Environmental Science Study Guide Essay

Environment- everything around us. Including nonliving things (air, water, and energy) Environmental science- an interdisciplinary study of how humans interact with the living and nonliving parts of their environment. Ecology- the biological science that studies how organisms or living things interact with one another. Ecosystem- A set of organisms within a defined area or volume that interact with one another and with their environment of nonliving matter and energy. Natural capital- the natural resources and natural services that keep us and other forms of life alive and support our human economies. Resource- anything that we can obtain the environment to meet our needs and wants. Perpetual resource- is a continuous supply of solar energy. Renewable resource- a resource that takes anywhere from several days to several hundred years to be replenished through natural processes. Sustainable yield- the highest rate at which we can use a renewable resource without reducing its available supply. Reuse- involves using a resource over and over in the same form. Recycling- involves collecting waste materials and processing them into new materials. Economic growth- is an increase in a nation’s output of goods and services. Gross domestic product (GDP) – the annual market value of all goods and services produced by all businesses, foreign and domestic, operating within a country. Economic development- an effort to use economic growth to improve living standards. More-developed countries- those with high average income and they include the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries. Less-developed countries- (opposite of well-developed countries) Pollution- any presence within t he environment of a chemical or other agent such as noise or heat at a level that is harmful to the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms. Point sources- single, identifiable sources. Ex. Smokestack of a coal-burning power or industrial plant. Non-point sources- are dispersed and often difficult to identify. Ex. Pesticides & some trash. Pollution cleanup/output pollution control- Involves cleaning up or diluting pollutants after we have produced them. Pollution prevention/pollution control- reduces or eliminates the production of pollutants. Ecological footprint- the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to provide the people in a particular country or area with an indefinite supply of renewable resources and to absorb and recycle wastes. Affluence- consuming large amounts of resources far beyond basic needs. Per capita ecological footprint- the average ecological footprint of an individual in a given country or area. Ecological tipping point- an irreversible shift in the behavior of a natural system. Exponential growth- occurs when a quantity such as the human population increases at a fixed percentage per unit of time, such as 2% per year. Poverty- occurs when people are unable to fulfill their basic needs for food, water, shelter, health, and education. Environmental worldview- your set of assumptions and values reflecting how you think the world works and what your role in the world should be. Environmental ethics- are beliefs about what is right and wrong with how we treat the environment. Planetary management worldview- the view that we are separate from and in charge of nature. Stewardship worldview- holds that we can and should manage the earth for our benefit, but that we have an ethical responsibility to be caring managers or stewards of the earth. Environmentally sustainable society- one that meets the current and future basic resource needs of its people in a just and future basic resource needs of its people in a just and equitable manner. Natural income- living sustainability Social capital- making the shift to more sustainable societies and economies. Chapter 2 Science- a human effort to discover how the physical world works by making observations and measurements, and carrying out experiments. Model- an approximate representation or simulation of a system. Peer Review- involves scientists openly publishing details of the methods and models they used. Scientific Law/law of nature- a well-tested and widely accepted description of what we find happening repeatedly in nature in the same way. Unreliable science- (opposite of scientific law and reliable science) Tentative/frontier science- some of the scientific results are validated and reliable, and some are not. Matter- anything that has mass and takes up space. Atomic theory- the idea that all elements are made up of atoms. Neurons- no electrical charge Protons- positive electrical charge Electrons- negative electrical charge Nucleus- extremely small center of the atom, containing one or more protons/neurons. Atomic Number- equal to the number of protons in the nucleus of its atom. Mass number- the total number or neutrons and protons in its nucleus. Isotopes- the forms of an element having the same atomic number but different mass numbers. Molecule- a combination of two or more atoms of the same or different elements held together by forces called chemical bounds. Ion- an atom or a group of atoms with one or more net positive or negative electrical charges. Acidity- a chemical characteristic that helps determine how a substance dissolved in water will interact with and affect its environment. pH- used as a measure of acidity Chemical formula- chemists use this to show the number of each type of atom or ion in a compound. Organic compounds- contains at least two carbon atoms combined with atoms of another element. Inorganic compounds- (opposite of organic compounds) Genes- certain sequences of nucleotides. Chromosome- a double helix DNA molecule wrapped around some proteins. Chapter 3 Abiotic- Nonliving Aerobic respiration- nutrient organic molecules such as glucose combine with oxygen to support carbon dioxide, water, & energy. Anaerobic respiration- form of cellular respiration in which some decomposers get the energy they need through the breakdown of glucose in the absence of oxygen. Atmosphere- mass of air surrounding the earth. Autotrophs- (same as producer) Biogeochemical cycles- processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms (include carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and hydrologic cycles) Biomass- organic matter produced by plants & other photosynthetic produces; total dry weight of all organisms. Biosphere- zone of the earth where life is found. Biotic- living organisms. Carbon cycle- cyclic movement of carbon in different chemical forms from the environment to the organ. Chemosynthesis- process in which certain organisms extract inorganic compounds from their environment and convert them into organic compounds without sunlight. Community- populations of all species living and interacting in an area at a particular time. Consumers- organism that cannot synthesize the organic nutrients it needs and gets its organic nutrients by feeding on the tissue of others. Decomposers- organisms that digest parts of dead organisms. Ecology- biological science that studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment. Ecosystem- one or more communities of different species interacting with one another and with chemical & physical factors making up the environment. Fermentation- (same as anaerobic respiration) Food chain- series of organisms in which each eats or decomposes the preceding one. Food web- complex network of many inter-connected food chains and feeding relationships. Greenhouse gases- gases in the earth’s lower atmosphere that cause the greenhouse effect. Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) – rate at which ecosystems producers capture and store a given amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given length of time. Herbivores- plant eating organisms. Heterotrophs- (same as consumer) Hydrologic (water cycles) – biogeochemical cycle that collects, purifies, and disturbs the earth’s fixed supply of water. Hydrosphere- earth’s liquid water. Â  Natural greenhouse effect- natural effect that releases heat in the atmosphere, near the earth’s surface. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) – rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful energy. Nitrogen cycle- cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms. Nutrient cycles- the circulation of chemicals necessary for life. Omnivores- animal that can use both plant and other animals as food sources. Organisms- any form of life. Photosynthesis- complex process that takes place in cells of green plants. Phosphorous cycle- cyclic movement of phosphorus in different chemical forms. Population- group of individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area. Primary consumers- organism that feeds on some or all parts of plants. Producers- organism that uses solar energy/chemical energy to manufacture nutrients. Pyramid of energy flow- diagram representing the flow of energy through each level in a food chain/web. Secondary consumers- organism that feeds only on primary consumers. Stratosphere- 2nd layer of the atmosphere. Sulfur cycle- cyclic movement of sulfur in various chemical forms. Tertiary consumers- animals that feed on animal-eating animals. Ex.shark, lion, bear. Trophic level- all organisms that are the same number of energy transfers away from the original source of energy. Troposphere- Innermost layer of the atmosphere. Chapter 4 Adaptation- any genetically controlled structural, physiological or behavior characteristic that helps an organism to survive or reproduce. Adaptive trait- (same as adaptation) Background extinction- normal extinction of various species as a result of changes in environmental conditions. Biological diversity- variety of different species Biological evolution- change in the generic makeup of a population of species in successive generations. Differential reproduction- phenomenon in which individuals with adaptive generic traits produce more living offspring than those without trait. Ecological niche- total way of life of a species. Endemic species- species found only in one area likely to be extinct. Extinction- complete disappearance of a species. Â  Fossils- skeletons, bones, shells, body parts, leaves, seeds or impressions of such items that provide evidence of organisms. Foundation species- species that play a major role in shaping a community. Generalist species- species with abroad ecological niche. (Can live/adapt in many places) ex: humans Geographic isolation- separation of populations of a species into different areas for long periods of time. Indicator species- species whose decline serves as early warnings that community is being biodegraded. Keystone species- (foundation species) Mass extinction- widespread, global extinction over a short period of time. Mutations- random change in DNA molecules that can alter behavior/anatomy in offspring. Native species- species that live or thrive in a particular ecosystem. Natural selection- process in which a particular set of genes is produced in succeeding generations more than other genes. Niche- total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem. Nonnative species- species that into migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately/accidently introduced into an ecosystem. Reproductive Isolation- long term geographic separation of members of a particular sexually reproducing species. Specialist species-species with a narrow ecological niche. Speciation- formation of two species forms one species because of divergent natural selection in response to change in environmental conditions. Species- group of similar organisms. Species diversity- number of different species. Theory of evolution- widely accepted scientific idea that all life forms developed from earlier life forms. Chapter 5 Age structure- percentage of the population of each age level in a population. Carrying Capacity- maximum population of a particular species that a given habit can support over a given period. Coevolution- evolution in which two or more species interact and exert selective pressure on each other that can lead each species to undergo adaptations. Commensalism- an interaction between organisms of different species in which one type of organism benefits and the other type is neither helped nor harmed to any degree. Environmental resistance- all of the limiting factors that act together to limit the growth of the population. Inertia- the ability of a living system to be restored through secondary succession after a more serious disturbance. Interspecific competition- attempts by members of two or more species to use the same limited resources in an ecosystem. Limiting factor- single factor that limits the growth abundance or distribution of the population of a species in an ecosystem. Mutualism- type of species interaction in which both participating species generally benefit. Parasitism- interaction between species in which one organism preys on another organism. Persistence- (same as inertia) Population-group of individual’s organisms of the same species living in a particular area. Population crush- dieback of a population exceeded carrying capacity. Population density- # of organisms in a particular populations found in a specified area/volume. Predation- when an organism feeds on another. Predator- prey relationship: relationship predator VS. Prey. Primary ecological succession- ecological succession in an area without soil or bottom sediments. Range of tolerance- range of chemical & physical conditions that must be maintained. Resilience- the ability of a living system to be restored through secondary succession after a severe disturbance. Resource partitioning- process of diving up resources. Secondary ecological succession- succession in which natural vegetation has been removed or destroyed but the soil hasn’t. Chapter 6 Cultural carrying capacity- the maximum number of people who could live in reasonable freedom and comfort. Crude birth rate- the number of live births per 1,000 people in a population in a given year. Crude Death rate- the number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population in given year. Fertility rate- the number of children born to a woman during her lifetime. Replacement-level fertility rare- is the average number of children that couples in a population must bear to replace themselves. Total fertility rate- the average number of children born to women in a population during their reproductive years. Life expectancy- the average number of years a newborn infant can be expected to live. Infant mortality rate- the number of babies out of every 1,000 born who die before their first birthday. Demographic transition- when countries become industrialized and economically developed, death rates and birth rates decline. Family planning- provides educational and clinical services that help couples chose how many children to have and when to have them.