envs midterm study guide
What are chaparral systems?
A biological community of plants and animals that exists in the five areas of the world with a Mediterranean climate
What are "populations" in biology?
A group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a given area
According to the text, most water is used for what?
Agriculture, industry, and electricity
Automobile exhaust is the major contributor to which environmental impact of urban sprawl?
Air pollution
What are the various environmental impacts of urban sprawl?
Air/water pollution, deforestation, and disruption of wildlife habitat
Urban agriculture serves what purpose?
All of the above (providing a use for vacant land, providing a clean up strategy for contamination, and providing options for healthy fresh food)
Sustainable Cities are expected to have which characteristics in order to be "successful"?
All of the above (social equity practices, technology resources, walkability for transportation)
In science, facts are what?
An indisputable observation or may change
Which level of the food chain supplies energy to all others?
Autotroph
In a scientific experiment, a control is what?
Both A and B (a test that duplicates an experimental test except for one variable & a way to study the effects of just on experimental variable)
Another approach to survival is when species use body coloration or shape to deter predation by blending in with the surroundings. This is called what?
Camouflage
Which biogeochemical cycle involves the burning of fossil fuels which affects climate change?
Carbon cycle
The maximum number of individuals in a population that can be supported by the limited resources of a habitat is called what?
Carrying capacity
Power plants generate electricity. How do electricity production forms compare in terms of most used resource to least used resource?
Coal, natural gas, atomic energy, hydroelectric, other
Population growth and increased oil consumption contributed to which environmental impact of urban sprawl?
Depletion of energy resources
What is a tool that is used to assess consumption of individuals and estimate the area requirement needed to support this amount of consumption?
Ecological footprint
In areas that have increased water nutrients, what occurs as a response to this nutrient overload?
Eutrophication
Which process would increase the amount of water in the atmosphere?
Evaporation, transpiration, and evapotranspiration
The purpose of the scientific method as a method is to what?
Gain new information
Better water management practices in sustainable cities include what?
Green roofs, permeable paving, natural landscaping, rain barrels, and cisterns
The presence of thorns or toxins in a plant discourages what?
Herbivory
In science, a suggested explanation is a what?
Hypothesis
When the population of hares increased in North America, what happened to the size of the lynx population in response?
It increased as well
What are major indicators of global environmental stress?
Lack of fresh water access, soil degradation, biodiversity, and atmospheric decline
What are the various methods to dispose of sludge?
Landfill, incineration, use a fertilizer
What kinds of things can cause water stress?
Large populations and low precipitation
Most affordable highway construction through parklands or stream valleys is a major contributor to which environmental impact of urban sprawl?
Loss of landscape and wildlife
When are the various effects when large amounts of groundwater are extracted?
Lower the groundwater table and cause wells to no longer be able to read groundwater
Lifestyle changes that support a more sustainable way of life and more sustainable communities include what?
More fuel-efficient cars and carpooling, less dependence on automobiles, the use of solar energy, and recycling
Which biogeochemical cycle involves the sequestration of an element by bacteria for use in plants?
Nitrogen cycle
Approximately 70% of Earth's surface is covered by which reservoir of water?
Oceans
What are examples of point source and non-point source pollutants?
Point source- outfall from combined sewage outfall, farm with livestock, pipes that originate from a factory. Non-point source- rainfall that picks up oil as it makes its way into the watershed
What are the two main characteristics of a population that are used to understand and describe the population?
Population size and population density
During water treatment, treatment with chlorine or ozone accomplishes what?
Removes possible pathogens
This reservoir of water contains only about 0.01% of the world's water?
Rivers and lakes
Humans have manipulated the earth for their own benefit for thousands of years. However much of the negative changes to our planet have occurred in the last few hundred years. What are the 3 reasons given that this drastic shift has occurred?
Scientific advances, human population growth, materials introduced to earth
The voluntary effort called LEED (Leadership and Energy and Environmental Design), which promotes green building, recognizes efforts and achievements in what areas?
Site, water, materials, resources, and air quality
The spatial relationship between members of a population within a habitat at a particular point in time is called what?
Species distribution patterns
Treating the earth and environment like the resources contained within it are limited and humans should conserve resources for continued use is a what?
Sustainability ethic
What is the purpose of a fishbone diagram?
To outline causes of a problem
What causes a combined sewer overflow?
Too much water enters the system
Water loss by plants is called what?
Transpiration
Biomagnification causes the most toxin buildup in which organism in a food chain?
Tuna (tertiary consumer)
The well spread-out network of residential areas, shops and industrial areas connected by highways in urban-suburban areas is known as what?
Urban sprawl
Increase in paved surfaces which increases the volume of runoff, leading to erosion and other side effects is a major contributor to which environmental impact of urban sprawl?
Water pollution
