Resources and hoomans Flashcards
give two early examples of fossil fuel use
Babylonians (oil) 4500 years, Chinese (coal and gas) 3100 years ago
compare old and new perspectives on resources
old- unlimited resources and capacity to absorb outputs
new- closed earth system with limited capacity and resources, everything connected
how should renewable resources be managed to avoid depletion?
maintain a steady state
avoid tipping point where they will never regenerate
what is subsidence
can occur when too much groundwater is used, causing land to collapse in permanently
oldest tree in the world
Bristlecone Pine from over 5000 yrs ago
where are most species found
50% in tropical forests
which forests have more fertile soils
temperate forests (rainwater washes out nutrients in rainforests and organic matter decomposes faster)
benefits of forests for humanity
protect against high winds, mass movement, leaf litter improves soil, returns precipitation to atmosphere, store carbon
what is natural capital
putting value on “ecosystem services” to preserve them, emphases the amount of products and benefits from a forest
where are the largest expanses of tropical rainforest?
central africa, south east asia, south america
what type of deforestation is the most damaging
clear-cutting
describe ecologically sound forest management
selective cutting, -reduced-impact logging, agroforestry (crops and trees planted together)
impacts of mining to the geosphere
destructive to land, susceptible to subsidence, damaging to wilderness
impact of mining on the atmosphere
pollutants from smelting and refining, dust from tailings
impacts of mining on the hydrosphere
liquid waste from milling, acid mine drainage from water interacting with sulfide minerals
