AP Environmental Science Chapter 1-11 Miller, Spoolman

negative feedback loop

A feedback loop that causes a system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving

biome

A group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities, especially vegetation; (Ex. types of deserts, grasslands, and forests)

system

A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements or parts that function together as a whole to accomplish a goal.

Migration 1. What is it? 2. Results?

1. People moving into an area 2. Economic improvement, religious and political freedom, wars

Tropical Deforestation Causes

1. Population Growth 2. POverty 3. Environmentally harmful government subsidies 4. Debts that developing countries owe to developed countries 5. Failure to value ecological services

Conservation Biology Side

1. Protecting 2. no one should receive government subsidies or tax breaks for using resources on public lands 3. American people deserve fair compensation for extraction of any resources from their property 4. All users or extractors of resources is responsible for environmental degradation

How to slow population growth (x3)

1. Reduce poverty 2. Elevating sttaus of women 3. encourage family planning

reproductive ages

15-44

Stratosphere

17-50 Kilometers above the earth's surface. Has enough ozone to filter out the 95% of the harmful UV from the sun.

compounds

2 or more elements chemically combined

Developed country replacement fertility rate

2.1

Developing country replacement fertility rate

2.5

HOw to reduce tree harvesting

60% of wood is wasted because of -inefficient use of construction materials -excess packaging -junk mail -lack of paper recycling -failure to reuse wooden shipping containers -paper can be made from sources other than trees

electrons

A tiny, negatively charged particle that moves around the nucleus of an atom.

chaparral

biome characterized by short woody shrubs and a climate of mild wet winters and hot dry summers.

grassland

biome found in regions where moderate annual average precipitation (25-76 centimeters, or 10-30 inches) is enough to support the growth of grass and small plants but not enough to support large stands of trees

Chemical Warfare

common strategy some species discourage predators with chemicals that are poisonous. EX. Skunks.

National Park System

National Park Service -national monuments, memorials, battlefields, historic sites, trails, rivers, sea horses, and lake shores

natural capital

Natural resources and natural services that keep us and other species alive and support our economies.

Major Types of Forests

Old Growth Forests Second-growth forests Tree plantations

ecosystem

community of different species interacting with one another and with their non living environment of matter and energy.

carbonate ions

component ofshells

fishery

concentration of particular aquatic species suitable for commercial harvesting in a given ocean area or inland body of water

Indicator Species

Species that serve as early warnings that the ecosystem or community is being degraded

indicator species

Species whose decline serves as early warnings that a community or ecosystem is being degraded.

generalist species

Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Examples include flies, cockroaches, mice, rats, and humans.

specialist species

Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food.

Threatened Species

Still abundant in its natural range but is declining in numbers

reuse

Using a product over and over again in the same form. An example is collecting, washing, and refilling glass beverage bottles.

genetic diversity

Variability in the genetic makeup among individuals within a single species.

Population Distribution

Variation of a population over a geographic area or volume. If many live in the city, less live in the suburbs.

species richness

Variety of species, measured by the number of different species contained in a community.

Ecological Footprint Increase

AS eclogical footprint increases, biodiversity is affected WE have disturbed up to 83% of the earth's surface

sustainability (durability)

Ability of Earth's various systems, including human cultural systems and economies, to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely.

Biosphere Reserves

Areas set up with a protected inner core for wildlife surrounded by more multiuse buffer zones

National Wildlife Refuges

Areas that have been set aside for the protection of threatened or endangered species

Population Change Formula

Births+Immigration-Deaths-Emigration

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Two organisms cannot occupy the same ecological niche or else competition will occur.

Mutualism

Type of species interaction in which both participating species generally benefit.

Developed Countries

USA, UK, France, Japan, Germany, etc.

affluenza

Unsustainable addiction to overconsumption and materialism exhibited in the lifestyles of affluent consumers in the United States and other developed countries.

Accidentally Introduced Species

Zebra Mussel Asian Longhorned Beetle: the beetle would make holes in trees in Brooklyn. Ways people dealt with these: quarantine. Sea lamprey, common pigeon, argentina fire ant

Acidity

a chemical characteristic that helps determine how a substance dissolved in water will interact with and affect its environment (acid more H+/ base more OH-)

Molecule

a combination of two or more atoms

integrated coastal management (ICM)

a community-based effort to develop and use coastal resources more sustainably

La Nina

a cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns

cultural eutrophication

a process where human inputs from the atmosphere and from nearby urban and agricultural areas put excessive nutrients into lakes.

largest country population

China w/ largest pop - then India -then US

Human Population

Growth has slowed in recent decade; population is unevenly distributed geographically; humans are moving from rural to urban; increase in ecological footprint

exponential growth

Growth in which some quantity, such as population size or economic output, increases at a constant rate per unit of time.

resource

Anything obtained from the environment to meet human needs and wants. It can also be applied to other species.

matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Founder Effect

Few organisms leave a population and start a new gene pool, severely limiting the genes in the gene pool. Lowers Biodiversity.

Attempts to slow pop growth

India: first family planning program China: one child policy

model

Approximate representation or simulation of a system being studied.

temperate forest

forest in a temperate region, characterized by trees that drop their leaves annually Well defined seasons : cold to moderate winters (10 C); warm summers (21 C)

National Forests

managed but the US forest service and consists of 155 forests and 22 grasslands - logging -mining -grazing -farming -oil -recreation -hunting -fishing -conservation watersheds, soil, and wildlife resources

National Resource

managed by the Bureau of Land Management -mining -oil -grazing

National Wildlife refuges

managed by the US fish and Wildlife Service-Protecting habitats and animals

uneven resource and population distribution

different climates, agri., & control of infectious disease

Low Quality Energy

disorganized, dispersed (heat in ocean or air wind, solar) not usefel to do work

organic compounds

containing carbon

drift-net fishing

fish are caught by huge drifting nets that can hang as deep at 15 meters (50 feet) below the surface and extend to 64 km (40 miles) long

aquaculture

fish farming operations

catch-share system

fishermen share the catch so that everyone has a part of the total allowable catch

Uneven-aged management

manages a forest by maintaining a variety of tree species at a a variety of different ages and sizes to foster natural regeneration

Bioinformatics

manages, analyzes, and communicates biological information

inputs

matter, energy, or info entering a system

Seed- tree Cutting

nearly all of the trees in a forest are harvested, but a few uniformly disturbed, seed- producing trees are left to naturally regenerate the forest

neutron

neutrally charged particle in the nucleus of an atom

major determining factor in a country's future population growth

number of people under age 15 -large numbers going into reproductive years = population boom eventually

Ecological Succession

observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. The time scale can be decades (for example, after a wildfire), or even millions of years after a mass extinction.

flows

processes that move matter between pools

chemical element

pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom (one atom)

Mimicry

the close external resemblance of an animal or plant (or part of one) to another animal, plant, or inanimate object. EX. Viceroy and Monarchs.

reliable science

the concepts and ideas that are widely accepted by experts in a particular field of the natural or social sciences

mass number

the sum of the number of neutrons and protons in an atomic nucleus

Old Growth Forests

uncut forests or regenerated forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for at least several hundred years

bycatch

unwanted marine animals caught with the commercial catch

Even-aged management

utilizes a tree plantation where 1 or 2 species of trees in a given strand are managed at about the same age and size and then harvested once every 6-30 years

Management of the US public lands

valuable natural resources -Conservation biology side - Economic side

Intrinsic Value

value of an organism, species, ecosystem, or the earth's biodiversity based on its existence, regardless of whether it has any usefulness to humans -Their own right to be able to live and be as they are

sixth mass extinction

current mass extinction caused primarily by habitat loss due to human actions

deciduous forest

"Deciduous" means "falling off or out at a certain season". That explains why deciduous forest means a forest in which the leaves fall off the trees when the winter comes. The deciduous forests are located in the temperate zone above the tropical forests and below the coniferous forests.

extinction rate

% or # of species that extinct in a certain time period. ex. 1 extinction per million species= 0.000001 species/yr or 0.0001%

US infant mortality rate high because

-inadequate healthcare for poor women & their babies -drug addiction among pregnant women -high birth rate among teenagers

Case Study: Slowing Population Growth in India

-1.26 million people in 2012 -problems: poverty, malnutrition, environmental degradation -causes of problems: bias about male children, poor couples want children, small use of family planning

Case Study: The US Population - 3rd Largest and Growing

-76 million in 1900 to 314 million in 2012 -dropped in TFR -high in immigration levels

Ecological services

-Forests provide valuable natural resources -Earths ecological services 36 trillion per year -forests are contributing 4.7 trillion a year -Biodiversity is the worlds biggest financial asset

Sustainable Forest Management

-Grow more timber on ling rotations - rely more on selective cutting and strip cutting - no clear cutting, seed-tree or shelterwood cutting on steeply sloped land - no fragmentations of remaining blocks of forests -reduce road building into uncut forest areas -leave more standing dead trees and fallen timber for habitat and nutrient cycling -Certify sustainable harvesting -Include ecological services for trees and forests in their economic value

Ways to protect national parks in the US

-Integrate plans for managing parks and nearby federal lands -add new parkland near threatened parks -locate visitor parking outside parks and use shuttle services to reduce vehicle congestion in parks -increase funding -survey wildlife in parks -raise entry fees -limit the number of visitors -increase the pay and # of park stuff -Encourage volunteering -encourage donations for maintenance and repairs

Managing National Forests

-Logging -Advantage -meets country's timber needs -cut areas regenerate -lumber and paper prices get low -creates jobs -promotes economic growth of nearby communities -Disadvantages -only 4% of timber needs -many privately owned forests that can be utilized -damages nearby rivers and fisheries through increased erosion and runoff -recreation can create more -more logging= less recreational activities

Population and economic projection

-US baby boom added 79 mil ppl -economic and social impacts

Economic Side

-Useful reso

Optimum sustainable population

-based on cultural carrying capacity -some say 2 bil people, others 30 bil -optimum level: people live in comfort & freedom w/out hurting planet

Uneven distribution of growth

-developing countries have 82% of human pop -1.2 mil born in developed countries (growing at 0.1% per year) -80.8 mil born in developing countries (growing at 1.5% per year)

baby boom generation impacts

-dominate population's demands for goods & services -influence elections & legislation & economic demand -retirement = worker shortage largest group = most weighted opinion

How many people in 2050

-estimated 9.3 bil -97% of growth is projected in developing countries

baby bust generation

-fewer people to compete for jobs, education, and services -fewer people = increased wages -more difficult to get jobs promotions bc baby boomers already in upper level positions -echoboom since 1977 -fluctuations in age structure have social & economic impacts for decades

Ways to prevent Tropical Deforestation

-help people in developing countries know how to farm sustainably -use strip cutting -harvest fruits and nuts for profit rather than trees -Debt for nature swaps -Develop international certification system fore evaluating sustainable harvesting -use gentler harvesting techniques -have active reforestation efforts -prosecute illegal logging

Problems Facing National Parks

-illegal hunting, logging, farming, mining, poaching -lack of funding and personnel -many parks are too small to sustain large animal species -nonnative species coming -popularity -nearby human activities

Case Study: Slowing Population Growth in China: A Success Story

-most populated country -threats of mass starvation in 1960s -government established strict family panning and birth control programs -reduced number of children born per women from 5.7 to 1.5

Wilderness areas

-one way to protect land -Wilderness act of 1964 (1,500 square miles) -in the US 4.6% of land is wilderness including Alaska

Problems with population decline

-when percentage of people older than 60 increases = pop decline -strain on gov budget, medicare, social security, labor services

Why population has grown so much

1) Ability to expand 2) Agriculture 3) Sanitation, Antibiotics, Vaccines

Strategies to stabilize pop

1) reduce poverty 2) family planning 3) empower women

Baby Boom 1. When? 2. Results?

1. 1946-1964 2. 79 million people were added (36% of today's adults); affected economy, eventually lead to a massive drop in population in the US since so many people are of the same age

Factors that affect birth rates and fertility rates (x9)

1. Children can be part of labor force 2. Cost of raising and education children 3. Ability of private and public pension 4. Urbanization 5. Education and employment opportunities for women 6. Average age of women at marriage 7. Availability of legal abortion 8. Availability of birth control 9. Religious beliefs

Factors that decrease TFR (x3)

1. Education 2. Paying jobs 3. Ability to control fertility

Adaptive ecosystem management

1. Integrate ecological, economic, and social principles to help maintain and restore sustainability 2. Get different organizations to reach a consensus on how to achieve common conservation objectives 4. Emphasize continual information gathering, monitoring, flexibility, and adaption ad the needs of the reserve change over time

2 reasons to protect biodiversity

1. Intrinsic or existence value(genes, species, ecosystems, and ecological processes exist and should be sustained 2. Instrumental Value(resources are useful for human survival)

Factors that affect Death rates (x2)

1. Life expectancy 2. Infant mortality rate (caused by insufficient foods, poor nutrients, diseases)

Factors that Increase Biodiversity

1. Middle Stages of Succession 2. Moderate environmental disturbances 3. Small changes in environmental changes 4. Physically diverse habitat 5. Evolution

5 Principles of Ecological Restoration

1. Mimic nature and natural processes 2. Recreate ecological niches that have been lost 3. Rely on pioneer species, keystone species, foundation species, and ecological succession to facilitate the restoration process 4. Control or remove nonnative species 5. Reconnect small patches to form larger one by creating corridors in between them

Types of Public lands in the US

1. National forests 2. National resource Lands 3. National wildlife refuges 4. National Parks 5. National Recreation Areas 6. National wilderness preservation areas

Factors that Decrease Biodiversity

1. extreme environmental conditions 2. large environmental disturbances 3. Intense environmental stress 4. shortages of key resources 5. nonnative species introduction 6. geographic isolation 7. Extinctions

Exponential Growth

10,000 years ago: 5 mil ppl (agriculture begins) 1800: 1 bil (industrial rev) -growth has slowed however still exponential (1.22%)

US Forests

30% of US land area 80% habitat for wildlife 2/3 of our total surface water Good: more land, regeneration, more wood Bad: old growth forests have been clear cut to replace it with tree plantations

Public Lands in the US

35% is used for publicly owned land More public lands then anywhere in the world

mesosphere

3rd layer of the atmosphere located at 501 to 80 km. Coldest layer of the atmosphere where phenomena like noctilucent clouds and meteor trails may be seen. 50 to 80 km, most meteorites burn up here

post-reproductive ages

45 & up

the world forests are....

5% tree plantations 22% Old growth forests 63% secondary growth forests

Rule of 70

70 / percentage growth rate = doubling time in years

ecology

A biological science that studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment; study of the structure and functions of nature.

boreal forest

A broad band of mixed coniferous and deciduous trees that stretches across northern North America (and also Europe and Asia); its northernmost edge the taiga, integrates with the arctic tundra

Secondary consumer

A carnivore that eats primary consumers

Tertiary consumer

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers

physical change

A change in a substance that does not involve a change in the identity of the substance

chemical change

A change that occurs when one or more substances change into entirely new substances with different properties.

ion

A charged atom (either + or -)

Food web

A complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic levels

Carnivore

A consumer that eats other consumers

Herbivore

A consumer that eats producers (also known as Primary consumer)

permafrost

A layer of permanently frozen subsoil found in the tundra

Limiting nutrient

A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients

Nitrogen fixation

A process by which some organisms can convert nitrogen gas molecules directly into ammonia

element

A pure substance made of only one kind of atom

Trophic pyramid

A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels

environmental worldview

A set of assumptions and beliefs including how people think the world works, what they think their role in the world should be, and what they believe is right and wrong environmental behavior.

foundation species

A species that has a strong role in structuring a community (can occupy any tropic level)

endangered species

A species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction

environment

All external conditions and factors, living and nonliving (chemicals and energy) that affect any living organism or other specified system.

Environmental Resistance

All of the limiting factors that act together to limit the growth of a population.

ecological footprint

Amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply a population with the renewable resources it uses and to absorb or dispose of the wastes from such resource use. It measures the average environmental impact of populations in different countries and areas.

per capita ecological footprint

Amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply each person or population with the renewable resources it uses and to absorb or dispose of the wastes from such resource use. It measures the average environmental impact of individuals or populations in different countries and areas.

el nino

An abnormal climate event that occurs every two to seven years in the pacific ocean. This change in wind intensity and direction creates a change in the surface water temperature producing a warm current, effecting weather events and the availability of nutrients for ocean life.

Camouflage

An animal's natural coloring or form that enables it to blend in with its surroundings.

Climax Community

An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment. A climax community is the final stage of succession, remaining relatively unchanged until destroyed by an event such as fire or human interference.

Disturbance

An event, caused by physical , chemical, or biological agents, resulting in changes in population size or community composition

Commensalism

An interaction between organisms of different species in which one type of organism benefits and the other type is neither helped nor harmed to any great degree.

environmental science

An interdisciplinary study that uses information from the physical and social sciences to learn how the Earth works, how we interact with the Earth, and how to deal with environmental problems.

Scavenger

An organism that consumes dead animals

Consumer

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms (also known as heterotroph)

Detritivore

An organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles

Producer

An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy (also known as autotroph)

science

An organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world.

pollution

An undesirable change in the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air, water, soil, or food that can adversely affect the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms.

Omnivore

Animal that can use both plants and other animals as food sources.

Carnivore

Animal that feeds on other animals.

per capita GDP

Annual gross domestic product (GDP) of a country divided by its total population at midyear. It gives the average slice of the economic pie per person.

gross domestic product (GDP)

Annual market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations, foreign and domestic, operating within a country.

adaptation

Any genetically controlled structural, physiological, or behavioral characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions. It usually results from a beneficial mutation.

adaptive trait

Any genetically controlled structural, physiological, or behavioral characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions. It usually results from a beneficial mutation.

isotopes

Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.

Interspecific Competition

Attempts by members of two or more different species to use the same limited resources in an ecosystem.

Intraspecific Competition

Attempts by two or more organisms of a single species to use the same limited resources in an ecosystem.

Developing Countries

Bangladesh, India, etc.

mass extinction

Catastrophic, widespread, often global event in which major groups of species are wiped out over a short time compared with normal (background) extinctions.

positive feedback loop

Causes a system to change further in the same direction.

biological evolution

Change in the genetic makeup of a population of a species in successive generations. If continued long enough, it can lead to the formation of a new species. Note that populations, not individuals, evolve.

evolution

Change in the genetic makeup of a population of a species in successive generations. If continued long enough, it can lead to the formation of a new species. Note that populations, not individuals, evolve.

recycling

Collecting and reprocessing a resource so that it can be made into new products. An example is collecting aluminum cans, melting them down, and using the aluminum to make new cans or other aluminum products.

extinction

Complete disappearance of a species from the earth. It happens when a species cannot adapt and successfully reproduce under new environmental conditions or when a species evolves into one or more new species.

inorganic compounds

Compounds that do not contain carbon

Hot Spots

Concentrated areas of biodiversity and rare or potentially endangered species

sound science

Concepts and ideas that are widely accepted by experts in a particular field of the natural or social sciences.

Polar cells

Convection cells located at the 60's and 90's degree latitude

developing country

Country that has low to moderate industrialization and low to moderate per capita GDP. Most are located in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

developed country

Country that is highly industrialized and has a high per capita GDP.

genes

DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission.

Antinatalist

Decrease the likeliness of having children.

species evenness

Degree to which comparative numbers of individuals of each of the species present in a community are similar.

tragedy of the commons

Depletion or degradation of a potentially renewable resource to which people have free and unmanaged access. An example is the depletion of commercially desirable fish species in the open ocean beyond areas controlled by coastal countries.

environmental degradation

Depletion or destruction of a potentially renewable resource such as soil, grassland, forest, or wildlife that is used faster than it is naturally replenished.

scientific (natural) law

Description of what scientists find happening in nature repeatedly in the same way, without known explanation.

environmentally sustainable economic development

Development that encourages forms of economic growth that meet the basic needs of the current generations of humans and other species without preventing future generations of humans and other species from meeting their basic needs; it also discourages environmentally harmful and unsustainable forms of economic growth. It is the economic component of an environmentally sustainable society.

pollution prevention (input pollution control)

Device or process that prevents a potential pollutant from forming or entering the environment or sharply reduces the amount entering the environment.

pollution cleanup (output pollution control)

Device or process that removes or reduces the level of a pollutant after it has been produced or has entered the environment. Examples include automobile emission control devices and sewage treatment planets.

perpetual resource

Essentially inexhaustible resource on a human time scale because it is renewed continuously. Solar energy is an example.

second law of thermodynamics

Every energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe.

Coevolution

Evolution in which two or more species interact and exert selective pressures on each other that can lead each species to undergo adaptations.

troposphere

Extends about 17 kilometers above earth's surface. Contains the air we breath

data

Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis

Asian carp

Fish, outcompeting native fish in the Mississippi River system by eating a tremendous amount of plankton and leaping from one body of water; threaten to enter the Great Lakes

speciation

Formation of two species from one species because of divergent natural selection in response to changes in environmental conditions; usually takes thousands of years.

green house gases

Gases in the atmosphere that trap heat including CO2 -carbon dioxide, N2O -nitrous oxide , CH4- methane, H2O- water vapor, O3-Ozone and halocarbons like Chlorofluorocarbons or CFC's.

chromosome

Genetic information bundled into packages of DNA

species

Group of similar organisms, and for sexually reproducing organisms, they are a set of individuals that can mate and produce fertile offspring. Every organism is a member of a certain species.

Key Concepts

HUman Impacts on biodiversity Conservation biology public lands forest resources tropical deforestation threats to parks nature reserves wilderness ecological restoration sustaining biodiversity

HIPPCO

Habitat destruction, Invasive Species, Population growth, Pollution, Climate Change, Overexploitations

sustainable yield

Highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply.

Case Study: Plant Earth: Population 7 Billion

Homo-sapiens took 200,00 years to reach 2 billion, another 5 years to double, and less than 25 years to add another 2 billion.; 12 years later, population is 7.1 billion

environmental ethics

Human beliefs about what is right or wrong with how we treat the environment.

Anthropogenic

Human-induced changes on the natural environment

Density-Independent Population Control

Impact does not depend on size of the population

economic development

Improvement of human living standards by economic growth.

poverty

Inability to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

economic growth

Increase in the capacity to provide people with goods and services; an increase in gross domestic product (GDP).

Pronatalist

Increase the likeliness of having children

Affects Life Expectancy the most

Infant mortality rate

Parasitism

Interaction between species in which one organism, called the parasite, preys on another organism, by living on or in the host.

Predation

Interaction in which an organism of one species (the predator) captures and feeds on parts or all of an organism of another species (the prey).

Selective cutting

Intermediate aged or mature trees in an uneven- aged forests are cut

Macronutrients

Key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur

non-point source

Large or dispersed land areas such as crop fields, streets, and lawns that discharge pollutants into the environment over a large area.

Exotic Pet Trade

Legal and illegal capture and sale of wild species of plants and animals for huge profits

reproductive isolation

Long-term geographic separation of members of a particular sexually reproducing species.

Hypoxic

Low in oxygen

Population Dynamics

Major abiotic and biotic factors tend to increase or decrease the population size and affect the age and sex composition of a species

ocean currents

Mass movements of surface water produced by prevailing winds blowing over the oceans and the rising and sinking of water due to temperature and density.

Law of Conservation of Mass

Matter is not created nor destroyed in any chemical or physical change

high-quality matter

Matter that is concentrated and contains a high concentration of a useful resource

low quality matter

Matter that is dilute or dispersed or contains a low concentration of a useful resource (low ability to do work)

Carrying Capacity

Maximum population that the habitat can support at a given time.

Biotic Potential

Maximum rate at which the population can increase when there are no limits on growth.

Ferrel cells

Mid-latitude convection cells that create westerlies (winds) between 30 and 60 degrees latitude.

Immigration

Migration "In"

Emigration

Migration "Out"

National wilderness Preservation Systems

Most restricted -managed by the agencies in charge of those lands

Invasive Species

Non-native Kudzu plants out-competing local southeastern plants for resources

background extinction rate

Normal extinction of various species as a result of changes in local environmental conditions.

species diversity

Number of different species (species richness) combined with the relative abundance of individuals within each of those species (species evenness) in a given area.

feedback loop

Occurs when an output of matter, energy, or information is fed back into the system as an input and leads to changes in that system.

Inbreeding

Only being able to breed with a small family or population. Reduces genetic diversity & increases chances for diseases or malformations

Bad News for the worlds Forests

Over the past 8,000 years humans have reduced original forest cover by 20-50%

Age Structure

Percentage (Or number) Of people within each sex at each level in a population. Shown in a population pyramid.

habitat

Place or type of place where an organism or population of organisms lives. Compare ecological niche.

Herbivore

Plant-Eating Organism.

Logistic Growth

Population increases exponentially when small, slows down and declines when big.

social capital

Positive force created when people with different views and values find common ground and work together to build understanding, trust, and informed shared visions of what their communities, states, nations and the world could and should be.

protons

Positively charged particles

Pursuit and Ambush

Predation style that includes attacking prey by chasing or sneaking up on their prey.

Ways to prevent devastating wildfires

Prevention Prescribed Burning (prevents buildup of flammable materials) -requires careful monitoring to prevent them from getting out of hand

natural selection

Process by which a particular beneficial gene (or set of genes) is reproduced in succeeding generations more than other genes. The result of natural selection is a population that contains a greater proportion of organisms better adapted to certain environmental conditions.

artificial selection

Process by which humans select one or more desirable genetic traits in the population of a plant or animal species and then use selective breeding to produce populations containing many individuals with the desired traits.

Resource Partitioning

Process of dividing resources in an ecosystem so that species with overlapping ecological niches use the same scarce resources in different times, ways, or places.

Deliberately introduced species:

Purple Loosestrife Kudzu Vine African honeybee (killer bee) Japanese beetle Euro. Wild Boar (Feral Pig)

gene mutation

Random change in DNA molecules making up genes that can alter anatomy, physiology, or behavior in offspring.

mutation

Random change in DNA molecules making up genes that can alter anatomy, physiology, or behavior in offspring. See mutagen.

Intrinsic Rate of Increase

Rate at which a population could grow if it had unlimited resources.

throughputs (flows)

Rate of flow of matter, energy, or information through a system.

Predator-Prey Relationship

Relationship that has evolved between two organisms, in which one organism has become the prey for the other, the latter called the predator.

renewable resource

Resource that can be replenished rapidly (hours to several decades) through natural processes as long as it is not used up faster than it is replaced. Examples include trees in forests, grasses in grasslands, wild animals, fresh surface water in lakes and streams, most groundwater, fresh air, and fertile soil.

nonrenewable resource

Resource that exists in a fixed amount (stock) in the Earth's crust and has the potential for renewal by geological, physical, and chemical processes taking place over hundreds of millions to billions of years. Examples include copper, aluminum, coal, and oil.

common-property (free-access) resource

Resource that people normally are free to use; each user can deplete or degrade the available supply. Most such resources are renewable and owned by no one. Examples include clean air, fish in parts of the ocean not under the control of a coastal country, migratory birds, gases of the lower atmosphere, and the ozone content of the upper atmosphere (stratosphere).

Doubling Time

Rule of 70 or 70%/annual growth rate

keystone species

Species that play roles affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem.

density-dependent growth limiting factors for human population

Scarcity of food, competition for resources, disease.

Tree Harvesting Techniques

Selective Cutting Shelterwood cutting seed-tree cutting clear cutting strip cutting

geographic isolation

Separation of populations of a species into different areas for long periods of time.

Demographic Bottleneck

Sharp reduction in population due to human activity, natural disasters, or intense competition. Lowers Biodiversity.

point source

Single identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the environment. Examples include the smokestack of a power plant or industrial plant, drainpipe of a meatpacking plant, chimney of a house, or exhaust pipe of an automobile.

fossils

Skeletons, bones, shells, body parts, leaves, seeds, or impressions of such items that provide recognizable evidence of organisms that lived long ago.

Results of a population of mostly older people

Slow decline = manageable Rapid decline = economic problems, less people working, labor shortages

environmentalism

Social movement dedicated to protecting the earth's life-support systems for us and other species.

environmentally sustainable society

Society that meets the current and future basic needs of its people for basic resources in a just and equitable manner without compromising the ability of future generations of humans and other species to meet their basic needs.

Greenhouse effect

Solar energy interacts with carbon dioxide and other gases in the troposphere, where it warms the troposphere

solar capital

Solar energy that warms the planet and supports photosynthesis, the process that plants use to provide food for themselves and for us and other animals. This direct input of solar energy also produces indirect forms of renewable solar energy such as wind and flowing water.

r-Selected Species

Species that can reproduce early in their life span and produce large amounts of short living offspring in a short time.

endemic species

Species that is found in only one area. Such species are especially vulnerable to extinction.

K-Selected Species

Species that make few, large offspring and invest lots of time and energy ensuring that they reach reproductive age

invasive species

Species that migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans.

nonnative species

Species that migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans.

native species

Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem.

Secondary Succession

Succession where land that was previously destroyed, but still considered an ecosystem.

Primary Succession

Succession where there was no ecosystem to start with.

Fires and Forests

Surface Fires Crown Fires Ground Fires

Crown Fires

Surface fires that are extremely hot and move onto the trees and jump from treetop to treetop -destroys alot

biome

Terrestrial regions inhabited by certain types of life, especially vegetation. Examples include various types of deserts, grasslands, and forests.

El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate phenomena that creates fluctuating ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific causing variations in regional climate patterns. The pattern generally fluctuates between three states: warmer than normal central and eastern equatorial Pacific (El Niño), cooler than normal central and eastern equatorial Pacific (La Niña) and neutral.

Evapotranspiration

The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

heat

The total energy transferred between objects

Biomass

The total mass of all living matter in a specific area

edge effect

The condition in which, at ecosystem boundaries, there is greater species diversity and biological density than there is in the heart of ecological communities. When the ecosystem is reduced in size, the edge effect is increased and the core habitat is decreased; this makes the ecosystem more vulnerable.

Background Extinction

The continuous natural extinction rate of species which is typically balanced by the formation of new species is known as this

Nitrification

The conversion of ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate

Denitrification

The conversion of nitrate in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide and, eventually, nitrogen gas, which is emitted into the atmosphere

biodiversity

The diversity of life forms in an environment

Net Primary Productivity

The energy captured by produces in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

Decomposers

The fungi and bacteria that complete the breakdown process by converting organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem.

Leaching

The transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater

differential reproduction

The idea that those best adapted to their environment will be most likely to survive and have offspring

Carbon Cycle

The movement of carbon around the biosphere

Nitrogen cycle

The movement of nitrogen around the biosphere

Phosphorus cycle

The movement of phosphorus (which rarely changes form) around the biosphere

Sulfur cycle

The movement of sulfur around the biosphere

Hydrologic cycle

The movement of water through the biosphere

Biogeochemical cycle

The movements of matter within and between ecosystems

species diversity

The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community.

Immigration

The number of people that permanently move into a country.

Emigration

The number of people that permanently move out of a country

Cellular respiration

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds

Mineralization

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic compounds

Ammonification

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium

Photosynthesis

The process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose

Ecological efficiency

The proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another

genetic diversity

The range of genetic material present in a gene pool or population of a species.

Resilience

The rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance

Biosphere

The region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on Earth

Transpiration

The release of water from leaves during photosynthesis

Restoration ecology

The study and implementation of restoring damaged ecosystems

Trophic levels

The successive levels of organisms consuming one another

Gross Primary Productivity

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

environmental wisdom worldview

The view that we are part of and totally dependent on nature and that nature exists for all species, not just for us; therefore, we should encourage earth-sustaining forms of economic growth and discourage earth-degrading forms. Our success depends on learning how the earth sustains itself and integrating such environmental wisdom into the ways we think and act.

planetary management worldview

The view that we are separate from nature and that nature exists mainly to meet our increasing needs and wants. We can use our ingenuity and technology to manage the Earth's life-support systems, mostly for our benefit. Economic growth is essentially unlimited.

stewardship worldview

The view that we can manage the earth for our benefit, but we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers, or stewards, of the earth. This view calls for environmentally beneficial forms of economic growth and discourages environmentally harmful forms.

cultural carrying capacity

This would be an optimum level that would allow most people to live in reasonable comfort and freedom without impairing the ability of the planet to sustain future generations.

ecological niche

Total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem. It includes all physical, chemical, and biological conditions that a species needs to live and reproduce in an ecosystem.

niche

Total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem. It includes all physical, chemical, and biological conditions that a species needs to live and reproduce in an ecosystem.

layers of the atmosphere

Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere

frontier environmental worldview

View of the European colonists settling North America in the 1600s that the continent had vast resources and was a wilderness to be conquered by settlers clearing and plotting land.

Runoff

Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers

precautionary principle

When a threat is of serious environmental damage, we should not wait for scientific proof before taking action.

ecosystem degradation

When alterations to an ecosystem degrade or destroy habitat *for many species*

Ground Fires

When fires move underground and burn decayed leaves or peat -they are difficult to detect and diminish

theory of evolution

Widely accepted scientific idea that all life-forms developed from earlier life-forms. It is the way most biologists explain how life has changed over the past 3.6?3.8 billion years and why it is so diverse today.

exclusive economic zones

a country's offshore fishing zone extends to 370 kilometers (200 nautical miles) from its shores. When a foreign fishing vessel takes a certain quota with the government's permission, it occurs in this zone.

Atlantic cod fishery

a fishery which collapsed due to overfishing

savanna

a flat grassland in tropical or subtropical regions with scattered trees and bushes

electromagnetic radiation

a form of energy that exhibits wavelike behavior as it travels through space

tropical rain forest

a hot, humid biome near the equator, with much rainfall and a wide variety of life

sharks

a keystone species of the ocean which is threatened by extinction due to fishing for shark fin soup and for meat

time delay

a lack of response during a period of time between the input of a feedback stimulus and the system's response to it.

quagga mussel

a larger and more potentially more destructive species, this mollusk can survive at greater depths and tolerate more extreme temperatures. It has reduced the food supply for many fish and other species causing major destruction to Lake Michigan's food web.

energy quality

a measure of an energy source's capacity to do useful work

matter quality

a measure of how useful a form of matter is to humans

PH

a numeric scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution (0-14)

ionosphere

a region within the mesosphere and thermosphere containing ions that lead to phenomena like Auroras and radio signal deflection.

peer review

a review by people with similar professional qualification

chemical formula

a shorthand way to use chemical symbols and numbers to represent a substance

threatened species

a species at risk, but not yet endangered

Keystone Species

a species that is critical to the functioning of the ecosystem in which it lives because it affects the survival and abundance of many other species in its community

atomic theory

a theory that states that all matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms.

tipping point

a threshold level at which a fundamental shift in the behavior of a system occurs

zebra mussel

a thumbnail-sized mollusk that reproduces rapidly and has no known natural enemies in the Great Lakes. It has depleted the food supply for other aquatic species, clogged irrigation pipes, water supplies, fouled beaches, and jammed ship's rudders

polyp

a tiny animals that form in massive colonies to make up coral reefs. They secrete calcium carbonate CaCO3 and live mutually with zooxanthellae (single-celled algae).

tundra

a vast treeless plain in the arctic regions between the ice cap and the tree line; characterized by cold, harsh winters, a short growing season, and potential for frost any month of the year; vegetation includes low-growing perennial plants, mosses and lichens

Abyssal zone

a vertical zone in the ocean that contains the very deep benthic communities near the bottom of oceans. It remains in perpetual darkness and never receives daylight. Its permanent inhabitants, like the black swallower, tripod fish, deep-sea anglerfish and the giant squid, are able to withstand the immense pressures of the ocean depths. These regions are also characterized by continuous cold and lack of nutrients. The zone above is the bathyal zone.

Bathyal zone

a verticle zone in the ocean that is just below and is less populated than the euphotic zone. Sunlight does not reach here, so it is known as the midnight zone. Some species do not have eyes, however those possessing eyes in this zone include the viperfish and the frill shark. Many forms of nekton live in the bathyal zone, such as squid, large whales and octopuses, but this zone is difficult for fish to live in. Sponges, brachiopods, sea stars, and echinoids are also common in this zone. Some of the world's largest whales feed here.

scientific theory

a well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations

Tree fibers include

agriculture residues fast growing crops (kenaf)

Shelterwood Cutting

all mature trees are removed in an area in 2 to 3 cuttings over time to provide space for new trees that prefer full or moderate sunlight and room to spread out as they grow

Clear Cuttings

all trees are removed

individual transfer rights / fish shares

allows countries to catch certain quantities of fish and to sell or lease their shares

intertidal zone

also known as the foreshore and seashore and sometimes referred to as the littoral zone, is the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide. This area can include many different types of habitats, with many types of animals like starfish, sea urchins, and some species of coral. Organisms in the this zone are adapted to an environment of harsh extremes. Water is available regularly with the tides but varies from fresh with rain to highly saline and dry salt with drying between tidal inundations. The action of waves can dislodge residents in the zone. With the zone's high exposure to the sun the temperature range can be anything from very hot with full sun to near freezing in colder climates.

death rate (crude death rate)

amount of deaths per 1000 in a population a year

infant mortality rate

amount of youth per 1,000 births who die before age 1 -indicator -number of babies who die before 1 out of 1000 -6.3 in developed -59 in developing -indicates lack of food, malnutrition, infection, disease -over 4 mil annually (11,000 daily) -higher than US: Taiwan, Cuba, Europe 1) inadequate healthcare 2) drug addiction 3) teen pregnancy

delta

an area at the mouth of a river that was built up by deposited sediment and contains coastal wetlands and estuaries.

ozone layer

an area found in the stratosphere layer of the atmosphere that filters out most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays

organism

an individual living being

CITES

an international treaty banning the hunting and trade of endangered species -Created a list of animals which must be protected by countries who sign

feedback

any process that increases or decreases a change to a system

freshwater life zones

aquatic life zones that include lakes, rivers, streams, and inland wetlands.

saltwater or marine life zones

aquatic life zones that include oceans and their bays, estuaries, coastal wetlands, shorelines, coral reefs, and mangrove forests.

plankton

are any drifting organisms (animals, plants, archaea, or bacteria) that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. They are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification. They provide a crucial source of food to larger, more familiar aquatic organisms such as fish and whales.

canal

are man-made channels for water.

Biodiversity Hotspots

are the most desired location for nature reserves

tides

are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth. Most places in the ocean usually experience two highes and two lows each day (semi-diurnal ), but some locations experience only one high and one low each day (diurnal ).

fishprint

area of ocean needed to sustain the consumption of an average person, a nation, or the world

marine reserves

areas that are declared off-limits to destructive human activities in order to enable their ecosystems to recover and flourish

adiabatic cooling and heating

as air rises it expands due to less pressure and therefore less density. As it expands it cools. When cool air sinks pressure is increased and therefore density, sinking air is being heated.

demographic transition

as countries become industrialized, first their death rates and then their birth rates decline.

stratosphere

atmospheric layer that is 12 to 50 km in elevation, Ozone held here, absorbs UV radiation. Jet stream is in this layer.

Restoration

attempting to return a disturbed area to its original, natural state

Rehabilitation

attempts to turn a degraded ecosystem into a functional or useful ecosystem without fully restoring it to its original condition

total fertility rate (TFR)

average amount of children a women has during her reproductive years

desert

biome in which evaporation exceeds precipitation and the average amount of precipitation is less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) per year; such areas have little vegetation or have widely spaced, mostly low vegetation

taiga

biome in which the winters are cold but summers are mild enough to allow the ground to thaw; , The northernmost edge of the boreal forest, including species-poor woodland and peat deposits; integrating with the arctic tundra

pre-reproductive ages

birth to 14

sustainable seafood

bottom-up pressure from consumers demanding more responsible fishing practices

Inbreeding

breed from closely related people or animals, especially over many generations.

Surface Fires

burns only the undergrowth and leaf litter on the forest flow -occasional surface fires are food for preventing hazardous fires, more nutrients

energy

capacity to do work by performing tasks or causing heat transfer

Certifying Timber

certify timber if it is being sustainable grown and harvested

nuclear charge

chage in mass number

remediation

cleaning up chemical contaminants from a site to protect human health and as a first step towards redevelopment

microclimate

climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area

turbidity

cloudiness in aquatic ecosystems that can result from algal growth or from disturbances such as clearing of land and its runoff.

fossil feuls

coal, oil, and natural gas that form from the remains of plants and other organisms that were buried and altered for more than a million years

Edge Habitat

edge effects refer to the changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats.

scientific hypothesis

educated guess that attempts to explain a scientific law or certain scientific observations

first law of thermodynamics (law of conservation of energy)

energy cannot be created or destroyed \

kinetic energy

energy of motion

multispecies management

estimates a number of interacting species, taking into account their predator-prey relationships

jellyfish

free-swimming sea animal with a bell-shaped, jelly-like body and stinging tentacles; population is increasing rapidly due to absence of predators, warmer waters, and nutrient runoff which increases plankton, on which they feed; threaten to take over entire ecosystems

lotic freshwater life zones

freshwater life zones that include flowing water such as streams and rivers.

lentic freshwater life zones

freshwater life zones that include standing water such as lakes, ponds, and inland wetlands.

population

group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place

population change

growth or decline of a population due to fertility mortality, and migration -PC= (births + immigration) - (deaths + immigration)

Pioneer Species

hardy species which are the first to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems, beginning a chain of ecological succession that ultimately leads to a more biodiverse steady-state ecosystem

maximum sustained yield

harvesting at a level that produces a constant yield without forcing a population into decline

sea turtles

in danger of extinction due to pollution, hunting for shells and eggs, rising sea levels, and destruction of coral reefs by trawling

demo. transition Stage 3

industrial birth and death rates drop

lionfish

invasive species which destroys fish that inhabit coral reefs

atoll

is a coral island (or islands) that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.

mangrove forest

is a distinct saline woodland or shrubland habitat characterized by a depositional coastal environments, where fine sediments (often with high organic content) collect in areas protected from high-energy wave action. They dominate three quarters of tropical coastlines. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater, to water concentrated by evaporation to over twice the salinity of ocean seawater.

integrated coastal management

is a process for the management of the coast using an integrated approach, regarding all aspects of the coastal zone, including geographical and political boundaries, in an attempt to achieve sustainability.

thermocline

is a thin but distinct layer in an ocean in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below. It may be thought of as an invisible blanket which separates the upper mixed layer from the calm deep water below.

levee or dyke

is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels. It is usually earthen and often parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlines.

replacement-level fertility rate

is the average number of children that couples in a population must bear to replace themselves.

continental shelf

is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of it was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, it's name was given a legal definition as the stretch of the seabed adjacent to the shores of a particular country to which it belongs. Such shores are also known as territorial waters.

chemical reaction

is the process in which a chemical chage occurs

Habitat Fragmentation

is when large areas of habitat are divided typically by roads, crop fields or projects -blocks animals migration routes -animals are more vulnerable to die because of the small, inclosed space

plastic ocean pollution

kills birds and mammals which think it is food

mesotrophic lakes

lakes that do not have too much nutrient enrichment or too little.

lakes

large natural bodies of standing freshwater formed when precipitation, runoff, streams, rivers, and groundwater seepage fill depressions in the earth's surface. Glaciers and volcanic activity can cause the depressions in the surface.

measure of overall health

life expectancy infant mortality rate

rain shadow effect

low precipitation on the far side (leeward side) of a mountain when prevailing winds flow up and over a high mountain or range of high mountains; this creates semiarid and arid conditions on the leeward side of a high mountain range

barrier islands

low, narrow, sandy islands that form offshore, parallel to nearby coastlines.

hydrosphere

made up of all the water on or near the earth's surface.

geosphere

made up of the earth's core, mantle and crust

Population Density

measurement of population per unit area or unit volume

Good News for the worlds forests

more forests are coming

upwelling

movement of nutrient-rich bottom water to the ocean's surface; it can occur far from shore but usually takes place along certain steep coastal areas where the surface layer of ocean water is pushed away from shore and replaced by cold, nutrient-rich bottom water

Conservation Biodiversity

multidisciplinary science developed in the 70s to slow the rate of biodiversity loss take action to protect hot spots

synergistic interaction (synergy)

occurs when two or more processes interact so that the combined effect is greater than the sum of their separate effects

high seas

ocean areas beyond the legal jurisdiction of any country where it is hard to monitor and enforce the laws and treaties pertaining to them.

polar

of or existing at or near a geographical pole or within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles; extremely cold

Nature reserves

only 7% of terrestrial systems are strictly protected from human activities in nature reserves -should set aside 20% of earths land

High Quality Energy

organized & concentrated; can perform useful work (fossil fuel & nuclear)

commercial extinction

overfishing leads to a time when it is no longer profitable to continue harvesting the affected species

sea lamprey

parasite that attaches itself to almost any kind of fish and kills the victim by sucking out its blood

open sea

part of an ocean that lies beyond the continental shelf.

Environmental refugees

people who migrate due to shortages of food and water

climate

physical properties of the troposphere of an area based on analysis of its weather records over a long period (at least 30 years); the two main factors determining this in an area are the temperature, with its seasonal variations, and the amount and distribution of precipitation

communities

populations of different species living in a particular place.

demo. transition Stage 4

postindustrial pop. growth levels off and declines births < deaths

Overexploitation

practice of harvesting or hunting to such a degree that remaining individuals may not be able to replenish the population

demo. transition Stage 1

preindustrial -high birth and death rates

Fronteir science

primarily scientific science but has not been modeled and tested (enviro. science vs. physics)

family planning

reduces # of births & abortions -info about birth spacing, birth control, & health care -responsible for 55% drop in TFRS in developing countries -reduced both legal and illegal abortions

Replacement

replacing a degraded ecosystem with another type of ecosystem

population decline bc of deaths

serious consequences disrupts economic and social structure -life expectancy drops -deaths are young adults = loss of people who help run country and everyday life -less people to repopulate ex: AIDS

weather

short-term changes in the temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloud cover, wind direction and speed, and other conditions in the troposphere at a given place and time

climate graph

shows the average temperatures and precipitation in a place

Tropical Deforestation

since 1950 more than 1/2 of the tropical forests have been cut down -because more than half the terrestrial plants and animals live there

cells

smallest living units in organisms

atom

smallest whole particle of matter. building block of chemical elements

potential energy

stored energy in an object

Second-growth Forests

strand of trees resulting from secondary succession

optimum sustained yield

takes into account interactions among species and provides more room for error

Deforestation

temporary or permanent removal of large exppanses of forest for agriculture or other uses (many negative effects)

Evolutionary Divergence

the accumulation of differences between groups which can lead to the formation of new species, usually a result of diffusion of the same species to different and isolated environments which blocks the gene flow among the distinct populations allowing differentiated fixation of characteristics

salinity

the amounts of various salts such as NaCl dissolved in a given volume of water.

life expectancy

the average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live

green house effect

the capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat, thereby warming the earth. Heat is trapped when it is re-radiated from Earth which converts incoming sunlight to longer wavelengths.

age structure

the distribution of males and females among age groups in a population—in this case, the world population.

Density-Dependent Population Control

the effect of the factor on the size of the population depends upon the original density or size of the population

marine protected areas (MPAs)

the global system of areas of ocean partially protected from human activities; there are more than 4,000 MPAs (write it out) worldwide

troposphere

the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs and where people live. It has the highest density of air and the temperature decreases as the elevation increases.

fertility rate

the number of children born to a woman during her lifetime.

birth rate, or crude birth rate

the number of live births per 1,000 people in a population in a given year

Atomic number

the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

Ecotourism

the practice and business of recreational travel based on concern for the environment

Ecological Restoration

the process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and dynamics of natural ecosystems

filter feeders

these are a type of organism, such as oysters, clams, and sponges, that pass water through or over their bodies and extract nutrients from it.

coastal wetlands

these are coastal land areas covered with water all or part of the year- include river mouths, inlets, bays, sounds, coastal marshes, and mangrove forests. They are some of the earth's most productive ecosystems.

oligotrophic lakes

these are lakes that have a small supply of plant nutrients, thus, have low net primary productivity. They are often deep and have steep banks. These lakes are typically supplied by glaciers and are crystal clear.

inland wetlands

these are lands located away from coastal areas that are covered with freshwater all or part of the time- excluding lakes, reservoirs, and streams. They include marshes, swamps, prairie holes, floodplains, and the arctic tundra in the summer.

benthos

these are organisms that are bottom-dwellers such as oysters and sea stars, which anchor themselves to ocean bottom structures; clams and worms, which burrow into the sand or mud; and lobsters and crabs, which walk about on the sea floor.

zooplankton

these are plankton that are primary consumbers (herbivores), which feed on phytoplankton, and secondary consumers, which feed on others in this group.

phytoplankton

these are plankton that live near the water surface where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis.

ultraplankton

these are tiny plankton that are photosynthetic bacteria and are responsible for 70% of the primary productivity near the ocean surface.

seasonal wetlands

these are wetlands that remain under water or are soggy for only a short time each year.

Estuaries

these are where rives meet the sea. They are partially enclosed bodies of water where seawater mixes with freshwater as well as nutrients and pollutants from streams, rivers, and runoff from the land.

sea grass beds

these consist of at least 60 species of plants that grow underwater in shallow marine and estuarine areas along most continental coastlines. They support a variety of marine life and stabilize shorelines and reduce wave impacts. Think manatee!

nekton

these organisms are strong swimming consumers such as fish, turtles, and whales.

decomposers

these organisms, mostly bacteria, break down organic compounds in the dead bodies and wastes of aquatic organisms into nutrients that aquatic primary producers can use.

zooxanthellae or single celled algae

they live mutually with polyps to form coral reefs. They provide the polyps with food and O2 from photosynthesis.

Atmosphere

thin spherical envelope of gases surrounding the earth's surface.

mitigation banking

this allows destruction of existing wetlands as long as an equal area of the same type of wetland is created or restored

long-lining

this fish catching process involves putting out lines up to 100 km (60 mi) long, hung with thousands of baited hooks, that catch not only fish but endangered sea turtles, dolphins, and seabirds each year

trawler fishing

this involves dragging a funnel-shaped net held open at the neck along the ocean bottom. It is weighted down with with chains or metal plates scrapping up almost everything that lies on the ocean floor and often destroys bottom habitats (think ocean clear cutting)

dam

this is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. They generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water.

marine snow

this is a continuous shower of mostly organic detritus falling from the upper layers of the water column. It is a significant means of exporting energy from the light-rich photic zone to the aphotic zone below. It can be an important food source for organisms living in the aphotic zone, particularly for organisms which live very deep in the water column.

eutrophic lakes

this is a lake that has a large supply of nutrients, thus high net primary productivity. They are typically shallow and have murky brown or green water with high turbidity.

profundal zone

this is a layer of deep, open water in a lake where it is too dark for photosynthesis. Oxygen levels are low here. Fishes adapted to the lake's cooler and darker water are found here.

coastal zone

this is a major life zone of marine aquatic ecosystems. It is warm, nutrient-rich, shallow, and extends from the high tide mark on land to the gently shlopin, shallow edge of the continental shelf. It contains 90% of all marine species and is the site of most large commercial marine fisheries.

floodplain zone

this is an aquatic life zone of moving water. It flows through flat or nearly flat land adjacent to it and the land experiences flooding during periods of high discharge. It usually has higher temperatures and less DO. It supports a fairly large population of producers. The waters are murky.

transition zone

this is an aquatic life zone of moving water. It is somewhat wide, warm, and deep. It can be turbid and has less DO than source zone. It supports more producers than source zone and has warm-water fish species such as black bass.

source zone

this is an aquatic life zone of moving water. It is where headwaters, or highland streams are usually shallow, cold, clear, and swiftly flowing. There is a lot of DO, but low nutrients, so low in productivity. It is populated by cold-water fish species and alge and mosses adapted to this environment.

watershed or drainage basin

this is an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean.

upwelling

this is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface, replacing the warmer, usually nutrient-depleted surface water. The increased availability in these regions results in high levels of primary productivity and thus fishery production. Ones that are driven by coastal currents or diverging open ocean have the greatest impact on nutrient-enriched waters and global fishery yields.

surface water

this is precipitation that does not sink into the ground or evaporate.

runoff

this is surface water that flows into streams.

benthic zone

this is the bottom layer of a lake, inhabited mostly by decomposers, detritus feeders, and some species of fish. It is nourished mainly by dead matter that falls from the zones above and by the sediment washing into the lake.

Chesapeake Bay

this is the largest estuary in the U.S. and it has been in serious trouble from water pollution, mostly due to human activities. It's oyster population has declined severely.

aquatic life zones

this is the name for saltwater and freshwater biomes.

littoral zone

this is the top layer and part of a lake that is close to the shore. It has high biological diversity because of the ample sunlight and input of nutrients from the surrounding land. Species may include: rooted plants, turtles, frogs, crayfish, and fish such as bass, perch, and carp.

euphotic or photic zone

this is the upper layer of aquatic ecosystems through which light can penetrate.

limnetic zone

this is the well-lit, open surface waters in a lake, away from the shore. It can be defined as the lighted surface waters in the area where the lake bottom is too deep and unlit to support rooted aquatic plants. This area is occupied by a variety of phytoplankton, consisting of algae and cyanobacteria, as well as zooplankton, small crustaceans, and fish. Most photosynthesis takes place in this part of the lake.

coral bleaching

this occurs when stresses such as increased temperature and acidity of ocean water kill polyps in coral reefs.

nucleus

tiny center of an atom

demo. transition Stage 2

transitional -birth rates high, death rates drop

hadley cells

transport heat from the equator to 30 degrees latitude

Genetic Drift

variation in the relative frequency of different genotypes in a small population, owing to the chance disappearance of particular genes as individuals die or do not reproduce.

Strip Cuttings

variation of clear cutting that provides sustainable timber yields with less destruction (cutt parallel to the contour of trees, producing a thin corridors

Cleaning artificial

wetlands

ocean acidification

when CO2 dissolves in seawater, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which lowers ocean pH

purse-seine fishing

when large fishing vessels enclose a school of fish near the surface or in shallow areas which have been known

trophic cascade

when loss of a keystone species cause population declines and extinctions in species related to the keystone species

Tree plantations

where trees are grown and then harvested by clear cutiing for commercial products