Term
| What are the EPA criteria pollutants? What sources do they come from? |
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Definition
Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, tropospheric ozone, particulate matter, lead
Natural sources such as volcanoes/forest fires. Also industry, vehicle combustion |
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Term
| What is acid rain? How does it impact populations and ecosystems? |
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Definition
| acid forming pollutants from the atmosphere onto earth's surface. alters soil chemistry, harming plants and organisms |
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Term
| What is the greenhouse effect? |
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Definition
| GHGs absorb radiation emitted from the surface, GHGs re-emit infrared radiation, some goes into space and other comes back downward warming the atmosphere |
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Term
| What are greenhouse gasses? |
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Definition
| water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) |
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Term
| What contributes to increased GHGs? |
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Definition
| Natural and anthropogenic. Fossil fuel use and deforestation, landfills |
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Term
| What are the consequences of climate change? |
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Definition
| Increasing temperatures change ecosystem, increase species extinctions, stressing coral reefs (coral bleaching). Increased water levels |
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Term
| How does climate change impact populations and ecosystems? |
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Definition
| organisms have adapted to their environments, so they are affected when those environments are altered |
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Term
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Definition
| a part of the biosphere that absorbs carbon faster than it is released |
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Term
| What is the ozone layer and why is it important? |
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Definition
| part of the stratosphere that helps filter UV radiation that reaches Earth |
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Term
| What has led to the thinning of the ozone layer? |
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Definition
| airborne chemicals, human-made ozone depleting substances |
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Term
| What regulations have been put into place regarding the ozone layer? |
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Definition
| Montreal Protocol, nations agreed to cut CFC production |
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Term
| What ecosystem services do forests provide? |
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Definition
Stabilize soil preventing erosion and flooding (important to water cycle)
Evapotransportation (puts water back into the atmosphere)
Plants filter pollutants/purify water
Take up CO2 and release oxygen
Nutrient cycling/decomposition
Medicines/dyes and food resources
Wood |
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Term
| What is habitat fragmentation? What effects does habitat fragmentation have on populations? |
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Definition
| discontinuity (break or gap) in an organisms preferred environment. Decreases genetic diversity > decreasing immigration and emigration > increased inbreeding (negative traits stay in population |
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Term
| What is a metapopulation? |
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Definition
| group of spatially separated sub-populations connected by active exchange of individual/genes |
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Term
| What is island bio-geography theory? |
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Definition
| E.O Wilson, explains how species come to be distributed among oceanic islands. Number added by immigration and lost through extirpation. Species richness based on island's size and its distance from the mainland |
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Term
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Definition
farther and island lies from a continent, the fewer species tend to find and colonize it
Larger islands have higher immigration rates because they present fatter targets
Larger islands have lower extinction rates because more space allows for larger populations |
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Term
| In what biome should we log? |
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Definition
| Even though logging is a threat to any biome, I would have to choose the temperate biome as a logging site because it is mostly trees |
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Term
| Give some examples of renewable and non-renewable energy. |
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Definition
Renewable: wind, water, sun
Non-renewable: Oil, Coal, nuclear |
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Term
| How does increased combustion of fossil fuels affect the carbon cycle? |
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Definition
uptake and return of CO2 are not in balance
causes smog |
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Term
| How do fossil fuels form? |
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Definition
| oil and gas are formed from the organic remains of organisms which become entrained within sea-floor sediments. Coal, by contrast, is typically formed from the remains of land vegetation. |
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Term
| What is the difference between biogenic and thermogenic natural gas? |
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Definition
| Biogenic- created at shallow depths by anaerobic (without oxygen) decomposition of organic matter Thermogenic - results from compression and heat deep underground |
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Term
| How does nuclear fission work? |
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Definition
-atoms of heavy elements, such as uranium or plutonium, split to form atoms of lighter elements.
-splitting apart of atomic nuclei, each split nucleus emits energy in the form of heat, light, and radiation and also releases multiple neutrons
-nuclei of atoms are bombarded with neutrons |
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Term
Give some examples of sources for biomass energy.
(renewable resource) |
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Definition
| wood cut from trees charcoal manure agricultural crops |
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Term
| What are the pros and cons of each type of energy use? |
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Definition
Fossil fuels-(-)typically mined, (+)easy to find
Nuclear-(-) Radioactive, hazardous waste, (+) low to no air pollution
Biomass Energy-(-)air pollution, (+) renewable
Hydroelectric-(-) block fish migration, (+) Renewable |
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Term
| What is the difference between minerals and fossil fuels? |
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Definition
minerals are renewable, fossil fuels are non-renewable
Minerals are inorganic substances that occur naturally, fossil fuels are generated from organic material |
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Term
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Definition
| heating ore beyond its melting point and combining it with other metals or chemicals/compounds |
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Term
| What are the negative impacts of mining/extracting minerals? |
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Definition
Processing of minerals is often water and energy intensive
Chemical reactions and heating processes often produce air pollutants
Habitat destruction
Groundwater contamination |
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Term
| What is acid mine drainage? |
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Definition
| when sulfide minerals plus water and oxygen stream down from a mine site. Can make stream water toxic and reduce aquatic biodiversity |
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Term
| What are the 3 major waves of environmental policy? |
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Definition
1. promoted development
2. encouraged conservation
3. Responded to pollution and public outcry |
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Term
| What are the 3 major policies from the first wave? |
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Definition
1. Homestead Act-allowed any citizen to claim 160 acres of land
2. General Mining Act-legalized and promoted mining by private individuals on public land
3. Timber Culture Act-Granted 160 acres to any citizen promising to cultivate trees on the 1/4 of the area |
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Term
| Why is Rachel Carson an important historical figure? |
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Definition
| illuminated the problem of pollution from DDT and other pesticides |
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Term
| What is NEPA? What is the importance of it? |
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Definition
National Environmental Policy Act required agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision making process
Agencies must include an environmental impact statement
Led to the creation of the council on Env Quality (executive office of the president) |
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Term
| What are the goals associated with the Clean Water Act? |
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Definition
| Eliminate release of toxic waste and to restore the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of US water |
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Term
| What are the missions of the “selected agencies” from the handout? Into what departments do they fall under? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the Ramsar convention? |
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Definition
International treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands
Promote waterfowl conservation |
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Term
| Why are wetlands important to protect? What are the major causes of wetland loss? |
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Definition
Biodiversity hotspot!
Many species of plants and animals cannot survive w/o wetlands
Important for the protection of birds Loss due to Agriculture, urban development, disease control(mosquito) |
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Term
| What is conservation biology and restoration ecology? |
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Definition
Conservation bio-concerned with preserving populations, species and ecosystems in danger of decline or extinction
Restoration Bio-happens after a system has been degraded |
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Term
What are the four levels of biological diversity?
SCEG |
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Definition
1.Species diversity
2. Community diversity
3. Ecosystem diversity
4. Genetic |
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Term
| What is an endangered species? |
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Definition
| Species which is endangered of extinction throughout all or part of its range |
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Term
| What is an extinction vortex? |
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Definition
| a situation where genetic traits and environmental conditions combine to make a species gradually become extinct |
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Term
| What are the 2 international groups that define species status? What is the mission of each? |
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Definition
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)-concerned with the welfare of all species
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)-concerned with protecting species traded on the world market |
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Term
| What are the levels/categories of the IUCN Red List? |
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Definition
| Extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, threatened, conservation dependent, near threatened, least concern |
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Term
| What is the US Endangered Species Act? |
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Definition
| Protects both red listed species and the habitat in which they live |
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Term
| What are some methods used to conserve species/populations? |
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Definition
Captive-breeding programs
Removal of invasive species |
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Term
| What are the some methods used to conserve habitats/ecosystems? |
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Definition
| Nature reserves, zoned reserves, corridors, restoration |
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Term
| What is a biodiversity hotspot? Where are hotspots located? |
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Definition
| areas that have high endemism, usually have high species diversity |
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Term
| What are the 2 key strategies of restoration ecology? Give an example of each. |
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Definition
1.Biological Augmentation-Use organisms to add essential materials or processes to an ecosystem
2.Bioremediation-Uses organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems |
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Term
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Definition
| Using with out abusing our resources |
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Term
| How have we increased crop yields on an industrial scale? |
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Definition
| Genetically modified crops to withstand environmental elements, pesticides... |
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Term
| What does it mean to be USDA organic? |
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Definition
produced w/o hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMO's
Animals are raised on organic feed, given access to outdoors, no steroidal growth hormones and treated with antibiotics to only treat disease |
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Term
| What are some examples of sustainable practices in agriculture? |
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Definition
| Intercrop rather than monocultures, crop rotation, terracing, shelterbelts, no-till farming, contour farming |
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Term
| Why is farming and food production energy intensive? |
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Definition
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Term
| Discuss some of the renewable energy alternatives and some of their drawbacks. |
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Definition
wind-not always constant, birds, people don't like the view
solar-technology is costly, only useful when sun is shining>small portion of US gets a lot of sunshine
geothermal-the area for piping could be extensive |
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Term
| What is a threatened species? |
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Definition
| Species which is likely to become endangered soon |
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