Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

ENVS 195 - Exam study > Definitions > Flashcards

Definitions Flashcards

1
Q

Spaceship Earth

A

The idea that we all must work harmoniously together as a crew on a ship. What is here is all our supplies.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Ecosystem services

A

The free benefits humanity gains from ecosystems

  • > Support Services : Nutrience recycling, photosynthesis)
  • > Provisioning Services: giving life things (water, food raw materials)
  • > regulating: biosystems (maintain air, water regulation)
  • > Cultural: (spirituality, mental health)

https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blog.nus.edu.sg/dist/8/6679/files/2016/11/Screen-Shot-2016-11-08-at-2.47.13-pm-1768qsq.png

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Dynamic Ecosystem

A

Ecosystems are not stationary, they adapt and shift.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Trophic levels

A

What level a species is on the food chain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Food Chain/Webs

A

A network of an ecosystem depicting energy transfer

->who eats what and gains energy that way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Limiting factor principle

A

A limiting factor is a nutrient or condition that inhibits a population’s exponential growth
-> ex// Nitrogen is a limiting factor in plant growth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Ecological succession

A

Primary -> a previously unlivable (lava field), lack of soil, ecosystem is transformed into a livable one.
-> Involves the development of new soil
Secondary -> An ecosystem created again after a natural disaster (think forest fire)
-> Already has soil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

The second law of thermodynamics

A

Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Only transferred (ex// Food web) or transformed (ex// emission as heat)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Biomes

A

distinct physical ecosystem, based on common characteristics of its climate
collections of similar ecozones*

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Invasive species

A

an introduced organism that competes with the local/natural ecosystem, causing harm to the local/natural ecosystem,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Shifting Baselines

A

We do not perceive that there has been a shift of what is considered a healthy ecosystem
-> Fishing: change in perception of what the average fish size should be. Difficult to now get the data of pre-industrial baselines.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Evolution

A

The gradual change of the frequency of alleles over a long period of time
-> The traits that get carried on are the optimal traits to survive the ecosystem at that time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Keystone species

A

Species in an ecosystem that carries the survival of the system

  • > Disproportional effects based on the population size
  • > Otters are keystone creatures, help the large kelp forest
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Carrying capacity

A

The max population an ecosystem can provide based on its resource supply

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Ecological Overshoot

A

The population surpasses its carrying capacity, causing harm to the ecosystem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Planetary boundaries

A

Determines the consequential limits that humanity can have on the earth, without the planet being permanently hurt

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Industrial Revolution

A

Early to mid-1800s when humanity began the mass production of products and mass consumption of energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

The Great Acceleration

A

Mid 20th century, the rapid increase of industries lead to the mass/rapid increase of environmental degradation
http://www.igbp.net/globalchange/greatacceleration.4.1b8ae20512db692f2a680001630.html

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Demographic transition

A

Describes population changes due to industrialization

  • > from high birth rates to decreasing birth rates (due to female education and access to health care)
    https: //pages.uwc.edu/keith.montgomery/Demotrans/demtran.htm
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Environmental Kuznet curve

A

Describes that as economies develop, there is high environmental degradation till it reaches a turning point, where the degradation goes down
pre-industry -> Industry (turning point) -> Service economy
https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/14337/environment/environmental-kuznets-curve/

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Eco-economic decoupling

A

References an economy that can grow (rising GDP) without causing environmental pressure (ex// less GHG emissions)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Environmental justice

A

Equitable treatment of people in relation to environmental effects and laws
-> ex// more environmentally damaging industries in POC neighbourhoods

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Malthusianism

A

The idea that population grows exponentially, but food supply grows linearly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Sustainable development

A

Developing countries and cities with the idea of sustainability at the front
-> does this align with the UN’s SDG’s?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Carbon cycle
The cycle carbon goes through in an ecosystem - > air -> plants ->animals ->decay in the ground (fossil fuels) - >air -> ocean (causeing acidification)
26
Greenhouse effect
Gass molecules in the atmosphere that trap heat, making the earth warm -> short wave ration from the sun is then dispersed throughout the earth becoming longwave radiation. Now there is not enough energy for this heat to escape
27
Feedback loops
Loops that amplify an effect - > Positive feedback loop: albino effect, the less snow, less heat is absorbed, the warmer the atmosphere gets - > Negitive feedback loop: Increase in temperature increase the cloud coverage thereby lowering the ground temperature
28
Tipping points
A threshold that when met, changed the outcome of the entire system -> 2-degree increase tipping point
29
Climate change modelling
series of equations used to measure the possible effects on our climate
30
IPCC
The UN's international panel on Climate Change
31
Carbon sequestration
Transforming carbon in the atmosphere into a solid - > tech, to mitigate the increase in the atmosphere. - > ocean acidification and uptake - > photosynthesis
32
Ocean acidification
From the intake of CO2 in the atmosphere. More damaging to aquatic ecosystems, especially coral which is sensitive to pH changed. Also warms the water, as energy is released in the transformation from CO2 to carbonic acid.
33
Coral Bleaching
Due to increasing temperature and stress on coral, the coral loses its symbiotic relationship with the algae and is bleached white from a lack of nutrients.
34
ITCZ
The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone - >Near the equator where the north and south trade winds collide - > big scary storms made here
35
Ecological resilience
The ability an ecosystem can bounce back after a natural disaster or major disruption -> recover quickly (SPEED)
36
Net primary productivity
the rate that energy is stored as biomass (ex// in trees) and made available to the rest of the food chain
37
Agro-ecology
Bringing ecological theories into agriculture - >ex// looking at energy loss - >reslience
38
Industrial farming
Use of tech to get the maximum productivity of an area (often exceeds it). Categorized commonly by: monocrops, lost of biocides, intensive livestock habitat
39
Green Revolution
Late 1950's, more people in cities than farms, needed a mass increase in food productivity. Lead to more industrial farming
40
GMOs
Combining the genes of different species to get a superior crop
41
Monocultures
Only one type of crop or livestock - >Farm fields that are not super resilient. - > Doesn't follow an ecosystem way of thinking
42
Salinization
When salts accumulate in the soil, slows the growth of agriculture by limiting the plant's water supply
43
bio-resistance
The ability to stay the same despite changes | -> Stays near its equilibrium state
44
Organic food
Food that has no GMO or biocides used - >conciders entire food web with a closed-loop system - >better soil fertility
45
Locavor
Someone who only eats food that is local and in season
46
Virtual Water
amount of water need for a "good" or "product" | ->like food, are you importing a lot of water from high water foods?
47
Biofuels
Fuel made from biomass, like plants | ->PROBLEM: more land degradation for food that humans won't even eat? Should be grasses that we dont consume
48
Food Miles
thinking about how far your food came and the amount of degradation caused by this travel ->often measured by fuel use
49
Feed conversion ratio
The ratio of feed to livestock, in terms of energy input to energy output ->Lots of energy at first, then a huge loss of energy once it is an animal
50
Discourse
The shared way of seeing a certain aspect of the world | ->ex// how to see to solve env problems
51
The double burden of malnutrition
The coexistence of obesity and malnourished people in a community - >There is accumulating evidence that when economic conditions improve, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases may escalate in countries with high levels of undernutrition. http: //www.fao.org/3/a0442e/a0442e00.pdf
52
Bycatch
Unintended Fish or other aquatic life caught during fishing
53
Fishing down the food chain
Fishing the large top trophic level fish first, diminishing their population, then going to fishing all the smaller species away
54
Bottom trawling
Form of fishing involving a boat dragging a weighted net across the bottom of the ocean floor ->Lots of bycatch, lots of reefs damage
55
Endocrine disruption
Due to some polluting chemical substances, it can mimic fish hormones leading to the feminization of fish ->DDT decreases sperm in males
56
Aquaculture
Farmed aquatic life, including fish, clams, plants ect.
57
Life cycle analysis
An analysis that allows one to determine the environmental effects of a product during all aspects of its life (production -> disposal)
58
Embodied energy/pollution
The amount of energy that goes into the creation of a substance (a lot of internet talks about building materials and pollution caused by cement)
59
Carbon footprint
A measure of the amount of GHG emission a person creates based on lifestyle etc
60
Cradle-to-grave
From conception to destruction, the produces industry should consider all parts of this product ->reducing and recycling leads to greener design ->ithe company's responsibility for dealing with hazardous waste and product performance
61
Impact benefit agreements
An agreement that shows that a project will benefit the indigenous community in order to gain support for it ->provide jobs and better economy etc.
62
Tailings pond
The leftover rocks and liquids from mining, typically stored in a deep hole or damn. If escapes, huge impact on the environment
63
NIMBYism
"not in my backyard" - > people may want things for this society to be better, but not in their back yard - > ex// Landfills, wind turbines
64
Urban heat island
Inside the city, or urban area is hotter due to poor planning -> like not enough nature or efficient building design
65
Soil remediation
the removal of toxins from the soil after the closure of an industry ect
66
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design | ->green building certification
67
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The blueprint goals to achieve a just green civilization
68
E-waste
refers to the large amount of waste from electronic devices being disposed of ->toxins that leech into the environment and cause a ton of harm

ENVS 195 - Exam study (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions