Environmental Science Exam 1

science

answers interesting specific questions, then tests to see if the answer is wrong (“falsify”)

1. ask a question

2. gather facts

3. answer the question

4. test your answer

what is the scientific method steps

ask a question

what step of the scientific method is

1. Specific 

2. Can you test/measure it 

3. Creative 

   1. Example: are there human health effects of the air emissions from factory x?

gather facts

what step of the scientific method is

1. Something you can literally measure, you or someone else 

2. Repeat the measurements 

3. Error (uncertainty in the measurements value)

4. Uncertainty and bias 

   1. Example: particulates in the air by distance from factory x 

   2. Example: the health (respiratory) of people that live nearby by distance to factory x 

answer the question

what step of the scientific method is

1. Hypothesis: 

   1. Testable 

   2. Based off facts 

   3. Predicts 

   4. Explains why 

2. Theory: 

   1. Testable 

   2. Based on facts 

   3. Predictive

   4. Explains 

   5. Extensive testing 

   6. Consensus 

3. Back to our example (hypothesis) 

   1. Example: there is increase in asthma closer to the plant 

   2. The particulates irritate the airways of humans 

test your answer

what step of the scientific method is

1. Correlation 

   1. Independent variable 

   2. Dependent variable 

   3. Trend Line = Correlated… until the next test

   4. Confounding variable - an outside factor other than the I and D that could be causing the correlation 

hypothesis

which question answer

• Testable 

• Based off facts 

• Predicts 

• Explains why 

theory

which question answer

1. Testable 

2. Based on facts 

3. Predictive

4. Explains 

5. Extensive testing 

6. Consensus 

peer reveiwed

1. Scientific method 

2. Publication ? (pick a publication/try to get them to pick you?

3. Editor 

4. Anonymous (remove bias) expert (content) reviewer (can say yes/no/revise)

5. The paper is published

grants public or private

what are the 2 places funding comes from for research

public grants

where does most scientific funding come from

no

is there a final answer in science

species

 population (group of organisms that share characteristics) that can produce viable offspring

biodiversity

the variations of life 

evolution

the change in a population overtime 

natural selection

why does evolution occur

evolution

• Occurs because of selection pressures 

• “Survival of the fit enough” 

• Between generations

• animals/plants/fungi/etc

evolution over time

how does speciation work

allopatric speciation

 a specie changes form 1 into 2 because of a geographic separation 

phylogenetic tree

a way of mapping the history of speciation or how the species have changed over time 

extinction

species no longer exist 

• Does not mean it dies out 

• This could just be because a species evolved out 

• Or it could be because it no longer exists

mass extinction

 large population of a species goes extinct 

5 +1

how many mass extinctions do they think there was

population ecology

How do the individuals of a population interact 

What factors influence the size of a population 

habitat

 the living and nonliving factors surrounding each individual of a species 

habitat characteristics

• Food 

• Water 

• Shelter

• Breeding 

• Spaces 

niche

 the functional role of a species within the habitat

• size

• density

• distribution

• sex ratio

• age structure

what are the population characteristics

size

which population characteristic?

• how many are there

density

which population characteristic?

• sparse v. dense

• Density can be ideal or sparse can be ideal 

distribution

which population characteristic?

1. Random v. clumped 

2. Random or clumped can be ideal 

3. Where the animals are in a certain area/how close together 

sex ratio

which population characteristic?

1. Only applied to species using sex 

2. Males to females

3. Example: 

4. M/F     100/75 (high sex ratio)   v.    75/100 (low sex ratio)

   1. High sex ratio = population decrease 

   2. Low sex ratio = population increase 

5. The number of females is the most important number 

6. More females = that a population will increase 

age structure

which population characteristic?

1. Old

2. Mature = can reproduce 

3. Young

high sex ratio

M/F 100/75 is what kind of sex ratio (more boys than girls)

low sex ratio

M/F 75/100 is what kind of sex ratio (more girls than boys)

population decreases

high sex ratio =

(the more males)

population increases

low sex ratio =

(the more females)

elephant

what is an example of a logistic animal

rabbits

what is an example of a cyclic animal

exponential curve

just about every species follows a

K

R

what are the 2 biotic potentials

k - selected

which biotic potential

• few offspring but lots of care and energy

r - selected

which biotic potential

• lots of offspring but less care and energy

competition

same resources are necessary 

• Realized niche

• (-/-)

predation

 one species eats (kills another)

• (+/-)

herbivory

 a species eating a plant 

• (+/-)

parasitism

the host is not killed

• (+/-)

mutualism

one species is benefitting and the other is also benefiting 

• (+/+)

commensalism

 no benefit or harm to other species 

• (+/n/a)

trophic levels

what is the energy pathway for all organisms

consumers (tertiary)

consumers (secondary)

consumers (primary)

producers

sun

list the trophic levels

keystone species

 a species that is so connected to other species that if something happens to this species the ecosystem collapses

pioneer species

1. Species that find it easy to thrive in a new ecosystem in which they have a niche 

2. These species don’t stay forever 

succession species

1. Waves that move into the area after the pioneers 

climax species

what follows after the succession species

invasive species

1. New to the area 

2. Are able to outcompete or outpredate 

3. Maybe they have no predators 

4. Their carrying capacity is faster

5. No diseases 

6. Interrupt the native species succession 

7. Exponential growth 

• genetic

• species

• ecosystem

what are the types of biodiversity

genetic

which biodiversity type

within a species

1. DNA gives instructions (genes)

2. Variations are called mutations 

3. If a species does not have enough variation it is bad 

4. Less biodiversity = inbreeding depression 

   1. So little variation means that the harmful mutations will expand on the the offspring 

   2. If a population gets too small inbreeding is guaranteed to happen 

5. Can be fuel for evolution 

species

which biodiversity type

the number of populations

1. Each species has a niche 

2. Prevents collapse of ecosystems 

ecosystem

which biodiversity type

the number of different ecosystems in an area

1. Potential for replacement of lost ecosystems  

2. The more biodiversity the stronger the ecosystem 

evolution

mutations between generations

differences

why does biodiversity happen

species count (clades)

location

habitat

how do you measure biodiversity

17 million (estimates

2 million known

how many species are on planet earth

natural extinction

extinction not caused by humans

natural extinction

1. Rate 

   1. 1 species extinction per 500 years (background rate)

2. Causes 

   1. New species move in (invasive)

   2. Endemic population (a small population in only 1 area)

   3. Climate change 

   4. Volcanic eruptions 

   5. “Natural” disasters

3. Mass extinctions 

   1. 5 in the past 

   2. 440 mil years ago 

   3. 374 mil years ago 

   4. 250 mil years ago 

   5. 205 mil years ago

   6. 65 mil years ago

human caused extinctions

1. Rate 

   1. 1 species per year (current rate)

2. Causes 

   1. H - habitat loss (development, resource use)

   2. I - invasive species (species that have been moved by humans)

   3. P - pollution 

   4. O - over harvesting (hunting, poaching)

   5. C - climate change (human made, very likely that humans cause climate change)

3. Mass extinctions 

   1. +1 (technically there were 5 but many say 6 as we are currently living one)

ecosystem services

1. We are part of an ecosystem 

   1. Air 

   2. Clean water 

   3. Soil 

   4. Harvestable organisms 

   5. Resources for shelter (and anything else)

ecosystem security

1. We require stability 

   1. Pests 

   2. Weather 

   3. Dispose of waste 

learning opportunities

1. We can learn things from other species 

   1. Interest 

   2. Medical advances 

   3. Pharmaceuticals 

ecotourism

1. Other species can earn people money (economic benefit)

   1. Tigers being viewed in a safari 

   2. Zoos 

• ecosystem services

• ecosystem security

• learning opportunities

• ecotourism

what are the benefits of biodiversity

• regulations

• captive breeding and reintroduction

• protecting umbreall species

• parks and preserves

• protect hotspots

• community based conservation

• eliminate climate change

what are the solutions for biodiversity loss