APES ULTIMATE REVIEW

not that ultimate; only stuff i need to brush up on/ the super important stuff

sustainability

refers to the ability to maintain or preserve resources and systems for future generations by balancing economic, social, and environmental factors

It involves meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

ecosystem services

refer to the benefits that humans derive from natural ecosystems

provisioning services (e.g. food, water, timber)

regulating services (e.g. climate regulation, water purification)

cultural services (e.g. recreation, spiritual and aesthetic values)

supporting services (e.g. nutrient cycling, soil formation).

essential for human well-being and economic development, and their degradation can have significant negative impacts on both.

natural capital

refers to the natural resources and ecosystems that provide valuable goods and services to humans (clean air and water, fertile soil, and biodiversity)

It is the stock of renewable and non-renewable natural resources that combine to yield a flow of benefits to people.

economic growth

an increase in the capacity to provide people with goods and services

economic development

improvement of human living standards BY economic growth

gross domestic product (GDP)

value of all products and services produced in a year in a given country

genuine progress indicator (GPI)

a measure of economic status which includes personal consumption, income distribution, levels of higher education, resource depletion, pollution, and the health of the population

Kuzents curve

a formula that shows how as GDP increases, environmental degradation will first increase before it eventually decreases

commons

unowned, commonly-held pool resources that are “free” to be used by everyone

tragedy of the commons

situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources

doubling time

number of years it takes for a population to double

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%/70

overshoot-and-collapse

the principle that demand has exceeded the sustainable yield of natural systems at a global level which will eventually lead to the collapse of economies and possibly communities

ecological footprint

a measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land

ecology

study of connections in nature; organisms interaction with living/nonliving environment

niche

role a species plays in an ecosystem

habitat

place where population lives

distribution

area over which you can find a species

population

members of SAME species interacting

community

populations of DIFFERENT species interacting

ecosystem

community interacting with physical environment

HIPPCO

Habitat fragmentation

Invasive species

Pollution

Population growth

Climate change

Overexploitation

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disrupt biodiversity

functional biodiversity

biological and chemical processes such as energy flow and matter recycling needed for survival of ecosystems

species richness

number of different species

species evenness

\# of individuals in a species

bottleneck effect

a reduction in the genetic diversity of a population caused by reduction in its size

theory of island biogeography

study of community diversity on islands

* closer island is to mainland = more colonists = more biodiversity
* larger island = easier to land/live on = biodiversity

ecological succession

predictable replacement of one group of species by another group of species over time

primary succession

ecological succession occurring on surfaces that are initially DEVOID OF SOIL

secondary succession

the succession of plant life that occurs in areas that have been DISTURBED but have not lost their soil

persistence (inertia)

the ability of a living system to RESIST being disturbed/altered

constancy

the ability of a living system to KEEP its numbers within the limits imposed by available resources

resilience

the ability of a living system to BOUNCE BACK and repair damage after

founder effect

a change in the genetic composition of a population as a result of descending from a small number of colonizing individuals

biomes

large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals

* determined by TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION

prairie

temperature grassland

savannas

tropical grassland

tundra

polar grassland

taiga

polar forest

nitrogen cycle

run by BACTERIA and stored in ATMOSPHERE

* fixation: atmosphere →ground (plants)
* denitrification: soil → atmosphere
* ammonification: ground →soil
* assimilation: soil → ground
* nitrification: moves within soil

phosphorus cycle

NEVER atmospheric

stored in ROCKS/SEDIMENT

keystone species

species that is not very abundant but has large effects on an ecological community and helps to maintain the structure/function of their communities

indicator species

a species that indicates damage to a community/ecosystem

foundation species

create and enhance habitats that can benefit other species in a community

pioneer species

a species that can colonize new areas rapidly and grow well in full sunshine

resource partitioning

when 2 species divide a resource based on differences in their behavior

competitive exclusion principle

principle stating that 2 species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist

ecological efficiency

proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another; only 10% passed on

primary productivity

rate at which solar energy is converted into organic compounds via photosynthesis over a unit of time

gross primary productivity (GPP)

the TOTAL RATE of photosynthesis in a given area

net primary productivity (NPP)

the energy capture by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

O horizon

mostly organic matter such as decomposing leaves

HUMUS

humus

the most fully decomposed matter in the lowest section of the O horizon

A horizon/ TOPSOIL

mostly minerals from parent material with organic matter incorporated

E horizon

zone of leaching/eluviation

B horizon/ SUBSOIL

a soil horizon composed primarily of MINERAL material with very little organic matter

C horizon / SUBSTRATUM

least weathered soil horizon which is similar to parent paterial

troposphere

a layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of earth

* made up of NITROGEN and OXYGEN
* makes up 80% of atmosphere
* where WEATHER occurs

stratosphere

layer above troposphere

* dry, no weather
* OZONE LAYER!

mesosphere

coldest layer with meteors

thermosphere

beginnings of outer space

* space shuttles orbit here
* northern lights

exosphere

outermost layer that blends into space

adiabatic cooling

cooling effect of REDUCED PRESSURE on air causing it to RISE and EXPAND

adiabatic heating

heating effect of INCREASED PRESSURE on air, causing it to SINK and decrease in volume

saturation point

maximum amount of water vapor in air at a given temperature

latent heat release

release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere CONDENSES into liquid water (clouds)

intertropical convergence zones (ITCZ)

latutide that recieves the most intense sunlight (equator) that causes 2 hadley cells to converge

coriolis effect

the deflection of an objects path due to the rotation of earth

* causes prevailing winds

rain shadow

a region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side

El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

a reversal of winds and water currents in the South Pacific every 3-7 years

* causes HIGH PRESSURE over AUstralia
* trade winds blow EAST
* surface currents go EAST
* upwelling stops on east coasts (South America)
* decreases sea life

integrated pest management (IPM)

an agricultural practice that uses a variety of techniques designed to minimize pesticide inputs

* reduces pesticide/fertilizer use and pollution
* does not reduce crop yield
* high initial cost
* effectiveness takes time
* need experts
* pesticide manufacturers resist

distillation

a method of removing salt from ocean water through boiling water and capturing steam which then condenses as pure water

reverse osmosis

a method of removing salt from ocean water by forcing it through semi-permeable membrane at high pressure

aquifer

a permeable layer of rock and sediment that contains groundwater

unconfined aquifer

made of porous rock covered by soil, allowing water to flow easily

confined aquifer

surrounded by layer of impermeable rock/clay, making it difficult for water to flow

water table

the uppermost level at which water in a given area fully saturates rock/soil

groundwater recharge

process where water percolates through soil and goes to an aquifer

concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO)

large indoor or outdoor structure designed for maximum output

* leeds to overgrazing/desertification

fracking

injecting fluid (water, sands, chemicals) and high pressure into rocks to expose oil/natural grass

* groundwater contamination
* increased earthquake frequency

NOSCLP

big 6 outdoor pollutants

* Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
* Ozone (tropospheric)
* Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
* Carbon oxides
* Lead
* Particulate matter

sulfurous smog

dominated by sulfur dioxide/sulfate compounds

* gray, industrial, london smog
* acid rain

photochemical smog

from urban areas with lots of cars

* cars+sun
* Ozone from NOx+VOCs+UV
* LA/brown smog

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

organic compounds that evaporate at typical atmospheric pressures

* from evaporation of fuels, solvents, paints
* precursor to ozone

acid deposition

nitrogen pxides and sulfur oxides are released into the air and combine with water = ACID RAIN

coal gasification

process where coal is partially oxideated by air, oxygen, steam, or CO2 under controlled conditions to produce

* cleaner burning coalvapor recovery noxz

vapor recovery nozzle

air pollution control device on gas pump that prevents fumes from escaping into air

catalytic converter

converts pollutants (CO, NOx, hydrocarbons) in exhaust into less harmful molecules

wet scrubber

particles scrubbed from exhaust stream by water droplets where the sudge is collected and processed for disposal

electrostatic precipitator

a device that removes suspended dust particles from a gas/exhaust by applying a high-voltage electrostatic charge and collecting the particles on charged plates

* can remove 99% of PM
* does not remove ultrafine paricles

primary sewage treatment

the physical removal of large objects through the use of screens and grates and settling of solid waste by gravity

secondary treatment

a biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into sludge; tank aerated to increase bacterial growth

tertiary sewage treatment

using a combination of physical and chemical processes to remove harmful microbiological contaminats from wastewarer

* filtration
* additional disinfecting treatment

cultural eutrophication

an increase in fertility in a body of water as a result of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

do not easily break down because they are synthetic, carbon-based molecules (DDT)

mesothelioma

type of (lung) cancer mainly because of exposure to ASBESTOS

tuberculosis (TB)

bacterial infection that typically attacks the lungs

* spread by breathing in bacteria from the bodily fluids of an infected person

ozone-related diseases

respiratory problems and overall lung function can be impacted by higher levels of tropospheric ozone

severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

form of pneumonia

* transfered by inhaling/touching infected fluids