Dr. Keller's ENV 101 First Test
What is predation?
All interactions in which one organism consumes all or part of another
What does Stratovolcanoes usually involve?
Alternating layers of pyroclastic material (anything ejected out of the volcano) and rhyolitic lave flows (ex-Mt. St. Helen, Mt. Pinatubo)
What is Heat Capacity?
Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of any substance by 1 degrees Celsius
What is Insolation?
Amount of sunlight striking the Earth's Surface (concentrated at low latitudes i.e. the equator)
What is an hypothesis?
An educated guess (a statement that can be used to build inferences and explanations)
What type of phase change ABSORBS heat?
ENDOthermic Reactions
What are Cap and Trade Policies?
EPA sets a cap of what you can produce and what you can't will be sold/traded on the open market
What type of phase change RELEASES heat?
EXOthermic Reactions
What in the Geologic Cycles is the Seventh Cycle?
Earthquakes
What is Secondary Succession?
Ecological change in an area after a disturbance
What is Primary Succession?
Ecological change in an area where no biological organisms previously existed
What is a Covalent bond?
Electron sharing (shares electrons; H2O)
What is chemical bonding?
Electrostatic force of attraction between atoms of different elements
What are Ions?
Elements that have a net charge created by ionic bonds
Examples of Renewable resources
Energy (from sunlight, wind, solar, hydroelectric), trees and plants, agricultural crops and livestock
What is continually exchanged between living organisms and their environment?
Energy and Matter
What is the FIRST Law of Thermodynamics?
Energy can only be changed from one form to another
What is Kinetic Energy?
Energy of motion
What is Heat?
Energy transfer from one body to another
What is a Predator-Prey Relationship?
Equilibrium between predators and prey (Wolves vs Deer population)
What are surroundings?
Everything outside the system
What is an Open System?
Exchanges energy with its surroundings
What is the Pioneer Community?
First organisms to colonize an area
What are Biogeochemical Cycles?
Flow or cycling of matter through the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem
What is Stress?
Force applied to an object that result in strain
What are Sedimentary Rocks?
Form when pieces of other rocks are cemented together or created from biochemical processes
Examples of Nonrenewable resources
Fossil Fuels, mineral resources, fresh water
The Social Sciences are:
Geography, economics, politics, sociology, law
What are other environmental problems?
Global Climate Change, Pollution (air, water, etc.), Food and water supply, energy resources, and loss of natural habitat and species
Location of earthquakes are linked to...
Global plate tectonics
What is incentives?
Goal of encouraging certian behaviors
What is regulation?
Goal to set legal standards (laws)
The National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law in 1969. What did it do?
Government had to consider the environment impact from activities (building roads, etc.)
What does tsunami mean in Japanese?
Great Wave in Harbor
What are examples of Earthquake Hazards?
Ground shaking, Ground failure, Tsunamis, Fires, and Floods
What are Molecules?
Group of atoms held together by Covalent bonds
What is a theory?
Has evidence to support it
What is Latent Heat?
Heat absorbed or released during a phase change without a change in temperature
What is Sensible Heat?
Heat that can be measured by a thermometer
What are primary consumers?
Herbivores. (cows, rabbits, giraffes)
Like Consumers, Decomposers are...
Heterotrophic. They must eat other organisms to get their energy
What are consumers?
Heterotrophs. Organisms that must eat the bodies of other organisms as a food source
In Convection, what happens to air?
Hot air rises and cold air sinks (like convection ovens or air balloons)
What is Relative Humidity?
How close the air is to saturation
What do environmental problems determine?
A price for non market goods
In Conduction, Heat flows from...
A region of higher temperatures to a region of lower tempuratures
When dealing with the economy...
A value or price must be placed on any product
What are externalities?
Consequences that are experienced by third parties
Sustainability depends on the idea of...
Conservation
What is a system?
Consists of multiple interacting parts with defined boundaries
What are example of plate boundaries?
Convergent boundaries (subduction zones), divergent boundaries, and hot spots
Examples of Social System Beliefs:
Culture, Age, Gender, Education, Sexual Orientation, Race, Background, Religion, Politics, Income, Media
What is Ground Shaking in an Earthquake?
Damage to engineered structures
What is Strain?
Deformation in rocks
What happens when the price of a market product is raised?
Demand usually decreases which in turn causes an increase in supply
What happens when the price of a market product is lowered?
Demand usually increases and we must produce more to keep up with demand
Plate tectonics are ... on the layered view of the Earth
Dependent
What is Symbiosis?
Describes close and often long term interactions between different biological species
What is the Rock Cycle?
Describes how rocks can change over time via various geologic processes
What is the testing step in the Scientific Method?
Design an experiment to test or revise the hypothesis. (If it fails, go back to the hypothesis. If it passes, retest multiple times)
The first Earth Day was held on April 22nd, 1970. What did it do?
Designed to increase awareness and appreciation for the natural environment
What is the main function of convection cells?
Determine direction and speed of plates
Examples of Plate Boundaries
Divergent, Convergent, Transform
What is Work?
Done when a force is applied to an object and that object moves a given distance in the direction of the force
What do humans have to accept?
Most natural resources are not always going to be there.
At higher temperatures, molecules...
Move faster and have more kinetic energy
At lower temperatures, molecules...
Move slower and have less kinetic energy
What, in Heat Transfer, is Conduction?
Movement of heat energy between regions of matter due to a temperature gradient
What is Mantle Convection?
Movement of heat in the mantle
What is Oceanic Circulation?
Movement of the oceans composed of surface and deep currents
What is Runoff?
Movement of water across the Earth's surface not in channels (usually by gravity)
What is Evaporation?
Movement of water from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere
What is Precipitation?
Movement of water from the atmosphere to Earth's Surface in any form (Rain, snow, hail, etc.)
What is Infiltration?
Movement of water from the surface into the subsurface (groundwater)
What are Lahars?
Mudflow that is created when upwelling magma melts ice and snow
Examples of disturbances for Secondary Succession to occur
Natural Disasters: Fire, Floods, Earthquakes, etc.
What is NOT present in infinite supply?
Natural Resources
Which type of Resources are linked?
Natural and Human
Electrons are
Negatively charged (Negativity gets the ELECtric chair)
What are Anions?
Negatively charged elements that gain electrons
Neutrons are
Neutral
What are the primary components of the Atmosphere (all are covalent bonds)?
Nitrogen (N2) 78% Oxygen (O2) 21% Others- CO2, Helium, Argon, Neon < 1%
What is Supporting Services?
Nutrient Cycles (carbon and nitrogen)
All Natural Systems are...
OPEN
What are the steps of the scientific method?
Observation, hypothesis, experiment, theory
What are Metamorphic Rocks?
Occurs when changes in pressure and temperature alter pre existing rocks to produce new ones (bury a rock to speed this up)
What is Cellular Respiration?
Occurs when organisms used stored sugars (foods) to perform work and release energy
When does photosynthesis occur?
Occurs when plants trap light energy from the sun and then transform it into chemical energy to produce carbohydrates (sugars)
What in the Earth's Cycles is the Fourth Cycle?
Oceanic Circulation
Energy and matter is constantly cycled between these spheres since they are....
Open systems
What is a volcano?
Opening in the crust which allows hot, molten rock, ash, and gases to escape from below the surface
What are Plate Tectonics?
Outer layer of the Earth is broken into individual plates that move
What is the #1 environmental problem?
Overpopulation
What is two more goals of environmental policies?
Partnerships and Volunteerism
What are Pools?
Parts of an ecosystem where matter resides (atmosphere, oceans, soil, organisms)
What is the order of primary succession?
Pioneer Species (grass, rocks) -> Intermediate species (shrubs, saplings) -> Climax Community (thick trees, organisms)
What in the Geologic Cycles is the Sixth Cycle?
Plate Tectonics
What is a Transform Boundary?
Plate moves horizontally past each other ↑↓
Just like earthquakes, the location of volcanoes is linked to...
Plate tectonics and plate boundaries
What is a Convergent Boundary?
Plates collide into each other creating mountain ranges or subduction zones (created when plates have different densities and the denser plate is pushed underneath) → ←
What is a Divergent Boundary?
Plates move apart from each other (new molten rock [magma] upwells to create new crust) ← →
What is an Ecological Niche?
Position or role of a organism in its ecosystem
Protons are
Positively charged
What are Cations?
Positively charged element that loses electrons
What are the main forms of energy?
Potential and Kinetic Energy
What are the four main processes in the Hydrologic Cycle?
Precipitation, Evaporation, Runoff, Infiltration
What is an Environmental Policy?
Principals that guide the actions of institutions in environmental issues
What is Competition?
Process by which organisms fight for environmental resources
What are deep water currents?
Produced by DENSITY AND TEMPERATURE differences (Thermoholine Circulation) (Dense water that's cold and salty sinks at the poles and initiates them)
What are surface currents?
Produced by winds blowing over oceans that are created through fictional forces between the water and air
What is Provisioning Services?
Production of food (fish and game) and other natural resources (water, minerals, etc.), and energy production (solar, wind)
What is photosynthesis?
Production of organic molecules from inorganic substances (Only occurs in plants)
What is a Stratovolcano?
Steep sided Cone Volcano that erupts explosively but infrequently
What is Potential Energy?
Stored Energy (When an item is off the ground, it has potential energy because it has the potential to be in motion)
What is Economics?
Study of how people use their limited resources to satisfy their needs
What is a Tsunami?
Sudden vertical movement along fault causes the overlying water to be displaced which creates waves that travel outwards. Often caused by underwater earthquakes
What is the flow of energy?
Sun>Plants>Herbivores>Carnivores
What are Pyroclastic Flows?
Superheated cloud of ash and gas
Price controls:
Supply and demand
What are the different biological interactions in Ecology?
Symbiosis (mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism), Competition, and Predation
Conservation Movement started by who and when?
Teddy Roosevelt in the early 20th Century. Known as National Monuments Act
What is the biotic portion of an ecosystem?
The Living Organisms
What is the Abiotic portion of an ecosystem?
The Nonliving Components
What is Thermodynamics?
The study of energy and its transformations
What is Chemistry?
The study of matter and the transformations of matter
What is Ecology?
The study of the relationships between organisms (ecological pyramids) and how the organisms interact with their environment
What is a major obstacle to any economy based on natural capital?
The valuation of non market or non monetary goods
What is Pangea?
Theory of a super continent from 200 million years ago with evidence of its presence (Plates have since drifted apart)
What is Ionic bonding?
electron transfer (gives up an electron; Na+1 -> Cl-1)
What is the result of coevolution?
interdependent evolution of two interacting species. They affect each other's evolution and evolve together
Hardin (1968) illustrated the struggle between what?
short term individual welfare and long term social welfare
Earthquakes often occur along..
fault zones
What is Entropy?
Measure of randomness of system (Amount of energy lost)
Cl^-
# of protons < # of electrons
C^0
# of protons = # of Electrons
Na^+
# of protons > # of electrons
What is the equation for photosynthesis?
6CO2 + 12H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
What are phase changes?
A change of phase always involving the transfer of energy (usually in the form of heat)
What is an observation?
A collection of scientific facts (through observing and measuring)
What is an Ecosystem?
A combination of all living organisms and the physical environment they occupy
What is Force?
Any influence that causes an object to undergo a certain change (change in its movement, direction, or shape)
What is the technical definition of Natural Resources?
Any material or substance provided by the environment for human use
What is matter?
Anything that has mass and occupies space
What are hot spots?
Areas where magma from mantle upwells to the surface (Hawaii)
What are faults?
Areas where rocks fracture (break) and one side moves relative to the other
What are Earth's interacting spheres?
Atmosphere (Air), Hydrosphere (Water), Biosphere (Life), Lithosphere (Outer rocky layer)
What in the Earth's Cycles is the Third Cycle?
Atmospheric Circulation
What are producers?
Autotrophs. Any plant that is able to make its own food. They obtain nutrients and energy by harnessing sunlight through photosynthesis (or through chemical processes)
What are examples of decomposers?
Bacteria, Fungi, and certain insects (snails, worms, slugs)
Why is it called Contingent Valuations?
Because people are asked to state their willingness ti pay, dependent on a specific hypothetical scenario and description of the environmental service
What in Earth's cycles is the first cycle?
Biogeochemical Cycles
What is Succession?
Biological Communities that change over time
What are decomposers?
Break down dead organic material for energy
What are the two types of Deformation in rocks?
Brittle and Ductile deformations
What are Shield Volcanoes?
Broad domes with gentle sloping sides that have gentle and continuous eruptions
What is the equation for Cellular Respiration?
C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O → 12H2O + 6 CO2
Things you create in a lab are...
CLOSED
What are secondary consumers?
Carnivores (turtles, birds, fish, bats)
What are tertiary consumers?
Carnivores - top predators (Humans, bears, tigers)
Why does the Earth shake?
Caused by sudden movement along the fault
The physical sciences are:
Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geology
What is the Hydrologic Cycle?
Circulation of water on Earth driven by solar radiation
Important US Environmental Laws
Clean Air Act (1970, Governs Air pollution), Clean Water Act (1972, Governs water pollution), Endangered Species Act (1973, Protects species close to extinction), Safe Drinking Water Act (1974, Allowed EPA to set standards for certain contaminants in drinking water), Toxic Substances Control Act (1976, Regulated manufacture and sale of chemicals that pose risks to environment)
What is Regulating Services?
Climate regulation and waste decomposition
What are the types of systems in Thermodynamics?
Closed and Open Systems
What must multiple stakeholders do?
Come to an agreement on how to solve the environmental problem
What in the Earth Cycles is the Second Cycle?
Hydrologic Cycle
What are Earth Cycles?
INTERCONNECTED Natures of the Earth
What is Sustainability?
Ideas that the environment can meet the needs of the current generations without sacrificing the needs of future generations
What are the three types of rocks?
Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary rocks
What is Gas Matter?
Indefinite volume and shape (assumes both the size and shape of its container)
What is Conservation?
Management or protection of a finite resource in order to reach sustainable conditions for current and future generations
What is commensalism?
Interaction between two species where one receive benefits without affecting other species (other species receives neither benefits nor harm)
What is Environment Science?
Interdisciplinary field that involves both the physical and social sciences
What is the Atmosphere?
Invisible layer of gases that surround the Earth's Surface held in place by gravitational forces
What is INTERspecies Competition?
Involve members of DIFFERENT species (scorpions vs spiders)
What is INTRAspecies Competition?
Involve members of the SAME species (colors in male birds)
What is the Contingent Valuation (CV) method?
Involves surveys in which people are asked how much they would be willing to pay (donations, taxes, etc.) for specific environmental services
What are the three types of chemical bonding?
Ionic, Metallic, and Covalent Bonds
Degradation is often...
Irreversible or extremely difficult to reverse
What is a Closed System?
Isolated system that doesn't exchange energy with its surroundings
What happens to a host's fitness when interacting with a parasite?
It is reduced
What does the magnitude (size) of an earthquake mean?
It means how much energy is released
What drives Plate Tectonics?
Mantle Convection
What is Absolute Humidity?
Mass of vapor in a given volume of air
What is Solid Matter?
Matter with constant volume and shape (does not deform under pressure)
What is the Climax Community?
Last and Most stable area
What are some Volcanic Hazards?
Lava Flows, Pyroclastic flows, Pyroclastic materials, Lahars, Tsunamis, Toxic Gases
What is Liquid matter?
Matter with constant volume but has no definite shape (assures the shape of its container)
Atoms are composed of:
Protons, neutrons, electrons
What is an element?
Pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom that make up all matter
What are Fluxes?
Rate at which matter moves from one pool to another
We must establish practices to...
Reduce consumption of natural resources for future generations
What is Albedo?
Reflectivity of materials (color; lighter materials reflect more than dark materials)
What is parasitism?
Relationship between two different kinds of organisms in which parasite receives benefits from other by causing damage to its host (mosquitoes, leeches, ticks)
What is Saturation?
Represents the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold
What are Ecosystem Services?
Resources and processes supplied by natural ecosystems as a result of cycling energy and matter
What are Natural Resources?
Resources produced by nature
What are Human Resources?
Resources produced by us
What is Natural Capital?
Resources provided by the environment from which humans derive a wide range of goods and services.
Earthquakes are Earth's....
Response to stress
What is Brittle Deformation?
Results in a rupture in the Earth (faults)
What is Ductile Deformation?
Results in folds (plastic strain)
What in the Geologic Cycles is the Fifth Cycle?
Rock Cycle
What are the two types of heat?
Sensible and Latent Heat
What are the three physical states or phases of matter?
Solid, Liquid, and Gas
What are Igneous rocks?
Solidify and crystallize from magma (molten rock) either deep within the Earth or at the Earth's surface
What do Shield Volcanoes usually emit?
Spews fluid basaltic lava in the air (ex- Mauna Loa on Hawaiian Islands)
What is Cultural Services?
Spiritual and Recreational benefits (sacred Indian grounds, swimming in Lake Mead)
What is the major obstacle to Sustainability:
The Tragedy of the Commons
What is Humidity?
The amount of water vapor in the air (Increases as temperature increases)
What is temperature?
The average kinetic energy of the molecules in a substance
What are atoms?
The basic component of all matter (Smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of that element)
What is energy?
The capacity or ability to do work
What are the three spheres of Sustainability?
The environment, the economy, and the social system
What is the Tragedy of the Commons?
The individual will sacrifice the long term good of the society to satisfy their immediate short-term needs (individuals will consume natural resources today rather than to conserve resources for the entire society in the long term)
Market based policies are...
The most common and use a combination of both regulation and incentives
What do all economics depend on?
The natural environment for raw materials
What are Plate Boundaries?
They Create areas where plates want to meet
What happens when natural resources are incorporated into an economy?
They become natural capital
What happens when a parasite infects their host?
They can spread diseases (lyme disease, malaria, etc.)
What are some characteristics of Environmental Problems?
They're Multidimensional and Multidisciplinary
What, in Heat Transfer, is Convection?
Transfer of heat in fluid or air caused by the movement of the heated air or fluid itself
What can Biogeochemical Cycles include in their cycle?
Transport and transformation of elements (carbon and nitrogen cycles) or the flow of other compounds (water, rocks, chemicals)
O^2-
Two more electrons than protons
Environmental problems involve...
Uncertainty and risk
What is Atmospheric Circulation?
Uneven heating of the Earth's surface caused by air movements (winds)
This agency formed in July 1970
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
What is a law?
Universal CONSTANT; cannot be disproven (gravity)
What are Earthquakes?
Vibration caused by the sudden release of energy within the subsurface
What in the Geologic Cycles is the Eight Cycle?
Volcanoes
What is the specific matter than can exist in all three states?
Water (ice is solid, melts to become liquid, RANDOM water in clouds and air)
What us Ground Failure in an Earthquake?
When certain geologic materials are shaken violently, they can either move down a slope (landslides) or behave as a liquid (liquefaction)
What is the SECOND Law of Thermodynamics?
When energy is converted from one form to another, some of that energy is lost (entropy) to the environment in the form of heat
Trees in a forest are natural resources. How can they be used for natural capital?
When they are cut down, they are used for lumber
What is mutualism?
any interaction between two species that benefits both (Ex- Bees and flowers)
