Environmental Science Overview

Flashcards for key terms and concepts from an Environmental Science lecture focusing on methodologies, ecological implications, and scientific inquiry.

Bridging Media and Science

A task for extra credit requiring students to link a media article's claims to a peer-reviewed scientific study.

Acidification

The process by which historical depositions of acid rain and nitrogen oxides lower the pH of high-altitude lakes.

Climate Change

A long-term alteration in temperature and typical weather patterns, impacting ecosystems.

Hypoxia

A condition in water where dissolved oxygen levels are insufficient for aquatic life, often due to temperature increases.

Browning Effect

An increase in dissolved organic carbon leading to reduced light penetration and increased water temperature.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems, such as coastal protection from storms and supporting marine life.

Coral Bleaching

A phenomenon where corals expel their zooxanthellae due to thermal stress, losing their color and food source.

Strong Inference

A systematic method of scientific inquiry that emphasizes rapid falsification of alternative hypotheses.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to favor data that supports a preferred hypothesis while ignoring conflicting evidence.

PICOD Framework

A method for forming strong hypotheses, encompassing Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Duration.

Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)

Research focused on understanding ecological processes and how ecosystems change over long time scales.

Nitrate Spike

The significant increase in nitrate levels in stream water following deforestation, leading to eutrophication.

Empirical Data

Information acquired by observation or experimentation that is used to support or challenge a hypothesis.

Scientific Theory vs Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for an observation; a theory is a well-substantiated explanation supported by extensive evidence.

Falsifiability

The principle that for a hypothesis to be scientific, it must be testable and have the potential to be proven wrong.

Environmental Justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental laws and policies.