5.12: Introduction to Sustainability Flashcards
What is sustainability?
Using resources in a way where they’ll be available for future generations
What are the 5 indicators of sustainability?
Biological diversity, food production, average global surface temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations, human population, and resource depletion
Biodiversity
- Higher biodiv. = healthier ecosystems
- Declining biodiv. can indicate pollution, habitat destruction, climate change
- Global extinction rate = strong env. indicator since species extinction decreases species richness of earth
What does it indicate, major threats, meat consumption
Food production
- Indicates ability of Earth’s soil, water, and climate to support ag.
- Major threats to food prod. = Climate change, soil degradation (desertification, topsoil erosion), groundwater depletion
- Increasing meat consumption = further strain on food prod. (takes away water and land from grain production)
Global surface temps and co2 concentrations
- Increasing CO2 = unsustainable (Dries out arable (farmable) land, destroys habitats, worsense storm intensity)
Human Population and Resource Depletion
- As human pop. grows, resource depletion grows
- Resources are harvested unsustainably from natural ecosystems & degrade ecosystem health
More paper (lumber) = deforestation
More food = soil erosion, deforestation, groundwater depletion
More travel = FF mining = air, water, soil pollution, habitat destruction
Maximum Sustainable Yield
The maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing or depleting the resource for future use
What is the MSY?
Roghly 50% of the carrying capacity
Methods to Operate within our sustainable yield:
- Research and planning to find the reproductive abilities of a resource
- Setting quotas to help set limits on resource use
- Requiring permits manages harvesters
- Reforestation to replace trees that have been harvested
