Studied by 0 peoplewhat are the categories of EVS?
ecocentrics, anthropocentrics, technocentrics
What is the ecocentric world view?
puts ecology and nature as central to humanity
life-centered, respects the rights of nature and dependence of humans on nature
less materialistic approach to life
self-restraint
self sufficiency in human societies
ecocentric categories
deep ecologists, self reliant soft ecologists
What is the anthropocentric world view?
believes humans must sustainably manage the global system (through use of taxes, environmental regulation); human centered - humans are not dependent on nature but nature is there to benifit human kind
What is the technocentric world view?
believes that technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems
technocentric categories
technocentrics, cornucopians
cornucopians
believe world has infinite resources
through technology humans can solve any environmental problems + improve living standards
free market economy
environmental managers
believe humans have ethical duty to protect the earth
believe that governments need to protect environment, and make sustainable economies
deep ecologists
put more value on nature than humanity
believe in biorights - all societies and ecosystems have an inherent value and humans have no right to interfere
types of systems
closed system, open system, isolated system
open system
exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings
closed system
exchanges energy but not matter, do not occur naturally on earth, however earth is a closed system
isolated system
does not exchange matter or energy, no such systems exist, however cosmos could be an isolated system
what does the biosphere consist of?
atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, ecosphere
all systems have …
storages
flows
inputs
outputs
boundaries
processes
what is an energy transfer?
when the flow of energy or matter flows and changes location but not its state
what is an energy transformation?
when energy or matter flows and changes its state
types of energy transformations
chemical to mechanical
radiant to chemical
electrical to thermal
Energy in systems rely on…
the laws of thermodynamics
First law of thermodynamics
energy is neither created nor destroyed, therefore energy is constant (in any type of system), and can only be altered in form (through transfers and transformations)
Second law of thermodynamics
entropy of a system will tend to increase over time
entropy
spreading out or dispersal of energy
nature of equilibria
steady state equilibrium
static equilibrium
efficiency
defined as useful energy
efficiency formula (2)
efficiency = energy produced / energy consumed x 100%
efficiency = useful output / input x 100%
equilibrium definition
the tendency for a system to return to an original state following a disturbance
Steady state equilibrium characteristics
applies to open systems
more or less constant
no long term changes
system will return to its previous state
continuous inputs and outputs of energy and matter
Static equilibrium characteristics
no change over time
stable
when disturbed, creates new equilibrium
non living systems
negative feedback
returns system to its original state
same state of equilibrium
stabilising as they reduce change
positive feedback
changes system to a new state
new state of equilibrium
destabilizing as they increase change
stable equilibrium
tends to return to the same equilibrium after a disturbance
unstable equilibrium
system returns to a new equilibrium after disturbance
resilience of systems
measures how a system responds to a disturbance
the more resilience …
the more disturbance the system can deal with, keep the same state
the less resilience …
the less disturbance the system can deal with, will enter a new state
factors affecting ecosystem resilience (7)
more complex system, more resilience, as there are more interactions between species ; the greater the species the greater the chance that a species can replace another if one dies out ; the greater the genetic diversity within species, the greater the resilience ; species that can shift geographical ranges are more resilient ; the larger the ecosystem the more resilience ; climate affects resilience ; faster reproduction means faster recovery
tipping points
the minimum amount of change within a system that will destabalize it, causing it to reach a new state
characteristics of tipping points
involve positive feedback
threshold point cannot be precisely predicted
the changes are long lasting
the chances are hard to reverse
there is a time difference between the pressures driving the change and appearance of impacts
sustainability definition
Using global resources at a rate that allows natural regeneration and minimizes damage to the environment
natural capital
goods and services provided by nature
natural income
yield obtained from the use of natural resources
renewable natural capital
resources that are able to replace themselves by growing
replenishable natural capital
between renewable and non-renewable resources
non-renewable capital
resources that are finite, once consumed not replaced
Values of natural income
economic, ecological, scientific/technological, Intrinsic value (cultural or spiritual)
Max Sustainable Yield (MSY)
max amount of harvest that can be extracted from a renewable resource without negatively impacting the reference population size in the future
Sustainable Yield (SY)
annual gain in biomass or energy through growth and recruitment (without depletion of natural stock)
Formula SY
total biomass / energy (at time t+1)
total biomass / energy (at time t)
annual growth and recruitment - annual death and emmigration
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Report that presents advantages and disadvantages of development projects, including biotic and abiotic elements
Aims of an EIA
Resource conservation
Waste minimization
Recovery of by-product
Efficient use of equipment
Sustainable development
Ecological footprint
The hypothetical area of land required to fulfill all the resource needs and assimilate all wastes
Ecological footprint formula (land requirement for food production)
per capita food consumption (kg yr^-1) / mean food production per hectare (kg ha^-1 yr^-1)
Ecological footprint formula (land requirement for absorbing CO2 from fossil fuels)
per capita CO2 emmision (kg C yr^-1) / net carbon fixation per hectare (kg C ha^-1 yr^-1)
Pollution
Presence or introduction of contaminants in which the environment is harmed and affects the health of organisms within
Pollutants in the atmosphere
Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxide, Sulphur Oxide, Ozone
Industrial waste
refers to the byproducts generated from industrial processes
Effects of Industrial waste
Accumulation of heavy metals
Dissolution of heavy metals
Disposal of harmful waste materials
soil, water contamination
Effects of Domestic Waste
Habitat loss
Deforestation
Euthrophication
Agricultural waste
refers to the byproducts generated from farming and agricultural activities
Effects of Agricultural waste
Eutrophication
Accumulation of pesticides
Eutrophication
an increase in nutrient levels (nitrogen and phosphorus) in water bodies
Note 
Flashcard (108)