GEOG101A final exam

Examples of resources

Forests, wildlife, oceans, rivers, lakes, minerals and petroleum

Anthropocentric view

Value is defined relative to human interests, wants, and needs

Ecocentric or Biocentric view

An aspect of the environment that is valued simply because of its existence and its right to exist

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A set of 17 global goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Flatten the curve/Keeling curve

The idea of reducing GHGs to slow down the rate at which carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere

Environmental indicator

A measure of the condition of the environment or the effects of human activities on the environment

4 purposes of environmental indicators

1. To provide information on environmental problems in a simplified format
2. To support policy development and priority setting
3. To monitor the effects and effectiveness of policy responses
4. To raise public awareness of environmental issues

World ecological footprint

Measures the demands that humans place on nature in terms of supplying materials and disposing of wastes

The Happy Planet Index

Measures a country's overall well-being

Why are environmental indicators useful?

They make us consider different ways of defining progress and reevaluate what we are trying to achieve

What is energy flow through an ecosystem governed by?

The laws of thermodynamics and the interactions between organisms and their environment

What happens as energy transfers through trophic levels?

Some energy is lost as heat and other metabolic processes

The 10% rule

Only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next level

Biotic and abiotic ecological ecosystem factors

Temperature, rainfall, competition, predation, and disease

Global energy balance

The balance between incoming energy from the sun and outgoing energy from the Earth

First law of thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another

Second law of thermodynamics

Some energy is always lost as heat during each energy transfer

A food chain

A linear sequence of organisms, where each organism serves as food for the next organism

A food web

A more complex network of interrelated food chains in an ecosystem

Trophic levels

The position of an organism in a food chain or food web

Producers/Autotrophs

Organisms with the ability to capture energy and manufacture matter

Consumers/Heterotrophs

Obtain their energy supply by eating other organisms

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms that interact with each other as a system

Biotic components of an ecosystem

Plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms

Abiotic components of an ecosystem

Sunlight, temperature, water, soil, and air. 

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

The total rate of photosynthesis in an ecosystem

Net primary productivity (NPP)

The amount of energy and biomass after respiration losses have been accounted for

Reasons why species may be distributed and abundant in certain areas

1. Climate
2. Habitat availability
3. Competition
4. Predation
5. Human activities

Biome

An ecological community of organisms, characterized by dominant vegetation and temperature

Niche

A specific combination of conditions for an organism’s growth and survival

Competitive exclusion principle

No two species can occupy the same niche in the same area

Fundamental niche

The potential range of conditions that a species can occupy

Realized niche

Represents the actual range a species occupies

Specialist species

Relatively narrow niches and are generally more susceptible to population fluctuations

Generalist species

Have a very broad niche

Biotic potential

The maximum rate at which a population can grow under ideal conditions, without any limiting factors

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources and environmental conditions in the long term

R-Strategists

Small, reproduce early, have a shorter lifespan, about reproducing lots

K-Strategists

Later reproductive age, have fewer offspring, try to get the offspring to a maturity level before sending them off

Ecological succession

The process by which an ecosystem changes over time,

Primary succession

Occurs in areas where there is no pre-existing soil

Secondary succession

Occurs in areas where there has been a disturbance to an existing ecosystem

Ecosystem inertia

The tendency of ecosystems to resist change even when subjected to external pressures

Ecosystem resilience

The ability of an ecosystem to recover from disturbances and return to its previous state

Positive feedback loops

When a change in one component of the system leads to changes in other components that reinforce the initial change

Negative feedback loops

When a change in one component of the system leads to changes in other components that counteract the initial change

Common effects of human activities on ecosystems

1. Habitat destruction and fragmentation
2. Introduction of non-native species
3. Pollution
4. Climate change
5. Overexploitation

Biogeochemical cycles

Processes that involve the movement of matter between living organisms, the atmosphere, water bodies, and the soil

The major biogeochemical cycles

Water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur

Hypoxia

When dissolved oxygen content in water is so low that it can no longer support living aquatic organisms

Climate

* Long-term meteorological conditions
* Specific to a region and time period
* Changes are influenced by feedback loops

Climate variability

Refers to natural climate fluctuations, including changes in mean state and varying occurrence of extremes

Climate change

Significant measurable changes to the long-term climate

Current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere

420 ppm

Atmosphere’s composition

78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% everything else

The greenhouse effect

The more GHGs there are in the atmosphere, the more infrared radiation is absorbed and re-emitted, warming the atmosphere

Natural carbon sinks

Oceans, forests, soil, wetlands, permafrost

Representative concentration pathways (RPCs)

Scenarios to describe different possible future trajectories of greenhouse gas emissions, atmospheric concentrations, and climate change

A shared socioeconomic pathway (SSPs)

Scenario framework that describes different possible future trajectories of global socioeconomic development

Forest

* Trees cover an area spanning more than 0.5 hectares


* The tree canopy covers more than 10% of the total land area
* Trees grow to a height of more than 5 metres

Deforestation

The permanent conversion of forests to other land uses

Forest degradation

A reduction in the density of trees in the area, but without a change in land use

Imported deforestation

Indirect deforestation that occurs when a country imports products that have been produced on deforested land in another country

Intact forest landscapes

Landscapes large enough to retain native biodiversity and contain no signs of fragmentation

Landscape management

An approach to managing forests that considers the interconnectedness of the landscape as a whole

Non-timber forest product examples

Mushrooms, berries, tree nuts, seeds, etc.

The hydrological cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth

Resistance time/residence time

A measure of the average amount of time that water or any substance spends in a particular part of the hydrological cycle

Water as a resource

It is essential for human, animal, and plant life

Water as a hazard

If there is too much or too little of it in a particular location or at a particular time

Supply management

Manipulates the natural system to create new sources of supply

Demand management

Seeks to influence human behaviour so that less water is used

Virtual water

The amount of water that is used to produce a particular product or commodity

Point source pollution

 Pollution that can be traced back to a single source (e.g. oil spill)

Non-point source pollution

Pollution that comes from multiple sources, making it more difficult to identify and control (e.g. agricultural runoff)

How climate change impacts agricultural yields

Temperature, precipitation, seasonal weather patterns, etc.

6 key changes in food production systems

1. Mechanization
2. Chemical inputs
3. Specialization
4. Intensive farming
5. Sustainable agriculture
6. Precision agriculture

The Green Revolution

Technological advances designed to increase the productivity of agricultural lands 

Bioconcentration

The process by which a chemical or substance accumulates in the tissues or organs of an organism at a concentration greater than the concentration found in the surrounding environment

Examples of land degradation in Canada

* Soil erosion
* Soil compaction
* Soil acidification and salinization
* Organic matter and nutrient losses
* Biocide treadmill

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

Indigenous knowledge of the environment and natural resources that preserves biodiversity, informs sustainable resource management

Smart growth

Limit urban sprawl, use tax dollars more efficiently and create more livable communities

Limiting factor

A condition or resource that is in short supply and limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or population

Range of tolerance

The range of conditions within which an organism can survive and function optimally

Biocide treadmill

The repeated use of chemical pesticides leads to the emergence of resistant pests, requiring the use of even stronger pesticides

Supply-side management techniques

Construction of new reservoirs or dams, desalination to convert seawater into freshwater, and development of new water sources such as groundwater pumping.

Demand-side management techniques

Implementation of water conservation policies/programs (e.g. low-flow toilets) and the use of drought-resistant crops in agriculture

2 ways forests contribute to climate mitigation

sequestration and albedo/shade coverage

2 ways forests contribute to climate adaptation

reduce extreme weather events and biodiversity

How does agriculture in Canada affect water quality?

fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals from agricultural practices can contaminant water through non-point source pollution

How does agriculture in Canada affect water quantity?

Agricultural practices demand large amounts of water which can decrease streamflow, reduce groundwater recharge, and lead to water scarcity and conflicts

Example of agricultural water quality

As outlined in the textbook Lake Erie has had major eutrophication and contamination problems due to the runoff from agricultural practices as well as other sources

Examples of agricultural water quantity

As outlined in lectures, agriculture is the largest user of freshwater globally, but also in Canada

Positive feedback loop -- nitrogen

Nitrogen for plant growth, synthetic fertilizers, excess nitrogen and runoff can cause eutrophication and hypoxia, leading to dead zones.

4 types of management challenges the Great Bear Rainforest faces

Resource extraction, Indigenous rights and governance, biodiversity challenges, and economic challenges

2 examples of resource extraction challenges the Great Bear Rainforest faces

logging and mining

2 examples of Indigenous rights challenges the Great Bear Rainforest faces

recognition of Indigenous lands and Indigenous involvement in forest management decisions

2 examples of biodiversity challenges the Great Bear Rainforest faces

fragmentation and conservation

2 examples of economic challenges the Great Bear Rainforest faces

logging and tourism

how urban sustainability and management initiatives are key to protecting Earth from heightened environmental change in the future

* Urban areas are responsible for a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions
* Need for urban areas to reduce their carbon footprint
* Importance of creating green spaces and promoting biodiversity in urban areas
* Importance of community engagement in sustainable urban initiatives.
* Need for cities to address social equity and environmental justice issues.