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Environmental Science > Lecture 1/2/3 > Flashcards

Lecture 1/2/3 Flashcards

1
Q

Define environment

A

The sum total of our surroundings

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2
Q

What factors make up the environment

A
  1. Biotic
  2. Abiotic
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3
Q

Define environmental science

A

The search for knowledge and understanding of:
1. How the environment works
2. What role humans play in their environment
3. What impact humans have on the structure and function of the environment where they live

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4
Q

How does environmental science involve many disciplines

A

It is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary

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5
Q

Define interdisciplinary

A

Integrating knowledge and methods from many different disciplines

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6
Q

Define multidisciplinary

A

People from different disciplines working together, drawing on their expertise

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7
Q

What are the 5 critical factors that determine the survival of civilizations

A
  1. Climate change
  2. Hostile neighbors
  3. Trade partners
  4. Environmental problems
  5. Responses to environmental problems
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8
Q

What approach is being used to find sustainable solutions to environmental problems

A

The triple bottom line approach

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9
Q

What are the categories of the triple bottom line approach

A

Environmental goals: environmental protection
Social goals: social equity and justice
Economic goals: economic advancement

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10
Q

make question about the Viking civilization of Greenland

A
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11
Q

***make a question about the Rapa Nui (Easter Island) civilization

A
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12
Q

What are the 6 examples of major environmental problems

A
  • Environmental pollution
  • Land resource issues
  • Aquatic resource issues
  • Non-renewable resources
  • Biodiversity decline
  • Wicked Problems
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13
Q

Environmental pollution

A
  • waste products/artificial chemicals pollute the air, water, and land
  • pollution problems are becoming less visible, more global, more long-term/chronic/complex
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14
Q

What are some effects of environmental pollution

A
  • Damage to human health and natural environments
  • Causes ecosystem impairment and human illness/death
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15
Q

Land resource issues

A
  • Increased food production causes increased environmental damage
  • Growth of human pop. causes more pressure for forestry and mining resources
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16
Q

What are some examples of areas of land resource issues

A
  • agriculture
  • forestry
  • mining
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17
Q

What are some examples of aquatic resource issues

A
  • freshwater and marine pollution
  • fisheries
  • water supply
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18
Q

Aquatic resource issues

A
  • overharvesting of seafood resources in oceans/freshwater
  • aquatic pollution
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19
Q

Non-renewable resources

A
  • Many non-renewable resources are overexploited
  • Extraction can degrade the environment with significant consequences for people and the planet
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20
Q

What are some examples of non-renewable resources

A
  • fossil fuels
  • metals
  • rare elements
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21
Q

Biodiversity decline

A
  • Biodiversity loss is perhaps our biggest environmental problem, because we cannot correct mistakes later
  • Humans actions are one of the main reasons for the high extinction rate
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22
Q

What are the four major threats to biodiversity loss

A
  1. Habitat fragmentation and destruction
  2. Introduction of invasive species
  3. Overexploitation of resources
  4. Disruption of “interaction networks”
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23
Q

What are four examples of biodiversity decline

A
  • habitat fragmentation/loss
  • invasive species
  • network distribution
  • overharvesting
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24
Q

What are wicked problems

A
  • Environmental problems that are difficult to solve
  • Involve compromise/trade-offs/ complex solutions
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25
Q

What are some examples of wicked problems

A
  • climate change
  • human health impacts
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26
Q

Define biodiversity

A
  • the variety of all life on Earth
  • the diversity of species
  • their genes
  • their ecological conditions habitats, niches, trophic levels and community interactions
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27
Q

Where are most species found

A
  • In tropical rain forests and coastal areas
  • Coral reefs especially
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28
Q

What are the levels of biodiversity

A

Genetic<species<ecological<bio

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29
Q

Define genetic diversity

A

Variations in the genes among individuals of the same species

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30
Q

Define species diversity

A

variety of species present in an area, # of different species that are present as well as their relative abundance

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31
Q

Define ecological diversity

A

variety of habitats, niches, trophic levels, and community interactions

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32
Q

Define endemic species

A

a species found in only one region of the world naturally, high extinction risk
- e.g Australia-> kangaroos, koalas, etc.

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33
Q

Define threatened species

A

a species considered likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future

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34
Q

Define endangered species

A

a species in danger of becoming extinct throughout its entire range

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35
Q

Define extirpated species

A

a species locally extinct in on or more areas but is still found in other parts of its range

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36
Q

Define extinct species

A

a species has become extinct throughout its entire range

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37
Q

What are the 5 factors that threaten biodiversity

A
  • largely human based
    1. Habitat destruction/fragmentation
    2. Pollution
    3. Invasive species
    4. Overharvesting of resources
    5. Disruption of “interaction networks”
  • e.g pollination
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38
Q

How many species have we lost since 1970

A

Roughly 69%

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39
Q

Define instrumental value

A

species valued by usefulness to humans
(anthropocentric worldview)
- human centered

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40
Q

Define intrinsic value

A

species have value in themselves

(biocentric worldview)

41
Q

What strategies are used to conserve biodiversity

A

establishing protected areas to slow biodiversity loss
- especially in hot spots

42
Q

Define biodiversity hot spot

A

relatively small areas with high concentration of endemic species and a large number of endangered species and threatened species

43
Q

Define biological evolution

A
  • changes in the genetic make-up of populations of organisms over time
44
Q

How are Populations of Species Altered over Time?

A

Changes Genetic Variation within a Species’ Gene Pool

45
Q

Define gene pool

A

a collection of different genes present in a population of a particular species

46
Q

Define total genetic information

A

available to population

47
Q

How does genetic variation affect a population

A

Genetic variation affects ability of a population of organisms to adapt (survive and reproduce) when conditions change

48
Q

What causes the loss of genetic variation

A

Random events
- can select for less favourable traits hence random

49
Q

What area the 3 ways populations of species altered over time

A
  1. Genetic drift
  2. Bottleneck effects
  3. Founder effects
50
Q

Define genetic drift

A
  • Uses random mating
  • Amount of genetic variation in gene pool is reduced because some individuals in a population do not mate and reproduce
51
Q

Define population bottleneck

A
  • Due to random events (such as a forest fire wipes out half a population)
  • Leads to a smaller gene pool of potential adaptive traits available for future generations to access
52
Q

Define founder effect

A
  • Due to random movement
  • a small portion of a larger population is separated from the group
  • Leads to a smaller gene pool of potential adaptive traits available for future generations to access
53
Q

What are the 2 mechanisms that can lead to gain of genetic variation

A
  1. Mutations
  2. Recombination
54
Q

Define mutations

A

random changes in DNA that pass to future generations
– may increase variation
– relatively slow for most species

55
Q

Define recombination

A

– mixes genetic information of 2 individuals (parents)
– increases genetic variation quickly

56
Q

Define natural selection

A
  • Mechanism where traits that enhance survival, reproduction are passed on to future generations more frequently than those that do not enhance survival and reproduction
  • Does not create new traits, only edits
57
Q

What are the effects of natural selection

A
  • changes in gene pool, favourable genetic traits passed down generations
  • unfavourable traits are eliminated
58
Q

What are the three different types of selection

A
  1. Stabilizing
  2. Directional
  3. Disruptive
59
Q

Define stabilizing selection

A

favours normal and selects against extremes
- e.g tan trees so tan bugs are favoured while dark and light beetles are not

60
Q

Define directional selection

A

continually favours a particular extreme of the trait
- darker trees from pollution so darker beetles are favoured

61
Q

Define disruptive selection

A

favours the extremes but selects against the normal (intermediate)
- area of dark and light trees, dark and light beetles favoured, not tan beetles

62
Q

Define artificial selection

A

Process of selection for desirable traits under human direction
- e,g dog breeds

63
Q

Define species

A

a population or group of populations whose members share characteristics and freely breed with one another to produce fertile offspring

64
Q

What is biodiversity defined by

A
  1. speciation
  2. extinction
65
Q

Define speciation

A

an evolutionary process resulting in new species
- occurs through natural selection

66
Q

What are the types of speciation

A
  1. Allopatric
  2. Sympatric
67
Q

Define allopatric speciation

A

Species formation due to physical separation of populations (e.g. glaciers, rivers, mountains)
- squirrel island example

68
Q

Define sympatric speciation

A

Species form from populations that become reproductively isolated within the same area
- feed in different areas
- mate in different seasons
- hybridization between 2 species
- mutations causing reproductive incompatibility
- fishes

69
Q

Define extinction

A

The disappearance of an entire species from Earth
- occurs when a species cannot adapt quickly enough to changing environmental conditions

70
Q

Define background extinction rate

A

extinction usually occurs one species at a time (slow rate)

71
Q

Define mass extinction events

A

five events in Earth’s history that killed off massive numbers of species at once (often 50 to 95% of all species)

72
Q

What was the 5th mass extinction

A

the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs
- led to the rise of mammals, human dominance

73
Q

What is suspected to be the cause of the 6th mass extinction

A

humans
- habitat destruction
- habitat fragmentation
- pollution
- invasive species
- climate change
- overharvesting

74
Q

Define carrying capacity

A

the maximum population size that the area can support (or sustain) over long term
- depends on resources available and resources required (or consumed)

75
Q

What are some examples of renewable resources

A
  • cannot be depleted
  • sunlight, wind energy, wave energy, geothermal energy
76
Q

What are some examples of resources that are renewable if not overused

A

agricultural crops, freshwater, forest products, soils

77
Q

What are some examples of non-renewable resources

A
  • can be depleted
  • crude oil, natural gas, coal, gold, silver, other metals
78
Q

Define ecosystem services

A

Essential ecological processes that make life (including human life) on earth possible

79
Q

What are the links between social traps and environmental problems

A

Impediments to solving environmental problems include short-term thinking and social traps

80
Q

Define social traps

A

decisions by individuals or groups that seem good at the time and produce a short-term benefit but that hurt society in the long run

81
Q

What are the 3 types of social traps

A
  1. tragedy of the commons
  2. time delay
  3. sliding reinforcer
82
Q

Define tragedy of the commons

A
  • Social trap that often emerges when many people are using a commonly held resource (e.g water, public land)
  • Tendency of an individual to abuse commonly held resources in order to maximize personal interest
  • cow example
83
Q

Define time delay

A

Social trap resulting from actions that produce a benefit today but set into motion events that cause problems later
- fishing methods example

84
Q

Define sliding reinforcer

A

Social trap that results from actions that are beneficial at first but that changes conditions such that their benefit declines over time
- e.g pesticide immunity example

85
Q

What are 5 ways environmental problems can be solved

A
  • become familiar with problems
  • determine trends causing problems
  • understand scientific concepts of the trends
  • take steps to reversing trends
  • sustainability goal
86
Q

Define environmental worldviews

A
  • Describe how people see themselves in relation to the world around them
  • Influence environmental ethics which affect how people interact with the natural world
87
Q

What are some examples of environmental worldviews

A
  1. anthropocentrism
  2. biocentrism
  3. ecocentrism
88
Q

Define anthropocentrism

A

human-centered, only humans have intrinsic value, and resources are here to meet human needs and wants

89
Q

Define biocentrism

A

life centered: humans and other species have a right to exist and are worthy of protection

90
Q

Define ecocentrism

A

system-centered: value is given to the importance of the ecosystem as a whole, including interactions such as those between wind and soil and between species (predator prey), as well as natural processes (e.g water cycle)

91
Q

What trends have led to environmental problems

A

Trends that have contributed to environmental problems in recent decades:
1. Increasing disconnection from nature
2. Growing industrialization and urbanization
3. More corporatization and multinational companies
4. Emphasizing commodification
5. Focusing on a short-term view
6. Emphasizing goal of endless growth (profits)
7. More consumerism and consumption
8. Growing globalization and monoculturalism
9. Increasing wealth gap between richer and poor

92
Q

How can environmental problems be solved

A

Need to change to new practices that offer sustainable solutions to environmental problems in very near future:
1. Re-connect with nature (appreciate interconnectedness)
2. Encourage sustainable growth and resource use
3. Encourage small business and support them
4. Understand non-monetary value of nature (diversity)
5. Focus on longer term view (long-term planning)
6. Switch to sustainable approaches (economy/society)
7. Reduce consumerism and consumption
8. Take more local approach and encourage diversity
9. Limit growth – use triple bottom line (more equitable)

93
Q

Define sustainability

A

the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

94
Q

What is the goal of sustainability

A

Limit human impact on the natural world so our civilization can continue to exist in a sustainable way

95
Q

What are five examples of sustainability goals

A
  • Develop ideas/technologies to lessen our impacts on planet
  • Control pop. growth
  • Reduce consumption
  • Work towards sustainable solutions
  • Increase research to help better understand our world and to develop sustainable solutions
96
Q

Define triple bottom line in terms of sustainability

A
  • new goals for sustainability
  • finding ways to promote
    • social justice (people)
    • environmental quality (planet)
    • economic well-being (profit)
97
Q

What years have the united nations made sustainability goals to be achieved by

A

2015 and 2030

98
Q

What are some challenges of sustainability

A
  • We live on a planetary island in space with limited resources
  • Human population and consumption are growing
  • Biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, resource limitations, human health impacts and climate change threaten our world and the survival of all species on the planet including humans

Environmental Science (9 decks)

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