APES AP TEST (AHHA)

Convention on biological diversity

Allows government to reduce the global rate of biodiversity loss and to equitably share the benefits from world generic ressources

What are tropical forests dominated by?

Broadleaf evergreen plants: keep most of their leaves here around

What is the goal of captive breeding

Building populations to a level where they can be re-introduced into the wild

Temperate decidous forest

Cooler temperatures, if you are decomposers Then tropical forest

less-developed country

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

more-developed country

Country that is highly industrialized and has a high per capita GDP. Compare less-developed country.

What are the four important features of scientific process

Curiosity skepticism reproductivity , peer review

Grasslands

Occur in the interiors of continents and areas that are too moist for deserts to form and too dry for forests to grow

Habitat fragmintation

Occurs when a large, intact area of habitat such as a forest is divided by things like roads and urban development into habitat islands

What produces the most biomass per year than other ecosystems

Oceans

Distinguish among old-growth forests, second-growth forests, and tree plantations.

Old Growth: this, as you can tell by the name is a really old forest, it is uncut and at least 200 years old. These are reservoirs of biodiversity. Second Growth forest: Grows after something happened to the forest like human interference or natural disasters. Plantations: Man made, like christmas tree plantations. Usually consists of one or two types of trees that are all the same age, harvested by clear cutting, this is bad for topsoil. Good for old and second growth forests because it preserves them.

pollution prevention

Device, process, or strategy used to prevent a potential pollutant from forming or entering the environment or to sharply reduce the amount entering the environment. .

input pollution control

Device, process, or strategy used to prevent a potential pollutant from forming or entering the environment or to sharply reduce the amount entering the environment. Compare pollution cleanup. See pollution prevention.

How are forms of electromagnetic radiation different?

Different wavelengths and energy content

Gross primary productivity

Rate at which an ecosystems producers convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of biomass in tissue

Net primary productivity

Rate at which producers use photosynthesis to produce and stored chemical energy minus rate at which they use some of this stored chemical energy through aerobic respiration

Background extinction rate

Rate that existed before modern humans evolved scientists use this to base their work when studying extension

How has the convention on international trade help?

Reduced international trade of these species

Evolutionary biologists attribute our success to what 3 adaptations?

-strong opposable thumbs -ability to walk upright -complex brain

Time delay

Lack of response during period of time between input and systems response

True or false scientific theories are rarely overturned

True, only overturned when evidence discredit them or someone comes up with better explanation

Nuclear fusion

Two nuclei of lighter Adams are fours together and high temperature

Complex carbohydrates

Two or more monomers of simple sugars

synergistic interaction

Two or more processes interact so combined effect is greater than the sum of separate affects

Mutualism

Two species behave in the same way the benefit by providing each with food, shelter, or other resources

Coevolution

Type of natural selection where species interact in such a way that overtime changes in gene pools occur in both predictor and prey species, increasing competition

Permafrost

Underground soil in which captured water stays frozen for more than two consecutive years

pollution

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.

In order To stay alive grow and reproduce producers must use what?

Use chemical energy stored in the biomass

Chemical warfare

Use chemicals that body produces to catch prey

United States

Who is the world's largest importer of wood products?

55%

What percentage of timber cut per year is used for heating and cooking?

lumber for housing, biomass for fuelwood, pulp for paper, medicines, and many other products

What products do forests provide for?

50-80%

What range of percentages of atmospheric water comes from trees via transpiration and evaporation?

In scientific terms when his work done? Equation?

When an object is moved a certain distance Work= force x distance

Second law of thermodynamics

When energy is converted we end up with lower quality and less usable energy

What processes result in the greenhouse effect?

When energy is released into space and when some adds to the warming of lower atmosphere

When does exponential Growth occur in a population

When it has essentially unlimited resources to support growth

Reproductive decay

When nuclear is unstable isotopes emit fast-moving chunks of matter

Parasitism

When one species feeds on another organism, usually by living inside the host. Draws nourishment from them, and weakens them overtime

Food web

When organisms in the ecosystems form a complex network of interconnected food chains

Resource partitioning

When species compete for more similar scarce resources evolve specialized traits that allow them to share resources by using parts of them using a different times or in different ways

Precautionary principle

When substantial preliminary evidence indicates that an activity can harm human health or the environment we should take precautionary measures to prevent or reduce such harm

Functionally extinct

When the population crashes to the point where they can no longer play their functional roles in an ecosystem

First law of thermodynamics

Whenever energy is converted from one form to another and physical or chemical change no energy is created or destroyed

Law of conservation of matter

Whenever matter undergoes a physical or chemical change no atoms are created or destroyed (can only rearrange order of atoms)

principle of sustainable yield, principle of multiple use

Which two principles does the National Forest System operate on?

maximum sustainable yeild

a model to project the maximum number of individuals that can be harvested annually from fish to shellfish stocks without causing a population drop

What is an isotope?

atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons (same atomic # but different mass #)

hydrologic cycle

collects, purifies, and distributes the earth's fixed supply of water

three main processes of hydrologic cycle

evaporation: Conversion of liquid water to vapor precipitation: comes back to Earth's surface as rain, snow, etc transpiration: Process that evaporates water from the surfaces of plants

What are nonrenewable ( exahustible) resources?

exist in a fixed quantity (copper, oil, and coal)

species diversity varies by what?

geographic location

Tectonic plates

gigantic solid plates that drift slowly on the planets mantel, created by molten rock that has broken its surface

what are the different types of natural resources?

inexhaustable resources, renewable resources, nonrenewable reasources or depletable resources

reproductive isolation

mutation and change by natural selection operate independently in the gene pools of geographically isolated populations

what does genetic variability occur through?

mutations

what do evaporation and precipitation act as?

natural distillation process that removes impurities dissolved in the water

what is the major reservoir for the phosphorus cycle?

phosphate salts containing PO4 -3 in terrestrial rock formations and ocean-bottom sediments

Seed banks

places where seeds are stored in order to protect the genetic diversity of the world's crops

mass extinction

significant rise in extinction rates above background level -25-95% . of all species wiped out

what are the three major natural factors that have played key roles in the long term sustainability of life on this planet?

solar energy, chemical cycling, and Biodiversity

Acidic solutions

solutions that have a pH scale value less than 7

whose more prone to extinction; generalists or specialists

specialists since they have narrow niches

local extinction

species becomes extinct over a large region, not globaly

endemic species

species only found in one region, vulnerable to extinction

nonnative species

species that migrate into, or are deliberately/ accidentally introduced to a community/ecosystem

native species

species that normally live and thrive in particular ecosystems

indicator species

species that provides early warning of damage to a community/ecosystem (birds and some butterflies)

keystone species

species whose role has a large effect on types of other species in an ecosystem -exist in small number

greater species richness and productivity will make an ecosystem more what?

stable and sustainable

Background extinction rate

standard rate of extinction

What is a compound?

substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions

What are the major sources and effects of the following air pollutants:

sulfur dioxide a colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs. About a third of the SO2 in the atmosphere comes from natural sources such as volcanic activity, while the rest comes mostly from the human activities listed in the previous section. Sulfur dioxide can intensify some people's breathing problems. It also contributes to a haze in the air that reduces visibility, and it can damage trees, crops, soils, and aquatic life in lakes. ------------------------- sulfuric acid and sulfate salts, Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere is often converted into tiny suspended droplets of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and particles of sulfate salts (SO42−). These suspended acidic droplets and particles eventually fall to the earth's surface or are washed out of the air by rain or snow as acid rain or acid deposition. These sulfuric pollutants have the same ill effects as sulfur dioxide, and they can also harm trees, corrode metals, and damage materials such as paint and the stone used in statues and on buildings. ------------------------------ nitrogen compounds Two types of nitrogen oxides (both commonly referred to as NOX) act as air pollutants. The first, nitric oxide (NO), is a colorless gas produced as part of the nitrogen cycle by lightning and by various bacteria in soil and water. It also forms when the nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) gases in air react with the high temperatures in automobile engines and coal-burning power and industrial plants. The second NOX is nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a reddish-brown gas. NO and NO2 can irritate the throat, nose, and eyes, and aggravate asthma, bronchitis, and other lung ailments. In the atmosphere, NO2 can react with water vapor to form nitric acid (HNO3) and nitrate salts (NO3−), which are components of acid deposition. A fifth air pollutant that also contains nitrogen is nitrous oxide (N2O). It is produced when fossil fuels are burned in motor vehicles and it is emitted into the air from nitrate-containing fertilizers and animal wastes. Some tropical soils and the oceans are natural sources of this gas. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that can contribute to atmospheric warming. It also plays a role in depleting life-sustaining ozone in the stratosphere. -------------- carbon oxides Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, highly toxic gas that forms when carbon-containing fuels and other materials are incompletely burned. Major sources of this pollutant are burning forests and grasslands, people smoking tobacco, and inefficient stoves and open fires used for cooking indoors. When we inhale CO, it reduces the ability of our blood to transport oxygen to body cells and tissues. Long-term exposure to CO can worsen lung diseases such as asthma and emphysema and trigger heart attacks. At high levels, CO can cause drowsiness, confusion, headache, nausea, and, ultimately, death. Another carbon oxide is carbon dioxide (CO2), a colorless, odorless greenhouse gas. About 93% of the CO2 in the troposphere comes from the natural carbon cycle. As noted above, certain human activities have added large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere, and because these rising levels of CO2 are contributing to climate change and causing harm to humans and other organisms, CO2 is classified as a pollutant. ------------------------ ozone Ozone (O3) is highly reactive gas that is a major ingredient of photochemical smog, a form of air pollution common in many urban areas. Ozone in the stratosphere helps sustain life, but ozone in the troposphere can act as an air pollutant. Considerable scientific evidence indicates that some human activities are raising the levels of harmful ozone in the air near the ground and reducing the amount of beneficial ozone in the ozone layer of the lower stratosphere. Ozone can aggravate lung and heart diseases, lessen people's resistance to colds and pneumonia, and irritate the throat, nose, and eyes. It also damages plants, paints, fabrics, and the rubber in tires. ---------------------- volatile organic compounds Organic compounds that exist as gases in the atmosphere are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They include hydrocarbons emitted by certain plants, and methane (CH4), which is also emitted by natural sources such as certain plants and rotting vegetation in wetlands. However, about two-thirds of all emissions of methane come from human sources, including landfills, rice paddies, dairy-and beef-cattle operations, and leaks from oil and natural gas wells and pipelines. Another important VOC is benzene, which is used to make dry-cleaning fluids, industrial solvents, and many other products, including gasoline, certain drugs, synthetic rubber, and plastics. Methane is a greenhouse gas that plays a role in determining global and regional climates. Excessive levels of this gas in the atmosphere due to human activities will likely contribute to projected climate change during this century. Thus, at a certain atmospheric level, methane becomes an air pollutant. Many VOCs contribute to the formation of a type of outdoor air pollution known as photochemical smog and some, such as benzene, can damage bone marrow, harm a developing fetus, and cause cancer (especially leukemia) in humans. ------------------------- particulates Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is a broad term that includes a variety of solid particles and liquid droplets small enough to be suspended in air. The smallest of these particles and droplets can be smaller than one one-hundredth of the diameter of a hair on your head. Most SPM in outdoor air comes from natural sources such as wildfires and sea spray. However, more than a third of it comes from human sources, especially coal-burning power and industrial plants, diesel engines, plowed fields, and construction sites. Indoor SPM comes from tobacco smoke, inefficient heating and cooking stoves, and open cooking fires. SPM can irritate your nose and throat. It can also damage your health or even shorten your life by damaging lungs, causing asthma attacks, and aggravating bronchitis and other lung ailments. It also contributes to haze in the air, and it corrodes metals and discolors paints and clothes.

What does DMs get converted to?

sulfur dioxide and then that gets converted into sulfur trioxide

what is the hydrologic cycle powered by?

sun

Why did Pangea split

tectonic plates moved

where is sulfur stored

terrestrial rock, ocean sediments and fossil fuels

The more diverse an ecosystem is...

the more stable it is

what is natural capital?

the natural resources and natural services that keep us and other forms of life alive and support our economies

species diversity

the number and variety of the species present in any biological community

genetic variability

variety in the genetic makeup of individuals in a population

Biodiversity

variety of Earth's species, or varying life-forms, the genes . they contain, t he ecosystems in which . they . live . and the ecosystem . process such as energy . flow and nutrient cycling that sustain all life

genetic diversity

variety of genes found in a population in a species

Functional diversity

variety of processes such as energy flow and matter cycling that occur within ecosystems as species interact with one another in food chains

grazing animals

animals that are grass-eaters

browsing animals

animals that are shrub-eaters

adaptive trait

any heritable trait that improves the ability of an individual organism to survive and reproduce at a higher rate than those without the trait

Where does the population size stabilize?

Near carrying capacity

3/4 of refugee are vital for

Protecting migratory waterfowl

Mass number

Total number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus

What is a neutral pH?

7.0 H+=OH- even amounts

Earth's life support system consists of what 4 spherical systems?

- The atmosphere - The hydrosphere --The geosphere -biosphere

what percent of earth is covered in water? How much of Earth's water?

71% and 95% of earth's water

What is a basic ph?

8-14 more hydroxide ions than hydrogen

Overfishing has caused the depletion of what percent of wild fish populations

80%

What percent of the oceans water pollution comes from human activities?

80%

Consumers

(Heterotrophs) can't produce nutrients they need through photosynthesis. Get them by feeding

Secondary ecological succession

(More common) series of communities and ecosystems where different species develop in places containing soil or bottom sediment

How do bio invaders affect our environment

- Deplacing and causing the extension of native species -caused huge economic losses -Blamed for 2/3 of all fish extinctions

How is the ocean and atmosphere linked?

- Ocean currents affected by winds in the atmosphere - Heat from Ocean affects atmospheric circulation

Why should we provide the extinction of other species

- They provide vital economic services like pollution - it takes 5 to 10,000,000 years to rebuild biodiversity in a future generations will be harmed - Stewardship world view our species have a right to live

how are we altering the carbon cycle?

- adding large amounts of co2 into the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels -clearing carbon-absorbing vegetation from forests faster than they can grow back

What threatens coral reefs

- coastal development - pollution -Ocean warming/acidification

Why are mountains important?

- contain majority of worlds forests - sanctuary for animals -Critical role in hydrogen cycle of my being majors your house of water

what are the 2 natural processes that covert N2 into compounds that plants and animals can use?

- electrical discharges (lightning) in atmosphere -Nitrogen fixing bacteria convert N2 in water

Identify three factors of how and at what rate succession occurs

- facilitation -inhibition -tolerance

how does the lack of phosphorus effect living things?

- lack of it in soil limits plant growth on land -limits growth of producer populations in fresh water streams since phosphate salts are only slightly soluble in water

Why are refuges bad?

- mining, oil drilling, and use of off-road vehicles occurred in nearly 60% of the nations wildlife refuges -They have little funding

how has human activity affected the Sulfur cycle?

- releasing high amounts of it into atmosphere

2 types of temperate grasslands

- short grass prairie's -Long grass prairie: get more rain

Three factors affecting the circulation of air in the lower atmosphere

- uneven heating of earths surface by the sun -rotation of the earth on its axis -Properties of air, water and land

when do new species form for sexually repruducting organisms

- when one population of species has evolved tot he point where its members can no longer breed and produce with members of another population that did not change.

Misconceptions of biological evolution

-"Survival of the fittest" is a measure of reproductive success not strength -organisms don't develop traits because they need them, has trait that benefits them -Evolution by natural selection involves grand plan in . which species become perfectly adapted. There has been no evidence to make this true

Why is this large scale extension a big deal?

-25 to 50% of species could vanish and because of this so could ecosystems and services

Stratosphere

-2nd layer of atmosphere; extends from 17-50 miles up -absorbs 95% of Ultraviolet radiation;

Physical Limiting factors in aquatic life sounds

-Temperature, sunlight, nutrient availability, acidity, low levels of oxygen gas -salinity

How does biological extinction affect other species

-Can lead to population declines and extinctions of species with strong connections to those extinct - Breakdown of ecosystem services the depend on those connection examples include chemical cycling and energy flow

What does environmental resistance determine?

-Carrying capacity

Effects of habitat fragmentation

-Decrease tree cover - block animal migration -divide population of species (more vulnerable to disease

What are two techniques for preserving endangered terrestrial species

-Egg pulling: involves collecting wild eggs laid by critically endangered bird species and then hatching them in zoos or research centers -captive breeding: species are collected for breeding in captivity with the aim of re-introducing the offspring into the wild

Where does precipitation go?

-Falls directly into a body of water, -surface runoff -groundwater -small amount ends up in living components of ecosystems

What types of animals live in Savannah's in Africa?

-Grazing animals who eat grass -browsing animals: nibble on twigs and leaves

for terrestrial plants and animals, species diversity is high/ low where?

-High in tropics -declines as you move towards poles

Why is preserving marine bio diversity difficult

-Human ecological footprint is growing -damage in oceans not visible to people -people view the oceans as inexhaustible resources -Oceans lie outside legal jurisdiction of any country

Key components of a system include

-Inputs of matter and energy from environment -Flows/through puts of matter and energy within system -Ourpots of matter and energy and environment

How can we protect and sustain marine biodiversity

-International laws and treaties -economic incentives -Educating citizens

Why is secondary ecological succession important?

-It increases biodiversity and communities by increasing species richness and interactions among species -Increase sustainability by promoting population control and complex food webs

Why can't no population species grow Indefinitely

-Limitations on resources in competition with populations of other species for those resources

Which way to Currants turn in the northern and southern hemisphere?

-Northern hemisphere: clockwise -Southern hemisphere: counter clockwise

what are the three factors that sustain life on earth?

-One way flow of high quality energy -cycling of nutrients -gravity

How does natural selection play a role in the pray and predator population's?

-Pray develop streets against predator -Predator games treats to increase ability to catch pray

What is a common limiting factor on land? What is another example

-Precipitation -Too much of a physical/chemical factors

Types of consumers

-Primary consumers -Carnivores -secondary consumers -tertiary consumers -omnivores

what does the cost of price reflect

-Pumping of oil -refining it into gasoline -delivering the gas to stations

What are the different reproductive patterns?

-Read produce at an early age-many of the offsprings die -reproduces later in life - produces less, more likely to survive Most species between these reproductive patterns

four limitations of science

-Science can't prove or disprove anything absolutely (at least 90% probability) - scientists are not free of bias about personal hypothesis and results - Systems in natural world involve large numbers of variables with complex interactions (developed mathematical models) -statistical tools: use statistical sampling to estimate numbers

Why is soil in the desert not nutrient rich?

-Short growing season - Recovers slowly from damage

What are the four steps to thinking critically

-Skeptical to everything -look for any value or evidence - be open to points before conclusion -evaluate personal assumptions bases and beliefs

why is the roll of alligators importaint?

-They dig deep depressions that hold freshwater during dry spells, and serve as refuges for aquatic life, supplies water and food for animals -large nesting mounds provide nesting/feeding sites . for birds -alligators eat gar, a predatory fish: maintains populations of fish that gar eat -gator holes/resting mounds keep shore/open-water areas free of vegetation

What is used to prevent catching sea turtles during commercial fishing

-Use of a turtle excluder device which allows captured see turtles to escape

What does trophic levels in a food chain contain?

-a certain amount of biomass

what 3 things can happen when environmental conditions change?

-adapt -migrate -become extinct

how do we effect Nitrate cycle?

-add large amounts of nitrogen oxide to the atmosphere when we burn gas, fuels and when we use commercial nitrate fertilizers -through action of anerobic bacteria on commercial nitrogen-containing fertilizer or organic animal manure applied to soil - remove large amounts from atmosphere faster than they can be replaced AQUATIC -adding excess nitrate to bodies of water and can cause access growth of algae, disrupting aquatic system

Growing inputs of nitrogen in water or causing...

-algae blooms - lower levels of dissolved oxygen - Fish die off's -Degration of ecosystem services

where do volcanic eruptions occur and how do they effect biological evolution

-along boundaries of tectonic plates -by destroying habitats and reducing, isolating, whipping out populations

How can we sustain freshwater fisheries?

-building and protecting populations of desirable species -preventing overfishing -decreasing populations of less desirable species

how do we release sulfur into atmosphere?

-burn sulfur containing coal and oil to produce electric power -refine oil to make gasoline, heating oil etc extract metals like copper and zinc from sulfur containing rocks

heritable trait

-can be passed from one generation to the next

How can we deal with problems of overfishing and pollution in our communities

-closely monitor and regulate fishing and coastal land development -coastal residents should be careful about chemicals are put on lawns -We must purchase sustainably harvested and sustainably farmed seafood

Treaties that help species from going extinct

-convention on international trade in endangered species: bans hunting, capturing and selling endangered species

How do scientists want to decrease hi extinction rate?

-decrease in biodiversity hotspots - Protected areas where a vital ecosystem services are being threatened

What are some ecological services of rivers?

-deliver nutrients to seas to help sustain coastal fisheries - deposit silt that maintains deltas -purify water -renew and renourish wetlands -provide habitats for wildlife

Why are ocean currents important?

-determine regional climate and key component of the earths natural capital -Redistributes heat from the sun

How has climate change affected biological evolution?

-determine where species can . survive and thrive -changing locations of different ecosystems -extinction of species

How do scientist classifySpecies heading towards extension

-endangered species - Threatened species

How has hunting effected species

-extinct species/threatened species -eating some forms of bush meat has helped spread HIV/AIDES from humans to animals

Why are coastal mangroves being destroyed?

-for firewood -coastal construction -shrimp farming

Most . of what we know about the history of Earth comes from...

-fossils -scientists drill core samples from glacial ice

What are the five basic types of interactions among species?

-interspecific competition -predation -parasitism -mutualism Commensalism

effects of tectonic plate drift on evolution and distribution of life

-location of continents/ oceans influence climate and determine where species can live -Allowed species to move, adapt to new environments, form new species

why are giant pandas endangered?

-low reproductive rate -destruction of forest habitat -poaching (illegal killing)

How to prevent impacts of non-native species

-funding reaserch has problem -increase ground surveys/ data lite observations -treaties banning trade of these species -cargo ships filled with ballast water be replaced with salt water -educate public

What are the three general patterns of marine bio diversity

-greatest marine biodiversity occurs in coral reeves, estuaries, the ocean floor -biodiversity greater near the coast than the open sea -Biodiversity greater at the ocean floor of the surface due to large amounts of resources

What is the greatest threat to wild species?

-habitat loss especially in tropical areas

Why are extinction rate is projected to increase by 10,000?

-harmful environmental impacts of growing human population and growing consumption -highly endangered centers of bio diversity called biodiversity hotspots are much higher than the global average -Degrading Biologically diverse environments

What is the extension right now?

-has risen in some areas as human population spreads -The rate is at least 100 Dash 1000 times the estimated background rate and we are losing an average of 2 to 27 species the year

What are the various methods of catching prey?

-herbivore: walk swim and fly to plants - carnivore: pursuit and ambush

types of nutrient cycles

-hydrologic -carbon -nitrogen -phosphorus - sulfer

How could we make ESA more effective?

-increase budget -more emphases on developing recovery plans -give endangered species habitats maximum protection

How do the four components of biodiversity help us?

-increase stability in ecosystems -increase resistance in ecosystems to harmful invasive species

Two aspects of sustainability

-inertia or persistence - Resilience

what are the specific roles of niches?

-native -nonnative -indicative -keystone

How are fish species threatened by biological extinction

-overfishing -water pollution -wetland d'instruction -excessive removal of water from rivers and lakes

Why are sea turtles among the most threatened of marine species

-people taking their eggs -loss/degradation of beaches -female turtles blocked from reaching nesting sites

what can the . loss of keystone species result in?

-population crashes -extinction

what can the decline of an amphibian population indicate?

-presence of parasites, disease-causing microbes, pollution, habitat distraction

What do most mutations result from?

-random changes that occur in coded genetic instructions when DNA molecules are copied each time a cell divides or . organism reproduces -exposure to external agents (radioactivity, chemicals)

examples of generalist species

-rats -humans -cockroaches

What happens to other competing species if one species takes over the larger share of one or more key resources?

-relocate -adapt by shifting its feeding habits or behavior through natural selection -suffer sharp population decline -Go extinct

how is human activity affecting the phosphorus cycle?

-removal of large amounts of phosphate form the earth to make fertiliser - by clearing forests, we reduce phosphate levels in soils -Topsoil erosion into bodies of water produces a large population of algae which upsets chemical cycling

What are two ways in which climate change affects aquatic biodiversity

-rising sea levels destroy shallow reefs, swamps, and Low laying islands -Ocean acidification which puts stress on phytoplankton which produces half of the worlds oxygen

Grasslands persist because of...

-seasonal drought, grazing by large herbivores and occasional fires

How does nitrogen fixing bacteria convert N2 into something usable?

-specialized bacteria in soil and blue algae in aquatic environments combine gaseous N2 with hydrogen to make ammonia (NH3) -some ammonia converted into ammonium ions and are used as nutrients for plants

Nitrification

-specialized soil bacteria such as the Rhizobium bacteria convert most of the NH and NH4 in the soil to nitrate ions (easily taken up by roots of plants) - then plants use forms of nitrate to produce amino acids, proteins, vitamins, nucleic acid

Why was the ESA not a failure

-species listed only when faced with serious danger of extinction - more than half of species listed have stable or improved rates

Why do species live in clumps?

-tend to cluster where the resources are available -better chance of encountering patches and clumps of resources -provide protection from predators -gives predator species better chance of getting meal

3 types of grasslands

-tropical grasslands -temperate grasslands -cold/tundra grasslands

how do plants and animals return nitrogen based organic compounds to the environment?

-waste -cast-off particals of tissues such as leaves, skin, hair

Why is water important to transporting nutrients between ecosystems?

-water dissolves many nutrient compounds -primary sculpter of the earth's landscape

How are phosphate compounds transferred on land? what is another way?

-water runs off the exposed rock, eroding inorganic compounds containing phosphate ions. Water caries phosphate ions into the soil to be absorbed by plants -transferred by food webs from producers to consumers

how do humans alter the water cycle

-we use water faster than nature can replenish it -we clear vegetation from land for agriculture, mining, road building, coving land and increasing runoffs and reduces infiltration (which would normally recharge groundwater supplies) - drain wetlands for farming and urban development

How have catastrophic events affected biological evolution?

-wiped large number if species -shifts location of ecosystems creating oppertunities for evolution of new species .

What is an acidic ph?

0-6 more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions

What is the average background extinction rate

0.0001% of all species per year -10 of 10 million per year

What are the five reasons we have environmental problems?

1 population growth 2 wasteful and unsustainable resource use 3 poverty 4 Failure to include the harmful environmental costs of goods+ services in their market prices 5 increasing isolation from nature

Fossils that have been found so far likely represent only ________ % of all species that have ever lived.

1%

what percent of troposphere contains water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane?

1%

What are the two limitations to natural selection?

1) change in environment can lead to adaption only for genetic traits already present in a population's gene pool or for traits resulting from mutations 2)even if a beneficial heritable trait is present in population, populations ability to adapt may be limited by reproductive capacity

What are the 4 steps of thinking critically?

1. Be skeptical about everything you read or hear 2. Look at evidence and evaluate it and any related information along with inputs and opinions from a variety or reliable sources 3. Be open to many viewpoints and evaluate each one before coming to a conclusion 4. Identify and evaluate your personal and very important tools in science, assumptions, biased and beliefs

List three types of illness that can be made worse by exposure to air pollutants.

1. Chronic bronchitis, which produces excess mucus that causes a chronic cough and breathing difficulties, similar to those of many smokers. 2. Emphysema, which leads to acute shortness of breath by causing a stiffening of the lungs' expandable air sacs. Anyone can get emphysema from prolonged smoking or exposure to air pollutants. 3. Asthma

rain shadow effect

1. moisture fills the air and rises 2. air cools and condenses to form clouds 3. air goes over mountain top and warms promoting evaporation Dries out plants and soil

Describe five of the likely major effects of this projected change in the earth's climate.

1. the collapse of some economically and ecologically important ecosystems such as tropical rain forests and coral reefs; 2. partial flooding of many low-lying coastal cities due to rising sea levels caused by the expansion of seawater as it warms and by the melting of much of the earth's land-based glacial ice 3. drought-stricken, dried-out forests consumed in vast wildfires; 4. grasslands, dried out by prolonged drought, turning into dust bowls that can no longer be used to grow crops; 5. the extinction of at least a third and possibly half of the world's species; and 6. increased photochemical smog

what are the three goals of environmental science?

1. to learn how life on earth has survived +thrived 2. to understand how we interact with the environment 3. to find ways to deal with environmental problems and to live more sustainably

List the four most dangerous air pollutants found in many U.S. homes and buildings.

1. tobacco smoke 2. formaldehyde 3. radioactive radon-222 gas that can seep into houses from natural underground rock deposits 4. very small particulates. In most of the more-developed countries, especially in urban areas, the health risks from exposure to indoor air pollutants are usually greater than those of outdoor air pollutants because most people spend the bulk of their time inside buildings or in vehicles, where pollutant levels can also be high.

List 4 important ecological services provided by forests.

1.Goods such as timber and food 2. nutrient cycling, water and air 3. Recreational use 4. Carbon storage

What percent of endangered species in the US have habitats in refuge systems?

1/4

What is a molecule?

2 or more atoms bonded together by chemical bonds

A countries offshore fishing zone extends to...

370 km

How many mass extinctions have there been? How do they affect our environment?

5 mass extinctions -opportunity for new species, usually followed by increase in species diversity

What percent of water on earth has been explored

5%

What is an element?

A fundamental type of matter that has a unique set of properties and cannot be broken down into simplilar substances

Molecule

A group of atoms bonded together

Population

A group of interbreeding individuals of the same species

Why do mosaics of patch occur?

A irregular distribution of the resources needed by plants and animals and due to human impact

National wild and scenic river act

A federal law that helps protect a tiny fraction of US wild and scenic rivers from dams and other forms of development

How much of the worlds Coral reefs have been destroyed

A quarter

renewable resource

A 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. If such a resource is used faster than it is replenished, it can be depleted and converted into a nonrenewable resource. Compare nonrenewable resource and perpetual resource.

What are some examples of solution scientists have for different environmental problems?

A scientific solution for the problems of the deplenation of forests is to stop burning or cutting down biologically diverse mature forests

Food chain

A sequence of organisms each of which serves as a source of nutrients or energy for the next

Scientific law/law of nature

A widely excepted description of what we find happening repeatedly in the same way in nature Ex: law of gravity

Ghost nets

Abandoned/lost that's that can trap aquatic animals for years

Inertia or persistence

Ability for a living system to survive moderate disturbances

Resilience

Ability of a living terrestrial system to be restored to secondary ecological succession after severe disturbance

sustainability

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

Describe the harmful effects of acid deposition on human health and on metal and stone sculptures and building materials. How does it affect forests and lakes?

Acidic particles and droplets in the air contribute to human respiratory diseases and to irritations of the eyes, nose, and throat. Acid deposition can also damage metal and stone building materials and statues.

What are two major natural sources of primary outdoor air pollutants? What are the three major human sources of primary outdoor air pollutants?

Air pollutants come from natural and human sources. 1. wildfires 2. volcanic eruptions and it can be some plants, such as certain oak and poplar species, that release volatile organic chemicals. Most of these air pollutants settle out of the air fairly quickly, are removed by precipitation and chemical cycles, or are spread out over large areas and diluted to harmless levels. Human inputs of primary air pollutants: 1. the smokestacks of coal-burning power and industrial plants with inadequate air-pollution-control technologies 2. forests that are deliberately burned to provide land for growing crops and grazing cattle (especially in tropical areas) 3. the engines of cars, trucks, trains, aircraft, and ships that burn gasoline, diesel fuel, or other fossil fuels. major sources of these pollutants. Stationary sources are those sources that stay in one place, such as a burning field or forest, or a factory. Mobile sources are those that move, including motor vehicles, aircraft, and ships. Within those broad categories are several more specific sources

Who are the people most susceptible to illness or death from breathing air pollutants? Which type of pollutant is a major culprit? What is one of the major sources of this pollutant?

Air pollution is especially dangerous to children under age 5, the elderly, pregnant women, smokers, factory workers, and people who have heart or respiratory problems. Among air pollutants, one of the major culprits is very small particulates. These particles can bypass the human body's defenses and become lodged deep in the lungs. There, they contribute to heart attacks and strokes, as well as to asthma attacks, which can cause wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing Much of this particulate pollution is emitted by coal-burning power plants, most of which are located in the central part of the United States. Emissions from these plants blow into the eastern half of the country and this helps to explain why the highest death rates from very small particle pollutants occur in the eastern half of the United States

What is air pollution and why should you care about it? Define air pollutant.

Air pollution is the presence of chemicals in the air at levels high enough to harm humans, other organisms, ecosystems, or human-made materials or objects. With every breath you take, you inhale not only life-giving oxygen, but also small amounts of other gases along with tiny droplets and small solid particles of various chemicals, some of which can threaten your health. Air pollution, at one time or another, becomes a threat to just about everyone on the planet, as well as to other forms of life, and that is reason enough to care about it. ----------------------- We all face possible harm from air pollutants—agents that cause air pollution. Pollutants can also harm trees, damage metals and stone statues, cause large economic losses, and contribute to long-term, highly disruptive climate change.

About how many of the world's people die every year from prolonged exposure to air pollution? About how many of these deaths occur in China and how many occur in the United States?

Air pollution kills at least 2.4 million people a year, according to studies by the WHO and the World Bank. Most of these deaths occur in Asia, including more than 650,000 deaths annually in China. About 6 of every 10 of these deaths result from breathing indoor air pollutants in homes, polluted factories, and other workplaces. In the United States, according to the EPA, between 150,000 and 350,000 deaths per year are related to air pollution.

environment

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

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 is a measure of the average environmental impact of populations in different countries and areas. See per capita ecological footprint.

per capita ecological footprint

Amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply each person or population with the renewable resources they use 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.

Energy quality

Amount of energy available to do useful work

Salinity

Amounts of various in organic minerals dissolved in a given amount of water

What is an ion?

An atom or group of atoms with one or more net positive or negative electrical charges. Made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons

What is the nitrate ion NO-3?

An essential for plant growth

Ion

And Adam a group of atoms with one or more net positive or negative electrical charge

Carnivore

Animals that feed on flesh of other animals

What is photochemical smog, how does it form, and what are its major sources?

Another form of smog that is very much a problem in many countries is photochemical smog—a mixture of secondary pollutants generated from primary pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) that have been exposed to sunlight. These secondary pollutants include ozone (O3) and various organic compounds. Photochemical smog is an urban problem because it forms from nitric oxide (NO) emitted by motor vehicles crowded together in cities, especially during heavy morning commuter traffic. The NO is quickly converted to reddish-brown nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which explains why this sort of smog is sometimes called brown-air smog. Then, in the presence of sunlight and warm temperatures, some of the NO2 reacts with VOCs that have evaporated into the atmosphere from gasoline, solvents used in businesses such as dry cleaners and some factories, and other sources. By late morning, this mixture of chemicals, dominated by highly reactive ground-level ozone, typically reaches peak levels. It is at this point when people are most subject to the harmful effects of photochemical smog, including irritation of the eyes and the respiratory tract. Cities that have a lot of motor vehicles along with a sunny, warm, and dry climate suffer most from photochemical smog. Examples of such cities are Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Los Angeles, California; Mexico City, Mexico; São Paulo, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Rome, Italy; Shanghai, China; Bangkok, Thailand; Tokyo, Japan; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Sydney, Australia.

nutrient

Any chemical an organism must take in to live, grow, or reproduce.

organism

Any form of life.

Feedback

Any process increases or decreases a change to a system

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

Model

Approximate representation or simulation of a system

Fishprint

Area of Ocean needed to sustain the fish consumption of an average person a nation or world

Marine protected areas

Areas of ocean protected from human activity

Got inhabitant mutualism

Armies of bacteria in the digestive system help break down animal foods. In turn bacteria receives shelter and food from host

What is the cleanup approach to air pollution and what is its major drawback?

As with indoor air pollution, there are ways to clean up outdoor air pollution, most of which involve technological means Similarly, many pollutants can be removed from factory and power plant smokestacks. However, such pollution removal can be costly.

How do you scientist identify isotopes

Attaching the mass number to the name and symbol of the element

Atom

Basic building block of matter and smallest unit of matter

Explain how CO2 can affect the earth's climate and why CO2 has been classified as an air pollutant.

Because many of these changes will harm humans, other organisms, and life-sustaining ecosystems, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified CO2 as an air pollutant. You might ask how a natural chemical such as CO2, which we emit into the atmosphere every time we exhale, can be an air pollutant. The answer is that any chemical, if it reaches high enough levels in the air, can cause harm and thus can be classified as an air pollutant.

What happens after mass extinctions

Biodiversity eventually restored to equal or high levels

ecology

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

where do photosynthesis and anerobic respiration circulate co2?

Biosphere

What for variables govern changes in population size?

Births, deaths, immigration, emigration

List 5 different fishing techniques. Describe environmental drawbacks of each.

Bottom trawling: dragging a net or hooks along ocean floor, produces bycatch, catches animals that won't even be used and in turns it kills them. Can also cause habitat destruction. Long line Fishing: a fishing line that has a lot of hooks, just drifts in the water and theres a lot of bycatch and unwanted animals that are killed Drift Nets: Really big nets, stretch out for over miles sometimes, causes bycatch, selective fishing (smaller fish and baby fish can get out), causes ghost. Purse Seine: Large nets placed on bottom of ocean floor, is then pulled up and then closed at the top, catches large amounts of fish at a time, also a lot of bycatch. Fish Farming: two diff types, one close to shore and the other farther out in the ocean. Far out in the ocean is better because currents disperse their medicine better. Sonar: Knowing where they are by their sounds.

Warming coloration

Brightly colored advertising that helps predators avoid pray

nonpoint sources

Broad and diffuse areas, rather than points, from which pollutants enter bodies of surface water or air. Examples include runoff of chemicals and sediments from cropland, livestock feedlots, logged forests, urban streets, parking lots, lawns, and golf courses. Compare point source.

List the different types of public lands. [I am talking about Wilderness areas, national forests, national parks, national resource lands, and wildlife refuges.] What activities are allowed and not allowed on each?

Bureau of land management: you need a permit for photography, illegal to cross the land, and not allowed timber hunting. Used for energy development investment stocks and for grazing. National Parks: Meant to conserve natural environment, not allowed to feed wildlife. National Forests: Preservation of wilderness, recreational uses, social cultural and economic benefits. Not allowed to travel on off road vehicles. Not conforming to no trade ethic, no timber harvest. Fish and Wildlife Refugees: Hunting, birds, help endangered species, reservation, fishing. Not allowed to introduce non native species, poaching, target practice, camping, driving off road. Wilderness areas: Promotes wildlife legacy. Not allowed to mine, or harvest timber.

How do you scientist describe the various regions of the earth?

By their climates

What is one way humans can degrade natural capital?

By using renewable resources such as trees and topsoil faster than nature can restore them. example: overloading the earths normally renewable air with pollution and waste

Describe 4 ways in which human activities have reduced the biodiversity of the world

By using those water nets humans have ruined ecosystems because they take everything, because of overfishing. Deforestation - this is when the humans take all the trees and ruin habitats, also increase carbon emissions degradation of resources - use up too many resources for materialistic things. Overpopulation/urbanization - more cars, more carbon emissions, less forests so their can be more room to provide food.

Decomposers

Consumers that in the process of obtaining nutrients release nutrients to the soil,water and air (mostly bacteria and fungus)

Organic compounds

Contain at least two carbon Atoms combined with Adams of one or more other element (most chemicals in body)

List the benefits and limitations of protecting species using (a) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and (b) the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the United States.

CITES)-bans hunting, capturing, and selling of threatened or endangered species: lowers exploitation rates, decreases chance of these species becoming endangered and extinct. Harder to get permits for exporting animals which would increase inbreeding and that messes up genes. Endangered Species Act (ESA)- Identifies and protects endangered species in the U.S. and abroad: spreads awareness so we know what species we need to protect. Forbids federal agencies from funding anything that will harm these species. This can threaten private property ownership, threaten tourism it is also very expensive.

how does sulfur enter the atmosphere

Can enter several natural sources; -Hydrogen sulfide: is released from active volcanoes and from active volcanoes and from organic matter in flooded swamps, bogs, and tidal flats broken down by anaerobic decomposers -sulfur dioxide: salts enter the atmosphere from the sea spray, dust storms and forest fires, plants absorb sulfate ions Marine algae produce large amounts of dimethyl sulfide or DMS

Positive feedback loop

Causes system to change further in same direction

Negative feedback loop

Causes system to change in opposite direction from which it is moving Ex: Heating and cooling systems, recycling

Nucleus

Center of an atom

simple carbohydrates

Certain types of compounds of carbon hydrogen and oxygen

Past Mass extension were most likely due to...

Change in environmental conditions -ex: Global warming, changes in sea level volcanic eruption's

Nuclear change

Change in the nuclei of Atoms

Number of species changes based on what?

Changing environment conditions examples include fires, volcanic eruption's

Trait

Characteristic passed down from parent to offspring

who proposed the idea of natural selection?

Charles Darwin and Russel Wallace

acidity

Chemical characteristic to help determine how substance dissolves in water

What flows through the ecosystem from one tropic to another

Chemical energy stored as nutrients in the body and waste of organisms

Fishery

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

How is sustainability maintained in a living system

Constant changes in response to changing environmental conditions

What are some factors of a giant convection cells?

Circulation patterns, prevailing winds, configuration of continents, and oceans

Most populations live in...

Clumps like pack of wolves or schools of fish

fossil fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.

Compound

Combination of two or more different elements how together and fixed proportion's

Why are there different types of forests?

Combination of varying precipitation levels and varying average temperatures

Environmental resistance

Combo of all factors that affect to limit the growth of a population

Overfishing leads to...

Commercial extinction

Three major types of polymers

Complex carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acid

Hydrocarbons

Compounds composed of only carbon and hydrogen atoms ex methane

What are trade-offs?

Compromises (parentheses cut trees, pay company replant them)

High-quality energy

Concentrated energy with high capacity to do useful work

map global ecosystems and create an inventory of the species within and ecosystem services provided, protect the most endangered ecosystems and species, restore degraded ecosystems, encourage biodiversity-friendly development

Describe the four-point plan for the ecosystem approach.

Endangered species act

Designed to identify and protect endangered species

What are goals for scientist

Develop theories and laws based on Facts, data and explain how the world works

pollution cleanup

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 plants.

During the summer what does permafrost do?

Keeps melted snow and ice from draining into ground

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 plants. Compare pollution prevention.

Reliable science

Data, hypothesis, models, theories, and laws that are widely excepted

Give two examples of (a) deliberately introduced harmful species and (b) accidentally introduced harmful species.

Deliberate: Cane Toad, Kudzu vine Accidentally: Pythons in everglades, Florida pet owners

What does win-win solutions mean? Political sciences

Delusions that benefit everyone, the environment and ourselves

What is industrial smog, how does it form, and what are its major sources?

Dependence on highly polluting coal exposed people in cities, especially during winter, to industrial smog: a mixture of sulfur dioxide, various suspended solid particles, and suspended droplets of sulfuric acid. This deadly mixture is sometimes called gray-air smog because it typically has a gray color. The term smog is a combination of the words smoke and fog. (industrial smog Type of air pollution consisting mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulfuric acid formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and suspended solid particles.) Currently, most of the urban areas of more-developed countries seldom see industrial smog. This is because a majority of coal-burning industrial and power plants in these countries are now equipped with reasonably good air pollution-control technologies. Some plants also have tall smokestacks that transfer many of the pollutants downwind where they are dispersed, although this can lead to pollution problems in those downwind areas. In many urban areas of developing countries such as China, industrial smog remains a problem, as it does in India and parts of Eastern Europe and Asia, where coal is still burned in many factories, power plants, and homes without adequate pollution controls.

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. See common-property resource, open-access renewable resource.

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. If such use continues, the resource becomes nonrenewable (on a human time scale) or nonexistent (extinct).

natural capital 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. If such use continues, the resource becomes nonrenewable (on a human time scale) or nonexistent (extinct). See also sustainable yield. See environmental degradation.

solar energy

Direct radiant energy from the sun and a number of indirect forms of energy produced by the direct input of such radiant energy. Principal indirect forms of solar energy include wind, falling and flowing water (hydropower), and biomass (solar energy converted into chemical energy stored in the chemical bonds of organic compounds in trees and other plants)?none of which would exist without direct solar energy.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of aquaculture?

Disadvantages: Transfer diseases and pollute surrounding water, sometimes theres breakage in the nets and the fish mix with the wildlife populations and that hurts their populations. For carnivorous fish more fish are caught to feed them than there are fish. Advantages: Business opportunities, jobs for people, increases national national exports, substitutes for exports.

Age structure

Distribution of individuals among various age groups

How is the phosphorus cycle different from the other ones?

Does not occur in the atmosphere and is slower than the other ones

Chromosomes

Double helix DNA molecule wrapped around proteins

rule of 70

Doubling time (in years) = 70/(percentage growth rate). See doubling time, exponential growth.

Temperate deserts

Dry temperatures (High in summer and low in winter), low precipitation

And tropical forest why is there little vegetation on forest floor

Due to the canopy which blocks light from reaching the forest floor

Effects of non-native species. Inhabiting an area

Due to the lack of production to control numbers, population rises disrupting ecosystem services, causing health problems for humans, economic losses, and regional extinction of natives

Why do dead animals, fallen trees and leaves decompose quickly in tropical forest

Due to warm, moist conditions and hordes of decomposers

What do greenhouse gases determine?

Earths climate

Omnivore

Eats animals and plants

What are two chemical states of matter

Elements and compounds

Isotopes

Elements that have the same number of protons but different mass numbers

Distinguish between endangered and threatened species and give two examples of each.

Endangered species are in danger of becoming extinct, threatened species are in danger of becoming endangered. Endangered: Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Elephant. Threatened Species: Giant panda, mountain gorilla

Mountains are usually habitats for...

Endemic species

Geothermal energy

Energy from earth's interior

Renewable energy

Energy gained from resources that Are replenished. By natural processes in the short time ex:solar energies

Low quality energy

Energy so disbursed it has little capacity to do useful work

Electromagnetic radiation

Energy travels in the form of a wave as a result of changes in electromagnetic and magnetic fields

According to environmental scientists what is our ultimate goal?

Environmentally sustainable society, one that meets the current and future basic resource needs of its people in a just and equitable manner without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs

inexhaustible resource

Essentially inexhaustible resource on a human time scale because it is renewed continuously. Solar energy is an example. Compare nonrenewable resource, renewable resource. See perpetual resource. Compare nonrenewable resource, renewable resource.

Regionally extinct

Extension in a certain area

Mass extinction

Extension of many species in a relatively short period of geologic time

malnutrition

Faulty nutrition, caused by a diet that does not supply an individual with enough protein, essential fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for good health. Compare overnutrition, chronic undernutrition. See chronic malnutrition.

Tertiary consumers

Feed on flesh of Carnivore

Secondary consumers

Feed on flesh of herbivores

Detritus feeders

Feed on wastes of dead bodies of other organisms wares are called detritus (debris)

Endangered species

Few individual survivors And species could soon be extinct

How do scientists learn about ecosystems

Field and laboratory research and mathematical and use of models

What is a subsidy?

Financial support by the government

full-cost pricing

Finding ways to include the harmful environmental and health costs of producing and using goods in their market prices. See external cost, internal cost.

What are two problems with depending on control and cleanup methods to deal with air pollution?

First, it is only a temporary solution as long as levels of population and consumption grow without continuing improvements in pollution-control technology. Second, when we remove a pollutant from one part of the environment, it often ends up as a pollutant in another part of the environment.

purse-seine fishing

Fishing method used to catch surface dwelling species these nets have killed in large number of dolphins

List four major human impacts on aquatic biodiversity in terms of habitat loss and degradation.

Fishing methods Overfishing Pollution Global warming and climate change (coral reefs)

How does the population with few limitations on resource supply grow?

Fixed rate or percentage per year

Proteins

Formed by amino acids build tissue

Nucleic acid

Formed by nucleotides and chemicals in reproductive process

Temperate rainforest

Found in coastal temperate areas ample rainfall

Tropical rain forests

Found near equator, lunch for us, warm temperatures, lots of animals, daily rain

Element

Foundational type of matter that has a unique set of properties that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means examples include gold and mercury

Tipping point

Fundamental shift in behavior of system

Cells

Fundamental structure and functional units of life

mimicry

Gain protection by looking like a more dangerous species

Greenhouse gases

Gases link methane and nitrous oxide that absorb solar energy and release a portion of it as infaratrd radiation, warming the lower atmosphere

Climate

General pattern of atmospheric conditions in a given area over. Ranging from three decades to thousands of years

Energy efficiency

Getting more work out of the energy we use

The evaporation of water from the ocean to the atmosphere creates what?

Giant cycling convection cells that circulate air, heat, moisture

What does full cost pricing mean? Economics

Giving consumers better info about their environmental impact of their lifestyle and allow them to make more informed decisions on what goods and services they choose

Ecological succession

Gradual change in species composition in a given area

Primary ecological succession

Gradual establishment of communities of different species in lifeless areas example: newly cooled lava

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.

exponential growth

Growth in which some quantity, such as population size or economic output, increases at a constant rate per unit of time. An example is the growth sequence 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and so on, which increases by 100% at each interval. When the increase in quantity over time is plotted, this type of growth yields a curve shaped like the letter J. Compare linear growth.

Logistic growth

Growth rate decreases as population growth and faces environmental resistance

What are the direct causes of extension

HIPPCO:Habitait destruction, Invasive species, population growth, pollution, climate change, over-exploration

What are five basic causes of the population reduction and extinction of wild species?

Habitat destruction Invasive species Population growth Pollution Climate change Overexploitation

Threatened species

Has enough individuals to survive for a short time but likely to become endangered

generalist species

Have broad niches; they can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions

Biological diversity, or biodiversity, has become a topic of great concern among conservationists. Biodiversity is often used by scientists and policy makers to help determine the health of ecosystems. Describe TWO characteristics shared by ecosystems that have high biodiversity. Identify TWO specific human activities that result in a loss of biodiversity, and explain how each activity lowers biodiversity. For each human activity you discussed in (b), propose a practical strategy (other than simply banning the activity) to reduce the loss of biodiversity. Describe ONE naturally occurring factor that could lead to a loss of biodiversity. Describe TWO ecological benefits that greater biodiversity provides.

Have large number of different species, a lot of individuals for each species deforestation, clearing out habitat, urbanization - no where for animals to live, lack of resources, burning fossil fuels - global warming and climate change - kills coral reefs, animals can't deal with these temperatures. Cutting trees for wood products: Only use certified wood, and methods that promote regrowth, Burning of fossil fuels: Electric fuel, carbon tax. Earthquakes: trees will fall Pollinations, resources, pest control

What are two types of energy

Having energy and stored energy

Where is "extinction capital" and why is it called that?

Hawaii because it is an island and usually islands hold endemic species that are more prone to extinction

What is one form of kinetic energy?

Heat and electromagnetic radiation

What happens when two objects of different temperatures come in contact

Heat transfers

How does population density help

Help sexually reproductive individuals find mates more easily

natural selection

Individuals with certain traits were more likely . to survive and reproduce under a particular set of environmental conditions than those without the trait

sustainable yield (sustained yield)

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

What does environmental wisdom worldview mean?

Holes that we are part of and dependent on, nature and that the earths life-support systems exist for all species, not just for us. According to this view our success depends on learning how the earth sustains itself and integrating such environmental wisdom into the ways we think and act.

Tropical deserts

Hot/dry throughout year, few plants

What does the food chain demonstrate

How chemical energy and nutrients move along the same pathways from one organism to another through tropic levels

increases biodiversity, and creates more stable environment

How does an uneven-aged management affect the biodiversity of the area, and the environment?

What does NPP measure

How fast producers can make the chemical energy that is stored in their tissue

42%

How much US land is set aside for public use, enjoyment, and wildlife?

73%

How much of the US land set aside for public use, enjoyment, and wildlife is in Alaska?

The amount or mass of living organic materials that a particular ecosystem can support is determined by...

How much solar energy it's producers can capture and store as chemical energy and by how rapidly they can do so

environmental ethics

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

How long does primary ecological succession take?

Hundreds and thousands of years

Direct input of solar energy produces what indirect form of solar energy

Hydropower, wind, biomass

Unreliable science

Hypothesis, results without having undergone rigors of widespread peer review

Atomic theory

Idea that all elements are made up of atoms

Cell theory

Idea that all living things are composed of cells

Scientific process

Identify a problem, gather info known about problem Ask question to investigate Preform experiment Propose hypothesis test the hypothesis, Accept or revise hypothesis

Pyramid of energy flow

Illustrated loss of energy for a simple food Shaun assuming a 90% energy loss with each transfer

How does ecological succession proceed?

In and ordered sequence along an expected path until a certain stable type of climax community occupies an area

Science

In attempt to discover how nature works and to use that knowledge describe what is likely to happen in nature

List three ways to prevent indoor air pollution caused by the chemicals in some building materials and home products.

In more-developed countries, where the chemicals used in building materials and home products are more often a threat, there are several steps that could be taken to deal with the indoor air pollution they cause. For example, we could find less-hazardous substitutes for building materials, furniture, carpets, and other indoor products that contain formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals. We can also use devices called heat exchangers to bring fresh outside air into a building without losing heat to the outside or bringing in more heat than is desired. In addition, there are technologies available for preventing infiltration of radioactive radon gas into a building.

What are the biggest sources of indoor air pollution in most less-developed countries? What are the biggest sources in more-developed countries?

In poorer areas of the world, most indoor air pollution comes from the burning of fuels in open fires for heating and cooking, or in unvented or poorly vented stoves. These fuels include wood, charcoal, dung, crop residues, and coal. Indoor fires result in dangerous levels of indoor particulate air pollution. Another source of indoor air pollution in many countries is tobacco smoke. In more-developed and rapidly developing countries, the worst indoor air pollutants come from other sources, especially chemicals used in the manufacturing of building materials and other home products. For example, formaldehyde is a chemical that is used in the manufacture of furniture, wall paneling, foam insulation, and particleboard. It can aggravate asthma and other breathing problems, irritate skin and eyes, and cause dizziness and headaches.

what are . the most common species?

Insects

United Nations law of this seas treaty effects

Instead of protecting fishing grounds countries are promoting overfishing

Describe the Lacey Act. (although not covered in class, you are responsible for knowing this)

Lacey act of 1900. This act bans trafficking in illegal wildlife, also includes plants and plant products, it is the first federal law protecting wildlife, it enforces criminal and civil penalties for illegal animal and plant training. Mostly regulations for plants. "Today it regulates the import of any species protected by international or domestic law and prevents the spread of invasive, or non-native, species."

Describe South Asia's massive pollution cloud. How does it affect people in much of Asia, and how is it affecting the United States?

In some areas of the world, pollution reaches levels at which huge, long-lived clouds full of pollutants form. Driven by high winds, these clouds can cover vast areas and move long distances. huge, dark brown clouds of air pollutants that regularly form over much of South Asia. Satellite images show that these clouds typically cover much of India, Bangladesh, and China, and nearby areas of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. The clouds pollute the air of many major cities such as Shanghai, China. Analysis shows that these clouds contain a mix of soot, acidic compounds, hundreds of organic compounds, and particles of toxic metals such as lead and mercury. These pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere primarily by the burning of coal, other fossil fuels, and wood in factories and homes in South Asia's densely populated cities. The clouds also contain smoke and ash particles, produced by the clearing and burning of forests for planting crops, and by dust blowing out of drought-stricken regions. The pollution clouds over South Asia are typically about 2 miles thick and cover an area about the size of the continental United States. During much of each year, most of the people living in the densely populated Asian cities under these clouds see brown or gray polluted skies (Figure 12.11b). The thick clouds also slow the growth of crops and other plants by blocking some of the solar energy they need for photosynthesis. In addition, acidic particles and droplets falling from the clouds onto the earth's surface damage crops, trees, and aquatic life in lakes, streams, and coastal waters. The clouds also affect the health and life expectancy of hundreds of millions of people in South Asia. UNEP scientists estimate that air pollutants in these clouds contribute to the deaths of at least 700,000 people every year. These clouds affect more than just the areas in which they are generated. Satellites have tracked long-lived air pollutants from these clouds as they moved from South Asia across the Pacific Ocean to the U.S. West Coast. According to EPA estimates, on some days in the skies above Los Angeles, California, about two-thirds of the black carbon particles, one-third of toxic mercury particles, and one-fourth of all particulates have blown over from South Asia.

How is GPP measured?

In terms of energy production per unit area over a given time

Where do most animals live in tropical forests?

In the canopy layer

poverty

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

Some limiting factors become more important than population density...

Increases

What is one strategy emerging in coastal cities to tackle the problem of overfishing and pollution

Integrated Coastal management:Community-based effort to develop and use coastal resources more sustainable

Commenslism

Interaction that benefits one species, has little harmful effect on the other

environmental science

Interdisciplinary study that uses information and ideas from the physical sciences (such as biology, chemistry, and geology) with those from the social sciences and humanities (such as economics, politics, and ethics) to learn how nature works, how we interact with the environment, and how we can to help deal with environmental problems.

What is the most common interaction among species?

Intraspecific competition

Peer review

Involve scientists openly publishing methods and details used as well as reasoning behind hypothesis

Why is laboratory research sometimes better

It's faster and less costly

Biomes

Large regions such as forests, deserts and grasslands with distinct climates and certain species adapted to them

Biomes

Large terrestrial regions each characterized by a certain type of climates and combinations of dominant plant life

Climate and vegetation vary according to...

Latitude and elevation

What happens in nutrients not taken up by plants and animals?

Leached from the topsoil by daily rainfall creating little plant litter

Explain how the United States has used laws and regulations to reduce outdoor air pollution, and summarize the results of these efforts.

Legal approaches to reducing air pollution have worked well in many of the world's more-developed countries as well as in some less-developed countries. For example, the U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Acts in 1970, 1977, and 1990. These federal laws led to regulations that limit emissions of six key air pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), suspended particulate matter (SPM), ozone (O3), and lead (Pb). This approach has worked well, with the combined emissions of the six key pollutants dropping by about 67% between 1980 and 2010, even though the U.S. population grew by 36%. Also during that time, total vehicle miles driven by all Americans almost doubled, and energy consumption in general grew by almost half. Specifically, emissions of the key pollutants declined as follows between 1980 and 2010: lead dropped by 97%, suspended particulate matter by 83%, carbon monoxide by 71%, sulfur dioxide by 69%, volatile organic compounds by 63%, and nitrogen oxides by 52%. However, during this same period, CO2 emissions increased by 16%. The successful reduction of most of these key pollutants in the United States is an excellent example of democracy in action and of the benefits that can result from reducing outdoor air pollutants. By 1970, Americans had become fed up with the poor quality of outdoor air, and they pressured lawmakers to pass and enforce the air quality laws over strong objections from the oil and coal industries, utilities, and car companies. The laws eventually saved the country a lot of money and lives. There has also been a growing grassroots movement in the United States and Europe to phase out coal—by far the dirtiest fuel to burn—and to replace it with much cleaner wind and solar power coupled with energy-efficiency improvements.

What does LPI

Living planet index

What are more complex organic compounds called

Macromolecules

What is exponential growth converted to?

Logistic growth

Earths surface absorbs solar energy and transforms it into what?

Longer wavelength infrared radiation which rises into the lower atmosphere. Some heat absorbed by greenhouse gases and admitted as even longer wavelength

How does wind and fire help grasslands?

Maintain grasslands by hindering tree growth

sustainability revolution

Major cultural change in which people learn how to reduce their ecological footprints and live more sustainably, largely by copying nature and using the six principles of sustainability to guide their lifestyles and economies.

Prevailing winds

Major surface winds that blow almost continuously and help to distribute heat and moisture over the earth surface into drive ocean currents

What is the first step and protecting Marine fisheries. How can we Do this?

Make an estimate about their fish and shellfish populations Countries Mainly use the precautionary principle: reducing fish harvest and closing some overfished areas until they recover

Ocean currents

Mass movement of surface water driven by wind blowing over the oceans

natural resources

Materials such as air, water, and soil and energy in nature that are essential or useful to humans.

Kinetic energy

Matter in motion and energy associated with motion

Carrying Capacity

Maximum population of a given species that a particular habitat can sustain indefinitely

PH

Measure of acidity

Predation

Members of one species feeds directly on all the parts of a Lidget living organism as part of a food web

interspecific competition

Members of two or more species interact to use the same limited resource involves the ability of one species become more efficient than the other

How do pollutants and heat from vehicles affect cities?

More haze/smog higher temperatures and lower wind speeds

How rapidly are tropical forests being cleared and degraded and why is such cutting viewed as a serious global environmental problem?

More than 150 acres everyday, this is a huge environmental problem because tropical forests hold a lot of biodiversity, they are like biodiversity hotspots. They hold a lot of carbon dioxide and provide a lot of resources we need, like oxygen. Nutrient cycling.

soil formation, erosion control, nutrient cycling, storage of atmospheric CO2, biodiversity maintenance

Name some ecological services provided by grasslands.

recycling more paper to reduce harvest of pulpwood, practicing selective cutting of individual trees or small groups of most tree species, minimizing soil erosion of larger blocks of forest, minimizing soil erosion and compaction from road building and logging, ban conventional clear-cutting, leaving most standing dead trees and fallen timber to maintain diverse wildlife habitats, include ecological and recreational services in determining economic value

Name some methods that are emphasized by sustainable forest management.

Primary and secondary ecological succession are examples of?

Natural ecological restoration

natural capital

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

ecosystem services

Natural services or natural capital that support life on the earth and are essential to the quality of human life and the functioning of the world's economies. Examples are the chemical cycles, natural pest control, and natural purification of air and water. See natural resources.

In this forest what prevents the growth of plants on fourth floor?

Needles from coniferous evergreen trees drop making thin nutrient poor topsail acidic

Tropical forests have high...

Net primary productivity

What do Atoms consist of

Neutrons protons and electrons

Or biomes uniform?

No

can Nitrogen be absorbed and used directly as a nutrient?

No

When a sample of matter undergoes a physical change is there a change and a chemical composition

No because cut up a lumen them foil is still aluminum foil

Can species have both resilience and inertia?

No they can have one or the other

Can you predict a given course of succession?

No, late succession ecosystems are in a state of a continual disturbance and change

Cold in northern coniferous forest

North of tundra, very cold, short summers, Decomposition slow

Lipids

Not made by monomers but our fourth type of macromolecules

Pre-reproductive stage

Not mature enough to reproduce

When can we break scientific law

Not unless you buy new evidence that needs to change in the law

Nuclear fission

Nuclei of certain isotope with large masses split into lighter nuclei when struck by neutron

Where is most of an Atoms mass concentrated

Nucleus

population density

Number of individuals per unit area

What are three good reasons to make the shift from pollution control to pollution prevention?

One is that prevention works better than cleanup. Another good reason for shifting to pollution prevention is that, in the long run, prevention is far less expensive than control and cleanup. Several companies have saved billions of dollars by preventing the production of pollutants instead of trying to collect and dispose of them. Yet another reason for making the shift is that pollution prevention is good for the health of humans and all other species. By preventing the release of harmful chemicals into the air, water, and soil, we help to prevent these chemicals from entering our bodies through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

ecosystem

One or more communities of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up their nonliving environment.

Electron probability cloud

One or more electrons moving rapidly somewhere around the nucleus

Feedback loop

One output of matter and energy and information is fed back in the system as an input and leads to change in the system

Facilitation

One set of species makes area suitable for species different niche requirements (ex: mosses)

What compound is methane

Organic compound

Where can you find electrons?

Outside the nucleus moving in rapid motion

Why does climate vary in different regions on earth?

Over periods of time, patterns of global air circulation and ocean currents distribute heat and precipitation unevenly

Describe how overfishing has affected the populations of many marine and freshwater aquatic species. Explain how most commercial marine fishing can be viewed as an example of the tragedy of the commons.

Overfishing is causing the fish in our oceans to decline. Furthermore fishing methods are really harming the environment the fish live in. This is a tragedy of the commons because we aren't giving the fish enough time to repopulate and we're basically breeding smaller fish because we are eating the biggest fish and it's going to keep happening until there are no more fish left.

What does Environmental degration mean?

Overusing renewable natural resources such as shrinking of forests, over fishing, polluting water

pollutant

Particular chemical or form of energy that can adversely affect the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms.

hunter?gatherers

People who get their food by gathering edible wild plants and other materials and by hunting wild animals and catching fish.

What effect do interactions have?

Population size and how they use their resources

Dieback

Population suffers sharp decline because it used up all of its resources

An Atom in it's basic form has an equal number of what

Positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons

What are most of Earth's producers

Photosynthetic organisms-go through photosynthesis

How did see CITES decrease shark hunting

Placed trade limitations on catches of oceanic white tip, porbeagle, and hammerhead sharks

Tolerance

Plants in late stages of succession succeed because they're not in direct competition with others for key resources

photosynthesis

Plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars and other organic molecules (carbohydrates)

How does predation play a role in population level

Plays a role in natural selection, kills the week, sick, aged and least fat members of prey population

What is killing Gorillas, Tigers, and amphibians?

Poaching

What are the two types of sources pollutants we produce come from?

Point Sources, single identifiable sources for example smoke shack or industrial plant Non-point sources, Hard to identify example runoff of fertilizer

What are two ways we have tried to deal with pollution?

Pollution cleanup, involves cleaning up or diluting pollutants after we produce them Pollution Prevention, Efforts focused on greatly reducing or eliminating the production of pollutants example set laws or ban of the emissions of various pollutants

How are age groups determined?

Pre-reproductive stage Reproductive stage Post reproductive stage

Theodore Roosevelt established the first US federal wildlife refuge for...

Protecting birds like the brown Pelican from extinction

natural services

Processes of nature, such as purification of air and water and pest control, which support life and human economies.

How are parasites helpful?

Promote biodiversity by helping to keep populations of hosts in check

Behavior strategies Examples

Puffing up, spreading wings, mimicking predator

List 3 ways to use forests more sustainably. Describe the benefits of certifying that timber has been produced sustainably.

Put tree plantations on deforested land. Use only certified timber. Leave dead leaves or fallen trees in the forest for nutrient cycling. Using certified timber helps the environment, the point of certified timber is that it's better for the environment and it allows forests to regrow and regenerate and it doesn't degrade wildlife and resources as much.

long lining fishing

Putting out 100 km lines with faded hooks to catch swordfish sharks etc.

Describe how each of the following factors contributes to the premature extinction of species, and give an example of a species affected by each factor: (a) habitat loss and degradation, (b) habitat fragmentation, (c) deliberately introduced nonnative species, (d) accidentally introduced nonnative species, (e) commercial hunting and illegal hunting (poaching), (f) predator and pest control, (g) the legal and illegal market for exotic pets and decorative plants, and (h) climate change and pollution.

Reduces habitat, less space for wildlife to live, less food, less shelter, closer together so disease can spread. Divides population, blocks migration, makes it harder to find food and mate Invasive species can use up resources, take up space, are better competitors than native species. Eat native species, may have no predators. This may be a little better than the one above but not by much for the very same reasons, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Commercial hunting can sometimes be good for dealing with overpopulation of a certain species, however this could potentially lead to pollution or overexploitation, illegal hunting leads to overexploitation and also overexploitation of endangered animals, no regulations so they can do whatever they want including the degradation of wildlife. This poisons the environment, runoff gets into air, streams and water, hurts us and ecosystems. Demand for these things gets hire more people are going to want to sell it so they can make money, so more are going to be taken out of the environment. This can lead to accidental introduction of invasive species. Changes the temperature animals and plants can't adapt as quickly as change is happening. Also really affecting the oceans in a negative way.

What are the four r's?

Refuse reduce reuse and recycle

Commercial energy

Remaining 1% of energy used to supplement solar energy

Resources are divided into what categories

Renewable and nonrenewable

open-access renewable resource

Renewable resource owned by no one and available for use by anyone at little or no charge. Examples include clean air, underground water supplies, the open ocean and its fish, and the ozone layer. Compare common-property resource.

natural income

Renewable resources such as plants, animals, and soil provided by natural capital.

What should all evidence be

Reproducible

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. We classify these resources as exhaustible because we are extracting and using them at a much faster rate than they are formed. Compare renewable resource.

exhaustible 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. We classify these resources as exhaustible because we are extracting and using them at a much faster rate than they are formed. Compare renewable resource. See nonrenewable resource.

What are natural resources?

Resources that occur in nature. Examples: air, water, trees, coal, natural gas, fuels

Distinguish among ecosystem restoration, rehabilitation, remediation, and replacement.

Restoration: Return ecosystem to its natural state, reversing degradation Rehabilitation: Repairing ecosystem functions but not to their original conditions. Reintroduction: moving organisms from external sources to where they are scarce in the area. Remediation: Removing pollution by means of chemical or physical or biological methods while trying to cause as little disruption as possible. Replacement: Replacing the degraded area with a different type of ecosystem.

Tentative science

Results not yet considered reliable

Ocean acidification

Rising levels of acid in Ocean's due to their absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

what is the mantel mostly made of?

Rock

Explain what has been done to try to slow ozone depletion in the stratosphere.

Scientific models used to study the ozone depletion problem indicate that, even if we could immediately halt all production of ozone-depleting chemicals, it would still take about 60 years for the ozone in the stratosphere to return to its 1980 level and about 100 years to recover to pre-1950 levels. After researchers had identified this serious problem, several nations met in 1987 to develop the Montreal Protocol and again in 1992 to develop the Copenhagen Amendment. These international agreements, signed by 196 of the world's countries as of 2012, established a plan to phase out key chemicals that have been depleting the protective ozone in the stratosphere.

Give an example of a technological approach to reducing or preventing air pollution.

Scientists and engineers are busy designing and improving technologies that can help us to reduce pollution. These technologies include superinsulation for buildings, energy-efficient lighting and appliances, highly fuel-efficient vehicles, hybrid/electric cars that burn little or no fossil fuels, and power plants that burn low-sulfur coal. In all of these examples, pollutants are still created—in the burning of fuel to make electricity for charging the electric car batteries, for example, and in the burning of low-sulfur coal.

After being degraded These forests can return through...

Secondary ecological succession

List six ways in which you can reduce your exposure to harmful UV radiation.

See Snip because it is not loading

Describe five major ways for harvesting trees. List the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Selective cutting: middle aged or old trees are cut individually in small groups, this doesn't destroy entire habitats only small parts of it so it can regrow and animals still have a place to live. Clear cutting removes all trees from an area: this is the most efficient and the least costly but it also causes the most damage. Can reforest with fast growing trees, reduces biodiversity can lead to pollution and erosion. Strip cutting: Cuts a strip of trees that is narrow enough for natural forest regeneration to happen. Shelterwood: trees are gradually cut so a new forest can grow. Seed Tree: Removing most of the trees in an area and only leaving a few behind in order to produce seeds for a new forest to grow. This is usually done for trees that grow best in direct sunlight.

What are the results of reliable science-based on

Self correcting process of testing, open peer review and debate

What can the rainshadow effect result in?

Semiarid/arid conditions in leeward side if mountain range

Genes

Sequence of nucleotides within DNA

environmental worldview

Set of assumptions and beliefs about 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 (environmental ethics). See environmental wisdom worldview, frontier worldview, planetary management worldview, stewardship worldview.

System

Set of components that function and interact in the same regular way

Weather

Set of physical conditions of the lower atmosphere including temperature precipitation, humidity, wind speeds, etc. in a given area over a period of hours or days

Chemical formula

Shows number of each type of Atom or ion in a compound

point source

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

List at least 5 characteristics that make species vulnerable to biological extinction.

Small geographical range, slow population growth/birth rates, few populations, low genetic variability, over exploitation by people, degradation of habitat by people, big, slow, valuable.

What are orangutans disappearing

Smuggling and clearing of tropical forest

Geographic information system

Software to capture store analyze and display information

Describe the efforts of some countries to prevent pollution from persistent organic pollutants (POPS) and the efforts of Sweden to prevent air pollution.

Some countries are making progress toward implementing pollution prevention as a major policy. In 2000, delegates from 122 countries developed a global treaty known as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which was strengthened in 2009. This treaty regulates the use of 21 widely used persistent organic pollutants (such as DDT and PCBs) that can accumulate in the fatty tissues of humans and other meat-eating organisms. Most environmental and health scientists view the POPs treaty as an important advance in international environmental law and pollution prevention. It has now been ratified or approved by 168 countries, but not by the United States.

inhibition

Some species hinder the establishment and growth of other species

What Has weakened the ability of coastal communities to regulate fisheries?

State of the art Fishing boats and fishing fleet

Potential energy

Stored energy and potentially available for use example: water in the reservoir behind a dam

What happens to chemical energy in the food chain?

Stored in biomass and is transferred from one trophic level to the next

What are pollutants?

Substances that can either enter the environment naturally such as volcanic eruption's or through human activities such as burning of coal or gasoline and dumping chemicals and bodies of water

What do you called a not widely tested scientific result?

Tentative or frontier science

Terrestrial producers vs. aquatic producers

Terrestrial: removes co2 from the atmosphere Aquatic: Removes co2 from the water Both use co2 and photosynthesis to produce complex carbohydrates such as glucose

Summarize the story of the 3M Company's pollution prevention program.

The 3M Company, based in Minnesota, makes more than 60,000 different products in 100 manufacturing plants. In 1975, it began a pioneering Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program. As part of its 3P program, 3M focused on redesigning its manufacturing processes and equipment in order to cut its use of hazardous raw materials, and in turn, to reduce its output of air and water pollutants and toxic wastes. It also recycled or reused as many of its waste materials as possible. The company found that it could sell some of its recycled waste materials to other companies as raw materials. The Pollution Prevention Pays program was a remarkable success that has inspired other companies to undertake similar programs. Between 1975 and 2010, the 3P program prevented more than 3 billion pounds of pollution and wastes from reaching the environment. As a result, the company saved more than $1.4 billion in costs of raw materials, waste disposal, and compliance with U.S. pollution laws and regulations, making the 3P program a superb example of how pollution prevention pays. Since 1990, a growing number of companies have adopted similar pollution and waste prevention programs.

What happens to the niches of two species who compete for the same resource

Their niches overlap -the greater the overlap the more intense the competition is for key resources

Explain how a market-based emissions trading, or cap-and-trade, program can help reduce outdoor air pollution. How successful has the SO2 emissions trading program been in the United States?

The United States has also used economic, or market-based, tools to help reduce some forms of outdoor air pollution. Since 1990, producers of outdoor air pollutants in the United States have been able to buy and sell permits that give them the right to emit specified levels of certain air pollutants. This emissions trading or cap-and-trade program began with the Clean Air Act of 1990, with the goal of reducing SO2 emissions. This act allows owners of coal-burning power plants to buy and sell rights to emit a certain amount of SO2 each year. If a particular power plant emits less than its legal allotment of SO2, it has a surplus of pollution credits. The utility can then use these credits to keep polluting at a higher level in one or more of its other plants. It can also sell the credits to other power companies that are exceeding their emission limits or to private citizens or groups. Supporters of the cap-and-trade approach argue that it is more effective than having the government dictate how to control air pollution. Critics of this approach contend that it allows utilities with older, dirtier power plants to continue polluting by buying the rights to pollute from companies that have done a good job of reducing their SO2 emissions. This can create air pollution hotspots. How successful an emissions trading program is in lowering overall emissions of SO2 or any other air pollutant depends on two factors: first, setting the initial cap low enough so that polluters have a strong incentive to lower their emissions and, second, lowering the cap every few years to promote continuing improvements in the reduction and prevention of air pollution emissions. The emissions trading program for reducing the release of pollutants from U.S. electric power plants has been quite successful. According to EPA estimates, SO2 emissions dropped by 68% between 1990 and 2010. Also, while utilities and other SO2-emitting industries had predicted very high costs, the actual cost of this successful air pollution reduction program was less than one-tenth of what the industries had projected.

what does the troposphere contain?

The air we breath, mostly nitrogen(78%) and oxygen(21%)

ecological footprint concept

The amount of land and water needed to supply a person or an area with renewable resources such as food and water and that are needed to absorb and recycle the waste and pollution produced by such resource use

What is science-based on

The assumption that event in the physical world follow cause and effect patterns

What is the atmosphere? Define and distinguish among the troposphere, the stratosphere, and the ozone layer, and explain the importance of each to life on the earth.

The atmosphere is the mixture of gases that surround the earth. It is made up of layers, the innermost two of which contain most of these gases. ------------------ The troposphere, the atmospheric layer nearest the earth's surface, contains most of the planet's air—the mixture of gases that we depend on for staying alive. About 78% of this mixture is nitrogen gas (N2), and oxygen gas (O2) makes up another 21%. The remaining 1% of the air we breathe is composed of water vapor (H2O), argon (Ar) gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), and other gases, plus very small, or trace, amounts of dust, droplets of various chemicals, and particles of soot, or unburned carbon, sometimes called black carbon particles. ------------------ The stratosphere is the earth's second layer of air. It contains much of the atmosphere's small amount of ozone gas (O3), which lies in a sub-layer of the lower stratosphere known as the ozone layer. This stratospheric ozone gas serves as a sunscreen for the planet by filtering out about 95% of the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation before it can reach the earth's surface. ------------------ Ozone layer Layer of gaseous ozone (O3) in the stratosphere that protects life on earth by filtering out most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. ------------------ Basically: The troposphere provides us with life-sustaining oxygen, and the stratosphere contains ozone that protects us from most of the sun's deadly ultraviolet radiation. earth's surface.

what happens if the carbon cycle removes too much co2 or generates too much?

The atmosphere will cool, and if it generates too much the atmosphere will get warmer.

What does per capita ecological footprint mean?

The average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country or area impact= population* affluence* technology

List six ways to prevent emissions of air pollutants.

The best approach to most air pollution problems, according to many experts, would be a mix of technological, political, market-based, and lifestyle solutions that would sharply reduce and even prevent the creation of pollutants. There are many examples, a few of which are listed in Figure 12.24. Many individuals and several colleges, universities, local governments, and private companies have seen the wisdom of such an approach. They are applying pollution prevention strategies and saving a lot of money as well as helping to keep the earth's air and water cleaner. Look at snip notes not loadinh

Energy

The capacity to do work or transfer heat

Define carbon cycle. What is the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the carbon cycle? What are fossil fuels and how does the use of these fuels affect the carbon cycle?

The carbon cycle is the continual circulation of various compounds of life-sustaining carbon (C) through the air, water, soil, and living organisms A key compound in the carbon cycle is carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, which makes up about 0.039% of the volume of air in the troposphere. As an important greenhouse gas, it is a key component of the atmosphere's temperature control system. If the carbon cycle removes CO2 from the atmosphere faster than it is replenished, the atmosphere cools, and if CO2 is added to the atmosphere faster than the carbon cycle can remove it, the atmosphere warms up. ----- fossil fuels—ancient deposits of carbon-containing substances, including coal, oil, and natural gas, that can be burned. When these fuels are extracted and burned completely, the carbon they contain returns to the atmosphere as CO2. Currently, fossil fuels supply about 85% of the world's energy and thus they are by far the world's largest human source of certain air pollutants and CO2.

nutrient cycling

The circulation of chemicals necessary for life, from the environment (mostly from soil and water) through organisms and back to the environment.

What is pollution?

The contamination of the environment by a chemical or other such as noise or heat to level that is harmful to the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms

chemical cycling

The continual cycling of chemicals necessary for life through natural processes such as the water cycle and feeding interactions; processes that evolved due to the fact that the earth gets essentially no new inputs of these chemicals.

The greater the number of trophic levels the greater....

The cumulative loss of usable chemical energy

Biological Extinction

The disappearance of any Species and especially those that play Keystone Rolls is irreversible

Biomass

The dry weight of all organic matter contained in its organisms

What is the greenhouse effect and why is it important to life on the earth? Define greenhouse gases and name the four most important ones in the atmosphere.

The earth would be too cold for most life as we know it, were it not for the greenhouse effect—the ability of the atmosphere to temporarily store some of the sun's energy received by the earth as heat. This effect is somewhat like that of a glass greenhouse that collects solar energy and temporarily holds it as heat. ----------- This natural, life-sustaining atmospheric warming occurs primarily because of the presence of small concentrations of four natural gases in the atmosphere: water vapor (H2O) carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4) nitrous oxide (N2O) They are the most important examples of greenhouse gases: or gases that interact with solar energy to have a warming effect on the earth's atmosphere.

What is the reason for food chains having only four or five trophic levels

The large loss in chemical energy between trophic levels -too little is left after four or five transfers

The transfer of energy by organisms involve what?

The loss of some degraded high-quality energy to the environment as heat (second law of thermodynamics)

carbon cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere, biosphere and parts of hydrosphere into organisms and back again.

Describe the roles of chemists F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina in alerting the world to this serious environmental problem.

The research of the late F. Sherwood Rowland (a) and Mario J. Molina (b) revealed how CFCs and certain other chemicals destroy stratospheric ozone. In 1995, Rowland and Molina were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on the effect of CFCs on the ozone layer. In presenting the prize, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said that the two researchers had contributed to "our salvation from a global environmental problem that could have had catastrophic consequences." In 1974, the use of these chemicals was questioned because of research carried out by chemists F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina. They and other scientists had discovered that these long-lived chemicals were rising into the stratosphere. There, under the influence of high-energy UV radiation, the CFC molecules were breaking down and releasing chlorine, fluorine, and bromine atoms that reacted with and destroyed ozone faster than it was forming in some parts of the stratosphere.

Why should we be concerned about ozone depletion?

The thinning ozone layer is a concern especially in parts of Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa. Every year for a few weeks in these areas of the Southern Hemisphere, large masses of ozone-depleted air flow northward from Antarctica. As a result, levels of biologically damaging UV radiation near the ground increase by 3-20% in these areas, and people there are more subject to skin cancers, eye cataracts, and severe sunburns, while many other organisms besides people are also harmed.

Thermal energy

The total kinetic energy of all moving Adams ions molecules in object body of water or atmosphere

The percentage of unstable chemical energy depends on what

The types of species and ecosystems involved

Greenhouse effect

The warming of the troposphere

How have humans contributed to atmospheric warming?

There is equally strong evidence that human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of many of the world's forests, are responsible for much of this warming effect. According to most of the world's climate scientists, a major factor in this atmospheric warming has been the dramatic rise in atmospheric levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Such higher levels are caused mainly by human activities that have been adding CO2 to the atmosphere faster than the carbon cycle can remove it.

Why is the Montreal Protocol an important example of international cooperation?

These agreements are important examples of how nations can cooperate to help reduce the severity of a very serious global environmental problem, using a prevention approach. One of the reasons for this unusually high level of international cooperation was that scientists had made a clear case, using solid scientific evidence, that ozone depletion was a serious threat to the well-being of people and the environment. As a result of this strong action by governments, chemical companies were spurred to find safer alternatives to CFCs, and some of these substitute chemicals proved to be more profitable than CFCs were for the companies.

Why are trawlers bad

They are huge nets that drag along the ocean floor and disturb the habitat

The vertical movement of water in the ocean moves as dense water sinks and less dense water rises, this creates what?

They connected loop of deep and shallow ocean currents

Why do temperate rain forests have high species evenness?

They contain similar numbers of individuals, each from many different species

Why are desert ecosystems fragile?

They experience slow plant growth, low species diversity, slow nutrient cycling, and very little water

How have prey species evolved to avoid predators?

They run, swim, fly fast, I've had developed senses, protective shell

Troposphere

Thin layer of atmosphere

Limiting factor principal

Too much or too little of any physical or chemical factors can limit or prevent the growth of a population, even if all other factors are at or near the optimal range of tolerance

what is the most importantComponent of nutrient cycling?

Topsoil, a vital natural resources that provides us and many other species with food without the recycling of topsoil life could not exist on earths land

List three types of evidence that point to rapid atmospheric warming that could disrupt the earth's climate.

This evidence indicates that this warming is very rapid, compared to long-term historic changes in the average atmospheric temperature, and that it is very likely to alter the global climate during this century. There is equally strong evidence that human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of many of the world's forests, are responsible for much of this warming effect. In addition to historical temperature data, there is plenty of other evidence that the atmosphere is warming quickly. For example, many of the world's mountain glaciers are melting at higher than historic rates during summer months, as is the floating sea ice in the Arctic and some of the land-based ice in Greenland. According to climate scientists, while this melting has been slow, it appears to be accelerating. The world's average sea level will rise if the net loss of Greenland's land-based ice continues over a number of decades. Other evidence of atmospheric warming comes from mathematical models of the earth's climate system developed by climate scientists. When these scientists run the models on some of the world's most powerful computers, they project that the earth's average atmospheric temperature is likely to rise by 3.6 F° to 8.1 F° by the end of this century, depending on the rate of greenhouse gas emissions—a huge increase in a short time.

What does environmental ethics mean?

This is the study of our various beliefs about what is right and wrong with how we treat the environment, provides important ways to examine our world views

What does environmental worldview mean?

This is your set of assumptions and values reflecting how you think the world works and what you think your role in the world should be

When can a system become unsustainable

Throughput exceed the abilities of systems environment do you provide required resource input and absorb, dilute system outputs

doubling time

Time it takes (usually in years) for the quantity of something growing exponentially to double. It can be calculated by dividing the annual percentage growth rate into 70.

recycle

To collect and reprocess a resource so that it can be made into new products; one of the four R's of resource use. An example is collecting aluminum cans, melting them down, and using the aluminum to make new cans or other aluminum products. See primary recycling, secondary recycling. .

What is the goal of the Ecosystem approach

To establish a network Of protected Marine reserve's

What does a responsibility to the future generations mean? Ethics

To leave and take care of our planet so that future generations can also enjoy it

social science principles of sustainability

To live more sustainably we (1) need to include the harmful health and environmental costs of producing the goods and services in their market prices (full-cost pricing), (2) learn to work together to focus on solutions to environmental problems that will benefit the largest number of people and the environment now and in the future (win-win solutions), and (3) accept our responsibility to future generations to leave the planet's life-support systems in at least as good a shape as what we now enjoy (responsibility to future generations).

scientific principles of sustainability

To live more sustainably we need to rely on solar energy, preserve biodiversity, and recycle the chemicals that we use. These three principles of sustainability are scientific lessons from nature based on observing how life on the earth has survived and thrived for 3.5 billion years. See biodiversity, chemical cycling, solar energy. Compare social science principles of sustainability.

reuse

To use a product over and over again in the same form. An example is collecting, washing, and refilling glass beverage bottles. One of the 4 Rs. Compare recycle, reduce, and refuse.

Cold/tundra grasslands

Treeless planes literally cold, frigid winds, few hours of daylight, scant precipitation

Describe the thinning of ozone in the stratosphere and define ozone depletion. Why are CFCs such potent ozone destroyers?

Using measurements made over several decades from satellites, aircraft, and weather balloons, these researchers found considerable seasonal thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica during September and October. This annual loss of ozone is commonly called an ozone hole, but the more accurate term is ozone thinning. Based on these measurements as well as on mathematical and chemical models, the researchers warned that stratospheric ozone thinning posed a serious threat to humans, to other animals, and to some primary producers (mostly plants) that use sunlight to support the earth's food webs. There, under the influence of high-energy UV radiation, the CFC molecules were breaking down and releasing chlorine, fluorine, and bromine atoms that reacted with and destroyed ozone faster than it was forming in some parts of the stratosphere. ozone depletion, the process by which ozone thinning occurred as CFCs destroyed some of the ozone molecules in the stratosphere. Researchers eventually found that CFC molecules could be especially long-lived and potent ozone destroyers. In fact, scientists estimate that some types of CFC molecules can last in the stratosphere and keep on destroying ozone for up to 385 years. Whenever a spray can with CFC propellant was used, whenever CFC coolants leaked from air conditioners and refrigerators, and whenever CFC solvents were used to clean electronic parts, these chemicals rose into the troposphere and eventually reached the stratosphere where they reacted with and destroyed ozone.

Range of tolerance

Variations and it's chemical and physical environment could be due to genetic make up, health, age

biodiversity

Variety of different species (species diversity), genetic variability among individuals within each species (genetic diversity), variety of ecosystems (ecological diversity), and functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities (functional diversity).

Cold desert

Vegetation sparse, winter is cold, summer is hot, precipitation low

What makes up most of the electromagnetic spectrum admitted by the sun?

Visible light

13 city blocks of tropical forest / min

What is the loss and degradation of 50,000 sq km / year equivalent to in terms of blocks?

50,000 sq km / year

What is the lowest estimated rate of loss and degradation of remaining tropical forests?

Why is food production in certain areas lowering?

Water needed through summer to irrigate crops Gets released to quickly into early

What does the planetary management worldwide mean?

We are separate from and in change of nature, that nature exists mainly to meet our needs and increasing wants and that we can use our ingenuity and technology to manage the earths life-support systems mostly for our benefit

What does stewardship worldview mean?

We can and should manage the earth for our benefit, but that we have an ethical responsibilities to be caring and responsible managers or stewards of the earth

affluence

Wealth that results in high levels of consumption and unnecessary waste of resources, based mostly on the assumption that buying more and more material goods will bring fulfillment and happiness.

Scientific theory

Well tested or widely excepted scientific hypothesis

prevention, prescribed burning, presuppression, suppression

What are four ways to protect forest resources from fire?

population growth, poverty, government policies

What are the primary causes of loss and degradation of tropical forests?

roads, logging, farming, ranching, flooding from dams, mining, oil drilling

What are the secondary causes of loss and degradation of tropical forests?

Tropical, Temperate, Polar (Boreal)

What are the three types of forests (depending on climate)?

even-aged management, uneven-aged management

What are the two basic forest management systems?

soil erosion, soil compaction

What does overgrazing lead to?

Tropical Grassland (Savanna)

Widly scattered clumps of trees, warm temperatures, altering wet/ dry seasons

Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of using the following to help protect endangered species: (a) wildlife refuges, (b) gene banks and botanical gardens, (c) zoos and animal research centers, and (d) aquariums. (Yes I know, this was also on Study Guide #2 but you have to practice these memorization tasks)

Wild life refugees: protect habitats, do not get enough money Gene Banks: For farming, used to conserve plant genes so they do not go extinct Botanical gardens: Keep a lot of plants alive, make sure no one harms them. Also recreational Zoos and Aquariums: Help species rehabilitate and send them back into their natural habitat all cost a lot of money

What causes current to flow in rough circular patterns?

Wins and irregular shaped continents

Temperate grasslands

Winter is cold, so hot and dry, precipitation sparse, fertile soil

Why is the transfer of energy through food chain not efficient?

With each energy transfer some unstable chemical energy is degraded and lost as low-quality energy

environmental wisdom worldview

Worldview holding that humans are part of and totally dependent on nature and that nature exists for all species, not just for us. Our success depends on learning how the earth sustains itself and integrating such environmental wisdom into the ways we think and act. Compare frontier worldview, planetary management worldview, stewardship worldview.

planetary management worldview

Worldview holding that humans are separate from nature, that nature exists mainly to meet our needs and increasing wants, and that we can use our ingenuity and technology to manage the earth's life-support systems, mostly for our benefit. It assumes that economic growth is unlimited. Compare environmental wisdom worldview, stewardship worldview.

stewardship worldview

Worldview holding that we can manage the earth for our benefit but that we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers, or stewards, of the earth. It calls for encouraging environmentally beneficial forms of economic growth and discouraging environmentally harmful forms. Compare worldview, environmental wisdom worldview, planetary management worldview.

Can trophic levels be assigned in food webs?

Yes

When there is a chemical change or chemical reaction is there a change the chemical Composition

Yes

Can you change potential energy to kinetic energy

Yes Ex:Holding a book(potential) drops to the ground(kenetic)

What is the sulfur cycle and why is it important to life on the earth? List three human activities that have affected the natural sulfur cycle in ways that increase outdoor air pollution.

Yet another important natural cycle is the sulfur cycle, in which various chemical forms of sulfur circulate through the earth's air, water, soil, and living organisms. Sulfur is a component of several proteins and vitamins that are vital to life processes. One sulfur compound also plays a role in the formation of clouds which in turn affects climates. Human activities 1. the burning of sulfur-containing coal and oil to produce electricity and to make steel, cement, and other materials. 2. Another such activity is the conversion of sulfur-containing oil into gasoline, heating oil, diesel fuel and other useful products. 3. Still another is smelting—the processing of sulfur-containing metallic minerals to obtain important metals such as copper and lead.

Aquifers

a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater.

what is a species?

a group of organisms that has a unique set of characteristics that distinguish it from other groups of organisms

habitat

a place where a species lives

Atmosphere

a thin spherical envelope of gasses surrounding the earth's surface

What is biodiversity?

a variety of genes, organisms, species, and ecosystems in which organisms exist and interact. these interactions include feeding relationships and make sure the population does not grow to big. provides ways for other organisms

What is a scientific law?

a well-tested and widely accepted description of what we find happening repeatedly and in the same way in nature

intermittent natural fires

are an important part of the ecological cycle of some types of forests

What are some major characteristics of (a) successful invader species and (b) ecosystems vulnerable to invader species?

a.they have high reproductive rates, good competitors, high genetic variability, wide geographical range, short generation times. b.Climate is similar to the one of the invasive species, not many predators, disturbed by human activities, native species have low diversity, not many natural disasters.

What is acid deposition, how does it form, and what are its major sources? Why is it considered a regional, rather than a local, problem?

acid deposition, often called acid rain—acidic particles and droplets falling from the air or washed out of the air by precipitation onto land and into aquatic systems. When primary pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere by coal-burning facilities and motor vehicles, prevailing winds can transport them as far away as 600 miles. While in the atmosphere, some of these primary pollutants are converted into secondary pollutants, including tiny droplets of sulfuric acid, nitric acid vapor, and particles of acid-forming sulfate and nitrate salts. Depending on prevailing winds, precipitation, and other weather factors, these acidic chemicals remain in the atmosphere for two days to two weeks. Gravity and precipitation eventually return the suspended particles and droplets to the earth's surface in two forms. One is wet deposition, which consists of acidic rain, snow, fog, and cloud vapor. The other is the dry deposition made up of acidic particles. Acid deposition is a problem that affects regions that are downwind from coal-burning power and industrial plants and from urban areas with large numbers of cars. Some regions can tolerate moderate inputs of acids because their soils contain basic compounds that will react with and neutralize, or buffer, the acids. However, repeated exposure to acid deposition can deplete these neutralizing compounds. Areas that have thin, acidic soils without buffering compounds are especially sensitive to acid deposition. The same is true of regions where decades of acid deposition have depleted the buffering compounds in their soils. ((((Acid deposition, primarily a regional problem caused mostly by the burning of coal in power and industrial plants and by the use of motor vehicles, can threaten human health, forests, and aquatic life in lakes.))))))

Alternating periods of cooling and heating have caused what?

advance and retreat of ice sheets at high altitudes

How can DMS emissions effect the environment?

affect cloud cover and climate

What is the atomic theory?

all matter is composed of small, indestructible particles called atoms

Theory of Evolution

all species evolved from earlier, ancestral species

gravity

allows planet to hold onto atmosphere and helps enable the movement/ cycling of chemicals through air

even-aged management

also called an industrial forest

what type of animal are most endemic species?

amphibians

what is the most common way in which separation occurs for sexually reproducing organisms

barrier or distant migration separates two or more population

What does anerobic respiration do?

breaks down complex organic compounds to produce co2 in the atmosphere and water

Monomers

building blocks of polymers Or simple organic molecules

what happens when plants absorb water

can mix with carbon during photosynthesis to produce high-energy organic compounds such as carbohydrates. Eventually compounds break down in cells, which release water back to environment

Reproductive stage

capable of reproduction

what is carbon the building blocks of?

carbohydrates fats proteins DNA

Summerize photosynthesis

carbon dioxide+ water+solar energy=glucous + oxygen

Earthquakes

caused by the GRINDING of tectonic plates

How can earthquakes affect biological evolution?

causing fissures in earth's crust that can separate species over time, which can over long periods of time, lead to formation of new species as each isolated population changes genetically in response to new conditions

Biological evolution by natural selection involves the change in what?

change in population's genetic makeup through successive generations

mutations

changes in the DNA molecules of a gene in any cell . that can be inherited by offspring

what do carbohydrates store for plants?

chemical energy

strip-cutting

clear-cutting a strip of trees along the contour of the land, with a corridor narrow enough to allow natural regeneration

acidi disposition

components of sulfate salts droplets created by DMS

chlorinated hydrocarbons

compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine atoms

reliable science

consists of data, hypotheses, models, theories, and laws that are widely accepted by all or most of the scientists who are considered experts in the field under study

Geosphere

consists of earth's hot core, mantel, and thin layer of outer crust

Biosphere

consists of parts of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere

What are inexhaustible resources?

continuous supply (for example solar energy until sun dies)

forests

critical component of the carbon cycle, taking up to 90% of atmospheric carbon dioxide

How will our actions decreasing speciation rates affect Other species

crowd and compete with other species accelerating extinction and threatening ecosystem services

what are nutrient cycles driven by?

directly, or indirectly by incoming solar energy and by earths gravity

trophic level

each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

presuppression

early detection and control of fires

Primary consumers

eat plants (herbivores)

ecosystem approach

encourages the protection of habitats and ecosystem services through a four-point plan

one way flow of energy

energy from the sun goes directly through living things and is put back into the earth as low-quality energy

Top predator keystone species

feed on and regulate populations of other species

what advantage do specialists have?

fewer competitors

suppression

fighting fires once they have started

forest watersheds

filter and regulate flow of water from mountain highlands to croplands and urban areas

what natural service does wetlands supply?

flood control

What are the three social science principles Of sustainability?

full-cost pricing, win-win solutions, a responsibility to future generations

summarize the process of biological evolution

genes mutate, individuals are selected, and populations evolve such that . they are better adapted to survive and reproduce under existing environmental conditions

Ecosystems are a storehouse for what?

genetic and species diversity

second-growth forests

growth forests are stands of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession after cutting

seed-tree cutting

harvests nearly all of a stand's trees in one cutting, leaving a few uniformly distributed seed-producing trees to regenerate the stand

Types of organic compounds

hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, simple carbohydrates

Half of the world's land based plant and animal species live where?

in . tropical rainforests .

Where do mutations have to occur for them to be passed down to offspring?

in genes of reproductive cells

how is carbon stored in water?

in insoluble carbonates in bottom sediment for long periods of time (largest store of carbon)

selective cutting

intermediate-aged or mature trees are cut singularly or in small groups, creating gaps no bigger than the height of standing trees

whole-tree harvesting

involves cutting trees at the ground level or uprooting entire trees to be placed in a whole chpping machine for use as pulpwood or fuelwood chips

uneven-aged management

involves the planting of a variety of tree species at many ages for multiple uses

what is an ecosystem?

is a set of organisms within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with their environment of non-living + energy

What is enviormental science?

is an interdiscipinary study of how humans interact with the lving and non-living parts of their enviorment; integrates information + ideas from natural sciences such as bio, chemistry, geology, social sciences such as ethics, political science and geography

What does natural income mean?

is the renewable resources such as plants, animals, soil, clean air, and clean water, provided by the earths natural capital. It also means the depleting or degrading the earths natural capital which supplies this income, and providing the human population with adequate and equitable access to its natural income for the foreseeable future.

principle of multiple use

land should be used simultaneously for a variety of uses

examples of producers on land, in oceans, and in openwater

land: trees and plants ocean:algae and aquatic plants open water: phytoplankton-micro organisms that float in water

species evenness

measure of the relative abundance or the comparative numbers of individuals of each species present

Fossils

mineralized or petrified replicas of skelttons, bones, teeth etc...

For decades, forest fires in the United States have been suppressed. In 2003 legislation was passed under the Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI) in response to the record-breaking wildfires that had occurred in the early 2000s. Some environmental and conservation groups fear that negative impacts could result if timber companies are encouraged to harvest medium- and large-size trees in federally owned forests while clearing away the smaller trees and underbrush. Identify TWO characteristics of forests that develop when fires are suppressed, and explain why the practice of fire suppression does not reduce, but actually increases, the risk of intense and extensive forest fires. The effects of the HFI are expected to extend beyond fire reduction. Excluding fire reduction, describe ONE positive and ONE negative effect likely to result from the implementation of the provisions of the HFI. Describe TWO ecosystem services provided for humans by forests. Explain how clear-cutting would affect each ecosystem service you describe. Identify a specific type of plant community or biome (other than a forest) that is naturally maintained by fire. Explain how the fire maintains the community or biome.

larger trees develop, tree density increases, layer of leaf litter and No loss of nutrients to burning in intense fires. Increased leaf litter adds fuel to the fire. Positive: Increased removal of medium and large trees will: lower the cost of timber Negative: The removal of medium and large trees/small tree brush will: reduce the available habitat for other organisms in the forest biome, soil erosion Service #1: Forests provide oxygen (via photosynthesis) Impact: Some loss of oxygen, without which we cannot live Service #2: Forests provide wood for fuel Impact: increase in the short-term availability of wood, but potential long-term loss of availability. Forests provide oxygen (via photosynthesis) Some loss of oxygen, without which we cannot live, and Carbon that is removed from the atmosphere by trees helps to limit the magnitude of the atmospheric greenhouse effect. Some carbon will be released to the atmosphere or will not be removed. Biome: Grasslands: Fire removes cover and allows for sunlight penetration

What are two ways for people in less-developed countries to reduce indoor air pollution caused by the use of open fires and inefficient stoves?

leaky stoves and indoor fires could be replaced by inexpensive, energy-efficient stoves that are now available. These stoves vent their exhausts to the outside of a home, sharply cutting indoor air pollution. Mounting an international program to provide poor people with these stoves would go a long way toward improving the health of the poor. In areas with adequate sunshine, people can use stoves powered by solar energy to cook food. In many parts of the world, these simple, low-pollution technologies could help people avoid cooking indoors with wood, charcoal, and dung. Because people in less-developed countries often must find firewood anywhere they can, giving them more efficient fuel-burning stoves or solar stoves and ovens would also reduce the unsustainable cutting of trees from many areas that are threatened by deforestation.

How are humans playing arole in process of separation?

learned . to shuffle genes from one species to another through artificial selection and genetic engineering .

what are the causes of species extinction?

loss, fragmentation, degradation of habitats

Hydrosphere

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

producers

make nutrients they need from compounds and energy obtained from the environment

crown fires

may start on the ground but eventually burn whole trees and leap from treetop to treetop

how is aboveground, and underground water purified?

naturally filtered and partially purified by chemical and biological processes

What is the nitrogen cycle and why is it important to life on the earth? Describe two human activities that have affected the natural nitrogen cycle in ways that increase outdoor air pollution.

nitrogen cycle Cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms within the environment and the earth's life-support systems. ( different chemical forms of nitrogen repeatedly cycle through air, water, soil, and living organisms) It is essential for growth and reproduction in both plants and animals. Two major human activities have affected the nitrogen cycle and added nitrogen-containing pollutants to the atmosphere. 1. the burning of fossil fuels, which generates high temperatures that convert some of the N2 in the air to the gases nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which can act as air pollutants. Atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) also go up when fossil fuels are burned. 2. the agricultural use of commercial nitrate fertilizers and animal manure, both of which release N2O into the atmosphere.

what does the upper layer of geosphere contain?

nonrenewable fossil fuels, materials, renewable soil chemicals (nutrients)

species diversity

number and variety of species an ecosystem contains

species richness

number of different species in a given area

specialist species

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

overgrazing

occurs when too many animals graze for too long and exceed the carrying capacity of a rangeland area

speciation

one species splits into two or more different species

what is a critical role of Keystone species?

pollination

Distinguish between primary and secondary air pollutants, and give two examples of each type.

primary air pollutants, includes all chemicals that are emitted directly into the air from natural processes and human activities and that build up to harmful levels secondary air pollutants—the harmful chemicals that form in the air by reacting with primary pollutants or with chemicals naturally found in the air. Primary air pollutants come from natural and human sources. Secondary air pollutants form in the atmosphere.

What are the two types of ecological succession?

primary and secondary Ecological succession

Extinction

process in which entire species ceases to exist

Denitrification

process in which specialized bacteria convert NH and Nh4 back into nitrogen ions and gas and returned to the atmosphere.

what are natural services/ ecosystem services?

processes provided by healthy ecosystems ( example topsoil, forests purify the air)

what are some components of Nitrogen?

proteins vitamins nucleic acid (DNA)

What does the nucleus contains

protons and neutrons

What are subatomic particles?

protons, neutrons, electrons

forests

provide more habitats for wildlife species than any other biome

shelterwood cutting

removes all mature trees in two to three cuttings over a period of 10 years

principle of sustainable yield

renewable resources should not be harvested faster then they are replenished

What are renewable resources?

resources that can be renewed (air,water,plants etc.)

ecological niche

role that species plays in its ecosystem, pattern of living

prescribed burning

setting controlled ground fires to prevent buildup of flammable material

genetic resistance

the ability of one or more organisms in a population to tolerate a chemical designed to kill it

what is the carbon cycle a key component of?

the atmosphere's thermostat

cycling of nutrients

the atoms, ions, and molecules needed for survival by living organisms cycle through biosphere - Earth does not get significant input from space

Chemical bonds

the attractive forces that hold atoms together

what is ecology?

the biological science that studies how living things interact with one another and with their environment

what happens after complex carbohydrates are formed in the carbon cycle?

the cells in oxygen-consuming . producers, consumers, and decomposers then carry out anerobic respiration

what is chemical cycling or nutrient cycling?

the circulation of chemicals necessary for life from the environment (mostly soil and water) through organisms and back into the environment (poop)

phosphorus cycle

the cyclic movement of phosphorus in different chemical forms through water, in earth's crust and in living organisms

where is most of the geosphere located?

the earth's interior

ecosystem diversity

the earth's variety of deserts, grasslands, forests, mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers, and wetlands

grasslands

the ecosystem most widely used and altered by humans after forests

what does sustainable yield mean?

the highest rate at which we can use a renewable source indefinitely without reducing its available supply

Biological evolution

the process whereby earth's life changes over time through changes in the genes of populations in succeeding generations

clear-cutting

the removal of all trees from an area in a single cutting, increasing the timber yield

high grading

the selective cutting of the most valuable trees

What is solar energy?

the sun warms the earth and provides energy that plants use to produce nutrients, to make their own life processes along with those of most other animals. Also powers indirect forms of solar energy such as wind and flowing water which we use to produce electricity.

What is the environment?

the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

What is the mass number?

the total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.

What is the world's most serious air pollution problem and in what kinds of countries is it most serious?

the world's most serious air pollution problem, in terms of human health, is indoor air pollution, especially in less-developed countries. Worldwide, it harms and kills many more people than outdoor pollution does. -Less-Developed countries

how is carbon stored in sediment turned into carbon-containing fossil fuels?

through high pressure and heat

how does DMS do?

tiny drops serve as nuclei for the condensation of water into droplets found in clouds

what do scientists use niches for?

to classify species (mostly as generalists or specialists)

Post reproductive stage

too old to reproduce

what are the most species rich environments?

tropical rain forests, coral reefs, the deep sea, and large tropical lakes

old-growth forests

uncut forests and regenerate forests that have not been seriously disturbed for at least several hundred years

rangelands

unfenced g rasslands in temperate and tropical climates that supply forage feor grazing and browsing animals

surface fires

usually burn only undergrowth and leaf litter on the forest floor

surface runoff

water that flows over land until it reaches lakes, rivers, or other areas

geographic isolation

when different groups of the same population of a species become physically isolated from one another for a long period of time

nutrient cycle

when elements and compounds that make up nutrients move continually through air, water, soil, rock, and living organisms within ecosystems, as well as the biosphere in cycles

how can phosphate be lost for long periods of time in the cycle?

when it is washed from the land into streams and rivers and is carried to ocean, then is deposited as sediment for millions of years

Resevoirs

when nutrients accumulate in certain portions of the cycles and remain there for a period of time. ( Temporary storage space)

greenhouse effect

when solar energy interacts with carbon dioxide and other gasses in the troposphere and warms it

sulfur cycle

when sulfur circulates through the biosphere

even-aged management

when trees are planted and maintained at about the same age and size using monoculture techniques to be harvested simultaneously