Chapter 1 APES guided reading objectives

Describe the current trend in population size and idenify the population size,

212,000 new inhabitants every single day and 1 million every five days. The population will continue to increase for 50-100 years and the current population is 6.8 billion.

Describe the importance of a control group.

A control group is a group that experiences the same things as the experimental group except for the single variable being tested. Without a control group scientists could not see the impact of the single variable.

Define null hypothesis and why is can be necessary.

A null hypothesis is statement that can be proven wrong. A null hypothesis is sometimes necessary b/c it is easier to prove something wrong than to prove something right. Example: "fish deaths have no relationship to something in the water".

Describe the importance of replication and sample size in data collection.

A sample size that is too small can lead to misleading info. for example, a woman picks 3 random men and they all wear a size M. She draws the conclusion that all men wear size M which is wrong. If she used a larger sample size her conclusion would be more accurate.

Differentiate between accuracy and precision.

Accuracy is how close to the actual value the measured value is. Precision is how close the measured values are to each other.

Differentiate between an Environmentalist and an Environmental Scientist.

An Environmentalist participates in environmentalism (social activism etc.) and an Environmental Scientist follows the process of observation hypothesis testing in the laboratory and field.

Define ecological footprint and explain the factors that go into calculating an individuals foot print.

An ecological footprint is a measurement of how much land is needed to supply the goods and services that they consume. The food we eat, the water/energy we use, and the activities we preform all go into calculating your foot print.

Define biophilia.

Biophilia refers to the need of humans to have access to natural areas, beauty, and for social connections. These although not included in our basic needs, these things can be considered vital.

Define baseline data and what is it's role in scientific experiments.

Baseline data is info collected before intervention, in this case human intervention. There is no "control planet" that we can compare the present one to. It is used for comparison in experiments.

Explain the role of subjectivity in Environmental science.

Because there is no measurement for how harmful certain things are for the environment, ultimately our assessments and our choices involve value judgement and personal opinion. For example, it is hard to know if paper or plastic bags are worse for the environment b/c they effect it differently. Making your choice between them subjective.

Explain how biodiversity can be used as an environmental indicator.

Biodiversity is the diversity of life forms in an environment. Biological diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity are all an important part of biodiversity. Populations with high genetic diversity can withstand disease better. Ecosystems with more species diversity are more resilient and productive. Lastly, a greater number of healthy ecosystems means a healthier environment overall.

Define biotic and abiotic and give examples of each.

Biotic is another word for living, an example is a living organism like a fish. Abiotic is another word for non-living an example is a rock.

List non renewable resources.

Coal, oil, and uranium.

Define ecosystem services and list examples.

Ecosystem services are the process by which life-supporting resources are made. For example, clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops.

Describe factors that have played a role in how humans have altered the environment.

Electricity, internet, running water, sewage systems, and public transportation are all factors that contribute to the alteration of the environment. Studies show that 20 % of the worlds population that lives in developed countries with the technology listed above impact the planet the most.

Define the field of Environmental Science and explain the importance of studying it.

Environmental Science is the study of human systems and the systems found in nature. It is important to study it b/c can help us understand the consequences of our interactions with the planet.

Idenify the role of environmental indicators and why they are useful.

Environmental indicators are used to describe the current state of an environmental system. They are useful b/c they provide useful information on natural systems. They also tell scientists what issues they need to look into.

Differentiate between Environmentalism, Environmental Science, and Environmental Studies.

Environmentalism is a type of social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education. Environmental Science encompasses topics like biology, chemistry, and earth science. Environmental Studies encompasses topics like literature, ethics, environmental policy, and economics.

What are the requirements to live sustainably?

Finding alternatives to nonrenewable resources and protecting the capacity of the environment to continue to supply renewable resources.

Explain how food production can be used as an environmental indicator.

Food production is our ability to grow food to nourish the human population. Healthy soil supports abundant food production and is a good indicator of how well the environment is doing.

What are the current trends and per capita grain consumption.

Grain production has increased since the 1950's but has begun to level off.

Describe the role of greenhouse gasses and what it means anthropocentric.

Greenhouse gasses are heat-trapping and help keep the earths surface within ranges of temperatures where life can flourish. Anthropocentric means caused by human activities.

Explain how temperature and CO2 can be used as an environmental indicator.

In order for many things to be possible on earth we need our stable climate. One of the reasons we have a stable climate is greenhouse gasses (CO2) that keep the heat from the sun in. The temperature of earth allows for liquid water which is necessary for life, making Co2 levels extremely important/good environmental indicator.

Explain why natural experiments might be needed and what their limitations are.

In order to study how a forest recovers from a wildfire scientists have to study it naturally b/c they wouldn't set a whole forest on fire for it. The limitations are it is impossible to replicate exactly what happened as well as it is hard to establish a cause and effect.

Idenify natural resources and their effects on the environment.

Natural resources provide energy but extracting them can effect the health of the environment negatively. Pollution/land degradation from mining, waste from discarded manufacturing materials, and air pollution from fossil fuels.

Define replication and sample size.

Scientists will take several measurements, this is called replication. The number of times a measurement is replicated is the sample size.

What is sustainable development and how does it differ from sustainability.

Sustainable development is balancing the well-being of the environment and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of the future generations. It differs from sustainability b/c it has more of a focus on improving peoples lives in the present.

Explain how the human population can be used as an environmental indicator.

The human population can tell us a lot about the state of our environment. B/c Increasing world population places additional strain on natural systems.

Summarize what happened to Easter island and it's connection to sustainability.

The overuse of natural resources before they could be renewed lead to the demise of the Easter island civilization. It is a prime example of what happens if you don't live sustainably.

Idenify examples of how humans have altered the environment.

We convert land from it's natural state to suburban/urban areas and we alter the chemistry of water/soil intentionally through fertilizer and unintentionally.

Define environmental justice and its connection to wealth and socioeconomic status.

it is a social movement that is working towards equal enforcement of environmental laws and to try and end how disproportionately pollutants and other environmental harms are affecting various ethnic and socioeconomic status groups.

What does it mean to "live sustainably"

it means acting in a way that activities that are crucial to human society can continue.

Explain how resources depletion can be an environment indicator.

renewable and nonrenewable resources are necessary for our survival. The rate at which we are using them is a good indicator to the state of our environment. We need to make sure we aren't using renewable resources faster than they can renew and are using nonrenewable resources wisely.

Define environmental equity.

the fair distribution of earths natural resources.