FNR 125 EXAM 1

General concepts for exam 1 of EAPS125

7.5 Billion

Population on earth

80 Million

Annual increase of population on earth

327 Million

Population in the USA

1.8 Million

Amount of known species on earth

17

500

Ecology

A science by which we study how organisms interact in and with the natural world

Ecologist

A scientist who impartially examines the interactions among living things and the environment

Environmental Scientist

Someone who studies the environment and our role in it

Environmentalist

Person working in the social or political arena of the environment

Environment

External living and non living factors affecting an organism

Ecosystem

Organism and abiotic conditions in a specific location

1. Scientifically valid

2. Politically feasible

3. Economically feasible

To be affective

1. Identify question

2. Propose answer

3. Form hypothesis

4. Predict outcome

5. Conduct test / experiment

6. Reject or revise hypothesis

The steps of the Scientific Method are...

95% threshold

Accounts for incidents of random chance that can never be removed completely from a scientific experiment

Conceptual Modes

Shows how things relate to each other

Graphical Modes

Map of data that shows a pattern

Politics

Actions taken by groups to address problems not solvable by individuals

Officials Lobbyists Organizations Media Citizens

Players in the political landscape are..

Legislature

Senate and congress

Executive

Branch with the president

Judicial

Branch that rules on whatever agencies actions are legal

Economics

The study of systems to increase efficiency of resource use

Efficiency

To satisfy the greatest number of consumer demands

Ideal free market

Market where prices (value) is set up by supply and demand and uses individual transactions

Government regulations

Where prices (value) are set up by the government

Externalities

Cost and benefits of a transaction that are not reflected in the price

Externalities Free markets favor private goods

Problems with a Free Market

Tragedy of the Commons

Based on European villages that were agricultural based. Shows that common areas can be abused.

1. Inefficient

ignore cost of compliance 2. May be efficient only for regulators

Problems with Government Regulations

Cost / benefit analysis

Technique used to set value. Add up all costs

Risk Analysis

Technique used to set value. Add up potential risks of doing action

$125-145 Trillion About double GNP

Estimated average value of heathy ecosystems

$4.3-20 Trillion

Amount we lose annually due to habitat loss and destruction

8.1-10.6 Billion

In 2050 earth's population will be

6.2-15.8 Billion

In 2100 earth's population will be

Ecological Footprint

The measure of how fast we consume resources and generate waste

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that can be supported indefinitely in an area by the resources in that area

PAT P= Population (people) A= Affluence (consumption / capita) T= Technology (impact unit / consumption)

Impact= XXX

Increases Increases

Ecological footprint ... as development index ...

Sustainable Development Goals (STGs)

Were launched by UN in 2015. Are hoped to be achieved by 2030.

Ecological Heirarchy

Biosphere Biome Landscape Ecosystem Community Population Individual

Biome

Plant and animal community found across large areas at continental scales large biological communities that have similar climate

Trophic Level

The different levels of producers and consumers in a food web

10%

Only X% of energy in a trophic level is usable by the next higher level

Detritus

Dead organic matter

Detritivore

Organism that eats dead organic matter also called decomposers

Primary Succession

land that is bare of soil—a sandbar

Secondary Succession

occurs after a disturbance

Climax Community

The community that developed last and lasted the longest

Disturbance

Regular natural process that changes stage of plant/animal succession. Any force that disrupts the established patterns of species diversity and abundance

Pioneer Species

the first colonists on land in primary succession

Renewable Resources

Resources that can be expected to be replaced by natural or human processes within a reasonable time

Nonrenewable resources

Resources that can not be expected to be replaces in a reasonable time

Sustainable Resources

Different for ecological vs. economic. Harvest of a product that allows for the product to be replaces quickly by an ecosystem Economic - harvest of a product allowing long term economic use

77 million hectares 200 million acres

National forests cover this much land

Privately

Most national forest land is ... owned

National rangelands

Almost all west of the Mississippi

Shelterwood Harvesting

Type of timber harvesting where mature trees are removed in a series of two or more cuts

Strip Cutting

Type of timber harvesting where all the trees in a narrow corridor are harvested

Clear - Cutting

Type of timber harvesting where every tree in a given area is cut

Selective Cutting

Type of timber harvesting where the least disruptive harvest method. Only a small percentage of the mature trees are taken in each 10- or 20-year rotation

Feral Animal

Domestic animals that are living in a wild state

Grassbanking

Process where conservation groups own ranches in a general area

Ground fire

Fire that is relatively cool

Crown Fire

Fire that is relatively hot

Prescribed burn

Fires set by managers to control possibility of uncontrolled burns

417 Units 34 Million hectares (84.6 million acres)

National Park System contains ... units and ... hectares

Antiquities Act

States that national monuments can be created by the president.

Act of Congress

The only way that Ntl Parks can be created

Wilderness

Areas defined as "places where humans impact is minimal"

National Wilderness System

Big difference from other systems where it is not separate but a stage within agencies that manage the land. You can camp

Brucellosis

A disease that affects bison

Ecosystem Services

Refers to services or resources provided by environmental systems. Healthy ecosystems clean our water

Biological Diversity

The amount of organic variation in real world Number of Species Genetic Variation Ecological Roles

Intrinsic Value

Every species has its own self worth

1. Products

2. Economic Value

3. Ecosystem Value

4. Aesthetic / Intrinsic Value

Reasons to protect Biodiversity

Global Extinction

Permanent loss of a species throughout range

Local Extinction

Loss of a species only in a region

17

500 Species

1000x

Current extinction rates are about ... higher than historic rates (low estimate)

Genetic Variation Loss

Caused by lack of suitable mates and other problems in very small populations

Taxonomy

is the study of types of organisms and their relationships

Adabtation

the acquisition of advantageous traits in a species

Natural Selection

Better competitors in a population are more likely to survive—giving them greater potential to produce offspring

Habitat

Describes the place or set of environmental conditions in which a particular organism lives

Ecological Niche

is more functional

Critical Factor

the single factor in shortest supply relative to demand

Indicator Species

term for organisms whose sensitivities can tell about environmental conditions in an area

Generalist

species tolerate a wide range of conditions or exploit a wide range of resources

Specialist

have a narrow ecological niche

Principle of Competitive Exclusion

When two species compete for limited resources

Resource Partitioning

The species that is more efficient in using available resources will exclude the other. The other species disappears or develops a new niche

Speciation

The development of a new species. As a population becomes more adapted to its ecological niche

Geographic Isolation

When populations were genetically isolated

Allopatric Isolation

populations were genetically isolated: they couldn't interbreed with populations on other islands. These isolated populations gradually changed in response to their individual environments

Sympatric Speciation

Speciation that occurs within one geographic area

Selection Pressure

factors that make certain mutations advantageous

Intraspecific Competition

Competition among members of the same species

Interspecific Competition

competition between members of different species