Fundamentals of Environmental Management

Question 1

What are some definitions of environmental management?

Answer 1

Goes beyond natural resources management, value and distribution, nature of regulatory mechanisms, with interpersonal, geographic and intergenerational equity

environmentally sound development strategies

interface between scientific endeavor, policy development, and implementation, best possible envi option to promote sus dev, etc.

no concise universal definition given its VERY BROAD SCOPE and DIVERSITY OF SPECIALISMS

Question 2

Name 3 characteristics of envi management.

Answer 2

1. supports sus dev
2. often used as a generic term
3. deals with a world affected by humans (Holocene vs Anthropocene)

Question 3

Differentiate Holocene and Anthropocene

Answer 3

Holocene: great time to grow human civilization
Anthropocene: new epoch “great acceleration”

Question 4

T or F: Environment management requires a mono-disciplinary approach

Answer 4

False (interdisciplinary)

Question 5

T or F: Envi mgt has to integrate and reconcile different development viewpoints

Answer 5

True

Question 6

T or F: Envi Mgt. seeks to coordinate science, social science, policy making, and planning

Answer 6

True

Question 7

T or F: Envi Mgt. is a passive process

Answer 7

False (proactive)

Question 8

What is the precautionary principle?

Answer 8

If a product, action or policy is suspected to cause harm to the public or envi, protective action should be supported before there is complete scientific proof of a risk.

Question 9

T or F: Envi Mgt. recognizes the desirability of meeting and if possible exceeding basic human needs

Answer 9

True

Question 10

T or F: timescale - short-term, concern - local

Answer 10

False (long-term & from local to global)

Question 11

T or F: Envi Mgt. stresses stewardship rather than exploitation

Answer 11

True

Question 12

What are the 3 things Envi Mgt. must do?

Answer 12

1. Identify Goals
2. Establish whether these can be met
3. Develop and implement the means to do what it deems possible

Question 13

Who are envi managers? (5)

Answer 13

gov agenceies, intl. bodies and aid orgs, research institutes, ngos, public –> wide range of professionals

Question 14

What are the 3 main approaches of Envi Mgt.? Explain each.

Answer 14

1. Advisory - through education, demonstration, media, messaging, advice
2. Economic - through taxation, grants, subsidies, quotes, trade agreements, loans
3. Regulatory - through standards and laws, restrictions and monitoring, licensing, zoning

Question 15

What is the PPP?

Answer 15

those who produce the pollution should bear the cost of managing it (ex. EPR)

Question 16

What is the UPP? (User Pays Principle)

Answer 16

user of natural resource to bear the cost of running down natural capital (ex. envi fees, quotas, taxes, license payments, etc.)

Question 17

T or F: Accdg to the Precautionary Principle, no intervention is needed if there is no conclusive scientific proof of linking a substance or activity to envi damage.

Answer 17

False

Question 18

T or F: Silent Spring is an example of a call to action using the spirit of the precautionary principle

Answer 18

True (don’t use pesticides even if risk is unknown)

Question 19

Which principle is the Lorax, specifically the beginning part of the film, an example of?

Answer 19

The Principle of Responsibility

Question 20

Which principle did the Oncler fail to practice in the Lorax?

Answer 20

The Principle of Proportionality (balance bet. economic dev and protection of the envi)

Question 21

Which principle does the #NotoPAREX rally exhibit?

Answer 21

The Principle of Participation (every person is to participate in making decisions that improve the envi and to participate in activities that protect it. –> create policies that improve the envi)

Question 22

What is the Principle of Effectiveness and Efficiency?

Answer 22

gov has a responsibility to ensure well-structured policies and procedures in putting in place sustainable resource management

resources be used efficiently and policy instruments that create an incentive to minimize wasteful use of resources

Question 23

Identification: all living things in an area
and the way they affect each
other and the environment

Answer 23

Ecosystem

Question 24

Identification: the air, water, and land in or
on which people, animals,
and plants live.

Answer 24

Environment

Question 25

Identification: The relationships between the air, land, water, animals, plants, etc., usually of a particular area or the the scientific study of this.

Answer 25

Ecology

Question 26

Identification: the number and types of plants and animals that exist in a particular area or in the world generally, or the problem of protecting this

Answer 26

Biodiversity

Question 27

Identification: Relating to things in the environment that are not living

Answer 27

Abiotic

Question 28

Identification: Involving, caused by, or relating to living things in the environment

Answer 28

Biotic

Question 29

Identification: the process of changing to suit different conditions.

Answer 29

Adaptation

Question 30

Identification: a relationship between two organisms in which they live together and benefit each other

Answer 30

Mutualism

Question 31

Identification: the fact that an animal hunts, kills, and eats other animals:

Answer 31

Predation

Question 32

Identification: a situation in which the various organisms living in the same area try to compete for a limited supply of food, water, space, etc.

Answer 32

Competition

Question 33

Identification: the fact of one animal or plant living on or in another animal or plant of a different type and feeding from it

Answer 33

Parasitism

Question 34

Identification: a relationship between two species in which one gets an advantage from living closely with the other and the other is not affected by it

Answer 34

Commensalism

Question 35

Identification: a series of living things that are connected because each group of things eats the group below it in the series

Answer 35

Food Chain

Question 36

Identification: the relationship between all the living things in a particular area, when thinking about how they eat each other

Answer 36

Food Web

Question 37

Identification: a living thing that can make its own food from simple chemical substances such as carbon dioxide

Answer 37

Autotrophs (Producers)

Question 38

Identification: a living thing that gets its food from other plants or animals

Answer 38

Heterotrophs (Consumers)

Question 39

Identification: an organism such as a bacterium or fungus that makes dead plant and animal material decay

Answer 39

Decomposers

Question 40

T or F: Atmosphere - air, hydrosphere - water, cryosphere - ice, geosphere - Earth's organisms (life), biosphere - solid Earth (land)

Answer 40

False (interchange geosphere and biosphere)

Question 41

These are the six elements that make up 98% of living matter on Earth.

Answer 41

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur

Question 42

What are biogeochemical cycles also known as?

Answer 42

Nutrient cycles / any of the natural pathways by which essential elements of living matter are circulated

Question 43

What are the Biogeochemical Cycles?

Answer 43

Carbon, Hydrologic, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur

Question 44

What is the Carbon Cycle?

Answer 44

Photosynthesis: Plants, algae, and some bacteria absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and use it to produce glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), storing carbon in organic matter. Equation: CO₂ + sunlight + water → glucose + O₂ Respiration: Both plants and animals release CO₂ back into the atmosphere through respiration, where glucose is broken down to release energy. Equation: Glucose + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O + energy Decomposition: When organisms die, decomposers break down their organic matter, releasing carbon back into the atmosphere as CO₂ or into the soil as organic carbon. Ocean Absorption: Oceans absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere, where it can dissolve in water or be used by marine organisms to form calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) shells. Fossil Fuel Formation: Over millions of years, organic matter can be buried and converted into fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), storing carbon underground. Combustion: Burning fossil fuels or biomass releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere as CO₂, contributing to global warming.

Question 45

What is the Hydrologic Cycle?

Answer 45

Evaporation: Water from oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water evaporates into water vapor, rising into the atmosphere due to solar heating. Condensation: Water vapor cools and condenses into tiny droplets, forming clouds in the atmosphere. Precipitation: Water droplets in clouds combine and fall to the Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Runoff: Precipitated water flows over the land surface into rivers, lakes, and oceans. Infiltration and Percolation: Some water infiltrates into the ground, where it can be stored as groundwater in aquifers. Groundwater can resurface through springs or seep into bodies of water. Transpiration: Plants absorb water through their roots and release it as water vapor through their leaves during photosynthesis. Sublimation: In cold regions, ice or snow can change directly into water vapor without melting, through sublimation.

Question 46

What is the Nitrogen cycle?

Answer 46

Nitrogen fixation converts atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form (ammonia or nitrates). Nitrification converts ammonia into nitrates. Assimilation allows plants and animals to use nitrogen to build proteins and DNA. Ammonification returns nitrogen to the soil in the form of ammonia through decomposition. Denitrification converts nitrates back into atmospheric nitrogen (N₂), completing the cycle.

Question 47

What is the Oxygen cycle?

Answer 47

Photosynthesis: Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, releasing it into the atmosphere. Equation: CO₂ + H₂O + sunlight → O₂ + glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) Respiration: Living organisms use oxygen to break down glucose during cellular respiration, releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water. Equation: O₂ + glucose → CO₂ + H₂O + energy Decomposition: Oxygen is consumed by decomposers that break down organic matter. Ozone Formation: Oxygen in the atmosphere can form ozone (O₃), which protects life on Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Dissolved Oxygen: Oxygen is also absorbed by water bodies and is crucial for aquatic organisms.

Question 48

What is the Phosphorus cycle?

Answer 48

Weathering of Rocks: Phosphorus is released into the soil through the weathering of rocks containing phosphate minerals. Absorption by Plants: Plants absorb phosphate from the soil, incorporating it into their tissues. Animals obtain phosphorus by eating plants or other animals. Decomposition: When plants and animals die, decomposers break down their organic material, releasing phosphorus back into the soil. Sedimentation and Geological Uplift: Phosphorus may run off into water bodies and eventually settle as sediment. Over time, geological uplift brings these sediments back to the surface as new rocks, starting the cycle again.

Question 49

What is the Sulfur cycle?

Answer 49

Weathering of Rocks: Sulfur is released from rocks and minerals into the soil through weathering. Absorption by Plants: Plants absorb sulfur from the soil in the form of sulfate ions (SO₄²⁻), and animals obtain sulfur by consuming plants or other animals. Decomposition: When organisms die, sulfur is returned to the soil by decomposers. Volcanic Activity and Hydrothermal Vents: Sulfur is released into the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions and through deep-sea vents. Atmospheric Sulfur: Sulfur in the atmosphere can combine with water vapor to form sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), leading to acid rain. This returns sulfur to the soil or oceans. Human Activity: The burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) into the atmosphere, contributing to acid rain.

Question 50

Why is studying biogeochemical cycles important?

Answer 50

1. understanding how natural ecosystems resist Anthropocene stresses 2. anticipating and modeling the sustainable functioning of human-impacted ecosystems

Question 51

What are ecosystem services?

Answer 51

direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well-being, and have an impact on our survival and quality of life

Question 52

What are the different kinds of ecosystem services?

Answer 52

Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, Supporting

Question 53

What is the tragedy of the commons?

Answer 53

a concept that describes a situation where individuals, acting in their own self-interest, overuse and deplete a shared resource, leading to the resource's degradation or destruction, to the detriment of the entire group.