APES

Carbon dioxide percentage in dry air

.03

Oxygen percentage in dry air

21

Nitrogen percentage in dry air

78

Forest type in Canada

Boreal forest

What causes depletion of ozone in the stratospheric layer? Tropospheric layer?

CFCs are responsible for depleting ozone in the stratospheric layer. Tropospheric ozone is caused by fossil fuels and industry pollutants reaction with ultraviolet light.

What happens to carbon as it cycles in nature?

Carbon is cycled through the environment by many routes. There are three main ways the carbon cycle works: photosynthesis, respiration, and food webs, sediment storage of carbon, and the oceans. Eventually carbon is recycled into the earth or the atmosphere.

Which US city(ies) has the worst levels of Photochemical smog? Why

Cities that have the worst levels of photochemical smog are the ones that have weather and topography to support it. These are usually urban cities that produce an abundance of air pollution that have access to a lot of sunlight.

Which soil indicated on the soil triangle below would most likely have the highest water-holding capacity?

Clay has the highest water-holding capacity.

In a typical forest, why are dead trees and fallen trees very important?

Dead trees and fallen trees can be used to replenish the soil. Also, dead and fallen trees are an important resource of consumption for decomposers and detritivores.

In a river ecosystem, what do dissolved oxygen levels tell us about the quality of the water?

Dissolved oxygen levels are of great importance because they tell how much life a certain area of water can sustain by telling how much oxygen is in the area.

Describe how a body of water might look if the Turbidity levels are extremely high.

If the turbidity levels of a body of water are high, then it might appear hazy or cloudy.

What effect does logging have near a watershed?

Logging has a detrimental effect near a watershed because of the importance it has by reducing soil erosion and flooding and filtering out pollutants.

What is the advantage of using natural gas verses oil?

Natural gas is more economically-friendly than oil because it has fewer impurities, is less chemically complex, and its combustion generally results in less pollution.

Explain point source pollution?

Point-source pollution results from a singular point or a discrete location, such as a factory or sewer pipe.

Explain population doubling?

Population doubling is when a quantity doubles in a certain amount of time. This is usually applied to things such as population growth, resource extraction, etc.

Explain the difference between a positive and negative feedback loop.

Positive feedback loops enhance or amplify changes while negative feedback loops dampen or buffer changes.

What are three methods to assess the biological diversity of an area?

Simpson Index, the Shannon Index, and counting.

Develop an explanation as to why the maximum sustainable yield for ocean fisheries has been exceeded?

The maximum sustainable yield for ocean fisheries has been exceeded because of overharvesting throughout the years. Fish serve many benefits to people.

What is thermal pollution?

Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.

What is the major cause of ground level ozone in most major US cities?

VOC emissions.

What are 4 negative impacts of Acid Rain?

acidification of lakes and streams, the acceleration of building decay, the damage of trees at high elevations, and the harmful health effects on humans.

Asbestos Health Effects

asbestosis

Why does the atmospheric concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase?

atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increases with deforestation.

Forest type in Russia

boreal forest

Forest type in Western Europe

chaparral

Forest type in Australia

desert/savanna/chaparral/temperate grassland/temperate rainforest

Explain what happens at each step of the water (hydrologic cycle).

evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, and percolation.

Name three sources of point source pollution

factory, a sewer pipe, or a power plant.

Thermosphere Composition

few molecules recieve much energy from the sun

What is photochemical smog?

formed through light-driven chemical reactions of primary pollutants and normal atmospheric compounds that produce a mix of over 100 different chemicals, tropospheric ozone being the most abundant among them.

What are the three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the US?

gaseous air pollutants in the US are industry, transportation, and energy production.

Name 2 contributors to global warming

gases that are part of the "greenhouse effect" and human activity.

Mesosphere Temp.

greater than -100 degrees celcius; less than 0 celsius

Stratosphere Temp.

greater than -60 celsius; less than 0 celsius

Troposhere Temp.

greater than -60 celsius; less than 20 celsius

Provide 3 things a sustainable society would emphasize.

human, environmental, and economic well-being.

Where is most municipal waste disposed of in the US?

landfills

Carbon Monoxide Comes from What?

leaky or unvented gas and wood stoves and furnaces; car left running in garage

Radon Health Effects

lung cancer

Exosphere Composition

merges into space, hydrogen and helium

What type of greenhouse gas does livestock produce?

methane

Carbon Monoxide Health Effects

neural impairment

Troposphere Composition

nitrogen, oxygen, and other small traces of gas

Mesosphere Composition

noctilucent clouds; meteors burn up

Lead Comes from What?

old paint

Exosphere Temp.

over 1000 celsius

Thermosphere Temp.

over 1000 celsius

Stratosphere Composition

ozone layer

Asbestos Comes from What?

pipe insulation; floor and ceiling tiles

Radon Comes from What?

rocks and soil beneath the house

Forest type in Brazil

savanna/tropical dry forest

Buffered

something that lessens or absorbs the shock of an impact

Forest type in Eastern Europe

temperate deciduous rainforest

Forest type in New Zealand

temperate deciduous rainforest

Forest type in China

temperate grassland, desert

Forest type in U.S.

temperate grassland, temperate deciduous rainforest

Explain eutrophication

the process of nutrient enrichment, increased production of organic matter, and subsequent ecosystem degradation in a water body.

Stratified

to divide into a range of classes

Forest type in Indonesia

tropical rainforest

Eutrophic

water body that has high-nutrient and low-oxygen conditions

Name 5 Acts that serve to protect our environment & explain what each does.

→ In 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was put into law which created an agency called the Council on Environmental Quality and required that an environmental impact statement be prepared for any major federal action that might significantly affect environmental quality. → The Clean Air Act regulates air emissions from all stationary and mobile sources to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. → The Clean Water Act regulates water pollution from toxic substances. → The Endangered Species Act is meant to protect endangered species from extinction. → The Fish and Wildlife Act protect fish and wildlife when federal actions result in the control or modification of a body of water.