Untitled Flashcards Set

Introduction to Environmental Science

1. Describe the field of environmental science.
   Environmental science integrates biological, physical, and information sciences to study how humans and the environment interact, aiming to solve environmental problems.

2. Explain the importance of natural resources and ecosystem services.
   Natural resources (e.g., water, air) are vital for survival, while ecosystem services like pollination and water purification sustain life and economic activities.

3. Discuss population growth, resource consumption, and their consequences.
   Increased population leads to higher resource consumption, resulting in environmental issues like resource depletion, habitat destruction, and pollution.

4. Explain what is meant by an ecological footprint.
   The ecological footprint measures the environmental impact of a person or population based on resource use and waste production.

5. Recognize the role of ethics in environmental science and compare major ethical approaches.
   Environmental ethics concerns the moral relationship between humans and the environment, with perspectives like anthropocentrism (human-centered), biocentrism (life-centered), and ecocentrism (ecosystem-centered).

6. Appreciate the importance of environmental justice.
   Environmental justice ensures the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens, advocating for equity in resource access and pollution prevention.

7. Discuss the concept of sustainability and describe sustainable solutions.
   Sustainability involves using resources without compromising future generations. Solutions include renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and recycling.

The Nature of Science & Reliability of Information

1. Describe the scientific method.
   The scientific method is a systematic process of observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and conclusion to explore and understand phenomena.

2. Distinguish between observational and experimental studies.

   • Observational studies gather data without manipulating the environment.

   • Experimental studies involve controlled conditions where variables are deliberately manipulated.

3. Distinguish between natural and manipulative experiments.

   • Natural experiments occur without researcher intervention, using natural variations.

   • Manipulative experiments involve the deliberate alteration of variables by the researcher.

4. Interpret visual representations of data.
   To understand graphs and figures, one must identify the axes, labels, independent and dependent variables, and the relationships or trends in the data.

5. Assess whether visual representations could be improved.
   Critical evaluation of data visuals involves checking if axes are correctly labeled, data is clearly presented, and whether improvements can clarify the information.

6. Apply critical thinking skills to assess the reliability of information.
   Critical thinking requires assessing sources for credibility, understanding scientific consensus, and identifying biases or flawed methodologies.

Environmental Systems: Matter, Energy, and Ecosystems

1. Describe the nature of environmental systems.
   Environmental systems consist of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components that interact in a complex network to support life.

2. Distinguish between negative and positive feedback loops.

   • Negative feedback loops stabilize a system (e.g., body temperature regulation).

   • Positive feedback loops amplify changes (e.g., melting ice reduces reflectivity, accelerating warming).

3. Explain the fundamentals of matter and energy.
   Matter is made of atoms and molecules, while energy is the ability to do work. These elements cycle through the ecosystem.

4. Differentiate between different forms of energy.
   Energy exists in forms like kinetic, potential, chemical, and thermal energy. Energy transforms between these forms in natural processes.

5. Explain the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

   • The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

   • The second law states that energy transformations increase entropy (disorder).

6. Distinguish photosynthesis, cell respiration, and chemosynthesis.

   • Photosynthesis captures sunlight to create glucose in plants.

   • Cell respiration breaks down glucose to release energy.

   • Chemosynthesis uses inorganic molecules to produce energy in environments without sunlight (e.g., deep-sea vents).

7. Define ecosystems and discuss how living and nonliving systems interact.
   Ecosystems include all living organisms and their physical environment. They interact through nutrient cycles, energy flow, and trophic relationships.

8. Outline the fundamentals of landscape ecology.
   Landscape ecology studies the spatial patterns of ecosystems and how they affect ecological processes such as species distribution and ecosystem function.

9. Explain ecosystem services and their benefits.
   Ecosystem services are the benefits humans receive from ecosystems, such as water purification, food production, and climate regulation.

Biogeochemical Cycles

1. Compare and contrast the water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.

   • The water cycle moves water between oceans, atmosphere, and land.

   • The carbon cycle circulates carbon through respiration, photosynthesis, and combustion.

   • The nitrogen cycle involves nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.

   • The phosphorus cycle moves phosphorus through rocks, soil, and organisms without an atmospheric component.

2. Understand reservoirs and fluxes for each biogeochemical cycle.
   Reservoirs store elements (e.g., atmosphere for carbon, oceans for water), and fluxes represent the movement between reservoirs (e.g., evaporation, combustion).

3. Explain how human activities affect the biogeochemical cycles.
   Human activities like fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and fertilizer use disrupt natural cycles, leading to issues like climate change, eutrophication, and pollution.

4. Outline the process of eutrophication and its consequences.
   Eutrophication occurs when excess nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, lead to algal blooms. These blooms deplete oxygen, causing hypoxic dead zones where marine life cannot survive.

Climate Change

1. Distinguish climate from weather.
   Weather is the short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate refers to the long-term average of weather patterns over time.

2. Distinguish natural from anthropogenic climate change.
   Natural climate change results from phenomena like volcanic activity and solar radiation, while anthropogenic climate change is driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

3. Understand the role of the greenhouse effect in climate change.
   The greenhouse effect traps heat in the atmosphere. While this is a natural process, human activities have enhanced it, contributing to global warming.

4. Identify the causes and effects of climate change.
   Climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions from activities like industry, transportation, and agriculture. Effects include rising temperatures, sea level rise, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity.

5. How do we quantify past, present, and future climate?
   Scientists use ice cores, tree rings, and modern technology like satellites and computer models to study climate changes over time.

6. What is the evidence for anthropogenic climate change?
   Evidence includes rising global temperatures, shrinking ice caps, and increased carbon dioxide levels, all of which correlate with industrialization.

7. Identify adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change.

   • Adaptation includes measures like building flood defenses or drought-resistant crops.

   • Mitigation focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as transitioning to renewable energy.

Fresh Water, Oceans & Coasts I

1. Describe the distribution of fresh water on Earth.
   Only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater, with most locked in glaciers or underground. Less than 1% is readily accessible for human use.

2. Discuss how humans use and alter freshwater systems.
   Humans use freshwater for agriculture, industry, and drinking. Activities like damming, water diversion, and pollution disrupt freshwater ecosystems.

3. Assess problems of water supply and propose solutions to address depletion of fresh water.
   Water scarcity results from overuse, pollution, and climate change. Solutions include water conservation, desalination, and improved irrigation techniques.

4. Describe the major classes of water pollution.
   Water pollution includes nutrient pollution, pathogens, toxic chemicals, and thermal pollution. Solutions involve regulations, treatment plants, and reducing industrial runoff.

5. Explain how we treat drinking water and wastewater.
   Drinking water undergoes filtration and disinfection to remove contaminants. Wastewater is treated to reduce pollution before being returned to water bodies.

Fresh Water, Oceans & Coasts II

1. Identify physical and chemical aspects of the marine environment.
   Marine environments are influenced by factors like salinity, temperature, and currents. They are dynamic systems that support diverse ecosystems.

2. Explain how the oceans influence and are influenced by climate.
   Oceans regulate global temperatures by absorbing and redistributing heat. They are also affected by climate change, leading to ocean acidification and sea level rise.

3. Describe major types of marine ecosystems.
   Marine ecosystems include coral reefs, mangroves, estuaries, and the deep sea, each with unique organisms adapted to their environments.

4. Assess impacts from marine pollution.
   Marine pollution includes plastic waste, oil spills, and chemical runoff, all of which harm marine life and ecosystems.

5. Review the state of ocean fisheries and reasons for their decline.
   Overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution have led to the decline of many fisheries, threatening food security and biodiversity.

6. Evaluate marine protected areas (MPAs) and reserves as conservation solutions.
   MPAs and marine reserves help conserve biodiversity by restricting harmful activities, allowing ecosystems to recover and thrive.

7. Recall the Ocean Cleanup Project at Ballona Wetlands.
   The Ocean Cleanup Project aims to remove plastic waste from waterways before it reaches the ocean, preserving coastal ecosystems like Ballona Wetlands.

Forests, Forest Management, and Protected Areas I & II

1. Understand the importance of the Amazon rainforest.
   The Amazon stores carbon, supports biodiversity, and regulates global climate. Deforestation threatens these ecosystem services, with measures like conservation policies in place to protect it.

2. Identify forest biomes, types, and structures.
   Forest biomes include tropical rainforests, temperate forests, and boreal forests, each with distinct climate, species, and ecological roles.

3. Summarize the ecological and economic contributions of forests.
   Forests provide timber, food, and medicine while maintaining ecosystem functions like carbon storage and water regulation.

4. Outline the history and current scale of deforestation.
   Deforestation rates are high, particularly in low-income countries driven by agriculture and logging. This leads to loss of biodiversity and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Assess approaches to resource management.
   Resource management approaches include sustainable forestry, conservation, and protected areas to balance human needs with environmental health.

6. Describe methods of harvesting timber.
   Timber can be harvested through clear-cutting, selective cutting, or shelterwood cutting, with varying ecological impacts.

7. Discuss forest management in relation to fire, pests, and climate change.
   Climate change exacerbates forest fires and pest outbreaks, requiring adaptive management practices like controlled burns and pest-resistant species.

8. Name federal land management agencies.
   Agencies include the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), responsible for preserving natural resources and biodiversity.

9. Explain threats to forests, including climate change interactions.
   Climate change increases the frequency of droughts and fires, weakening forests and making them more vulnerable to pests and disease.

10. Recall wildlife crossings in Los Angeles.
    Wildlife crossings, like those in LA, are designed to reduce habitat fragmentation and roadkill, promoting biodiversity and ecosystem connectivity.