CH 1-5 Flashcards
(201 cards)
1
Q
Critical thinking
A
logical, orderly, analytical assessment of ideas, arguments
2
Q
Ecology
A
The study of the relationships within ecosystems and the environment
3
Q
Environmental geography
A
Study of the spatial interactions of humans in specific places and their surroundings
4
Q
Major themes in environmental geography
A
Environmental quality, population, natural resources
5
Q
Biosphere
A
The part of the earth that supports life
6
Q
Renewable resources
A
Resources that can be replaced
7
Q
Nonrenewable resources
A
Resources that cannot be replaced
8
Q
Ecological/environmental backlash
A
Damage as a result of altering the environment
9
Q
Aswan High Dam
A
Example of an environmental backlash
10
Q
Indigenous peoples
A
The least powerful, most neglected groups, who possess valuable ecological wisdom, victims of the rich and politically powerful
11
Q
Sustainability
A
Ecological stability and human progress that can last in the long term
12
Q
Sustainable developement
A
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
13
Q
Principles that lie at the heart of sustainability
A
Conservation, recycling, renewable resources, population control
14
Q
Frontier ethic
A
An unsustainable way to think about the environment
15
Q
Facets of frontier ethic
A
There is always more, Humans are separate from nature, Human success derives from control of the nature
16
Q
Six factors that contribute to today’s unsustainability
A
Frontier ethic, inefficiency, overconsumption, fossil fuel dependence, overpopulation, problem of pollutants
17
Q
Ways humans view the environment
A
The organic model, the mechanical model, the systems approach
18
Q
The organic model
A
See the world as a living thing
19
Q
The Mechanical model
A
The Earth is a machine, we can do with it what we want
20
Q
The Systems approach
A
Life on Earth exists within a complex series of relationships
21
Q
Gaia concept
A
Life, through interaction with the environment is able to regulate the Earth’s environment
22
Q
Biodegradable
A
Pollutants that may be broken down by living organisms
23
Q
Nonbiodegradable
A
Pollutants that are not easily broken down; can persist in the environment for thousands of years
24
Q
Cross Media Contamination
A
Occurs when pollution crosses boundary lines (from water to air to land)
25
Environmental science
Systematic study of our environment and our place in it
26
Boloney detection
People giving false or misleading information as propaganda
27
Reasons for Baloney Detection
Argument from authority, appeal to ignorance, special pleading, observational selection, uncertainty, weasel words
28
George Perkins Marsh
Wrote Man & Nature about overgrazing and deforestation
29
Gifford Pinchot
First American professional forester
30
Utilitarian conservation
Forests should be saved, not because they are beautiful, but to provide homes and jobs for people in the future
31
Biocentric preservation
Other organisms have a right to exist and pursue their own interests
32
John Muir
First president of the Sierra Club
33
Rachel Carson
Wrote Silent Spring in 1962, beginning of modern environmental movement
34
Aldo Leopold
Pioneering wildlife ecologist, wrote A Sand County Almanac
35
Earth Day
World's first secular, theme driven global holiday
36
Kinetic Energy
Energy contained in moving objects
37
Potential energy
Stored energy, latent, but available for use
38
Energy
The capacity to do work
39
Joule
Work done when 1 kilogram is accelerated 1 meter per second per second
40
calorie
The amount of energy needed to warm one gram of a water 1 degree C
41
Specific Heat
The amount of energy required to warm one gram of a substance 1 degree C
42
First Law of Thermodynamics
Energy is conserved. It is neither created nor destroyed
43
Second Law of Thermodynamics
With each successive energy transfer, less energy is available to do work
44
Entropy
All mechanical systems degrade and disperse energy as they operate
45
pH Scale
A measure of acidity
46
Water
The universal solvent
47
Photosynthesis
The conversion of sunlight to chemical energy
48
Species
Organisms that are generally similar and can reproduce
49
Population
All the members of a species that live in the same area at the same time
50
Biological community
All populations living and interacting in an area
51
Range
Geographic area where a certain type of plant or animal may be found
52
Ecosystem
A biological community and its physical environment
53
Biomass
The total weight of living matter in a given area
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Primary producers
Organisms that photosynthesize
55
Consumers
Organisms that do not use photosynthesis
56
Food web
Interconnected food chains
57
Trophic level
An organism's feeding position in a food chain
58
Herbivore
An organism that eats plants
59
Carnivore
An organism that eats meat
60
Omnivore
An organism that eats both plants and animals
61
Detritivores
Scavengers, clean up carcasses
62
Decomposers
Fungi and bacteria which complete the final breakdown of organic matter, return nutrients to soil
63
Biotic
Living organisms in an ecosystem
64
Abiotic
Nonliving things in an ecosystem
65
Human impacts on the environment
Reduction, Fragmentation, Substitution, Simplification, Contamination, Overgrowth
66
Reduction
Loss in an area of ecosystem
67
Fragmentation
Ecosystem broken into smaller parts
68
Substitution
Replacing one set of organisms in an ecosystem with another
69
Simplification
Replacing a set of organisms in an ecosystem with a less diverse set
70
Contamination
Introduction of pollutants
71
Overgrowth
Introduction of plant nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous)
72
Eutrophication
Oxygen depletion of water due to over-stimulated plant growth
73
Adaptation
Acquisition of traits that allow a species to survive
74
Natural Selection
Survival of the fittest; the process of better selected individuals passing their traits down to the next generation
75
Disturbances
External forces that cause changes to ecosystems
76
Range of tolerance
Physical and chemical conditions where organisms can live
77
Optimum range
Conditions where ecosystems can thrive
78
Zone of Physiological Stress
Where survival is possible but difficult
79
Zone of Intolerance
Where an organism will die
80
Indicator species
Organisms whose sensitivities can tell about environmental conditions in an area
81
Acclimation
Some change occurs in organisms, but changes are not permanent
82
Mutations
Changes in genetic materials (can be bad or good)
83
Selective Pressures
Limited resources or environmental conditions - reduces chances for survival
84
Speciation
The development of a new species as a result of many small changes
85
Habitat
The place or set of environmental conditions in which an organism lives
86
Niche
The role played by the organism in a biological community (or ecosystem)
87
Predator
Any organism that feeds directly upon another living organism
88
Coevolution
The predators becoming better hunters and the prey becoming better at hiding, fighting, or fleeing
89
Symbiosis
Intimate living together of members of two or more species
90
Commensalism
A relationship where one member benefits and the other is not harmed or benefited
91
Mutalism
A relationship where both members benefit
92
Parisitism
A relationship where one member is helped while the other is harmed
93
Host
Where the parasite lives
94
Batesian Mimicry
Harmless species evolve colors and body shapes of unpalatable or poisonous species
95
Mullerian Mimicry
Two dangerous species have evolved to look alike
96
Keystone Species
A species that plays a major role in the ecosystem
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R- Species
A species with rapid reproduction and high mortality rate of offspring
98
K- Species
Species which reproduce more slowly and at older ages
99
Ecotones
Boundaries between adjacent communities
100
Edge effects
Animals extend their ecosystem into another community
101
Diversity
The number of different species in an area
102
Abundance
The number of individuals in a species in an area
103
Primary succession
A community begins to develop on a site previously unoccupied by living organisms
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Secondary succession
The existing community is disrupted and a new community develops at the site
105
Climax community
Whatever nature intended to be in the area
106
Invasive species
Nonnative organisms that move into an area
107
Pioneer species
In a primary succession, the first organisms to grow in the area
108
Holocene Epoch
The last 10,000 years of geologic time. Great changes caused by man and not geology
109
Terracing
Cutting into slopes to create more farmland
110
Polders
Land reclaimed from the sea in the Netherlands
111
Thomas Malthus
Believed population growth would be faster than food production so we will die
112
Malthus' natural checks on population
Famine, disease, war, natural disasters
113
Neo-Malthusians
Supporters of Malthus
114
Boserup thesis
Ester Boserup claimed increased labor and technology will make up for population growth
115
Human population
The population of the earth
116
Ecological footprint
The amount of productive land to support each person on the planet
117
Population density
The number of people per square mile
118
Physiological density
The number of people per square mile of productive land
119
Total fertility rate
Number of children born to an average woman in a population during her entire reproductive life
120
Population pyramid
A graphic representation of a nation's population by sex and age
121
Demography
The study of population
122
Carrying Capacity
The number of people the Earth can support
123
Birthrate
The number of live births per 1,000 per year
124
Death rate
The number of deaths per 1,000 a year
125
Infant mortality rate
The number of deaths per 1,000 per year before age one
126
Bare branches
Chinese men who, due to Chinese government actions and people's actions, will never have a girlfriend or wife (40 million by 2020)
127
Zero population growth
When the number of deaths equal the number of births
128
Zero Population Growth
1960s activist group concerned with overpopulation
129
Variables on population
Birth, Death, Immigration, Emigration
130
Immigration
People moving into a nation
131
Emigration
People leaving a nation
132
Lysol
One of the most popular methods of birth control from 1930 to 1960
133
Dependency ratio
The number of nonworking people compared with the number of working people in a population
134
Biome
A bio-geographical area characterized by certain vegetation, animals, and climate
135
Biodiversity
The number and variety of biological species that live in a biome
136
Vertical Zonation
Vegetation zones are determined by altitude
137
Temperature and Precipitation
Determine the distribution of biomes on land
138
The Circle of Illumination
The boundary between daylight and darkness
139
12 hours
The amount of daylight and darkness on the equator
140
Tropical Rainforests
In the equatorial areas of the planet, hot and wet all year, dense vegetation
141
High canopy
200ft
142
Middle canopy
65 to 150ft
143
Low canopy
15 to 50 ft
144
Cloud Forests
Found in high mountains where fog and mist keep vegetation wet all the time
145
2/3
The portion of all species of plants and insects are in the tropical rainforests
146
Lianas
Vines that stretch from tree to tree and intertwine. Up to 8 inches in diameter
147
Epiphytes
Rainforest plants that live entirely above ground, supported physically, but not nutritionally by other plants
148
Tropical rainforest floor
Has constant moisture, rotting fruit, moldy odors, windless air, and echoing sounds of life in the trees
149
1%
The portion of sunlight from the top of the high canopy that reaches the rainforest floor
150
Tropical seasonal forests
The transition zone between the tropical rainforests and the tall grass savannas. Has drought-tolerant trees that look brown and dormant during the dry season
151
Tropical Savanna
A transitional biome between the tropical seasonal forests and semi-arid tropical steppes and deserts
152
Grass
The main vegetation of the savanna
153
Africa
The continent with the largest amount of tropical savanna, including the Serengeti plains of Tanzania and Kenya
154
Sahel region
An environmentally fragile area of the Sahara Desert
155
Examples of the great mid-latitude grasslands
Ukraine, Argentina, US Great Plains
156
98th Meridian
In the US mid-latitude grasslands, it divides the wetter east with taller grass from the drier west with shorter grasses
157
Prairies
The North American mid-latitude grasslands
158
Steppe
The short grass grasslands of S.E. Europe and S.W. Asia
159
Desert
Biome that covers more than 1/3 of the earth's land area
160
10 inches
A general upper limit of annual rainfall in a desert
161
Desertification
The expansion of deserts
162
Great Green Wall
China's effort to stop expansion of the northern desert
163
Cold deserts
Found in high latitudes where the influence on sup tropical high pressure is less than six months a year
164
Deserts and Semi-Arid Areas
Formed on the eastern side of the subtropical high pressure cells
165
The Western sides of continents
Where deserts tend to form due to the cool dry air of the eastern side of the subtropical highs
166
Xerophytic plants
Plants found in dry areas
167
Features of Xerophytic plants
Long root system, plants spread apart, waxy coatings, small leaves, thick epidermal layers
168
Temperate Shrubland
Woody shrubs and grassy woodlands occupying regions poleward of the shifting subtropical highs
169
Chaparral
Scrubby evergreens of California
170
Deep roots
What plants in Southern California have in order to rebound quickly after a fire
171
Temperate rainforest
Area in North America found along narrow Margins of the Pacific Northwest having lots of rain and tallest trees on Earth
172
Mixed forests
Forests with moist warm summers and cool to cold winters, with a mix of deciduous and evergreen needle trees
173
Deciduous
Dropping leaves in winter
174
Humid subtropical and humid continental
Climates associated with the mid-latitude broadleaf and mixed forests
175
Boreal forest
The largest continuous forest on Earth
176
Taiga
The less densely forested ragged edge of the boreal forest; the transition zone to the arctic tundra
177
Permafrost
Permanently frozen subsoil
178
Muskeg
Boggy sections of reclaimed lakes in high latitude forests
179
Tundra
Found in the extreme northern area of North America nd Russia. Warmest month 50 degrees F
180
Types of tundra
Desert, Grass, Bush
181
Marine Snow
Dead plankton, algae, fish that drop to the bottom of the ocean, providing food for deep ocean ecosystems
182
Photic Zone
Area of water that is penetrated by light
183
Littoral Zone
The area near the shore of an ocean or the bank of a lake where most of the vegetation and animals live
184
Saragasso sea
A mat of algae that supports a diversity of animals in the Western Atlantic
185
Mangrove trees
Salt tolerant trees that reclaim tropical coastlines
186
Estuary
Where fresh water and salt water mix
187
Tide pools
Depressions in rocky shoreline that are flooded at high tide, but some water remains at low tide
188
Wetlands
Shallow ecosystems where the land surface is saturated or submerged at least part of the year
189
Swamps
Wetlands with trees
190
Marshes
Wetlands without trees
191
Bogs
Water saturated ground fed by precipitation
192
Fen
Water saturated ground fed by ground water
193
Coral Reefs
Colonies of small animals that liv with algae. Calcium rich skeletons protect the algae, and the algae feed the coral animals. They shelter fish, worms, and other life forms
194
Coral bleaching
Whitening of corals reefs due to stress often followed by death
195
Keystone species
Species that play a major role in the ecosystem
196
Umbrella species
Species that require a lot of land
197
Flagship species
Species that humans react to emotionally
198
Madagascar Rosy Periwinkle
Anti-cancer plant that has sent 99% of childhood leukemia patients into remission
199
Endangered
In imminent danger of extinction
200
Threatened
Are likely to become endangered
201
Vulnerable
Naturally rare or have been locally depleted
