human impacts on the environment - uiowa

Human Ecology

The study of the interactions among human biology, culture, and the environment.

Cultural Ecology

Adaptations through cultural means.

Plasticity

The flexibility of an individual or group to adjust to changing conditions.

Culture

A dynamic system of learned and shared behaviors, concepts, symbols, and beliefs that provides meaning to human interactions with the environment.

Agrarianism

A philosophy emphasizing stewardship, sustainability, and harmonious interaction with the land, often resistant to commercialism.

Guha Critiques

Arguments critiquing static conceptions of the environment and the idealization of traditional agrarian societies.

Wilderness Thinking

An American concept focused on protecting wilderness areas and reducing human impact.

Critique of Wilderness Thinking

It ignores indigenous habitation and often leads to the forcible displacement of communities.

Scientific Industrialism

An approach focused on future resource use, based on research, policy, and activism.

Anthropogenic Factors

Large human populations, overconsumption, technology, and socioeconomic systems (capitalism) that threaten the environment.

Extinction Risk Factors

Body size and range size are key variables affecting the likelihood of extinction.

Pleistocene Extinctions

A major extinction event where numerous large mammals went extinct around 13,000 years ago, coinciding with the rise of modern humans.

Imperfect Theories of Extinction

Explanations for extinctions including human hunting and climate change.

Case Studies of Extinction

Examinations of past extinction events providing insight into modern threats.

Economic System Impact

How economic systems affect environmental health and individual well-being.

Environmental Impact of Food and Agriculture

Food production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and global pollution.

Types of Agricultural Interactions

Interactions can range from simple foraging to intensive agriculture.

Mutualism

A relationship in which both species derive benefit from their interaction.

Types of Plant Production Intensification

Includes low, medium, and high intensification varying in technology, labor needs, and cropping duration.

Domestication Process

The evolution of plants and animals to become more compatible with human environments.

Primary Changes in Animal Domesticates

Traits such as decreased reaction to stimuli, lower brain complexity, and increased fertility.

Secondary Changes in Animal Domesticates

Physical changes including fur coloration, size variations, and reproductive organ modifications.

Wild Corn vs. Domesticated Corn

Wild corn has fewer kernels, while domesticated corn has larger, more abundant kernels that do not drop.

Three Pathways to Domestication

Commensal, prey, and directed domesticates represent different ways species adapt to human influence.

Benefits of Farming

Increased productivity, resource control, and ability to feed larger populations.

Modern Threats to Animals

Factors like habitat loss, overharvesting, invasive species, and climate change put many species at risk.

Key Variables for Risk of Extinction

Factors like body size and range size determine an animal's vulnerability to extinction.