Environmental Concerns Final Exam Vocab

biodiversity

biological diversity; variety of life at all organizational levels from genes through ecosystems

habitat loss

single greatest threat to all biodiversity; loss of essential resources and conditions that support life; disruption of the balance of ecosystems

habitat degradation

the set of processes by which habitat quality is reduced

habitat fragmentation

the process of breaking up large habitats into smaller, isolated pieces that are unconnected

habitat destruction

the alteration or loss of a natural area in a way that makes it unsupportive of the native species living there

invasive species

a non-native (foreign, exotic) species whose introduction into an ecosystem causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health

overexploitation

overharvest + overkill; occurs when humans extract organisms at a rate faster than they can be replenished, causing a decline in their populations

threatened species

a species has declined significantly in total numbers; will likely become endangered soon without human intervention

endangered species

a species considered to be in imminent danger of extinction because of rapidly declining population; numbers are severely reduced and genetic variability is severely diminished

extinction

the complete lost of a species from an area; may be local (gone from an area) or global (gone permanently)

background extinction

low-level and continuous; this is natural

mass extinction

large number of species lost in a short period of geologic time; humans are now the greatest threat to all species on earth

solution

substance dissolve in a liquid

solute

substance that is dissolved in liquid

solvent

substance/liquid that does the dissolving

water pollution

any physical or chemical change in water quality that causes harm to humans and other organisms

pollutant

a physical, chemical, or biological substance, generated by human activity and emitted into the environment, that has the potential to have harmful effects on the health of organisms, including humans

point source pollution

single, identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the environment (easier to decrease than nonpoint)

nonpoint source pollution

broad and diffuse area, rather than a specific point, from which pollutants enter the environment

agricultural wastewater

any water that has been used in farming activities and is discharged

animal waste

bacteria, viruses, parasitic worms; antibiotics

fertilizers

eutropication

pesticides

poison wildlife/fish, contaminate food sources, destroy habitats; DDT

sediment

topsoil erosion; buildup reduces sunlight penetration

eutrophication

the process in which a water body becomes overly enriched with certain nutrients, leading to the dense growth of plant life and death of animal life due to lack of oxygen

hypoxia

oxygen levels are so low other marine life cannot be supported in bottom waters (a dead zone)

plastic bottles

average time to completely degrade is at least 450 years; bottles made with PET/PETE will probably never biodegrade

styrofoam

not biodegradable; flies in wind, floats in water, and breaks into tiny pieces littering beaches

balloons

takes years to biodegrade; kill marine life when they are mistaken for food by blocking the digestive tract/causing starvation

cigarette butts

most common form of litter on beaches world-wide; toxic chemicals leach out of the filters and enter the water

ocean pollution

plastic items dumped from ships and left as litter on beaches; The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

plastic

made from petroleum; degrades to smaller and smaller pieces; toxic chemicals leach out

microplastics

plastic particles smaller than 1mm

atmosphere

the thin layer of gases surrounding planet Earth

troposphere

innermost layer of the atmosphere; extends about 11 miles above sea level and contains 75% of the mass of earth’s air

stratosphere

second layer of the atmosphere; extends about 11-30 miles above the earth’s surface; contains the ozone layer

ozone

a colorless and highly reactive has composed of three oxygen atoms (O3)

ozone layer

layer of gaseous ozone (O3) in the stratosphere that protects life on earth by filtering out most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation

ultraviolet radiation

short-wavelength electromagnetic energy emitted by the sun

ozone in the troposphere

ozone in the wrong place; near ground level is considered “bad” ozone

ozone in the stratosphere

ozone concentrated in a portion of the stratosphere called the ozone layer is “good” ozone; ozone layer sustains itself by splitting O2 into O atoms in the presence of UV light

ozone depletion (ozone hole)

a decrease in the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere; ozone hole is the thinning of the ozone layer in high latitudes; attributed to the chemical action of CFCs/other pollutants;

Montreal protocol

an international treaty that laid out plans to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFCs; hailed as the most successful international environment agreement in history

air pollutant

environmental contaminant of air; an agent that causes air pollution; natural or caused by humans

air pollution

the presence of chemicals in the air at levels high enough to harm humans, other organisms, ecosystems, or man-made materials or objects

primary pollutant

a substance harmful in its directly emitted form

secondary pollutant

the product of reactants occurring in the atmosphere

particulate matter

a form of pollution made of tiny particles and droplets suspended in the air

volative organic compounds (VOC)

very reactive group of molecules released from cleaning solvents, paints, and gasoline

acid rain

most originates from the release of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are combusted; in the presence of sunlight SO2 and NOx undergo chemical reactions with oxygen and water to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid which then fall back to earth

smog

term may be applied to all forms of severe air pollution, particularly in urban areas that restricts visibility causes breathing issues

indoor air pollution

concentrations of air pollutants can be much higher inside than outside

weather

short-term variations in weather conditions (air temperature, wind, air pressure, and precipitation in a specific place)

climate

the long-term average of weather conditions for a given region

global climate

the average weather conditions over a significant time for the planet as a whole

global warming

increase of the Earth’s average atmospheric temperature

climate change

long-term shifts in global weather patterns and temperatures

greenhouse effect

greenhouse gases trap heat which warms the earth’s lower troposphere and surface

atmosphere

the whole mase of air surrounding the earth

troposphere

the layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground; extends ~11 miles at sea level; densest layer (75% of the entire atmosphere’s mass)

stratosphere

second layer of the atmosphere; extends ~31 miles; contains ozone layer

Milankovitch Cycle

long-term cyclical variations in Earth’s orbit and axial tilt that affect the amount of sunlight received by the planet, influencing its climate and triggering periods of ice ages and interglacial periods

greenhouse gases (GHG)

a gas in the atmosphere that redirects heat rising from Earth’s surface back toward the surface, causing a warming effect

greenhouse gases important to Earth

water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3)

enhanced greenhouse effect

an increase in amounts of greenhouse gases = increase in trapped heat = a warmer planet

mitigation

efforts inherited to minimize the extent or impact of a problem such as climate change

adaptation

efforts intended to help deal with a problem that exists, such as climate change

system

a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a whole; a set of connected thing or parts

open system

interacts with its surroundings by taking in inputs and releasing outputs

closed system

self-contained, neither receiving inputs nor sending outputs beyond the system’s borders

environmental systems

are a collection of components interacting with each other to produce outcomes that each component could not achieve on its own

systems perspective

an attitude that considers not just immediate or intended effects of activities, but all of the impacts of those activities in other place or at other times

structural spheres

help delineate natural systems

biosphere

the entirety of the regions of earth occupied by living things

atmosphere

a dynamic envelope of gases extending from earth’s surface

lithosphere

the rigid outer portion of earth consisting of the crust and very top of the mantle

hydrosphere

all the places that hold water on earth

energy

the capacity to do work or move matter against an opposing force; the capacity to accomplish change in a system

potential energy

stored energy

kinetic energy

energy of motion

energy flow

the one-way passage of energy through an ecosystem

solar radiation

the way energy can enter earth as light

terrestrial radiation

the way energy can leave earth as heat

thermodynamics

the study of energy and its transformations

1st law of thermodynamics

energy cannot be created or destroyed; energy can change (be converted from one form to another; quantity)

2nd law of thermodynamics

the amount of usable energy in the universe decreases overtime as some is lost as heat (quality)

heat energy

a less usable and disorganized form of energy

photosynthesis

process by which producers use solar energy to combine carbon dioxide and water to make the sugar glucose, oxygen is released (6CO₂ + 6H₂O + solar energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂)

cellular respiration

process in which all organisms break down glucose to release energy using oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide as a waste product (C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + ATP)

matter

the material of which organisms are composed

nutrient

any substance required by organisms for normal growth and maintenance

biogeochemical cycles

involves biological, geological, and chemical aspects; matter cycles between the biotic and abiotic environments as it moves from one part of the ecosystem to another

nutrient cycles

biogeochemical cycles that refer specifically to the movement of life’s essential chemicals or nutrients through an ecosystem

biotic

the living (organic) compounds of an ecosystem such as plants and animals and their waste (dead leaves, feces)abio

abiotic

the nonliving components of an ecosystem such as rainfall and mineral composition of the soil

reservoirs (sinks)

abiotic or biotic components of the environment that serve as storage places for cycling nutrients

carbon

a common elements of all known life; component of proteins and carbohydrates

carbon cycle

the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration that take and add carbon to the atmosphere

nitrogen

the most abundant elements in the atmosphere (78%); component of proteins and nucleic acids

nitrogen cycle

the taking of nitrogen from the atmosphere and changing it into a usable form for plants and animals