Term
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Definition
| Allows the use of resources in a responsible manner |
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Definition
| | Setting aside areas and protecting them from human activities |
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| Garret Hardin & The Tragedy of the Commons |
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Definition
| Global commons such as atmosphere and oceans are used by all and owned by none. This will lead to their degradation. |
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Definition
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Definition
| An artifical construction designed to represent the properties, behaviour or relationship between individual parts of the real entity being studied. |
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Definition
| exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings. Every biome and ecosystem on Earth is an open system |
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Definition
| Exchanges energy but not matter. 'Biosphere II' was an attempt to model this. Closed systems do not occur naturally on Earth. |
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Definition
| Exchanges niether matter nor energy. No such systems exist, with the possible exception of the entire cosmos. |
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Definition
| The condition of a system in which there is a tendency for it to return to a previous equilibrial condition following a disturbance |
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Definition
| The condition of an open system in which there are no change over the longer term, but in which ther may be oscillations in the very short term. There are continuing inouts and outputs of matter and energy, but the system as a whole remains in a more-or-less constant state |
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Definition
| Feedback that tends to neutralize or counteract any deviation from an equilibrium, and promotes stability |
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Definition
| Feedback that amplifies or increase change; it leads to an expontential deviation away from an equilibrium |
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Definition
| organized and concentration, can perform useful work (ex. fossil fuel and nuclear) |
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Definition
| disorganized, dispered (heat in ocean or wind, solar) |
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Term
| First Law of Thermodynamics |
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Definition
| Energy is niether created nor destroyed, but may be converted from one form to another. |
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Term
| Second Law of Thermodynamics |
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Definition
| When energy is changed from one form to antoher, some useful energy is always degraded into lower quality energy (usually heat) |
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Term
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Definition
The layer of gases that surrounds the Earth
(Atmos = vapor) |
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Definition
The water on the Earth's surface, includes oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.
(Hydro = water) |
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Definition
| The layer of Earth that contains living organisms. (Bio = life) |
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Definition
The outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 mi.) thick, mostly solid.
Lithos = rock |
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Term
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Definition
| A zone of the Earth's mantle that lies directly underneath the lithosphere. Mostly liquid. Consists of several hundred kilometers of deformable rock |
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Term
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Definition
| Natural resources that can provide goods or services. Forests, mineral, desposits, fisheries, aquafiers, and fertile soil are some examples of natural capital |
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Term
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Definition
1. The goods or services provided by the natural capital.
2. The annual yield of resources from the natural capital (ex. fish, timber, crops, purification of clean air and water.) |
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Term
| Renewable Natural Capital |
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Definition
| Living, self-reporducing and self-maintaining. Uses solar energy and photosynthesis. Can yield marketable goods such as wood and essential but non-marektable services such as oxygen and climate regualtion. ex. living things and ecosystems |
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Term
Replenishable Natural Capital
AKA Perpetual Resources |
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Definition
| Non-living but also dependent on the Sun's energy for renewal. ex. ground water and the stratosphere ozone layer |
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Term
| Non-Renewable Natural Capital |
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Definition
| Do not renew on a human time scale. After we use the, they are gone. ex. fossil fuels and minerals |
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Term
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Definition
a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.
symbolized by the letter N. |
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Term
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Definition
| said human population cannot continue to increase. Consequences will be war, famine and disease |
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Term
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Definition
| Rule of 70 - 70 divided by the percent growth rate |
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Term
| Replacement Level Fertility |
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Definition
| the number of children a couple must have to replace themselves. (2.1 developed, 2.7 developing) |
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Term
World Population
Us Population |
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Definition
about 6.5 billion
about 300 million |
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Term
| Demographic Transition Model |
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Definition
| States that as a nation undergoes technological and economic growth, its population growth rate will decrease. It is unknown whether this model is accurate. Historically, it may be a correlative relationship and a a causal one |
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Term
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Definition
| Birth and Death Rates high, population grows slowly, infant mortality high |
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Term
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Definition
| Death Rate lower, better heatlh care, population grows fast |
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Term
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Definition
| Decline in Birth Rate, Population growth slows |
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Term
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Definition
| Low Birth and Death Rates |
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Term
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Definition
Broad Base = rapid growth
Narrow Base = negative growth
Uniform Shape = zero growth |
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Term
| Top 2 Most Populated Countries |
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Definition
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Term
| Most important thing affecting population growth |
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Definition
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Term
| Ways to decrease birth rate |
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Definition
| contraception, economic rewards and penalities |
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Term
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Definition
The maximum population size an environment will sustainably support.
Symbolized by the letter K |
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Term
Limiting Factor -
Density-Dependent |
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Definition
| Biological interactinos that control the abundance of a population of organisms. Ex. competition, predation, disease, etc. |
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Term
Limiting Factor -
Density-Independent |
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Definition
| Physical processes that control the population of organisms. Ex. drought, volcanic eruptions, ice ages, comet impacts, etc. |
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Definition
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Number of Births per 1,000 individuals |
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Term
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Definition
| When a population exceeds the carrying capacity |
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Term
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Definition
| Number of Deaths per 1,000 individuals |
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Term
| AP Natural Rate of Increase (Natural Increase Rate) |
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Definition
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Term
| IB Rate of Natural Increase |
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Definition
| Crude Birth Rate - Crude Death Rate all divided by 10. inward and outward migration is ignored. |
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Term
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Definition
| When a population that has exceeded the carrying capacity declines back to the carrying capacity or below |
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Term
| Calculating Population Growth Rate |
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Definition
r = rate of growth
K = carrying capacity
N = Population
Delta = change in
1. r = birth rate - death rate
2. Delta N = rN
3. Delta N = rN times (K-N)/K |
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Term
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Definition
| photosynthic life usually plants, but sometimes bacteria or protists |
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Term
| How to Calculate Sustainable Yield |
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Definition
| SY = (annual growth + recruitment) - (annual death + emmigration) |
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Term
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Definition
| Non-Living factors in an ecosystem. Ex. air, water, soil, pH, humidity, salinity, wind speed, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbifity, light intensity, slope, soil moisture, soil drainage, mineral content of soil etc. |
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Term
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Definition
| organisms that possess favorable adaptations pass them onto the next generation |
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Term
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Definition
| Living or once-living things |
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Term
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Definition
| Mass of biological material ex. the biomass of the producers in an ecosystem |
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Term
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Definition
| A group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring |
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Term
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Definition
| have a small range, require large territory or live on an island |
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Term
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Definition
| a species on which the persistence of a large number of other species in the ecosystem depends |
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Term
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Definition
A reproduction approach where an ogranism has few offspring that are born at one time, and the the young are carefully cared for. Reproduce at a late age. This typical of mammals, and birds.
K- strategists tend to be very good at surviving in climaxed ecosystems |
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Term
| Most pest species are kept under control, in a natural ecosystem, by: |
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Definition
| predators, diseases, parasites |
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Term
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Definition
A reproduction approach where an organism has many offspring born at one time and these offspring are nto cared for. Reproduce at a young age. This is typical of fish, reptiles and insects.
Pioneer species tend to be r-strategists |
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Term
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Definition
| Any organism that can indicate a certain level of ecological health. Ex. trout living in a stream indicates a good supply of dissovled oxygen |
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Term
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Definition
North Spotted Owl - loss of old forest growth
Bald Eagle - Thinning of the eggs caused by DDT
Piping Plover - nesting areas threatened by development |
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Term
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Definition
| The environment in which a species lives |
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Term
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Definition
| gypsy moth, Asian Long Horned Beetle |
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Term
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Definition
| only 10% of usable energy is transferred because usable energy is lost as heat, not all biomass is digested and absorbed, predators expend energy to catch prey |
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Term
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Definition
good - disinfects water
bad - forms trihalomethanes |
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Term
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Definition
| a species is suspected of being eligible for one of the categories, but where lack of information makes confirmation impossible. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process where the species in a community change over time |
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Term
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Definition
| The set of communities that succed one another over the course of a given succession at a given location. (Pioneer community [ex. grasses, insects, small plants] -> Seral Community [ex. shurbs, bushes, small trees] -> Climax Community [ex. Large trees] |
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Term
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Definition
| Species comprising several subspecies that are threatened in different ways and are thus placed in different categories |
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Term
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Definition
| Development of communities in a lifeless area not previously inhabited by life (ex. where lava has recently cooled) |
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Term
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Definition
| Life progresses where soil remains (ex. clear cut forests or abandoned farm field) |
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Term
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Definition
| symbiotic relationship where both partners benefit |
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Term
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Definition
| Rare species may not necessarily be endangered. They have evolved in ways to exist in small numbers spread far apart and over large areas, by for instance being able to reproduce asexaully as well. Species are rare and endangered when their populations are in decline. |
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Term
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Definition
| symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits and the other is unaffected |
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Term
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Definition
| relationship in which one partner obtains nutrients at the expense of the host |
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Term
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Definition
| the species is vulnerable because its natural gene pool is becoming rather small. Lack of genetic diversity is the threat. They are believed to become endangered if the cause of thier decline is not removed. <10,000 |
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Term
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Definition
| Dead organic matter, such as plant and animal wastes |
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Term
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Definition
| The species is in such small numbers that lack of individuals has become a threat. A breeding collapsee due to lack of genetic diversity becomes a possibility. Survival is unlikely as long as the threats continue. <2,500 |
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Term
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Definition
| The capturing and consuming of prey for food |
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Term
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Definition
| large distinct terrestrial region having similar climte, soil, plants and animals |
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Term
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Definition
| The species cannot survive unnatural deaths or sudden adverse conditions and needs special care. At this level, the species can most likely no longer be saved. Extinction is only a matter of time. Only a major conservation effort like captive breeding and re-introduction can postpone extinction. <250 |
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Term
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Definition
| It is hard to say when a species has become extinct. Some species such as the New Zealand kakapo, the flightless parrot, have been rediscovered. However, their number usually remain critical. Species living in the 20th century and now extinct, qualify. Species in zoos don't qualify either. In general a species is considered extinct if there ahve bben no definite reports for 50 years |
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Term
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Definition
| the amount ofl and and water area a person or a human poulation would need to provide the resources required to sustainably support itself and to absorb its wastes, given prevailing technology |
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Term
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Definition
| Average food consumption per person/ average food production per hectare |
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Term
| Land Requirement for Absorbing Waste |
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Definition
| Emissons Co2 per person/Net Carbon Fixation per hectare of local natural vegetation. |
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Term
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Definition
| The study of the flow of energy within and between trophic levels of ecosystem. |
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Term
| 5 Major Causes of Species Decline |
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Definition
(HIPPO)
Habitat Destruction and Degradation
Invasive Species
Pollution
Population Growth (Human)
Overexploitation |
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Term
Primary Productivity of a Community |
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Definition
| The amount of biomass produced through photosynthesis per unit area per unit time by plants, the primary producers |
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Term
| Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) |
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Definition
| The total solar energy fixed by plany in a community through photosynthesis per unit area per unit time. |
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Term
| Net Primary Productivity (NPP) |
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Definition
The quantity of biomass potentially available to consumers in an ecosystem.
Gross Primary Productivity - Respiration or NPP=GPP-R |
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Term
| Net Secondary Productivity (NSP) |
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Definition
| The biomass gained by heterotrophic organisms. In other words, NSP is all biomass except plants |
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Term
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Definition
| Dense Oceanic crust is subducted beneath the less dense continental lithosphere. As the oceanic crust descends it is partially melted, destroyed. The magma then rises into chambers and may result in explosive volcanoes |
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Term
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Definition
| When on lithospheric plate moves under another. Typically oceanic plates mover under continental plates. When two continental or two oceanic plates collide with one another, one will be forced under the other |
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Term
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Definition
| System of undersea mountain ranges that wind around the Earth |
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Term
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Definition
| Major earthquake and volcano zone that forms a ring around the Pacific Ocean |
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Term
| Parts of the Hydrologic Cycle |
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Definition
| Evaporation, Transpiration, Runoff, Condensation, Precipitation, Infiltration |
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Term
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Definition
| Ammonia is ocnverted to Nitrate Ions (NO-3 |
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Term
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Definition
| inorganic N is converted into organic molecules such as DNA/amino acids and proteins |
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Term
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Definition
| bacteria convert ammonia back into N |
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Term
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Definition
| The ability to meet humanities current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meer their needs |
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Term
| Excess phosphorus is added to aquatic ecosystem by: |
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Definition
| runoff of animal wastes, fertilizer discharge of sewage |
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Term
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Definition
| because atomspheric N cannont be used directly by plants it must first be converted into ammonia by bacteria |
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Term
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Definition
| decomposers convert organic waste into ammonia |
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Term
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Definition
| plants convert Atmospheric Carbon (CO2) into complex carbohydrates - (glucose - C6H12O6) |
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Term
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Definition
| Oxygen consuming producers, consumers, and decomposers break down complex organic compunds and convert C back into CO2 |
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Term
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Definition
1) Carbonate rock
(2) Oceans |
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Term
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Definition
Occur in both the atmosphere and the lithosphere.
Heating -> Decrease in density -> Rising Matter -> Cooling -> Increase in Density -> Falling Matter |
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Term
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Definition
| The position that an organism occupies in a food chain, or a group of organisms in a community that occupy the same position in food chains. |
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Term
| Best solution to Energy Shortage |
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Definition
| Conservation and increase effiency |
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Term
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Definition
| Enough energy to knock electrons from atoms forming ions, capable of causing cancer (ex. gamma, UV, X-rays) |
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Term
| Natural Radioactive Decay |
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Definition
| unstable radioisotopes decay releasing gamma ray, alpha and beta particles |
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Term
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Definition
| The time it takes for half (1/2) the mass of a radioisotope to decay |
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Term
| Estimate of how long a radioactive isotope must be stored until it decays to a safe level: |
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Definition
| approximately 10 half-lifes |
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Term
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Definition
| Nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons |
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Term
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Definition
| 2 isotopes of light elements (H) forced together at high temperatures till they fuse to form a heavier nucleus. Expensive, break even point not yet reached |
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Term
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Definition
| A form of Uranium used at nuclear power plants to produce electricity |
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Term
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Definition
| Cheap, easily transported high quality energy |
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Term
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Definition
| Reserves will be depleted soon, pollution during drilling, transportations and refining, burning makes CO2 |
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Term
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Definition
| Peat, Lignite, Bituminous, Anthracite |
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Term
| Electricty is generated by |
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Definition
| Using steam (from boiled water - usually done by burning fossil fuels or from nuclear energy) or falling water to turn a generator |
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Term
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Definition
| microscopic aquatic organisms in sediment converted by heat and pressure into a mixture of hydrocarbons |
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Term
| Major parts of a nuclear reactor |
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Definition
| core, control rods, steam generator, turbine, containment building |
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Term
| Two most serious nuclear accidents |
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Definition
(1) Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986)
(2) Three Mile Island, PA (1979) |
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Term
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Definition
| Wind, Solar, Waves, biomass, geothermal, fuel cells |
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