Test 1 Flashcards
(126 cards)
1
Q
living part of the environment
A
biotic factors
2
Q
physical and chemical components of the environment
A
abiotic factors
3
Q
when humans are significant to the environment
A
cultural factors
4
Q
a formal process for gathering evidence
A
science
5
Q
examines how humans alter the environment
A
environmental science
6
Q
application of science to create products and processes
A
technology
7
Q
systematic gathering of qualitative or quantitative information
A
observation
8
Q
a testable explanation for an observation
A
hypothesis
9
Q
a controlled study of a factor that influences the study system
A
experiment
10
Q
a simplified representation of a system
A
model
11
Q
a highly supported explanation that has never been shown to be wrong
A
theory
12
Q
personal or financial interest that may interfere with scientific integrity
A
conflict of interest
13
Q
the number of resources an individual uses; our impact on the environment; the area required to produce the resources a person or population uses; the average person’s is 24 acres
A
ecological footprint
14
Q
natural resources that are replaced through natural processes
A
renewable resources
15
Q
resources that are not replaced on a human timescale
A
nonrenewable resources
16
Q
a human-centered view point
A
anthropocentric
17
Q
viewpoint that incorporates all living organisms
A
biocentric
18
Q
viewpoint that incorporates living and nonliving parts of the system
A
ecocentric
19
Q
fair treatment and involvement of people in environmental decision making
A
environmental justice
20
Q
wise use of resources to ensure our ability to live healthy lives now and in the future
A
sustainablility
21
Q
network for the production, distribution, consumption of goods and services
A
economic system
22
Q
meets the needs of the present without compromising future needs
A
sustainable development
23
Q
anything that occupies space and has mass
A
matter
24
Q
made of only one type of atom; a substance composed of a single atom
A
element
25
multiple atoms together
molecule
26
a molecule made of 2 or more different kinds of atoms
compounds
27
the ability to do work
energy
28
force applied to an object times the distance the object moves
work
29
stored energy that can be released
potential energy
30
the energy of movement
kinetic energy
31
energy in the bonds of food, methane
chemical energy
32
kinetic energy due to molecular motion
thermal energy
33
energy of electromagnetic radiation
radiant energy
34
kinetic energy of electromagnetic radiation that powers the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
solar energy
35
energy can't be created or destroyed, but it can be changed
1st Law of Thermodynamics
36
each time energy changes form, less energy is available for work
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
37
the amount of disorder in a system - it takes energy to keep a system orderly
entropy
38
chemical energy moves from plants to animals - shows who eats whom
food web
39
one level - shows the position of an organism in a food web
trophic level
40
an organism that eats primary consumers (omnivores, predators)
secondary consumer (heterotroph)
41
an organism that eats primary producers (herbivores)
primary consumer (heterotroph)
42
uses sunlight to make food (autotroph)
primary producer
43
feeds on dead organic matter (leaves, etc); helps in decomposition; insects, worms
detritivore
44
breaks down dead plants and animals (bacteria, fungi)
decomposer
45
you lose 90% of the energy between each trophic level
the 10% rule
46
a biochemical process used by primary producers (autotrophs) to make their own food
photosynthesis
47
releases chemical energy in biomass
respiration
48
production of plant biomass
primary production
49
the amount of consumer biomass that goes into growth and reproduction
secondary production
50
during chemical reactions, matter is neither created or destroyed
conservation of matter
51
involves biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components; a material cycle driven by biological activity and geochemical transformations
biogeochemical cycles
52
photosynthesis - respiration - deposition and sedimentation - combustion - vulcanism
the Carbon cycle
53
natural resources are used to support a group and few resources obtained through purchase or trade
subsistence economy
54
decisions about production and consumption of goods are made by businesses or individuals
market economy
55
a central authority makes decisions about production and consumption of goods and services and sets prices; black markets arise
centrally planned economy
56
land, goods, resources
property
57
gov't owned property; may be used by permit, but you must follow rules; national parks/forests, wild game, rivers
state property
58
owner has full rights to use as long as others are not harmed
private property
59
private property owned by a group; members(owners) exclude non-members
common property
60
neither gov't or individuals control access; no restrictions on who can enter or use resources; first come, first served
open access property
61
a medium of exchange for goods and services
money
62
processing/manufacturing produces goods, goods are marketed and distributed to consumers, consumer spending/demand rises, more goods are produced requiring the industry to grow, growth stimulates more jobs creating more consumption; this is positive feedback; this model ignores the resources and pollutants and assumes unlimited resources
closed economic model
63
material and energy comes from the environment; incorporates raw material from the environment
open economic model
64
cost to the environment (or benefit) not included in the market price; the cost is borne by the society at large, not the industry; the environment is external to the economy; it includes waste, energy, and materials
externalities
65
unregulated use of a common resources leads to its ruin
tragedy of the commons
66
direct regulations of an industry or activity; it sets what can and cannot be done(allowed)
command and control regulations
67
used to discourage the activity that causes harm
pigovian/sin taxes
68
includes the environment; tweaking the system to include the cost of externalities; draws from economics: costs/benefits of impacts on the environment
environmental economics
69
all of the earth's natural assets
natural capital
70
studies relationships between economics and its impact on the environment; does not want to maximize financial capital through short term economic productivity but on sustaining natural capital to provide goods and services
ecological economics
71
a group of interbreeding populations
species
72
all of individuals of a species that inhabit a particular place at a particular time
populations
73
the sum of different genes and gene combinations found within a species
genetic diversity
74
the intentional reproduction of individuals for desirable traits; the basis of domestication
artificial selection
75
the deliberate change of a wild animal or plant to better meet the needs of humans
domestication
76
population grows by a fixed rate and can be expressed as a percentage; exponential growth
j-shaped growth
77
population growth slows/stops as the population reaches its carrying capacity; logistic growth
s-shaped growth
78
number of individuals the environment can support
carrying capacity
79
have a high reproduction rate, start reproducing early, have lots of babies at a time, short life-span; superior colonizers and do well in primary succession
r-selected species
80
large animals, have very few babies, but really take care of them, more extinction prone; better competitors and do well in climax communities
k-selected species
81
includes the requirements that a species needs to survive
ecological niche
82
eats whatever
generalist
83
eats limited things
specialist
84
competition between individuals of the same species
intraspecific competition
85
competition between individuals of different species
interspecific competition
86
two species cannot occupy the exact same niche
competitive exclusion principle
87
similar species coexist by using different resources; different types of warblers divide a tree up to decrease competition
habitat partitioning
88
average extinction rate occurring over long periods
background extinction
89
a period marked by widespread extinction in a relatively short time; there have been 5 and we are entering the 6th
mass extinction
90
reduces habitat availability, reduces wildlife population size, isolates populations
habitat destruction
91
heading toward being in trouble for extinction if something isn't done; it becomes endangered
threatened species
92
on the verge of being extinct
endangered species
93
protected species since 1975; protects domestic and foreign endangered species, including plants and invertebrates; it says you can't kill the species and protects its critical habitat
the Endangered Species Act
94
create in 1975; regulates international trade of fauna and flora; protects appx. 5000 animal species and 29000 plant species; broken into appendices: 1) very protected 2) regulated trade 3) assist the country where the species is by helping to protect it
Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES)
95
forbids the trade of illegally harvested plants and animals; ex: Gibson Guitar case - they got fined bc of their wood
Lacey Act
96
tourist travel to see wildlife and stimulate the local economy
ecotourism
97
richness (# of different species) + evenness (relative abundance of each species)
species diversity
98
living and nonliving portions of an environment
ecosystem
99
large geographic areas with a distinct biological structure
terrestrial biomes
100
ex: mangrove forest, lakes and ponds, streams and rivers, open ocean, ocean floor, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, coral reefs and kelp forests
aquatic biomes
101
species with low abundance that has a large effect on community diversity
keystone species
102
crate a framework for the entire community
foundation species
103
a specialist species that provide info about the ecosystem where they live
indicator species
104
a species that provides protection for the entire ecosystem
umbrella species
105
a charismatic species that attracts and sustains human interest in protecting ecosystems; ex: panda
flagship species
106
occurs on a bare geologic surface; forms soil
primary succession
107
occurs when soil remains after a disturbance; faster than primary succession
secondary succession
108
change in a community
succession
109
the finalized community in succession
climax community
110
change in the genetic frequency of a population over time; happens by certain animals surviving and reproducing
evolution
111
having "holes" cut in a habitat, leaving only a small segment but larger species can't live there and biodiversity is decreased
habitat fragmentation
112
168 countries agree to promote the conservation of biological diversity; the US didn't sign
Convention of Biological Diversity
113
the number of individuals per unit area
density
114
adds people (birth and immigration), subtracts people (deaths and emigration)
parameters of population growth
115
(birth + immigration) - (death + emigration)
population size
116
time it takes to double a population size; (d x t = 70lr)
doubling time
117
shows how many people are distributed in each age category
age structures
118
determines age structures; average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime
total fertility rate
119
births required to maintain population size; each couple has 2 kids, to replace the man and woman
replacement-level fertility
120
total goods and services produced in a nation in a year
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
121
the predicted average life span of an individual
life-expectancy at birth
122
number of children per 1000 that die before age 5
child mortality rate
123
combines wealth, education, and health to measure development in a country; looks at the quality of life
Human Development Index
124
population size x affluence (resource consumption and energy use) x technology (products that require energy and resources)
impact on the environment
125
the per capita land area required for the natural resources consumed
ecological footprint
126
lets 675,000 immigrants in per year to the US legally; focuses on reuniting families, immigrants with skills, shelter for refugees
Immigration and Naturalization Act
