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Environmental ece > Midterm > Flashcards

Midterm Flashcards

1
Q

What is the tragedy of the commons

A

overconsumption and degradation of resources and shared spaces for ones self interest (overfishing)

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2
Q

Example of the tragedy of the commons

A

over fishing

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3
Q

Poverty’s effect on the environment

A
  • larger population size
  • lack of sanitation
  • air pollution
  • less waste per person
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4
Q

Wealth’s effect on the environment

A
  • higher consumption rate/person
  • better education –> scientific research & green technology
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5
Q

Principles of sustainability

A
  1. solar energy
  2. biodiversity
  3. chemical cycling
  4. full cost pricing
  5. win-win solutions
  6. responsibility to future generations
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6
Q

Ecosystem services

A
  1. provisioning(ecosystem provides us with something(water))
  2. regulating (water purification)
  3. cultural (scenery)
  4. supporting (oxygen is generated through photosynthesis)
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7
Q

Ecological footprint

A

as our ecological impact grows, we decrease or natural capital(unsustainable)

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8
Q

Natural Capital

A

Natural capital is like water, wood, energy, ect.

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9
Q

Natural Resources

A

*materials & energy provided by nature
- inexhaustible resources(the sun)
- renewable resources(trees)
- exhaustible resources(fossil fules)

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10
Q

Environmental Worldviews

A

human centered - “the word is for use of humans”
life centered - “all species have the right to live”
earth centered - “earth preservation is the most important because it supports all species”

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11
Q

Federal water pollution control act

A

1948

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12
Q

Earth Day

A

1970

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13
Q

What are the root causes of our environmental issues?

A
  1. population growth
  2. unsustainable resource use
  3. poverty
  4. excluding environmental cost from market pricing
  5. increasing isolation from nature
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14
Q

Oil pollution act

A

1990

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15
Q

Types of biodiversity

A
  1. species diversity (# of different species in an ecosystem + abundance)
  2. genetic diversity (biological variation)
  3. ecosystem diversity (the variety of different habitats)
  4. functional diversity (the range of things organisms to in their community)
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16
Q

Mass extinction

A

a significant rise in extinction rates

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17
Q

How does longitude effect biodiversity?

A

farther from the equator = generalist species
closer to the equator = specialist species

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18
Q

How do species avoid extinction?

A

evolution

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19
Q

How are humans affecting biodiversity, both positively and negatively?

A

Humans are positively impacting biodiversity through conservation efforts and habitat restoration to help maintain biodiversity by keeping species around and thriving. They negatively affect biodiversity through habitat destruction, pollution, poaching, and introducing invasive species to ecosystems.

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20
Q

What is the importance of keystone species?

A

Keystone species have a more significant impact on an ecosystem than other species. Their job in their environment is vital for maintaining ecological balance, where without them, ecosystems would collapse or be dramatically changed. Think about what happened to the coastal climate when the starfish was removed.

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21
Q

What is the importance of indicator species?

A

Indicator species provide early warnings of environmental changes in an ecosystem. Their presence or absence indicates shifts in conditions that are ultimately impacting the ecosystem as a whole.

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22
Q

How are invasive species affecting environments?

A

Invasive species are highly damaging to environments that cause declines in native biodiversity and drastically change the ecosystem. They disrupt ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling and the food web.

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23
Q

Why are niches essential to the functioning of an ecosystem?

A

Niches are essential to ecosystems because they define how an organism interacts in an ecosystem. The different species interact differently, and their niches contribute to the function and sustainability of an ecosystem. Each species occupies specific niches where all the roles cumulatively contribute to the ecosystem’s overall health.

23
Q

What are the threats to biodiversity? (Think HIPPO)

A

Habitat loss
Invasive Species
Pollution
Population growth
Overuse of resources

24
Q

What is the importance of biodiversity?

A

Biodiversity is vital for an ecosystem’s sustainability and functioning. It provides ecological services such as pollination and water purification.

25
Q

What is species richness and evenness?

A

Species richness is the number of different species present in a community.
Species evenness is the distribution of abundance across the species in a community.

26
Q

What is evolution via natural selection? How are mutations relevant to NS/evolution?

A

Evolution via natural selection is the process by which individuals with advantageous genetic traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. Their traits are passed to their offspring. Mutations are changes in genetic code that allow for natural selection to occur.

27
Q

How do new species arise naturally?

A

New species arise through the process called speciation. It occurs when different groups of the same population become physically separated(geographic isolation), leading to genetic variation over time.

28
Q

How is human growth impacting natural capital?

A

Human growth is increasing the world’s ecological footprint which is degrading ecosystem services by human activities. When the population grows, the demand for resources increases leading to further environmental degradation.

29
Q

What factors contribute to human population growth?

A

Modern agriculture, technological advancements, medical care, total fertility rate, religious beliefs and more.

30
Q

How is population growth distributed worldwide? Why?

A

Population growth is unevenly distributed with a significant amount of new births occurring in less developed countries. This is caused by factors of economic development, education, and access to healthcare. TFR rates in developed countries is more stable than the higher TFRs in underdeveloped countries

31
Q

What are the three current trends in the size and impact of the human population?

A

Current population growth is around 157 people per minute and the human population is unevenly distributed with 69 out of 71 million people born in 2019 to less developed countries. Urbanization is increasing with an estimated two-thirds of people living in cities by 2050.

32
Q

How do rural areas compare to urban areas in terms of population size?

A

Urban areas tend to have larger populations with around 55% of the world’s people living in urban areas. In developed countries, 80% of people reside in urban areas.

33
Q

What factors affect TFR? How do those factors have an impact? Be able to identify if the factor would increase or decrease TFR and compare that between developed and underdeveloped countries (9 total factors)

A

Factors include education and employment opportunities for women, cost of raising and educating children, average age of marriage, urbanization, availability of abortions and birth control, and religious beliefs. Higher education and employment reduces TFR, higher costs in developed countries of educating children leads to lower TFR, TFR is lower when women marry at 25 or older, Urbanization have better access to family planning which reduces TFR, birth control and abortion both lower TFR, religious beliefs can be positive or negative regarding TFR.

34
Q

What factors affect death rate?

A

Improved nutrition, medical care, sanitation, increased life expectancy contribute to lower death rates.

35
Q

Why do people choose to migrate into and out of different countries?

A

Factors include economic opportunities, status of women, access to family planning, escape from war, religious persecution, education, and more.

36
Q

How can population growth be slowed? How does each of the three ways help to slow
population growth?

A

Promoted economic development:stabilizes population through improved living standards
Elevate status of women: educated women have fewer children
Making family planning accessible: allows women to utilize resources to prevent pregnancies and slower birth rates

37
Q

What are some problems with rapid population decline?

A

Labor shortages, economic challenges, imbalances in age structure, and more.

38
Q

What are some of the issues surrounding urbanization?

A

Lack of vegetation, water quality issues, overcrowding/overpopulation, pollution, large ecological footprints, and urban sprawl.

39
Q

What are the trends we are seeing regarding urbanization?

A

Urbanization is increasing globally, with a growing percentage of the population living in urban areas. Expected to reach 67% by 2050.

40
Q

What are some advantages and disadvantages to urbanization specifically regarding the
environment?

A

Advantages: Centers for economic development, innovation, education, and technology
Disadvantages: Lack of vegetation, water quality issues, pollution, noise pollution, large ecological footprints, and urban sprawl.

41
Q

What are megacities?

A

Megacities are cities with more than 10 million people(EX: New York City)

42
Q

What are hyper cities?

A

Hypercities are megacities with more than 20 million people(EX: Tokyo)

43
Q

How are communities moving to being more sustainable?

A

Communities are adopting sustainable practices by promoting green infrastructure, waste reduction, and less of a focus on car transportation/green cars.

44
Q

How do women’s rights have an impact on population growth?

A

Empowering women with education and rights leads to lower fertility rates as women tend to have fewer children. This results in a more stable population growth.

45
Q

What are some examples of natural causes of air pollution?

A

Volcanic eruptions that produce ash and gas, forest fires producing smoke, and dust storms.

46
Q

Why is there more pollution in urban areas than in rural areas?

A

There is higher population density and industrial activities that lead to increased emissions from cars, factories, and other sources.

47
Q

What is the difference between primary and secondary pollution?

A

Primary pollutants are directly emitted into the air, while secondary pollutants form through chemical reactions from the primary pollutants and other components of the atmosphere.

48
Q

List and explain each of the 6 major air pollutants we discussed and be able to tell their sources?

A

Carbon oxides → Vehicle exhaust, burning of fossil fuels
Sulfur oxides → Combustion of sulfur containing coal in power production
Particulates → natural sources like dust or wildfires, burning of coal in power plants
Ozone → gas in the stratosphere
VOC’s→ (Volatile organic compounds) that exist in the atmosphere, plants, wetlands, termites
Smog → industrial(sourced from power plants), photochemical(mixture of primary and secondary pollutants formed from exposure from the sun)

49
Q

How does acid deposition occur and what causes it?

A

Occurs when sulfuric acid and nitric acid, formed from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, mix with precipitation in the atmosphere. Also caused by combustion of fossil fuels in power plants, industrial facilities, and vehicles.

50
Q

What are some issues caused by acid deposition?

A

Damage to biodiversity, aquatic ecosystems, soil degradation, and damage to human buildings.

51
Q

How does acid deposition interact with soil?

A

Acid deposition lowers the pH of soil that ultimately decreases plant health.

52
Q

What laws and regulations are in place to protect from air pollution and why were they successful?

A

Clean air Act which regulated emission from various sources to improve air quality.

53
Q

How do we reduce air pollution moving forward?

A

Implementing new technologies, moving towards green energy, more laws and regulations, cutting back on fossil fuels.

54
Q

What is ozone depletion and what is causing it?

A

Ozone depletion is the thinning of the ozone layer in the stratosphere. It is caused by human-made substances, mainly CFCs which release chlorine atoms into the stratosphere.

55
Q

What are some effects of ozone depletion?

A

Increased UV radiation, harm to ecosystems, and harm to humans(skin cancer).

56
Q

Be able to explain how CFCs interact with ozone on a molecular level

A

CFCs release chlorine atoms into the stratosphere which break down the ozone molecules ultimately causing depletion of ozone.

Environmental ece (1 decks)

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