Exam 5 - Climate Change

How does climate change influence individuals and species? (several options) (03.01)

-Because of climate change, the rising temperatures help make the weather hospitable to mosquitos across the U.S. -There are also vectors of disease, insects are examples of disease vectors, and the two most important forms of insect vectors are mosquitoes and ticks. The life cycle of mosquitoes involves reproduction in warm areas and access to the warm blood of their hosts. As they move between hosts, they have the ability to spread disease between individuals and species. -One example of an insect vector that has been influenced by climate change is the "AEDES AEGYPTI" mosquito. Historically, these mosquitoes were limited in their range to coastal areas around the Gulf Coast of the United States. However, as the climate has warmed, and winters have become less severe, the range of this species has expanded. This mosquito is a vector for a number of human diseases, including dengue fever, West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika. As these mosquitoes have increased their range in the United States, there has been a corresponding increase in the incidences of these diseases in these areas. -Similar patterns are being seen in other insect species, such as "ANOPHELES" mosquitoes, which carry the parasite associated with malaria, and in tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme's disease. - Climate change is not just changing the distribution of insects that act as vectors of disease, it is also having an impact on the distribution of pathogenic bacteria, such as species of Vibrio. Vibrio bacteria are associated with a number of different diseases, including cholera, as well as a number of intestinal diseases. Some species of Vibrio are associated with flesh-eating disease. Vibrio lives in warm waters, typically in shellfish, but as coastal temperatures increase, especially along the East Coast of the United States, there has been a marked rise in the incidence of Vibrio-related diseases.

Which diet would contribute to the lowest carbon footprint? (04.01)

A vegetarian/vegan diet has the lowest carbon footprint.

How do invasive species impact ecosystems? (03.02)

An invasive species is one that has been introduced into places outside of its natural range, usually through human actions - an introduction that often negatively impacts the biodiversity, community structure, and functioning ecosystem of the native area.

What is the most costly food source when it comes to the carbon footprint? (04.01)

Bees is a very costly food choice, raising cattle requires more land than other livestock such as chicken or pigs, and cows are some of the largest biotic contributors to climate change through their production of greenhouse gases such as methane.

Desertification is an example of a biome level change that is associated with climate change. When given several options, be able to identify which is associated with desertification. (03.03)

Desertification is an example of a biome level change that is associated with climate change. An increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation leads to the formation of a desert biome. In addition to climate change, the deforestation of regions and poor agricultural practices (namely cattle farming) can lead to the conversion of grasslands to deserts.

What gas do fires and volcanic activity produce? (01.02)

Carbon dioxide is produced through natural events, such as fires and volcanic activity.

Explain why ocean acidification is problematic for some marine life. (01.03)

Carbonate plays an important role in the formation of organisms such as crabs, lobsters, and clams. As the ocean acidifies, these organisms have a harder time forming shells and other hard structures. Because these organisms are an important part of the food chain, the loss of carbonate has a ripple effect on the ecosystem.

Identify which is considered a "clean" energy when given several options. (04.02)

Clean energy includes the following, solar and wind power, as well as geothermal energy. These sources help power homes, produce heat, and are entirely non-polluting.

Identify evidence that weather patterns have changed because of climate change. (03.03)

Currently it is observed that... - the average temperatures have increased between 1.2 and 1.8 degrees over the past 50 years, with the majority of that change occurring since the start of the 21st century. The rate of regional heat waves is increasing across the country. - Average precipitation has increased by 4% in the past century. This has been very regional, with central and northeast areas experiencing increased precipitation, and areas experiencing increased precipitation. The rate of extreme precipitation events and droughts are also increasing.

How do fossil fuels play a role in the carbon cycle? (02.03)

Fossil fuels are a sink of carbon, the carbon in fossil fuels has not been in the carbon cycle in millions of years.

Agricultural crops are being genetically engineered to be more tolerant of climate change. Be able to identify a change that would help crops be more tolerant of climate change when given several options. (04.03).

Geoengineering, is the development of technology focused on altering Earth's environment primarily to combat climate change. There are two main forms of geoengineering, one is carbon dioxide removal, which centers on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Historically, this included reforestation efforts (planting large numbers of trees) and attempts to create "carbon sinks" in the soil and oceans. Geoengineering can also be accomplished by genetically engineering trees or other plants to increase the consumption of carbon dioxide, thereby removing it in large quantities from the atmosphere. It can also be used to prevent a potential famine, some scientists are dedicated to modifying plants or, in some cases, herd animals, so they require less water and are better able to withstand temperature extremes.

Describe the relationship between climate change and global warming. (01.01)

Global warming refers only to the Earth's rising surface temperature, while climate change includes warming and "side effects" of warming- like melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms, or more frequent drought.

What product of photosynthesis is a carbon-based molecule and the chief source of energy for most organisms? (02.02)

Glucose.

Identify greenhouse gases when given several options. (01.02)

Greenhouse gases are a mix of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxides, ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons

Describe nuclear energy. (04.02)

Nuclear power is sometimes considered an alternative energy source because it does not directly use fossil fuels. Nuclear power works through splitting the tightly-knit nucleus of an atom, usually using materials such as uranium. The energy released through these bonds splitting is used to create either boiling water (in boiling water reactors, or BWR) or pressurized water (in pressurized water reactors, or PWR), which is then used to power turbines.

Sunlight consists of a wave and a particle. What is the particle is also known as? (02.02)

Solar energy strikes the planet as particles (photons) traveling at different wavelengths. There are a variety of wavelengths, but the most important to photosynthesis coincide with the visible spectrum of light.

What is the main difference in the formation of coal vs. the formation of natural gas and oil? (02.03)

The difference is that coal is formed from land based and coastal swamps, while oil and gas are derived from tiny marine organisms, such as algae and phytoplankton.

Identify the process that contributes the greatest amount of CO2, to the atmosphere. (02.03)

The greatest amount of CO2 emissions comes from human activities in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation.

Describe the effects climate change is having on tropical reef biomes? (03.30)

The increase in ocean temperatures worldwide is affecting a number of global ecosystems, also known as biomes. Ocean acidification prevents shellfish from being able to calcify their shells. Because shellfish form an important part of the aquatic food web, their loss is reflected in a reduction in the overall community structure. This acidification also reduces the amount of microscopic animals (zooplankton), which are an important part of the aquatic food chain, and thus can impact the health of fish populations, making them more susceptible to disease or reducing their ability to reproduce.

Identify an example of alternative energy when given several options. (04.02)

The most commonly considered alternative energy sources are solar and wind power, but alternative energy also includes geothermal, biofuel, and hydroelectric sources, among many other options.

Define ecosystem. (03.03)

The term ecosystem refers to a level of biological organization that represents the interaction of biological communities (the biotic factors) and abiotic factors, such as climate (temperature and precipitation).

What has been the overall trend for earth's temperatures over the past several decades? (01.01)

The term global warming was one of the first used by scientists who discovered the upward trend in temperatures in the 1980s.

What are the two most important insect vectors involved in the spread of bacterial and viral diseases? (03.01)

The two insects include the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the vector of dengue fever, West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika. The Anopheles mosquitoes, which carry the parasite associated with malaria, such as Lyme's disease.

The average global temperature has always measured higher than the average since what decade? (01.01)

There has been an average rate of increase since 1980.

What is the most likely cause for the sudden sharp increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels? (01.02)

There is a direct relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and global temperatures. Because of human activity, it is the major contributing cause of elevated CO2 concentrations.

What is the major consequence of droughts and heat waves to humans in the United States? (03.01)

These events result in the increased hospital admissions for heat-related illness, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. These events have a particular impact on the poor, elderly, and those with medical conditions.

What percent of the United States' energy needs comes from fossil fuels? (02.03)

Today, fossil fuels still account for over 80% of the United States' energy needs.

What is most likely to happen as global temperatures increase? (01.03)

What is likely to happen is the melting of global ice caps, and increase in extreme weather events, and the heating and acidification of the oceans.

Describe the benefit(s) of wind energy. (04.02)

Wind energy is generated mechanically using wind turbines, with a scale ranging from individual use to massive wind farms or offshore turbines placed along the ocean's continental shelf. Turbines are an extremely clean method of generating electricity and are more expensive than traditional energy conversion sources.

Which part of the solar energy spectrum is important in photosynthesis? (02.02)

the visible spectrum of light.