical responsibility to care for the rest of nature. We will probably not run out of resources, but they should not be wasted. Earth’s life support systems should be managed for the benefit of both people and the rest of nature.

Environmental Wisdom Worldview

Nature exists for all species, not just humans. We should encourage Earth-sustaining forms of economic growth and discourage Earth-degrading forms. Resources are limited, should not be wasted, and are not for all of us. We should learn from nature’s systems to guide our actions and ensure long-term well-being.

Renewable Resource Management

Balance the use of a resource with its protection and preservation. Examples: fresh air & water, fertile soil, biodiversity.

Non-renewable resources

Once used, they’re no longer available because they will not be replenished on a human-accessible time scale. Finite supply; can be depleted. Examples: fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas), metallic minerals (gold, copper, iron), non-metallic minerals (carbon, silicon, sulfur).

Resources as Goods

Physical (tangible) resources obtained from nature. Examples: food, water, minerals.

Resources as Services

Natural processes that support life. Often difficult to value in monetary terms. Examples: nutrient cycling, climate regulation.

Environmental degradation (stock depletion)

When the rate of use of a resource is greater than the rate of replenishment.

Sustainable

When the rate of use of a resources is less than the rate of replenishment.

Perpetual Resources

Solar, wind, wave, and geothermal energy.

Natural Capital

Living off of the interest of a renewable resource.

Tragedy of the Commons

Unregulated exploitation leads to resource depletion. Resource users are tempted to increase use until the resource is gone. Garrett Hardin in 1972.

Carrying Capacity

A measure of a system's ability to support life. The # individuals of a species that can be sustained by the biologicial productivity of a given area of land. Is limited on Earth.

Ecological Footprint

• Environmental impact of an individual or population

• Amount of biologically productive land + water required to provide the raw materials a population consumes & absorb the waste produced

• Inverse of carrying capacity

Biocapacity

The capacity of a terrestrial or aquatic system to be productive & to absorb waste, including CO2. Humas have surpassed it.

Sustainable Development (Sustainability)

Uses resources to satisfy current needs without compromising the future availability of resources

Environmentally Sustainable Society (Sustainability)

Preserves its natural capital & lives off its income // Related to carrying capacity

Scientific Process

Observations > Questions > Hypothesis > Prediction > Test > Results

Inductive Reasoning

Involved in step #2 of the scientific process (Questions): bottom-up approach, starting from the ground up by collecting specific data or noticing a pattern.

Deductive Reasoning

Involved in step #4 of the scientific process (Prediction): a top-down approach, logical process where you start with general facts or premises and apply them to reach a specific, certain conclusion.

Primary Literature

Describes original research. Usually has a distinctive structure (6 sections: abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, resources). Peer reviewed journals, conference proceedings, dissertations.

Secondary Literature

Interprets and synthesizes primary sources. May be published in peer-reviewed journals, may have the same structure as primary research papers. Meta analyses, review articles and specialist textbooks.

Tertiary Literature

Summarizes and condenses primary and secondary literature. Includes some textbooks, dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Grey Literature

Not necessarily unreliable, but has not passed through peer review and is not consistently indexed and organized. Government and NGO reports, patents, conference papers.

Consensus (Sound) Science

Theories and data that are widely-accepted by scientists who are experts in the field.

Frontier Science

Not yet widely tested, still a topic of dispute among researchers in a field.

Junk Science

Content that is misleadingly presented as sound science, e.g., that hasn’t been subjected to peer-review.

Testing Hypotheses

Look for or create variation in the hypothesized causal factor (independent variable – the cause or the part you change, e.g., # of hours spent studying), measure the effect (dependent variable – the effect or part you measure, e.g., score earned on the test).

Theory

• Supported by a large body of evidence and broader in scope in comparison to a hypothesis.

• Explains a broad range of facts or natural phenomena.

• Can lead to new testable hypothesis.
  
  Examples: Plate Tectonics, Evolution by Natural Selection.

Manipulative Experiment

You manipulate the dependent variable. It establishes causation but may not be impossible.

Observational Studies

Uses naturally occurring variation in the dependent variable. Correlative, but preserves real-world complexity.

System

A combination of regularly interacting parts or components that form a collective entity.  Has inputs, throughputs and outputs, collective properties and emergent properties.

Collective Properties

Based on the summation of the parts.

Example: # of animals in a population.

Emergent Properties

Based on the interactions among the parts.

Example: competition, predation, mutualisms.

Source Credibility: 5W’s

Who, What, Where, Why, How

Who is the author?
What is the purpose of the content?
Where is the content from?
Why does the source exist?
How does the source compare to others?

Source Credibility: SMART

Source, Motive, Authority, Review, Two-source test

Source: what is the source?
Motive: why do they say what they do?
Authority: who wrote it?
Review: does anything jump out as untrue?
Two source test: How does it compare to another source?

Source Credibility: CRAAPO

Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose, Objectivity

Open Systems

Exchange energy & matter with other systems.

Closed Systems

Receive energy inputs & produce energy outputs, but don't exchange matter with other systems.

Positive Feedback Loop

Feedback from the initial change pushes the system further towards one extreme or another.

Example) Melting glaciers & sea ice

Negative Feedback Loop

A system’s output results from a system moving in one direction, which acts as input that moves the system in the other direction. Neutralizes one another effects.

Example) Rabbits/Lynx

Feedback Loop

A systems output serves as input to that same system.

Homeostasis

A system maintains constant or stable internal conditions.

Matter

All material in the universe that has mass & occupies space.

Tipping Points

Thresholds beyond which a system’s behavior changes.

Atoms

The individual building blocks of matter.

Elements

The building block types of matter.

Organic Compounds

Based on chains of carbon atoms. May include other elements such as nitrogen, phosphorous, oxygen and sulfur.

Organic Molecules

Polymers (chains of similar subunits). Polymers are large molecules made of repeating smaller units called monomers. They are divided into natural types found in living things and man-made synthetic types.

Plastics

Synthetic (human-made) polymers (Nylon, Teflon, Kevlar). Many are derived from petroleum hydrocarbons.

Law of Conservation of Matter

In a closed system, matter cannot be created or destroyed but can only change forms or be rearranged.

Energy

The capacity to change the position, physical composition, or temperature of the matter. It is a force that can accomplish work.

Potential Energy

The energy of position

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion

Chemical Energy

Is potential energy held in the bonds between atoms.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

When energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy will change to lower quality, less useful energy.

Entropy

Systems tend to move toward increasing disorder.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

Ecosystem Ecology

The study of energy and material flow among biotic and abiotic components of a system.

Producers

Produce their own “food” from the sun’s energy. Autotrophs. Plants.

Photosynthesis

Turns light energy from the sun into chemical energy.

Heterotrophs

Herbivores, consumers, detritivores, decomposers. Break down glucose releasing CO2 (aerobic respiration).

Consumers

Herbivores, carnivores.

Decomposers

Bacteria, fungi.

Food Chain

Simplified descriptions of how matter and energy move through an ecosystem.

Trophic Levels

Organisms are assigned these based on who eats who.

Food Webs

Capture some of the complexity missing from food chains.

Ecological Efficiency

% of usable energy transferred from one trophic level to the next. Typically 10% (2-40% range).

Ecological Efficiency

% of usable energy transferred from one trophic level to the next (10% ranges 2-40%). Producers, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary consumers,detritivores. Plants, caterpillar, sparrow, hawk, decomposers.

GPP - Gross Primary Productivity

Rate at which primary producers convert solar energy into chemical energy (i.e. biomass).

NPP - Net Primary Productivity

GPP minus rate at which producers use stored energy for metabolic needs / aerobic respiration.

High Net Primary Productivity

Ecosystems whose plants rapidly convert solar energy to biomass.

Nutrients

Elements and compounds required for survival that are consumed by organisms.

Pools

Where nutrients reside for varying amounts of time

Flux

Movement of nutrients among pools, which change over time & are influenced by human activities.

Sources

Pools that release more nutrients than they accept.

Sinks

Accept more nutrients than they release.