Scienece midterm flashcrads

Biology - The study of living organisms and life processes.

Environmental Science - The interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the environment, combining aspects of biology, chemistry, geology, and social sciences.

Renewable Natural Resources - Resources that can be replenished naturally over short periods, such as sunlight, wind, and water.

Nonrenewable Natural Resources - Resources that form over geological timescales and cannot be readily replenished, such as fossil fuels, minerals, and metals.

Ecosystem Services - Benefits provided by ecosystems that support life and human economies, including pollination, water purification, climate regulation, and nutrient cycling.

Human Population - Over 8 billion (check updated sources for exact numbers).

Agricultural Revolution - The transition from hunting and gathering to farming, leading to population growth and permanent settlements.

Industrial Revolution - A shift from manual labor and agrarian societies to mechanized industry, leading to technological advancements, increased fossil fuel use, and urbanization.

Fossil Fuels - Energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas that formed from the remains of ancient organisms.

Ecological Footprint - The environmental impact of an individual or population based on resource use.

Overshoot - When resource consumption exceeds Earth's capacity to regenerate those resources.

Conservation - Sustainable use of natural resources.

Preservation - Protection of natural resources from use.

Natural Capital - Earth's resources and ecosystem services that sustain human life and economies.

Sustainability - Using resources in a way that meets present needs without compromising future generations.

Environmental Literacy - Understanding environmental issues, scientific principles, and sustainability concepts to make informed decisions.

Scientific Model - A representation of a system or concept used to explain and predict scientific phenomena.

Tragedy of the Commons - A situation where individuals overuse a shared resource, leading to depletion (Example: Overfishing in oceans).

Independent Variable (IV) - The variable that is changed in an experiment.

Dependent Variable (DV) - The variable that is measured in an experiment.

Controlled Variables - Factors kept constant in an experiment.

Experimental Group (EG) - The group exposed to the independent variable.

Control Group (CG) - The group not exposed to the independent variable for comparison.

Biosphere - The global sum of all ecosystems.

Lithosphere - Earth's solid outer layer.

Atmosphere - The layer of gases surrounding Earth.

Hydrosphere - All water on Earth.

Ecosystem - A system of interacting organisms (biotic factors) and their environment (abiotic factors).

Biotic Factors - Living components (plants, animals, bacteria).

Abiotic Factors - Non-living components (water, sunlight, soil).

Producers - Organisms that make their own food (plants, algae).

Consumers - Organisms that eat other organisms (herbivores, carnivores).

Decomposers - Organisms that break down organic material (fungi, bacteria).

Detritivores - Organisms that consume dead material (earthworms, vultures).

Heterotroph - An organism that gets energy from eating others (consumers).

Autotroph - An organism that makes its own energy via photosynthesis (producers).

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) - The total energy produced by plants.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) - Energy available to consumers after plants use some for respiration.

Trophic Levels - Energy decreases by 90% as it moves up levels; only 10% is passed on.

Biomass - The total mass of living organisms in an area.

Positive Feedback - Amplifies changes (climate change).

Negative Feedback - Stabilizes systems (body temperature regulation).

First Law of Thermodynamics - Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

Second Law of Thermodynamics - Energy transfer increases entropy (disorder).

Source - Releases a material (CO₂ emissions).

Sink - Absorbs a material (forests, oceans).

Species - A group of organisms that can reproduce.

Population - A group of the same species in an area.

Evolution - Genetic change over generations.

Natural Selection - Survival of the fittest.

Extinction - The permanent loss of a species.

Endemic Species - Species found only in one area.

Sixth Mass Extinction - The current human-driven extinction crisis.

Levels of Ecological Organization - Organism → Population → Community → Ecosystem → Biosphere.

Habitat - Where an organism lives.

Niche - The role an organism plays in the ecosystem.

Population Growth Rate Equation - (Births - Deaths) + (Immigration - Emigration).

Exponential Growth - J-curve; rapid population increase.

Logistic Growth - S-curve; growth slows at carrying capacity.

Carrying Capacity - The maximum population an environment can support.

Density-Dependent Factors - Affected by population size (disease, food supply).

Density-Independent Factors - Unaffected by population size (natural disasters).

Food Chain - A single pathway of energy flow in an ecosystem.

Food Web - Interconnected feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

Energy Transfer - 90% lost as heat at each trophic level.

Intraspecific Competition - Competition within the same species.

Interspecific Competition - Competition between different species.

Mutualism - Both species benefit.

Commensalism - One species benefits, the other is unaffected.

Parasitism - One species benefits, the other is harmed.

Keystone Species - A species critical for ecosystem stability (e.g., wolves in Yellowstone).

Trophic Cascade - Changes in one trophic level affect others.

Tragedy of the Commons - Overuse of shared resources.

IPAT Model - Impact = Population × Affluence × Technology.

Pre-Industrial Stage - High birth and death rates.

Transitional Stage - Death rates drop, birth rates remain high.

Industrial Stage - Birth rates decline.

Post-Industrial Stage - Low birth and death rates.

Education and Fertility - More education leads to lower birth rates.

Extinction - The complete loss of a species.

Causes of Extinction - Habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, overharvesting, and invasive species.

Background Extinction Rate - Natural, slow rate of species loss (~1 species per million per year).

Current Extinction Rate - 100–1,000 times higher due to human activities.

Habitat Fragmentation - The division of large habitats into smaller, isolated patches.

Endemic Species - Species found in only one specific location (e.g., Galápagos tortoise, Hawaiian honeycreepers).

Edward O. Wilson - Biologist known for biodiversity and sociobiology; proposed the Theory of Island Biogeography and Half-Earth Theory.

Biodiversity - The variety of life, including genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Causes of Biodiversity Loss - Habitat loss, pollution, overharvesting, invasive species, climate change.

Generalists (Winners) - Adaptable, broad diet, thrive in human-altered environments (e.g., raccoons, cockroaches).

Specialists (Losers) - Narrow habitat/diet, sensitive to environmental changes (e.g., pandas, coral reefs).

Biodiversity Hotspot - Areas with high biodiversity and many endemic species under threat.

Examples of Biodiversity Hotspots - Amazon Rainforest, Madagascar, Coral Triangle.

Ways to Prevent Biodiversity Loss - Protected areas, anti-poaching laws, ecosystem restoration, sustainable resource use, reducing pollution, ecotourism.