Exam 2 Flashcards
(158 cards)
1
Q
IPAT Model
A
Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology
2
Q
Demography
A
study of population ecology, human population change, etc.
3
Q
Total Fertility Rate
A
Average number of children born per woman
4
Q
Biocapacity
A
Amount of biologically productive land & sea available to us
5
Q
Cropland (12% of land)
A
Food and fiber for humans
6
Q
Rangeland (26% of land)
A
“pasture” for livestock
7
Q
Traditional Agriculture
A
~Muscle Power~ (hand tools)
8
Q
Industrial Agriculture
A
Synthetic fertilizers, chemicals pesticides
9
Q
Monocultures
A
“one type” growing a single crop. susceptible to pests
10
Q
Polycultures
A
“many types” growing many different crops
11
Q
Sustainable Agriculture
A
Maintains healthy soil, clean water, pollinators, etc.
12
Q
Parent Material (Soil)
A
base geologic material of a specific location
13
Q
Bedrock
A
Solid rock that makes up earth’s crust
14
Q
Weathering
A
Process that breaks down rock. (physical, chemical, and biological)
15
Q
Humus
A
Partial decomposition of organic matter
16
Q
Soil Horizon
A
Each layer of soil
17
Q
Soil Profile
A
Cross section from surface
18
Q
Soil Layers:
A
Litter Layer Topsoil Leaching Layer Subsoil Weathered Parent Material Rock
19
Q
Leaching
A
liquids transport minerals
20
Q
Topsoil
A
Mainly inorganic (sand, silt, and clay)
21
Q
Loam
A
even mixture of sand, silt, and clay
22
Q
Irrigation
A
Artificial crop watering (70% of fresh water use)
23
Q
Waterlogging
A
Over irrigation –> water table drowns plant roots –> plants are suffocated from gases
24
Q
Salinization
A
Build up of salt in in soil
25
Effects of Salinization
Inhibits crops, hard to get rid of
26
Fertilizer
contains essential nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus)
27
inorganic fertilizer
mined or manufactured mineral supplements... *runoff
28
organic fertilizer
wastes of organisms
29
compost
mixture of decomposers breaking down organic matter
30
over fertilizing effects
nitrates leech into aquifer, phosphate & nitrogen runoff damage ecology, airpollution
31
pollination
Plant reproduction
32
Degradation (soil, land, ect.)
decline in quality, productivity, biodiversity
33
Erosion
removed material is transported
34
Desertification
land degradation where 10%+ of productivity is lost (erosion, deforestation, overgrazing, drought, etc.)
35
crop rotation
alternating the crop grown in a field. restores nutrients, reduces pests
36
contour farming
plowed parallel slopes. reduces erosion
37
terracing
turns slopes into steps. minimizes erosion
38
intercropping
mixing the arrangement of crops. reduces soil loss and maintains fertility
39
shelter belts / wind breaks
field surrounded by trees rows or trees. minimizes wind erosion
40
conservation tillage
reduces amount of tilling
41
no-till farming
ultimate conservation tillage
42
crops depend on:
healthy soil (nutrients), organic matter, water retention, and proper root growth
43
undernutrition
receiving fewer calories than the minimum dietary energy requirement
44
food security
guarantee of adequate, safe, nutritious, and reliable food
45
overnutrition
eating too many calories each day... obesity
46
malnutrition
shortage of needed nutrients... can lead to disease
47
Green Revolution
mid/late-20th century. introduced new tech, crops, and farming methods in the developing world
48
Feedlots
"factory farms". huge pens that deliver energy-rich food to animals living at high densities
49
aquaculture
aquatic farming
50
colony collapse disorder
mysterious destruction of 1/3 of US honey bees
51
causes of bee problem:
insecticides, introduced parasites, loss of habitat, *industrial agriculture
52
pollinator conservation method
planting a native flower buffer strip
53
pest
organism that damages crops
54
weed
any competing plant
55
pesticides
synthetic chemical poisons for insects, plants, and fungi
56
Cycle of pesticides:
```
pests attack
pests are poisoned but a few survive
those survivors breed and the offspring attack
poison has little effect
a more toxic pesticide is created
```
57
biological control
using pests' natural enemy to oppose the pest
58
steps to creating a GMO
1. isolate plasmid from bacteria.
2. DNA is removed from organism.
3. gene is inserted to the plasmid.
4. bacteria creates many copies of DNA/ desired gene.
5. gene is transferred to target organism.
6. expressed by GMO
59
transgenic
organism that contains DNA from another species
60
transgene
gene transferred between species
61
organic agriculture
using no synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides
62
GMO benefits
Increase food production... reduce hunger/poverty.
Less forests cleared.
Drought tolerance crops reduce irrigation.
Nutrition crops fight malnutrition.
Some cut down on fossil fuels/ CO2.
Insect resistant crops reduce use of insecticides.
63
endangered
likely to become extinct
64
threatened
likely to become endangered
65
biodiversity
variety of all life. unequally distributed
66
species
individuals with shared characteristics and can reproduce
67
species diversity
number/variety of species
68
species richness
number of species
69
evenness/relative abundance
Extinct that species differ. Greater evenness means less difference
70
genetic diversity
differences in DNA
71
more genetic diversity =
more likely to persist
72
Ecosystem diversity
variety of ecosystems
73
most living things are?
animals
74
most animals are?
insects
75
most insects are?
beetles
76
most vertebrates are?
fish
77
where are species most rich?
near the equator
78
why is biodiversity important?
provides ecosystem services
79
mass extinction events
there's been 5 (current one is caused by humans)
80
Red List
list of very endangered species
81
causes of extinction
habitat loss, over harvesting, pollution, invasive species, climate change
82
Habitat fragmentation
Human development breaks a habitat into patches
83
which is more influential pollution or habitat loss?
habitat loss
84
pollutions:
noise, light, air, water, chemical, and runoff
85
conservation biology
study of the loss, protection, and restoration of biodiversity
86
Endangered species act (ESA)
1973 US protection of endangered/threatened species. *Ban of DDT
87
Biodiversity Hotspot
region with a lot of endemic species (must have 1500 endemic plants)
88
canopy
upper level of leaves/branches
89
subcanopy
middle
90
understory
shaded lower level
91
snags
dead/dying trees
92
Forest layers:
```
canopy
subcanopy
understory
shrub layer
floor
soil
```
93
forests store:
carbon
94
forests produce:
oxygen
95
forests purify:
water and air (from pollution)
96
primary forest
natural and uncut by people
97
secondary forest
second-growth trees that are smaller
98
(REDD+) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
wealthy nations pay poorer nations to conserve forests
99
forestry
managing forests
100
resource managment
use of strategies to manage the harvest of renewable resources
101
Maximum Sustainable Yield
aims to achieve max resource extraction w/o depleting harvest
102
ecosystem based managment
aims to minimize impact on ecosystems/processes that provide resources
103
adaptive managment
systematically testing different approaches aimed to improve methods
104
national forest
area of forest land managed by US
105
clear-cutting
all trees are cut at once
106
seed-tree
small numbers of mature and vigorous seed-producing trees are left standing to reseed
107
shelterwood
uses small numbers of mature trees to shelter seedlings as they grow
108
selection systems
allows uneven-aged stand management because only some trees are cut
109
prescribed fire
clears away fuel loads, encourages new growth, nourishes the soil with ash
110
national parks
public lands protected from extraction and development
111
corridor
passage of protected land for animals to travel between fragmented land
112
environmental hazards:
physical
chemical
biological
cultural
113
physical hazards
come from natural processes and pose human risks. sunburn
114
chemical hazards
manufactured/synthetic chemicals. pesticide
115
biological hazards
ecological interaction among organisms. mosquitos bites
116
infectious disease
disease where pathogen attacks a host. cigarettes
117
vector
organism that transfers the pathogen to the host (mosquito)
118
cultural hazards
human risks from social/cultural things (where we live, socioeconomic status, occupation, behavior)
119
noninfectious disease
(cancer/heart disease) developed without another organism
120
toxicology
study of chemical hazards and their effects
121
toxicity
degree of harm a chemical substance can inflict
122
toxicant
toxic substance
123
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
group of hazardous, hormone disrupting chemicals that provide fire-retardant properties. used in electronics, plastics, and furniture.
124
mutagens
substances that cause genetic mutations
125
teratogens
chemicals that cause harm to unborn
126
neurotoxins
chemical toxins that harm the nervous system
127
allergens
cause an immune response when one is not needed
128
endocrine disruptors
toxicants that interfere with endocrine system
129
bioaccumulation
buildup of toxicants in tissues of an animal
130
biomagnification
magnification of toxicant in an organism caused by its consumption of other organisms which have bioaccumulated toxins in them
131
risk assessment
scientific, quantitative measurement of risk
132
risk managment
process of considering info through economic, social, and political needs/values
133
carcenogen
substance/radiation that causes cancer
134
surface water
water on surface
135
groundwater
beneath the surface within soil or rock pores
136
aquifers
sponge-like rock formations that hold water
137
water table
boundary between the aquifer's upper and lower layer
138
recharge zone
any area where water infiltrates earth' surface and reaches an aquifer below
139
confined aquifer/"artesian" aquifer
aquifer trapped between layers
140
unconfined aquifer
open upper layer
141
runoff
water flows over land surface
142
tributary
small river flowing into a larger one
143
watershed
area of land drained by a river system
144
Lake/Pond Zones:
littoral
limnetic
profundal
benthic
145
littoral zone
above water surface
146
limnetic zone
sunlight. supports algae, bacteria, phytoplankton
147
profundal zone
no sunlight, lower in oxygen
148
benthic zone
along the bottom
149
oligotrophic
lakes/ponds that are low in nutrients and high in oxygen
150
eutrophic
high nutrient, low oxygen
151
consumptive use
water removed and not returned
152
non consumptive use
no removal or temporary removal
153
water mining
withdrawing water faster than it can be replenished
154
sinkholes cause:
too much ground water is withdrawn
155
flooding
naturally happens when rivers are too full
156
xeriscaping
landscaping with arid plants
157
point sources
distinct sources of pollution (factories)
158
non-point sources
multiple places (city streets)
