AICE Environmental Management: Paper 2 Ultimate Review

Paper 2

-1 hour, 30 minutes

-Starts at 12:45 PM

-Biosphere and Hydrosphere

-Section A: 2 Cambridge questions with multiple parts, answer all. Write responses in test booklet

-Section B: Extended essay. 3 options available (question 3, 4, or 5) but only choose 1. Each question has a part (a) and (b). Answer both parts for whichever question you choose. Write response in separate essay booklet

-Use pen for all answers

-You got this! :D

Abiotic factor

non living factors of an environment that affect living organisms (water, temperature, etc.)

Biotic factor

living factors of an environment that affect living organisms (plants, prey, etc.)

Carbon cycle

the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, chiefly involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels

Nitrogen cycle

the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are converted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition

Phosphorous cycle

The movement of phosphorus atoms from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks. slowest, non-gaseous cycle; P atom essential to all known life

Oxygen cycle

cycle whereby natural processes and human activity consume atmospheric oxygen and produce carbon dioxide and the Earth's forests and other flora, through photosynthesis, consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring

Populations

Characteristics of a particular population are Size (number of individuals), Density, Dispersion (how they're grouped), and Demography (age structure)

Community

sum total of all the living organisms in an ecosystem (biotic only)

Biomass

A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region

Ecosystem

a functional unit in which energy and nutrients flow between abiotic environments and living organisms

Biome

all biotic factors coming together to create large areas of similar conditions, or a large natural area of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat. All share the same temperature (typically), precipitation, and soil

Trophic Levels

The hierarchical levels of the food chain through which energy flows from primary producers to primary consumers, secondary consumers and so on. always begin with an autotroph (like a plant), molecules cycle endlessly but energy flows in one direction and is eventually lost as heat, only 10% maximum of energy can pass to the next trophic level

Food chain

a sequence of food transferring from producer to final consumer (rarely more than 5 links)

Food web

A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains, more accurate than food chains

Producers

autotrophs (like plants), use solar energy or geothermal energy to convert inorganic molecules into organic ones, production limited by Nitrogen on land and Phosphorus in water

Primary Consumers

herbivores, most efficient procurers but most inefficient consumers

Secondary Consumers

carnivores, consume primary consumers, less efficient procurement because it requires more energy but is more energy efficient

Tertiary Consumers

the top carnivores, eat secondary consumers

Succession

Primary: ecological succession occurring on surfaces that are initially devoid of soil

Secondary: the succession of plant life that occurs in areas that have been disturbed but haven't lost their soil

Population growth

Determined by:

-the age at which reproduction begins

-the number of offspring per reproduction

-how often reproduction occurs

-reproductive timespan

-chances of survival until age of reproduction

-immigration and emigration

Limiting factors

Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms. The main density dependent factors are Space, Food, Water, Predators, Disease, Competition, and Invasive Species. The main density independent factors are climate, weather, air, and natural disasters

Four stages of demographic transition

First =

Slow population growth: low life expectancies, difficult

lives, high birth rates

Second =

Rapid population growth: high BRs, but death rates

decline due to modernization

Third =

Stable population growth: economy and education

improve, birth and deaths fairly stable

Fourth =

Declining population growth: high affluence, more

elderly than young

Indicator species

species that indicates whether or not disease-causing pathogens are likely to be present, like frogs

Umbrella Species

species whose being protected under the Endangered Species Act leads to the preservation of its habitat and all of the other organisms in its community (i.e. pandas)

Water Pollution

anything that lessens the quality of health of a body of water. It can be chemical, physical, or other. It affects all of the hydrosphere.

Point Sources

specific, discrete, individual sources of pollution, like a single factory dumping or an oil spill

Nonpoint Sources

broader, more spread out areas of pollution, like a suburban neighborhood with fertilized lawns or a farming region

Agricultural pollutants

are primarily chemical and are often synthetic, organic compounds, like fertilizers or pesticides.

Industrial pollutants

are also primarily chemical, and include toxic byproducts of industrial processes contaminating water.

Domestic pollutants

are anything that comes from noncommercial, everyday activities, like human sewage or greywater.

Pesticides in our water sources

is alarming because they often biomagnify as they build up in food chains, and they usually have unknown side effects on different organisms. They can also harm beneficial organisms along with pests.

Synergy

many chemicals when added together are worse than the sum of their parts. A + B < AB (the effects of A and B together are greater than the effects of each on their own combined)

2 main types of human wastewater

human sewage and greywater, and they come from toilets or non plumbing systems and water used from dishwashers/washing machines/etc.

Disease causing organisms

Like hepatitis or cholera, can get into our water when human sewage comes into contact with it. Fecal coliform bacteria is an example of such bacteria.

Oxygen demand

occurs when some waste leads to organism blooms that decrease H2O quality, leading to organic matter encourages microbial growth, and the microbes needing O2 to decompose waste

Eutrophication

When too much organic matter or nutrients (particularly phosphorus and nitrogen) leads to increased primary productivity → algal bloom → algae die → aerobic microbes breaking them down → higher BOD leading to lowered dissolved O2

3 main heavy metal pollutants

Lead, Arsenic, and Mercury. They are concerning because they are persistent and often carcinogenic or teratogenic. They usually get into our water but being dumped directly from industrial plants or from pipes or rocks.

How does our water become acidified?

Our water can become acidified when drilling and mining (often for Fossil Fuels) releases wastes in the rocks that then acidify the water. Also, burning fossil fuels releases pollutants that create acids → acid rain

Oil

An industrial pollutant because it is extremely toxic to animals (carcinogenic) and can take decades to break down. Often times the oil in our water comes from oil spills from tankers, or shoreline refineries, or offshore oil drilling

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

occurred in 1989 when an Exxon tanker ran aground in Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil across several kilometers of ocean surface/shoreline. It killed over 250,000 birds, 2800 otters, 300 seals, and 22 killer whales, and the clean up efforts are still ongoing

The Deep-Water Horizon BP Gulf Oil Spill

occurred in 2010 when an explosion caused a pipe to break due to failed safety observances, and there was an estimated 206 million gallons spilled over the course of April to August.

Oil Spill Cleanup Methods

include siphoning off or chemically breaking down oil floating on water's surface, or doing much of it by hand. One can contain the oil with floating rubber containment contraptions, or using skimmers dragged behind boats. GMO bacteria can also be used to eat the oil.

Non-chemical Water pollution

includes solid waste (litter, trash, coal ash, etc.), sediment pollution (fine particles increased by activities like construction or damming), thermal pollution (when hot or cold water is dumped back into a body of water, thus shocking organisms), or noise pollution (sonar from ships, for example, disrupting animal communications like those of whales)

The Clean Water Act

implemented in 1972 regulates chemicals and biological richness to protect fish, shellfish, wildlife, and recreation in and on water. It is controlled by the EPA

Safe Drinking Water Act

first appeared in 1974, and it established maximum contaminant levels

BOD

Biochemical oxygen demand. The amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. A high BOD usually means eutrophication has occurred. Wastewater can have a BOD 40x higher than leaf litter

Aquifer

a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater

Water table

the level below which the ground is saturated with water

Groundwater recharge

the input process where water from precipitation can percolate through the soil and work its way into an aquifer

Springs

where water from some aquifers naturally percolates up to the ground surface

Hydrosphere

includes all of the earth's waters, fresh and salt in all states of matter. Also includes standing liquid water as well as gaseous water (clouds) and solid ice; 97% of the world's water is salty (like me), and of the 3% of freshwater, 77% is trapped in glaciers and ice caps and 22% is below ground. So 0.47% is in bodies of water and 0.03% is in clouds

Groundwater

water beneath the surface found between layers of rock and soil of varying permeability. It flows out towards larger bodies of water, like the ocean, or downhill

Water Table

the uppermost layer in the ground where water saturates the soil

Confined Aquifer

water resource when it is surrounded by impermeable rock or clay, so it is harder to recharge because water doesn't flow as easily. Continually pulling from confined aquifers is unsustainable because they can take up to 20,000 years to recharge

Unconfined Aquifer

porous rock and sands which water easily flows in and out of. It is polluted more easily but the water is more readily available

Rivers

carry water via surface channels in the lithosphere, and overflow of rivers occurs in a floodplain and is an important and natural process because it deposits nutrients

Lakes

is collected water at lithosphere depressions and can be formed through tectonic or glacial activity. Relying on water from either of these sources can be problematic since both of these water sources can be easily contaminated or undrinkable

Atmospheric water

a very small percentage but essential to areas with little to no surface water. It is also important to nutrient cycling and soil fertility as well as basic hydration

How do humans impact the Water Cycle

we use more water than any other species. We often contaminate or pollute our water, disrupting the local hydrologic cycles with toxic waste from industry or agriculture, litter, human waste from sanitation, and more. Pollution like that from fertilizer can lead to higher water acidity, which over time can damage an environment

Water Cycle

The cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration

Water Use

Agriculture accounts for nearly 70% of total world water use, industrial use is about 22%, and domestic use is less than 10%. MEDCs use up to 59% of their water for industry, while LEDCs use less than 8% on average

Artesian Wells

drill into confined aquifers and use pressure to bring water to ground level

Cone of Depression

when Wells pull from their immediate area creating a cone shaped area with depleted water

How does Irrigation affect water sources?

leads to the depletion of aquifers and groundwater supplies, ground subsidence (like sinkholes), and salinization of soils which leads to salt build up which decreases plant growth

Leaching

when chemicals or inorganics seep into the soil with applied or naturally fallen rainfall. It's a problem because it contributes to groundwater contamination. As the water seeps into the ground, it can dissolve chemicals and carry them into the underground water supply

How is water used in industrial processes?

water is used as a material input, a coolant, a solvent, a transporter, a cleaning agent, and an energy source. This often means water is being contaminated, unable to be used for more necessary means like agriculture or drinking

Evaporation

the process of water being heated by solar energy, and as a result some atoms escape and evaporate. This can purify water, since salt and most mineral or chemical water pollutants do NOT evaporate

Water scarcity

a growing problem that involves the lack of water in many parts of the world where it is needed for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and more. Currently about 508 million people in 31 countries face water scarcity daily

3 main sources of human-caused floods

urbanization (the paving prevents percolation, so the water all flows to the rivers which leads to flooding), deforestation (tree roots hold soil and help water infiltration, so no trees leads to extra erosion and mass movements), and agriculture (small agricultural plants reduce infiltration and increase erosion compared to native plants, which decreases soil richness because no more silting)

Water infiltration factors

-Paving

-Overly compacted soils or hard pans

-Excess agriculture

-Lack of plants

-Slope building

Percolation

The downward movement of water through soil and rock due to gravity

What factors affect water levels?

-Season of the year

-Hydrologic cycle

-Human manipulation

Waste

outputs that include anything not useful or consumed, and non useful products generated within the system

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

refuse collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions

Waste Stream

the flow of solid waste that's recycled, incinerated, placed in a solid waste landfill, or disposed of in another way

Three Rs

The popular phrase of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" that gives a practical approach to waste management

Source Reduction

seeks to reduce waste by reducing the use of materials in the early stages of design and manufacturing

Reuse

to reuse a soon-to-be discarded material, which allows the material to cycle within a system longer

Recycling

the process by which materials destined to become MSW are collected and converted into raw material for new objects

Closed-loop Recycling

the recycling of a product into the same product

Open-loop Recycling

one product is recycled into another product

Compost

organic matter that has decomposed under controlled conditions to produce an organic-rich material that enhances soil structure and fertility

Leachate

the water that leaches through the solid waste and removes various chemical compounds with which it comes into contact, generated by MSW

Sanitary Landfills

repositories of MSW which are engineered ground facilities, design to hold MSW with as little contamination of the surrounding environment as possible

Siting

the designation of a location for a landfill, is controversial

Incineration

the process of burning waste materials to reduce their volume and mass and sometimes to generate electricity or heat

Waste-to-Energy

a system when heat generated by incineration is used rather than released to the atmosphere

Superfund (CERCLA)

the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; originally passed in 1980, this legislation imposes a tax on chemical and petroleum industries. It also authorizes the government to respond directly to the release of substances that threatened human health or the environment

Brownfields

are contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded

Life-cycle analysis

an important systems tool that looks at the materials used and released throughout the lifetime of a product, from procurement of raw materials through their manufacture, use, and disposal

Integrated Waste Management

a more holistic method which seeks to develop as many options as possible, emphasizing reduced environmental harm and cost

U.S Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

1976, tracks and monitors hazardous waste generation

Love Canal, NY

Example of a superfund cite. Community sat atop a decades old toxic waste dump, citizens had a rising number of health problems in their community, especially because of leaked Benzene in basements. President Carter declared Love Canal a federal disaster area and moved over 600 remaining families to new locations