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Enviro 2
enviro cards lectures 2 and 3
43
Environmental Studies
Undergraduate 1
09/16/2009

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Cards

Term
Local Populations (US) what are determinants of population size?
Definition
births, deaths, immigration, emmigration
Term
Population
Definition
Group of individuals of SAME SPECIES living in same geographic area at same time
Term
What percent of US population growth is a cause of immigration? Is there a formal population policy? DOES US HAVE HIGEST RATE OF POP INCREASE OF ALL HIGHLY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES?
Definition
50%, no formal population policy!, YES! US has highest rate of population increase of all highly developed countries
Term
What are environmental limits to prevent indefinite reproduction?
Definition
unfavorable food, water, shelter, predation...
Term
what is K?
Definition
Carrying capacity--maximum # of individuals an environment can support, =leveling off of exponential growth, S SHAPED CURVE OF LOGISTIC POPULATION GROWTH
Term
Density Independent
Definition
Doesn't matter if population is high or not. Severe winter/fire will kill individuals
Term
Density Dependent
Definition
population at really high density, predation, competition for resources, disease INCREASE!
Term
Snowshoe Hare and Lynx what happens when snowshoe hares increase?
Definition
# of lynx increase as well because there is more food, therefore more predation is possible. (Population cycle)
Term
Growth Rate of Species depends on (four factors)
Definition
F.A.N.N. fraction of lifespan it can reproduce, age reproduction begins, number of reproductive periods, number of offspring
Term
r-selected species
Definition
small size, early maturity, LARGE BROODS, little parental care, LONG TERM SURVIVAL IS LOW (mosquitos and dandelions)
Term
k-selected species
Definition
small broods, long lifespan, large body size, LATE REPRODUCTION, LOW reproductive rate. (humans and redwood trees!)
Term
2000 years ago how many humans? 1000 years ago how many humans? How many humans in 1800? In 1999? for 2050?
Definition
300 million...310 million...1 BILLION...6 billion...9 BILLION
Term
What country was most "fertile" in 2006? Least fertile?
Definition
Nigeria...China
Term
What are the four demographic stages?
Definition
pre-industrial, transitional, industrial, post-industrial
Term
Pre Industrial (what happens to birth/death/population size?)
Definition
birth and death rates fluctuate between 30 and 40 (per 1000), size of population is LOW
Term
Transitional
Definition
birthrate stabalizes and at the end starts to decline, death rate declines A LOT, size of population climbs
Term
Industrial
Definition
population reaches its peak, birth rate declines, death rate stabilizes at low number
Term
Post Industrial
Definition
death rate is still lowest, but population size fluctuates and then declines because women are choosing to not have children
Term
Population growth momentum
Definition
BECAUSE OF AGE STRUCTURE, if you have low fertility rates, population will grow because of potential reproductive people about to mature
Term
Rapid population growth... slow population growth... declining population growth
Definition
Nigeria, United States, Germany
Term
Can democracy and human dignity survive overpopulation?
Definition
NO !!!!!
Term
What causes a decrease in carrying capacity?
Definition
Overuse of land
Term
How do we solve the food problem?
Definition
control population growth, promote economic development of developing countries, provide access to food and land to people without them
Term
What are the three major influences on total fertility rate?
Definition
cultural traditions, social and economic status of women, family planning
Term
Women with more education...
Definition
Marry later, HAVE FEWER CHILDREN!
Term
WHAT DID INDIA TRY TO DO IN 1976? IT FAILED AND WAS UNPOPULAR....what has gvt done in recent years?
Definition
COMPULSORY STERILIZATION... much more effective but still above replacement level...education
Term
what did mexico do in 1974?
Definition
government carried out educational reform, family planning, health care. VERY VERY SUCCESSFUL!
Term
Nigeria has what percent of people under age 15?
Definition
43% of population. Current National population policy: improve health care, population education
Term
What is happening in Europe regarding proportion of elderly?
Definition
proportion elderly people in population is increasing due to low fertility rates. Decrease in population could cause decrease economic growth.
Term
What are the 5 major biogeochemical cycles?
Definition
Carbon, Water, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulfur
Term
What happens in respiration, excretion, and decomposition(fungi and bacteria)?
Definition
convert carbon to CO2
Term
Volcanic eruptions, cement production, burning of fossil fuels
Definition
release stored carbon as CO2
Term
Does temperature affect how much carbon oceans can hold?
Definition
Yes! At lower temperatures oceans hold more carbon!
Term
Why is methane so important?
Definition
30 times more efficient in trapping reradiating energy from the earth. BUT the lifetime of methane is only 12 years (can be broken down in atmosphere)
Term
What is a Positive warming feedback?
Definition
BAD! process that amplifies change, melting permafrost, faster decomposition rates, warmer oceans hold less CO2
Term
Melting has POSITIVE FEEDBACK. Describe it.
Definition
increased melting decreases ice, which decreases albedo which leads to further warming. OH CRAP
Term
What are the two ways sea levels rise?
Definition
Thermal expansion (water expands as it warms) & Melting of land ice.
Term
As water combines with carbon dioxide what happens?
Definition
H2O+CO2=H2CO3=carbonic acid--makes oceans more acidic.
Term
What will happen to organism distribution as a result of global warming?
Definition
Organisms will move or become extinct !
Term
What are fragile regions that will be affected by global warming?
Definition
Eskimos, Island nations, low lying delta regions
Term
TO AVOID THE WORST of climate change CO2 levels must be stabalized at what value?
Definition
550 ppm
Term
What are the TWO ways of dealing with climate change?
Definition
Mitigation (limiting greenhouse gases) & Adaptation (focuses on learning to live with environmental and societal consequences)
Term
How will humans adapt to global climate change?
Definition
move inland, construct dikes and levees, REDO ENTIRE NEW YORK CITY sewer line, adapt to shifting agricultural zones
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