Ch. 22: Butt

How much of a drop in ozone levels would cause 300,000 new cases of human skin cancer worldwide?

A 10% drop in ozone levels would cause 300,000 new cases of human skin cancer.

Define biodiversity hotspot.

A biodiversity hotspot is an area that is richest in unique species and are most in need of protection.

What are the five consequences of global warming?

(1) Alteration of rainfall and soil moisture (2) Rising of sea levels (3) Shifting areas of where we can grow food (4) Alteration of terrestrial ecosystems (5)Alteration of aquatic ecosystems

What are the four layers of Earth? Describe each one.

(1) Geosphere (2) Hydrosphere (3) Atmosphere (4) Biosphere The geosphere is Earth's rock interior from, core to crust. The hydrosphere is the portion of Earth that is water. The atmosphere is the mixture of gases surrounding Earth. The biosphere is any part of Earth where life exists.

What are, in greatest to least impact, the top three reasons why species are becoming endangered?

(1) Habitat destruction (2) Invasive species (3) Illegal hunting

What are the four things included in urban ecology?

(1) Learning which plants are native to your area and using them for landscaping. (2) Identifying any endangered species in your area and why they're endangered. (3) Learning which crops/livestock are raised locally and supporting them by buying their food. (4) Investigating where your garbage goes and finding out about any recycling programs.

What are four environmental groups that make efforts to educate people, protect land, and influence the making of laws?

(1) Nature Conservancy (2) Sierra Club (3) Ducks Unlimited (4) World Wildlife Fund

List four ecosystem services.

(1) Plants and animals provide food and medicine for humans (2) Trees provide wood for homes and fuel (3) Ecosystems recycle human wastes and CO2 (4) Pleasing scenery

Name the six things the government does to solve environmental problems.

(1) Protecting endangered species and their habitats (2) Setting aside land for public use (3) Cleaning up pollution (4) Regulating destructive activities (5) Conducting scientific studies (6) Encouraging responsibility through education and economic incentives

How much of Earth's species may become extinct in the next 50 years according to scientists and what do we call this?

20% of the Earth's species may become extinct in the next 50 years.

How much of the water is available freshwater?

3% of the water on Earth is freshwater.

How much of the water is located in the ocean?

97% of the water on Earth is located in the ocean.

Where is bad ozone located and why is it considered bad?

Bad ozone is located in the troposphere and it traps heat.

How many whooping cranes were there before 1870?

Before 1870, there were 20,000 whooping cranes.

What are the three ways biodiversity can be measured by?

Biodiversity can be measured by species, genetic, and ecosystem diversity.

What do they contain?

Biodiversity hotspots contain 44% of all species of vascular plants and 35% of all species in four groups of vertebrates.

What percentage of the globe do biodiversity hotspots cover?

Biodiversity hotspots cover less than 2% of the globe.

Define biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variety of forms of life in an ecosystem.

What do bioindicators do and what are some examples of them?

Bioindicators act as an early warning signals for environmental problems.

Define bioindicator.

Bioindicators are species that are sensitive to ecological change.

Define biomagnification.

Biomagnification is when chemicals become more concentrated in organisms higher up on the food chain/pyramid.

How are humans increasing the amount of greenhouse gases?

By burning fossil fuels and cutting trees down are ways that humans increase the greenhouse effect.

What is debt-for-nature swap?

Debt-for-nature swap is where richer countries or private organizations pay some of the debt of developing countries, but in return, the countries receiving the money must take steps to protecting the environment.

Define ecological footprint.

Ecological footprint is a human's impact on ecosystems and is based on a person's use of food and natural resources and their production of waste and pollution.

Define ecotourism.

Ecotourism is a form of tourism that supports the conservation of ecologically unique areas while bringing economic benefit to local people.

Endangered species tend to be k or r-selected species?

Endangered species tend to be k-selected species.

Define environmental science.

Environmental science is the study of the interaction between humans and their own environment.

What's an example of a biodiversity hotspot?

Ex: Madagascar

True or false: Models show that doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increases the global temperature by 1-2º C (If false, what's the correct statement?).

False; Doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increases the global temperature by 1-4.5ºC.

True or false: The whooping crane chicks learn the migration route after two trips (If false; how many trips does it really take the chicks to learn the migration route?).

False; Whooping crane chicks learn the migration route within one trip.

True or false: One CFC molecule can destroy up to 1,000,000 ozone molecules (If false, how many ozone molecules can one CFC molecule really destroy?).

False; one CFC molecule can destroy up to 100,000 ozone molecules.

True or false: The Montreal Protocol established the terminated use of CFCs of most countries by 1994 (If false, what's incorrect about the statement?).

False; the Montreal Protocol was established in 1995.

True or false: The ozone layer is located 30 km above Earth's surface (If false, where is the ozone layer really located at?).

False; the ozone layer is located 20 km above Earth's surface.

True or false: We are currently going through our 4th mass extinction; this one being the first caused by humans (If false, provide the correct statement.).

False; we are going through our 5th mass extinction.

What is the Endangered Species Act?

The Endangered Species Act is a law in the U.S. that helps protect and recover populations of endangered species.

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol established the reduction of CO2 emissions.

What is the Montreal Protocol?

The Montreal Protocol is where countries have agreed to reduce CFC use worldwide.

True or false: Because most of the available freshwater is trapped in glaciers, only 0.65% is available from lakes, rivers, groundwater, etc. (If false, give the correct statement.)

True

True or false: Beetles are the most abundant insects (If false, what is the most abundant insect?).

True

True or false: Captive breeding programs produce about 30 whooping crane chicks each year (if false; how many whooping crane chicks are actually produced?).

True

True or false: Carbon dioxide and water vapor are the two most abundant greenhouse gases (If false, what are the two most abundant greenhouse gases?).

True

True or false: The greenhouse effect makes the Earth livable and is natural, but humans are increasing it (If false, provide the correct statement.).

True

True or false: The smaller the genetic diversity, the smaller the changes of survival (If false, what's the correct statement?).

True

True or false: Water covers 70% of Earth's surface (If false, how much of the Earth's surface does water really cover?).

True

How does UV light affect plants?

UV light can damage plants.

Define urban ecology.

Urban ecology is the study of biodiversity in areas that are densely populated by humans.

In what ways are we overusing our resources?

We're overusing our resources by overfishing our oceans and causing desertification.

Define sustainability.

Sustainability is the ability to meet human needs in a way that human population can survive indefinitely.

Define acid precipitation.

Acid precipitation is when air pollution combines with water vapor in the atmosphere and forms acids.

What happened to the whooping crane populations to result in only 15 remaining in 1937?

American settlers hunted them for their feathers and drained the marshes where the birds fed during migrations, which caused them to decrease in number.

How do CFCs act as in reactions to break down ozone?

CFCs act as a catalyst in reactions to break down ozone.

What were CFCs used as?

CFCs were used as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, propellants in aerosol spray cans, and in manufacturing for plastic-foam products.

What is CITES?

CITES is an international law that protects threatened and endangered species from being hunted/killed or sold.

What are chemicals that are toxic and may cause cancer called?

Carcinogens

If keystone species become endangered or extinct, what can happen to the communities in which they inhabit?

Communities can disappear completely if keystone species are removed from their habitats.

What is the difference between conservation and restoration biology?

Conservation biology is when scientists seek to identify, protect, and manage natural areas while restoration biology is when scientists deal with extreme cases of ecosystem damage and devise plans to reverse the damage.

Define correlation.

Correlation is the pattern in which two variables change in similar ways.

Why is genetic diversity important?

Genetic diversity is important because it affects a population's ability to adapt when environmental changes occur.

Where is good ozone located and what does it do?

Good ozone is located in the stratosphere and it protects us from UV radiation from the sun.

List all greenhouse gases along with their chemical formulas.

Greenhouse gases include: (1) Carbon dioxide (CO2) (2) Methane (CH4) (3) Water vapor (H2O) (4) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) (5)Nitrous oxide (N2O) (6) Ozone (O3)

What are the two biggest threats to biodiversity?

Habitat destruction & invasive species.

How do human-made chemicals affect the ozone layer and what's an example of them?

Human-made chemicals destroy the ozone layer. Ex: CFCs

What are three things humans are trying to do to make the Earth more sustainable?

Humans are making the Earth more sustainable by developing new approaches to energy production, transportation, agriculture, housing, and waste disposal, slowing or reversing human population growth, and reducing our consumption of resources.

What are the two ways humans pollute land and water?

Humans pollute land and water by producing a lot of waste in sewage and landfills.

What are the most abundant organisms?

Insects are the most abundant organisms.

Invasive species tend to be k or r-selected species?

Invasive species tend to be r-selected species.

Why has it become so difficult to agree worldwide on how to decrease the threat of global warming?

It has become difficult to agree worldwide on how to decrease the threat of global warming because countries can't agree on how much responsibility each country should have.

What are some k-selected traits?

K-selected species traits include fewer and larger offspring, high parental care, adapted to stable climates, later reproductive age, larger adults, high ability to compete, and late successional species.

What is the chemical formula for ozone?

O3

Why is ozone vital to life?

Ozone absorbs most of the sun's UV radiation before it reaches Earth's surface.

What are the chemical formulas for photosynthesis and cellular respiration?

Photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 6H2O -(sunlight) --> 6O2 + C6H12O6 Cellular respiration: C6H12O6 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP

How many years do scientists think it will take for the ozone layer to completely recover?

Scientists believe it will take 50-100 years for the ozone layer to completely recover.

How can scientists predict possible climate changes?

Scientists can predict possible climate changes by developing computer models to simulate Earth's climate.

How many species have scientists documented and how many are believed to exist?

Scientists have documented 2 million species, but they believe 2-100 million species exist.

What have scientists noticed about the relationship between carbon dioxide and global warming?

Scientists have noticed that as the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased, global warming also increased.

What do scientists predict will happen in the next 100 years?

Scientists predict that global temperatures will rise 2ºC in the next 100 years.

What does smog cause?

Smog causes respiratory problems.

What is smog made of chemical-wise?

Smog is made of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), organic molecules (VOC's), bad ozone (O3), and sunlight.

Define smog.

Smog is water vapor mixed with chemicals from human activities.

What happens to the chicks when they are released into the environment?

The chicks don't migrate on their own when they're released into the environment.

What are the gases in the atmosphere and what percentage of the atmosphere do each of them make up?

The gases in the atmosphere include nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the atmosphere while oxygen makes up 21%. Other gases like water vapor and carbon dioxide make up 1% of the atmosphere.

What is the role of the geosphere in the carbon cycle?

The geosphere plays a role in the carbon cycle by having the soil hold nutrients for plants to absorb. Also, when organisms die, some of the carbon may become coal or oil, which is stored in the geosphere.

What is the greenhouse effect and what happens in the process?

The greenhouse effect is the event where heat is trapped by greenhouse gases. First, some UV rays pass through the atmosphere and strikes Earth's surface. Some of the rays is radiated back to the atmosphere and a portion escapes into space. The remaining is absorbed by greenhouse gases and radiated back to Earth's surface.

Which layer in the atmosphere contains the air we breathe and most of our weather?

The layer in the atmosphere that contains the air we breathe and most of our weather is the troposphere.

What are the three components of the recovery plan for whooping cranes?

The three parts of the recovery plan for the whooping cranes include the government regulating the hunting of the birds, a winter wildlife refuge for the cranes in Texas, and the establishment of a captive breeding program.

What are the two sources of air pollution and where do they come from?

The two sources of air pollution include sulfur, which comes from burning fossil fuels, and nitrogen, which comes from driving vehicles.

What are the two ways of valuing biodiversity and how do they differ?

The two ways of valuing biodiversity is anthropogenic and intrinsic. Anthropogenic is how biodiversity can benefit humans while intrinsic is how biodiversity is valued for existing.

Define threatened, endangered, and extinct.

Threatened- when a species is vulnerable to endangerment in the near future Endangered- when species are in danger of being extinct Extinct- when all members of a species are dead

Give three examples of the biosphere.

Three of the biospheres include the atmosphere between Earth's surface and 9 km above its surface (troposphere), most of the hydrosphere, and the top 11 km of the crust of the geosphere.