ENvironemental Science Midterm

Question 1

Environmental Ethics

Answer 1

Moral principles which guide our interactions
with the environment and its biota

Question 2

What were two of the books/articles that helped launch the
environmental movement?

Answer 2

Tragedy of the Commons and The Land Ethic

Question 3

The field of Environmental Ethics was developed in the ____ and _____

Answer 3

1960’s and 1970’s

Question 4

Intrinsic Value

Answer 4

he value a thing has ”in itself” / “for its own sake” / ”in its own right”

Question 5

Extrinsic Value

Answer 5

The monetary or quantifiable value of the utility of something

Question 6

What organisms run the world?

Answer 6

Insects

Question 7

Organisms that have
adapted to the chemical defenses of specific plants?

Answer 7

Host Plant Specialists

Question 8

A plant that’s evolved within the local food
web & exists with other plants and animals within that web

Answer 8

Native Plant

Question 9

Why do native insects require native plants?

Answer 9

Evolved together over thousands of generations

Question 10

What is the relationship between native insects and non-
native plants?

Answer 10

Most native insects won’t eat non-native plants

Question 11

What can an increase in native insect diversity have on an
ecosystem?

Answer 11

Increase native plant diversity

Question 12

What are the 5 steps of the scientific method?

Answer 12

Observe/Question
Hypothesize
Experiment
Conclude
Share Results

Question 13

Statement providing a tentative answer that is falsifiable

Answer 13

Hypothesis

Question 14

Research Hypothesis

Answer 14

Prediction of what is causing an event

Question 15

Null Hypothesis

Answer 15

Negation of research hypothesis​

Question 16

Independent Variable

Answer 16

Manipulated variable to cause an effect, response, change
e.g., Fertilizer

Question 17

Dependent Variable

Answer 17

Effected, responsive, changed variable as a result of dependent
e.g., Algae Cells

Question 18

Control Variable

Answer 18

Unmanipulated –A comparison to detect changes caused by dependent
e.g., Pondwater without fertilizer

Question 19

Why is it important to include replicates in an experiment?

Answer 19

Account for natural variation

Question 20

When p-value < 0.05

Answer 20

Reject Null Hypothesis

Question 21

What are the 3 types of significance?

Answer 21

Statistical
Biological/Ecological
Social

Question 22

When p-value ≥ 0.05

Answer 22

Fail to Reject Null Hypothesis

Question 23

What organisms fix carbon via photosynthesis?

Answer 23

Autotrophs

Question 24

What is another term for autotrophs?

Answer 24

Producers

Question 25

What organisms obtain carbon via consuming other living organisms?

Answer 25

Heterotrophs

Question 26

What is another term for heterotrophs?

Answer 26

Consumers

Question 27

Photosynthesis

Answer 27

Uses carbon dioxide, light energy, & water to produce Glucose (C6H2O6) and oxygen​ (O2)

Question 28

When does photosynthesis occur?

Answer 28

When light is present

Question 29

What plant organelle does photosynthesis occur in?

Answer 29

Chloroplasts

Question 30

hat pigment captures light energy from the sun?

Answer 30

Chlorophyll

Question 31

Cellular Respiration

Answer 31

Uses glucose (CO) & O₂ to create ATP (energy) and produce Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O)

Question 32

(Who) and when does cellular respiration occur?

Answer 32

All living organisms, all the time​

Question 33

Where does cellular respiration occur?

Answer 33

Mitochondria

Question 34

What is sequestered carbon?

Answer 34

Carbon stored in living tissue and organic matter

Question 35

What did we measure as a proxy for photosynthesis?

Answer 35

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Question 36

Water conditions with low DO

Answer 36

Hypoxic

Question 37

: Water conditions no DO

Answer 37

Anoxic

Question 38

What is the diurnal DO cycle?

Answer 38

DO ↑at day, ↓at night

Question 39

What are the four ecological classifications (smallest ⇾largest)?

Answer 39

Species ⇾Population ⇾ Community ⇾ Ecosystem​

Question 40

Group of organisms with similar characteristics - breed to produce fertile offspring

Answer 40

Species

Question 41

Group of individuals of same species - live in same location at same time​​

Answer 41

Population

Question 42

All groups of different species - live in same location at same time​

Answer 42

Community

Question 43

Biological community of interacting organisms & the environment (i.e., air, soil, water, and sunlight)

Answer 43

Ecosystem

Question 44

Simplified, linear flow of energy

Answer 44

Food Chain

Question 45

Several Chains and Depicts all energy flow paths

Answer 45

Food Web

Question 46

What is a biomass pyramid?

Answer 46

A quantified indication of how much energy is passed between trophic levels

Question 47

How much energy transfers one trophic level to the next? What happens to the rest?

Answer 47

10%; the remaining 90% is lost via movement, heat, respiration, and waste

Question 48

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

Answer 48

Energy is neither created nor lost when changing form

Question 49

What is the second law of thermodynamics?

Answer 49

Energy changes in terms of quality as it converts forms

Question 50

What is a tropic level?

Answer 50

Rank of an organism in an environment based on its diet

Question 51

Decomposers

Answer 51

Consume waste/dead organisms Break down non-living matter into inorganic molecules e.g., fungi, bacteria/worms, lobster

Question 52

Primary Producer

Answer 52

Autotroph –Produce organic molecules e.g., trees, grass, flowers, phytoplankton

Question 53

Primary Consumer

Answer 53

Herbivore – Eat producers (plants) e.g., grasshopper, bee, rabbit, deer

Question 54

Secondary Consumer

Answer 54

Omnivore –Eat producers (plants) + consumers (animals)e.g., rat, sparrow, squirrel

Question 55

Secondary Consumer

Answer 55

Carnivore –Eat consumers (animals)e.g., snake, owl, cat, fox

Question 56

Tertiary Consumer

Answer 56

Carnivore –Eat secondary carnivore consumers e.g., hawk, big feline, whale

Question 57

What are some examples of human impacts on water availability?

Answer 57

Damming rivers, agriculture, deforestation, pollution, overuse

Question 58

What are the two critically important issues of water availability?

Answer 58

Quantity and quality

Question 59

Pollution easy to identify from a single source e.g., Municipal discharge, pipe, ditch, factory

Answer 59

Point Source

Question 60

Pollution difficult to identify from multiple sources over large areas e.g., Pesticides, fertilizer, farm runoff, oil runoff

Answer 60

Non-point Source

Question 61

What are the three types of water pollution?

Answer 61

Biological, chemical, physical

Question 62

Chemical Pollution: 2 chemical contaminant categories

Answer 62

Natural : Increased nitrogen and phosphorus via fertilizer runoff Artificial : Pharmaceuticals, personal products, detergents, metals (e.g., arsenic and lead)

Question 63

Physical Pollution: 2 chemical contaminant categories:

Answer 63

Solid : Trash and debris carried into water via dumping or storm runoff Sediment : Sand, silt, and clay carried into water via storm runoff, mining, deforestation, poor Thermal : Temp and DO changes via industrial heating/cooling, removing aquatic vegetation, river dam

Question 64

What is biological pollution?

Answer 64

Disease causing organisms in surface water transmitted to humans/wildlife directly or indirectly

Question 65

Nutrients from fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorous) runoff into water

Answer 65

Eutrophication

Question 66

Does warm water or cold water hold less DO?

Answer 66

Warm

Question 67

What two EPA standards regulate contaminants in drinking water?

Answer 67

Primary : Legally enforceable –Limit contaminant levels Secondary : Non-enforceable –Contaminants causing cosmetic/aesthetic effects

Question 68

Why is groundwater pollution more serious than surface water pollution?

Answer 68

Recharges/chemicals breakdown slowly due to less sunlight, cooler temperatures, and less microbes

Question 69

Natural environment an organism lives Includes abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) factors e.g., Prairie, freshwater, forest, ocean, etc.

Answer 69

Habitat

Question 70

All living organisms of a particular habitat

Answer 70

Biota

Question 71

Number of individuals per species

Answer 71

Abundance

Question 72

Number of differing species

Answer 72

Richness

Question 73

Land directly in contact with water Vegetated land between water and first non-natural feature e.g., parking lot, building, or road

Answer 73

Riparian Buffer

Question 74

The bed a natural stream of water runs

Answer 74

Channel

Question 75

Faster water flow - Usually over rocks Typically has higher oxygen

Answer 75

Riffle

Question 76

Very little or no water flow - Stagnant Typically has lower oxygen

Answer 76

Pool

Question 77

Land surrounding or on either side of a stream, pond, or lake

Answer 77

Bank

Question 78

What is sinuosity?

Answer 78

How curvy a stream channel is

Question 79

What is the instream region?

Answer 79

Areas within a body of water

Question 80

What is erosion?

Answer 80

Wind or water removing material from one place to another

Question 81

What is substrate?

Answer 81

Base an organism lives (i.e., stream bottom)

Question 82

What are aesthetics?

Answer 82

A pleasing appearance or effect

Question 83

Organism that live under rocks, vegetation, or sediment of streams, rivers, and lakes e.g., snails, clams, leeches, aquatic insects

Answer 83

Benthic Macroinvertebrate

Question 84

Organism providing quantitative information on quality of environment e.g., plants, fish, diatoms, macroinvertebrates*

Answer 84

Biomonitor

Question 85

Why are benthic macroinvertebrates good indicators of water quality?

Answer 85

Relatively sedentary, sensitive to disturbance, bioaccumulate, easy to collect/identify

Question 86

Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), Stoneflies (Plecoptera), Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

Answer 86

*Indicator Orders (EPT)

Question 87

Indicators of healthy ecosystems low in organic pollution

Answer 87

Pollution sensitive

Question 88

Pollutants entering a food chain Increase in concentration from the environment to the first organism in a food chain

Answer 88

Bioaccumulation

Question 89

Tendency of pollutants to concentrate from one trophic level to the next Increase in concentration from one level of a food chain to another

Answer 89

Biomagnification