Environmental Exam

Scientific method

the way a scientist approaches a problem, by formulating a hypothesis and then testing it

environmental science

assesses the functions and interactions of the various components of the environment

biotic factors

living things within an ecosystem
ex: plants, animals, bacteria

abiotic factors

non living parts of an ecosystem
ex: atmosphere, sunlight, wind, water

Highly developed countries (HDCs)

- complex industrialized bases, low rates of population growth, and high per person incomes
- 18% of the world's population
ex: us, canada, japan, most of europe

Moderately developed countries (MDCs)

- medium levels of industrialization, lower per person incomes that highly developed countries
- few opportunities for education and health care
ex: mexico, turkey, south africa, thailand

Less developed countries (LDCs)

- low levels of industrialization, high population growth, very high infant death rates, very low incomes, mostly agriculture based
- cheap unskilled labor
ex: bangladesh, mali, ethiopia

Human Development Index (HDI)

the classification of a country based on longevity, acquiring knowledge, access to resources (all things considered to be valuable to modern society)

environmental impact equation (IPAT)

I= environmental impact
P= population (# of people)
A= Affluence per person (measure of resources used)
T= technology used to get resources

sustainable development

economic growth that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

carrying capacity

the maximum number of density, or biomass of a population that a specific area can support sustainably

western worldview

- human centered
- expansionist
- frontier attitude; conquer and exploit nature
- human superiority over nature
- unrestricted use of natural resources
- unrestricted economic growth
- anthropocentric perspective

deep ecology worldview

- biocentric
- developed by Arne Naess
- based on harmony with nature
- spiritual respect for life
- humans and other species have equal worth
- requires shift in modern thinking

conservation

sensible and careful management of natural resources- can still use them

preservation

- setting aside undisturbed areas
- maintaining them in a pristine state
- protecting them from human activities
ex: natural parks

John Muir

- biocentric preservationist
- founded Sierra Club
- father of our National Park System

Rachel Carson

- wrote Silent Spring
- raised awareness for pesticide use

Environmental Protection Agency

- 1970
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

- represents the total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a country during a period of time
GDP= NDP + depreciation

Net Domestic Product (NDP)

- a measure of net production of an economy after deducting used-up capital

ecology

the study of the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their abiotic environment

earth's spheres

biosphere: layer of earth that contains all living organisms
atmosphere: layer of air
hydrosphere: supply of water
lithosphere: soil and rock of earth's crust

energy

the ability to do work

potential energy

stored energy

kinetic energy

the energy an object has while its in motion

thermodynamics

study of energy and its transformations

first law of thermodynamics

- energy cannot be created nor destroyed
- can change from one form to another

second law of thermodynamics

- the amount of usable energy in the universe decreases over time
- entropy

carbon budget

the cumulative amount of CO2 emissions permitted over a period of time to keep within a certain temperature threshold

producers

manufacture large organic molecules from simple inorganic molecules

consumers

consume other organisms as a source of energy
- primary/herbivores, secondary, tertiary, omnivores, detrivores

decomposers

beak down dead organisms and waste products

energy flow

the passage of energy in a one-way direction through an ecosystem, as a part of a food chain

trophic level

each link in a food chain

10% rule

only 10 percent of the energy is passed on to the next level in a food chain

cycle

matter cycles through an ecosystem- from abiotic environment to organisms to environment

flow

energy flows through an ecosystem- from producers to consumers to decomposers to heat

biogeochemical cycling

interactions between biological, geological, and chemical aspects of environment

the five major cycles

carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and water

acid rain

any form of precipitation with acidic components in wet or dry forms

biome

a large, relatively distinct terrestrial region with similar climate, soil, plants, and animal, regardless of where it occurs in the world

biological diversity

decreases with increasing latitude

niche

- the totality of an organism's adaptations
- describes the place and functions of an organisms within the ecosystem
- considers all aspects of an organism's existence

habitat

part of an organism's niche, the place where an organism lives

symbiosis

an intimate relationship or association between members of two or more species

predation

the consumption of one species by another species

competition

the interaction among organisms that vie for the same resources in the same environment

intraspecific competition

competition within the same species

interspecific competition

competition among different species (think intercontinental airport)

the process of risk management

identifying, assessing, reducing risks

Toxicants

chemicals with adverse effects on health

toxicology

studies the effects of toxicants on living organisms

acute-immediate toxicity

short terms effects after a single exposure

chronic toxicity

prolonged effects due to long term exposure

bioaccumulation

the buildup of a persistent toxicant in an organism over time- stored in fat

biological magnification

the increase in toxicant concentrations as it passes through successive levels of a food chain

effective dose ED50

the dose of medication that produces a specific effect in 50% of the population that takes that does

Demographics of countries

look at the chart

urbanization

about 79% of people in US live in cities

megacities

more than 10 million ppl

urbanized core regions

several cities or megacities and surrounding suburbs

layers of the atmosphere

- troposphere- where weather occurs
- stratosphere- where planes fly
- mesosphere
- thermosphere
- exosphere

Atmospheric circulation

- differences in air temperature drive circulation
- hot air near equator expands and rises
- as it rises it cools and sinks again
- CONVECTION
- moderates temperatures over earth's surface

climate

long term conditions observed in certain regions of the planet

weather

a local short-term condition determined by wind, temperature, etc.

air pollution

various chemicals present in the atmosphere in high enough levels to be harmful to organisms

primary air pollutants

- harmful chemicals that enter directly into the atmosphere due to either human activities or natural processes

secondary air pollutants

- harmful chemicals that form in the atmosphere when primary air pollutants react chemically with one another of with natural components on the atmosphere - HARDER TO CONTROL

effects of air pollution

- reduces visibility
- attacks and corrodes materials
- harm the respiratory tracts of organisms
- worsen existing conditions
- reduces productivity of crops

urban heat islands

local heat buildup in an area of high population
- can increase the number of thunderstorms in an area

Clean Air Act (CAA)

- 1970s
- authorizes EPA to apply and enforce CAA by establishing limits on the amounts of specific air pollutants permitted in the US

United Nations Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change Predictions (IPCC)

global temp increase from 1.8-4.0

climate refugee

people who must leave their homes and communities bc of the effects of climate change and global warming

mitigation

moderation or postponement of effects by reducing greenhouse emissions

adaptation

responses to changes caused by climate change

Hans Jenny "factors of soil formation" equation

S=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
S: represents soil formation
Cl: climate
O: organisms
R: topography relief
P: parent material
T:time that takes place

Universal Soil Loss Equation

A=RKLSCP
A: potential long-term average in tons per ha
R: rainfall and runoff
K: soil erodibility factor
LS: slope/length
C: crop/vegetation
P: support practice factor

two steps in soil reclamation

stabilize land
and restoring soil

surface water

precipitation that remains on the surface of the land and does not seep down through the soil

groundwater

the supply of freshwater that is stored in underground aquifers

water scarcity

the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water

point sources

pollutants can be traced to specific sources

non-point sources

pollutants enter a body of water over large areas rather than a specific single point of entry

Safe Drinking Water Act- 1974

- uniform federal standard for drinking water
- guarantees safe drinking water supply

Clean Water Act- 1977

- quality of rivers, lakes, aquifers, estuaries, and coastal waters
- eliminate discharge of pollutants in US waterways

species richness

the activities of all organisms in an ecosystem are interrelated

ecosystem services

environmental benefits, such as clean air, clean water, and fertile soil, provided by an ecosystem

endangered species

a species in imminent danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range

threatened species

a species whose population has declined to the point that it may be at risk of extinction

earth's biodiversity hotspots

relatively small areas of land that contain an exceptional number of endemic species and are at a high risk from human activities

greatest threat to species

loss of habitat mostly due to human actitivities

habitat fragmentation

the breakup of large areas of habitat into small isolated patches

pollution

acid precipitation, stratospheric ozone depletion, climate warming, degrade even wilderness habitats that are otherwise undisturbed

invasive species

foreign species that spread rapidly in a new area if free of predators, parasites, of resource limitations that may have controlled their population in their native habitat

overexploitation

sometimes species become endangered of extinct as a result of deliberate efforts to eradicate or control their numbers

The international Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

international org working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of resources

conservation biology

the scientific study of how humans affect organisms and of the development of ways to protect biological diversity

'in situ' in place

include establishment of parks and reserves, concentrates on preserving biological diversity in nature

'ex situ' outside its place

involves preserving biodiversity in human controlled settings: zoos, gardens, seed banks

National Wildlife Refuge System-1903

most extensive network of lands and waters committed to wildlife preservation in the world