ENVIRONMENT CHPT 8-11 & 14-15

According to the Endangered Species Act, species whose population is reduced to near critical levels but is not on the brink of extinction is said to be ________.

threatened

How can viable genetic diversity be restored when a population becomes very small?

through captive breeding programs

How is genetic variation maintained in most populations?

through sexual reproduction

Biodiversity is partially influenced by net primary productivity. The highest rates of NPP can be found in ________.

tropical rain forests

The best way to address outdoor air pollution is to ________.

use less polluting energy sources

Which of the following is a cause of natural climate change?

volcanic eruptions

Which of the following sources contributes the least to the emission of greenhouse gases?

waste disposal

Which greenhouse gas is most abundant naturally?

water vapor

Which of the following is the most abundant natural greenhouse gas?

water vapor

Do connections between habitat patches actually increase their diversity? Evidence from current field research involving plants is determining that ________.

yes, corridors connecting habitat patches do increase species diversity

Greenhouse Gases

Gases that efficiently capture heat

Genetic Diversity

Genetic variation among individuals

The ________ is the current interglacial period and began about 10,000 years ago.

Holocene

Global Warming Potential

The measure of an individual molecule's long-term impact on atmospheric temperature

Discuss how global circulation models (GCMs) use processes involved in the Earth's energy budget to understand impacts of global warming. Which specific processes are manipulated in these computer simulations?

The most useful tools for gauging future changes in a climate are global circulation models. They use mathematical equations to simulate the physical processes of absorption and reflection of sunlight by the atmosphere, the heating of the land and ocean, the circulation of heat from the equator to the poles, and when relevant, changes in the global ocean current patterns. Scientists vary the global circulation models to simulate different scenarios. The scenarios differ in the assumptions about economic growth, fossil fuel consumption and use, government policies that affect energy use and human actions that increase greenhouse gas emissions. All these factors analyzed together produce different climate interactions, producing different climate change forecasts.

Structural Complexity

The three-dimensional distribution of species and the biological features that affects community biodiversity

Global Circulation Model

The use of basic physical principles to forecast future climate change

Biodiversity

The variety of life in all forms and combinations and at all levels of organization

Stratospheric ozone destruction involves a complex series of reactions. These reactions begin with ________.

UV from sunlight causing Cl atoms to break free from CFCs

Many scientific advances have been made toward accurately collecting evidence for global climate change. Explain one technique used: (1) to measure changes that have occurred in atmospheric CO2 over the past 500,000 years; and (2) to measure the long-past temperatures over this same period of time.

(1) Atmospheric CO2 has been measured for time-frames going back 500,000 years by analyzing bubbles of air trapped in Antarctic ice cores. It has been found that CO2 concentrations were low during cold glacial period and high during warm interglacial periods; however, overall CO2 levels remained below 300 ppm throughout this time, until the Industrial Revolution, when CO2 began to increase to its current level of 388 ppm. (2) Temperature measurements have been estimated by examining deep-sea sediment cores and measuring the relative amounts of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in these cores. The same isotope ratios are reflected in the fossilized bodies (shells) of organisms found in these sediments. Using established relationships between isotope ratios and water temperature, temperature changes over a 300,000 period have been able to be determined.

Compared to the five-year period 1971-75, approximately how much warmer has the Earth's temperature become during the more recent 2001-2005 five-year period?

0.92°F

In Hawaii, the extinction rate of bird species is one species every 10-12 years. By comparison, bird species worldwide are being lost at a rate of approximately ________ per year.

1

Of the estimated 7-15 million eukaryotic species that Earth supports, biologists have described and assigned scientific names to about ________ of these species.

1.5 million

What percentage of Earth's land surface is legally designated as preserves?

12%

What is the current regulatory standard for gasoline mileage of automobiles in the United States?

27.5 miles per gallon

By 2020 what will the regulatory standard for gasoline mileage of automobiles in the United States be?

35 miles per gallon

What is the average annual air temperature near the Earth's surface?

57°F

What percentage of North America's deciduous forests has been logged or cleared for agriculture?

95%

Which of the following gases has the greatest global warming potential (GWP)?

CFC

All of the following pollutants were targeted for reduction by 2010, according to The 1999 Protocol, except ________.

CFCs

The greenhouse gas that has been the most directly connected to the combustion of fossil fuels is ________ and the greenhouse gas that has stabilized in the lower atmosphere is ________.

CO2; CFC

________ is what scientists refer to the warming that would still occur even if all emissions would immediately cease.

Committed warming

Describe three strategies to encourage biodiversity conservation on private lands.

Conserving biodiversity on private lands can be done in a variety of ways; zoning laws exist to help encourage conservation, tax exemption, or incentive-based programs, and nonprofit organizations exist that are dedicated to conserving land for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Conservation easements, land trust options, and greenspace zoning are additional strategies that can be used to protect private land areas.

A cooling of surface ocean waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean is known specifically as ________.

La Niña

What may be an ecological implication of global warming?

Plants and animals may not be able to move to a suitable habitat quickly enough.

________ pollutants are chemicals or particles that are directly emitted from identifiable sources.

Primary

Scientists predict that even if atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations were to remain at current levels, additional warming of Earth is unavoidable. Explain two mitigation approaches (one regulatory and one economic incentivee) that are currently being employed.

Regulations currently in place involve the U.S. government regulations for automobile mileage, known as the CAFÉ standards. The current CAFÉ standard for automobiles is 27.5 mpg. Since these standards are aimed at reducing fuel use, it has had a significant effect on CO2e emissions. European Union countries are regulating a diminishing dependence on fossil fuels, with an increasing proportion coming from renewable sources. Economic incentives have been demonstrated by the current European Union cap-and-trade policy regulating greenhouse gas emissions from electric utilities. In this approach, after the regulatory cap has been determined for each electric utility, the utility manager may choose to reduce their emissions to meet this standard, or alternatively, they may purchase credits from other utilities whose CO2 emissions are below the cap. Gasoline taxes being employed by most industrial countries are another example of an economic incentive approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The primary sources of the acidity in acid rain are the gases ________.

SO2 and NOx

Endemic

Species that are found only in specific environments or restricted localities

Policies for conserving biodiversity have been set aside in a number of important pieces of specific U.S. legislation. Explain two pieces of legislation that directly address biodiversity preservation issues, making sure to discuss how the legislation attempts to accomplish its goals.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 are two pieces of legislation designed specifically to preserve biodiversity. The Wilderness Act created a category of federal lands in which "the Earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man." This act prohibits logging, mining, and limits new road construction in these areas. The current wilderness system is extremely important to the conservation of biodiversity. In fact, these lands form the core habitat of over 40% of the species that are listed as threatened or endangered in the United States. The Endangered Species Act was intended "to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend may be conserved, and to provide a program for the conservation of such species." This act prohibits the taking (no capturing, hunting, collection, or harassing) of any threatened or endangered species, regardless of land ownership. The ESA has played a significant role in slowing or halting declines in populations of many species (for example, bald eagle); however, its major criticism by environmentalists is that no action to conserve or restore habitat is actually mandated until a species is listed as threatened or endangered. Often times, this may be too late.

Greenhouse Effect

The absorption of radiation by greenhouse gases and trapping of that heat in the troposphere

Landscape Diversity

The differences in the variety and abundance of species from place to place

Over the past 50 years the average rate of sea level rise has been 1.8 mm per year. Explain the two primary factors responsible for this rise in sea level.

The expansion of water (in this case ocean water) as it warms is an important factor. Surface ocean waters have warmed as much a 0.9°F during the past 50 years. Also, the warming of the atmosphere has led to the melting of continental ice sheets and alpine glaciers, both of which increase the amount of water in ocean basins, causing sea level to rise. The melting of Arctic ice does not cause sea level to rise, as this ice is already floating on the surface of ocean water (just as an ice cube melting in a glass of water will not increase the volume of water in the glass).

Global Warming

The increase in atmospheric temperature since the late 1800s

Which biome has the greatest biological diversity?

Which biome has the greatest biological diversity

A temperature inversion can adversely affect air quality and is characterized by ________.

a layer of warm air forming above colder air

The best description of anthropogenic activities is ________.

all activities by humans affecting the Earth and its biosphere

The Neutral Gator Initiative is a nonprofit organization that works to reduce ________ emissions in Florida.

carbon

Which of the following is a synthetic greenhouse gas?

chlorofluorocarbons

Scientists use ________ to forecast climate change.

computer simulation models

The Earth has ________ for the past 2 million years.

cycled between hot and cold

What has contributed to the loss of polar bears in arctic areas?

decline in sea ice

Impacts of global warming include all of the following except ________.

decrease in mortality because winter is warmer

In Brazil, what is the primary cause for increase in CO2 in the atmosphere?

deforestation

Photovoltaic cells are ________.

devices that directly convert fuel to electrical currents

What are some of the consequences of global warming?

drier conditions and drought, increased rainfall and flooding, increasing heat, changing storm patterns

Many species have provided medicines and products demonstrating that biodiversity has ________ value and should therefore be preserved.

economic

Transportation efficiency refers specifically to ________.

employing more hybrid vehicle technology

Species that are found only in specific environments or have restricted localities are said to be ________.

endemic

What is a growing concern related to sea level rise?

eroding shorelines in coastal areas

The most common human health response to air pollution is ________.

eye and respiratory irritation

All of the following are major steps to controlling air pollution except ________.

finding cures for the diseases caused by air pollutants

Overharvesting is a serious threat to ________.

fisheries

Global temperature trends can be inferred from changes in ________ and ________.

fossils; chemical isotopes found in sediments and glacial ice

Biofuels are ________.

fuels that are derived from plant material

Air pollution is best defined as ________.

gases or particles present in high enough concentrations in the atmosphere to harm humans, other organisms and structures

Within populations of individual species, biodiversity is measured as ________.

genetic diversity

Of all the threats to biodiversity, the single greatest threat is ________.

habitat destruction

The greatest concern for the worldwide loss of species is ________.

habitat destruction

Forest songbirds have been declining for the past century in the United States. Evidence is accumulating and pointing to ________ as the most likely reason.

habitat fragmentation

Which of the following global warming mitigation efforts generates more emotion than any others?

increasing nuclear energy use

An aerosol mixture of particulates and sulfur compounds forms a grayish-colored substance that is called ________.

industrial smog

Most of the 80% of animals that live on land are ________.

insects

Biodiversity is highest at ________ levels of disturbance.

intermediate

Air and water pollution are directly responsible for the loss of some species. In their studies of these pollution effects, biologists have determined that ________ are especially sensitive to air pollution, and are now being used as an index of urban air quality.

lichens

Radon is an indoor air pollutant that has been linked to ________.

lung cancer

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography has become a fundamental principle in conservation biology. The principles of this theory are being applied to ________.

managing isolated habitat patches

Which of the following will have the least impact on rising sea level?

melting of the floating polar ice cap

Which of the following is not an aerosol?

methane

Which of the following is the least abundant natural greenhouse gas?

methane

The major source(s) of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere was/were ________.

microbial fermentation of organic matter in coal mines, oil wells, and livestock

What two factors largely determine the diversity of species on an island?

migration and extinction

Stratospheric ozone depletion is currently most serious ________.

over New Zealand and Australia

Which of the following is a secondary air pollutant?

ozone

When volcanoes erupt, they emit ________ into the atmosphere, resulting in a cooling effect on the planet.

particulates

Since the Industrial Revolution, climate change data shows that ________.

rainfall has increased significantly in eastern North and South America

The Kyoto Protocol was ratified by 130 countries in 2004 and became international law in 2005. What is the goal of the Kyoto protocol?

reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

CFCs were primarily used in ________.

refrigeration

Habitat fragmentation has been an important factor in the decline of ________ species in the United States.

shad and salmon

Which step would be most likely to have the greatest effect on improving outdoor air pollution?

significant reduction in automobile use

Which of the following health problems associated with UV exposure is also associated with thinning of Earth's ozone layer?

skin cancer

All of the following are considered indoor air pollutants except ________.

sodium chloride

The total number of plant and animal species that a field biologist identifies along a mountain trail is an example of ________.

species richness

Scrubbers remove 90% of ________.

sulfur oxides

Photochemical smog is formed when primary air pollutants interact with ________.

sunlight

Which of the following acts set new standards to reduce automobile emissions along with establishing a cap-and-trade program for reducing sulfur dioxide emissions?

the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990

Non-native invasive species have been found to negatively influence biodiversity. A well-known example would include ________.

the hemlock adelgid

Species richness is affected by many variables. As one travels to higher latitudes, one would expect ________.

the number of species to decrease

Biodiversity is ________.

the variety of life in all its forms and combinations and at all levels of organization

Conservation biologists define a region as a biodiversity hotspot if ________.

there is an unusually large number of endemic species threatened by humans