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APEnvironment Part 1
Environment Jay Withgott and Scott Brennan Semester 1 final exam
124
Environmental Studies
11th Grade
12/18/2011

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Term
Environment
Definition
everything around us, including living and nonliving things
Humans are part of the environment, not seperate from it
Term
Pressures on the global environment
Definition
-Increasing human population and increasing per capita consumption exacerbate human impacts on the environment
-human activities such as industrial agriculture and fossil fuels lead to resource depletion, air and water pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, and biodiversity.
Term
Sustainability
Definition
living within the planet's means, such that the Earth's resources can sustain us and other species for the foreseeable future.
Term
Sustainable development(the triple-bottom line)
Definition
pursuing environmental, economic, and social goals in a coordinated way.
Term
Culture and Worldview
Definition
culture: ensemble of knowledge, beliefs, and values of a group of people
worldview: each person's perception of the world and his or her place within it. Belief about the meaning, operation, and essence of the world.
Term
Evolution of Ethics
Definition
society's domain of ethical concern has been expanding (i.e self--> all man-->all humans-->all species)
Term
Anthropocentrism
Definition
value of humans above all else (think anthropology = study of HUMAN life)
Term
Biocentrism
Definition
value of certain life/certain living things
Term
Ecocentrism
Definition
value of ecological systems and all they encompass
Term
Preservation Ethic
Definition
preserving natural systems intact
Term
Conservation Ethic
Definition
promoting responsible long term use of resources
Term
Environmental Justice
Definition
seeking equal treatment for people of all races and income levels
Term
Classical Economic Theory
Definition
individuals acting for their own economic good can benefit society as a whole (free-market capitalism)
Term
Neoclassical Economic Theory
Definition
focuses on consumer behavior and on supply and demand as forces that drive economic activity
Term
Conventional Economic Theory
Definition
promotes never-ending economic growth with little regard to possible environmental impact
Term
Environmental Economics
Definition
advocates the reform of economic practices to promote sustainability. approaches include identifying external costs, assigning value to nonmonetary items, and attempting to make market prices reflect real costs and benefits
Term
Ecological Economics
Definition
Supports the same as Environmental economics AND others to develop a steady-state economy.
Term
Organic Compound
Definition
Carbon based compounds which living things depend on
Term
Hierarchy of Matter
Definition
from small to large: Atom->Molecule->Macromolecule->Organelle->Cell->Tissue->Organ->Organ System->Organism.
Term
Ecology
Definition
the distribution and abundance of organisms, the interaction among them, and their interactions with their nonliving environments
Term
Paradigm
Definition
dramatic shift in dominant view (i.e earth is flat-> earth is round)
Term
Cassandras
Definition
people who predict doom and disaster for the world because of our impacts
Term
Cornucopians
Definition
people who maintain that human ingenuity will see us through any difficulty
Term
Transcendentalism
Definition
Philosophical view that nature is divine
Term
Emerson and Thoreau
Definition
Transcendentalists
Term
Muir and Roosevelt
Definition
Ecocentrists
Term
Pinchot and Leopald
Definition
Anthropocentrists that advocated conservation
Term
Deep Ecology
Definition
movement resting on the principles of "self-realization" and biocentric equality. self realization is the awareness that humans are inseperable from nature.
Term
Ecofeminism
Definition
patriarchal structure of society is a root cause of both social and environmental problems
Term
Basel Convention
Definition
World convention that lead to a treaty that prohibits international export of waste. US has not ratified it.
Term
Environmental Goods & Services
Definition
services and resources that the Earth provides for us free of charge (i.e. pollination of crops, rainfall irrigation)
Term
Contingent Value
Definition
Attempting to give a monetary price to things of aesthetic, cultural, or educational value (i.e putting a price tag on Yosemite)
Term
GDP vs GDI
Definition
Gross Domestic Product: the total MONETARY value of final goods and services of the economy
Genuine Product Indicator: the monetary value AND the nonmarket values(more accurate)
Term
Bioremediation
Definition
the attempt to clean up pollution by enhancing natural processes of biodegradation by living organisms (i.e bacteria in the exxon valdez oil spill)
Term
Basic Chemistry you probably know
Definition
atoms, elements, neutrons, protons, electrions, molecules, atomic #, mass #, ions, isotopes, pH
Term
Properties of Water that Facilitate Life
Definition
-Water exhibits strong cohesion which facilitates transport of chemicals like nutrients and waste in organisms
-Water can absorb large amounts of heat with only small temperature changes which stabilizes systems
-Ice is less dense than water, so ice floats above water bodies and insulates them.
-Polarity of water molecule helps to dissolve other chemicals into solutions
Term
Potential Energy
Definition
energy of position, (i.e water being held by a dam has high potential energy)
Term
Kinetic Energy
Definition
energy of motion (i.e water flowing fast out of a dam)
Term
Chemical Energy
Definition
energy stored in the bonds of atoms (i.e carbon-carbon bonds of petroleum energy)
Term
Laws Of Thermodynamics
Definition
First: Energy is conserved/stays constant within the universe
Second: Energy will go from a more ordered to a less ordered state.
Term
Fossil Record
Definition
the cumulative body of fossils worldwide that are used to infer the history of past life on Earth.
Term
Natural Selection
Definition
Favorable traits that enhance survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently, thus altering genetic makeup of populations over time.
Term
Directional Selection
Definition
Selection that drives a feature in one direction rather than another (i.e. bigger beaks are favored)
Term
Stabilizing Selection
Definition
Selection that favors intermediate features, thus preserving the status quo (i.e. medium beaks are favored over small and large)
Term
Disruptive Selection
Definition
Traits at extreme ends are favored over those in the middle (i.e. small and large beaks are favored over those in the middle)
Term
Allopatric Speciation
Definition
species formation due to physical separation of populations over some geographic distance.
Term
Sympatric Speciation
Definition
species formation due to reproductive isolation within the same geographic area (i.e. plants that release pollen at different seasons)
Term
Endemic Species
Definition
Species native to a single area (i.e. frogs of the Costa Rica cloud forests)
Term
Hierarchy of Ecology
Definition
Organism->Population->Community->Ecosystem->Biosphere
Term
Habitat
Definition
the living and nonliving elements that elements around a species
Term
Niche
Definition
a species' use of resources and its functional role in a community
Term
Specialists vs. Generalists
Definition
Specialists are species with very narrow breadth and specific requirements
Generalists are species with broad tolerances and and adaptability to different habitats.
Term
Population Density
Definition
Number of individuals in a population per unit area
Term
Population Dispersion
Definition
the spatial arrangement of organisms within an area
(random, uniform, or clumped)
Term
Survivorship Curves
Definition
graphs that depict how the likelihood of death varies with age
Term
Population Growth Calculation
Definition
(crude birth rate + immigration rate) - (crude death rate + emigration rate)
Term
Limiting Factors
Definition
physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the environment that restrain population growth
Term
Carrying Capacity
Definition
the maximum population size of a species that a given environment can sustain
Term
Biotic Potential
Definition
ability to produce offspring
Term
K-selected Species
Definition
Fewer offspring but give them more care and attention (humans, giraffes, tigers, etc)
Term
r-selected Species
Definition
Many more offspring but less care and attention (fish, insects, frogs, etc)
Term
Ecotourism
Definition
visitation of natural areas for for tourism and recreation
Term
Fundamental Niche v. Realized Niche
Definition
Fundamental niche is the full role of that an organism might theoretically play.
Realized niche is the actual portion of the fundamental niche that the organism fills
Term
Competition (intra v inter)
Definition
When multiple organisms of the same species(intraspecific) or of different species(interspecific) compete for the same limited resource.
Term
Predation
Definition
the process by which individuals of one species hunt capture kill and consume individuals of another species(predator->prey)
Term
Resource Partitioning
Definition
process by which species will specialize to minimize competition
Term
Trophic Levels
Definition
An organisms rank in the food hierarchy
Term
Parasitism
Definition
relationship in which One organism benefits, the other is harmed
Term
Mutualism
Definition
relationship in which both organisms are benefited
Term
Commensalism
Definition
relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
Term
Amensalism
Definition
relationship in which one organism is unaffected and one is negatively impacted
Term
Keystone Species
Definition
Species that has a strong or wide-reaching impact far out of proportion to its abundance
Term
Succession
Definition
predictable series of changes that follow an area which has been eliminated of all or most species in the community
Term
Pioneer Species
Definition
species that arrive first and colonize the new substrate
Term
Invasive Species
Definition
non native species that is introduced to a community and outcompetes native species.
Term
Biodiversity
Definition
the sum total of all organisms in an area taking into account the diversity of species, their genes, their populations, and their communities
Term
Species Diversity
Definition
number or variety of species in a particular region
Term
Genetic Diversity
Definition
differences among a population of DNA composition
Term
Extirpation
Definition
disappearance of a particular species in a particular region but not globally.
Term
Island Biogeography
Definition
Farther an island from a continent, the fewer species colonize(distance effect)
Larger the island, the more species colonize, (target size)
Larger the island, the fewer species go extinct (differential extinction)
Term
Endangered Species Act
Definition
1973, forbids actions that destroy endangered species or their habitats and forbids the trade of products that do the same.
Term
Umbrella Species v Flagship Species
Definition
Umbrella Species are species that, by helping to protect, we in turn protect many other species
Flagship Species are species that conservationists select to be the face of overall conservation efforts (i.e. Panda)
Term
Hotspots
Definition
areas that support an especially great number of species that are endemic
Term
Community-Based Conservation
Definition
active engagement of local people in efforts to protect land and wildlife in their own backyards
Term
Positive Feedback Loop
Definition
drive an extreme further and further in one direction (i.e. human population growth)
Term
Negative Feedback Loop
Definition
an extreme triggers a resulting opposite extreme to neutralize/stabilize the effect (i.e. thermostats)
Term
Spheres of the Earth
Definition
Lithosphere-rock sediment surrounding planet
Atmosphere-air surrounding planet
Hydrosphere-water (salt and fresh) surrounding planet
Biosphere-all living organisms and the nonliving environment with which they interact
Term
Eutrophication
Definition
process of nutrient overenrichement, blooms of algae, increased production of organic matter, and subsequent ecosystem degradation
Term
Ecotones
Definition
transitional zone where ecosystems meet
Term
Hypoxia
Definition
condition of extremely low dissolved oxygen concentrations in a body of water
Term
Rock Cycles, Hydrologic Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Phosphorus Cycle
Definition
Know them.
Term
Soil
Definition
a complex plant-supporting system, it IS a renewable resource
Term
Causes of Soil Degradation
Definition
-Industrialization
-Overgrazing
-Deforestation
-Cropland Agriculture
Term
Traditional Agriculture
Definition
biologically powered by humans and animals with simple tools. Low-yielding (enough to just support the family or to sell and make income)
Term
Industrial Agriculture
Definition
boosted yields with machinery and synthetic fertilizers
Term
Weathering
Definition
the physical, chemical, and biological break down of rocks and minerals into soil.
Term
Erosion
Definition
the dislodging and movement of soil from one area to another.
Term
Humus
Definition
dark, spongey, crumbly mass of material made up by complex organic compounds
Term
Leaching
Definition
the process by which solid particles suspended or dissolved in liquid are transported to another location
Term
Desertification
Definition
loss of more than 10% productivity due to erosion, soil compaction, forest removal, overgrazing, or other factors.
Term
Protection of Soil Degradation
Definition
Contour Farming-prevents rills and gullies
Terracing-cultivates hilly lands for farming
Intercropping-slows erosion by providing more ground cover
Shelterbelts-prevent wind erosion
Reduced tillage-reduces erosion from conventional tilling
Term
Waterlogging
Definition
when the water table rises to the point that water bathes plant roots, essentially suffocating them
Term
Salinization
Definition
the buildup of salts in surface soil layers
Term
IPAT model
Definition
Impact =Population x Affluence x Technology x (Sensitivity)
Term
Age Structure Diagrams
Definition
Be able to interpret
Term
Total Fertility Rate
Definition
the average number of children born per female member of a population during her lifetime
Term
Pre-Industrial Stage
Definition
both death rates and birth rates are high
Term
Transitional Stage
Definition
declining death rates due to increased food and better healthcare but birth rates remain high. (this is where population really increases most)
Term
Industrial Stage
Definition
death rates remain low, and new economic conditions/empowerment of women leads to drop in birth rates
Term
Post-Industrial Stage
Definition
Birth and death rates plateau at a stable low level
Term
Food Security
Definition
the guarantee of an adequate food supply available to all people at all times
Term
Overnutrition v. Undernourishment v. Malnourishment
Definition
overnutrition=people are fatasses
undernourishment=not enough food(less than 90% of required caloric intake)
malnourishment=shortage of necessary vitamins and minerals
Term
Monocultures
Definition
large expanses of a single crop type-->increased yield but decreased biodiversity
Term
Pesticides
Definition
artificial things that kill pests
Term
Biocontrol
Definition
battling pests and weeds with organisms that eat or infect them.
Term
IPM
Definition
integrated pest management: numerous techniques are used to achieve long-term suppression of pests.
Term
Genetic Engineering
Definition
process by which scientists directly manipulate an organisms genetic material.
Term
Recombinant DNA
Definition
DNA that has been patched together from DNA of multiple organisms.
Term
Transgenes
Definition
genes that have moved between organisms artificially
Term
Seed Banks
Definition
institutions that keep seeds to preserve genetic diversity
Term
Feedlots
Definition
huge warehouses designed to deliver energy rich food to animals at extremely high densities.
Term
Aquaculture
Definition
the raising of aquatic organisms for food in controlled environments
Term
Sustainable Agriculture
Definition
agriculture that does not deplete soils faster than they form
Term
Organic Agriculture
Definition
food growing practices that use no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides but instead rely on biological process (like biocontrol and composting)
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