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Sustainability 101
North Seattle Community College, Katie Barndt, SUST101, Exam 1
56
Other
Undergraduate 1
01/23/2011

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Term
What is Sustainability?
Definition
“Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the Earth’s supporting eco-systems”. Caring for the Earth: a Strategy for Sustainable Living, IUCN/UNEP/WWF (1991)
Term
Three “pillars” of Sustainability
Definition
Environmental integrity, Social justice, Economic viability
Term
Emergent properties
Definition
the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.
Term
“Synergy”
Definition
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”-John Muir
Term
Ecosystem:
Definition
A dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their nonliving environment interacting as a functional unit
Term
Ecology:
Definition
Biological science that studies relationships between living organisms and their environment. Study of the structure and functions of nature.
Term
Organism
Definition
any form of life
Term
Population
Definition
A group of individuals from the same species living in a particular area at the same time
Term
Community
Definition
assemblage of populations of different species living and interacting in a particular area at the same time
Term
Biosphere
Definition
the global ecosystem, or the zone of the earth where life is found
Term
Ecosystem Services:
Definition
Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, Supporting
Term
Natural Capital
Definition
Natural Resources
Term
Resource
Definition
Anything obtained from the environment to meet human needs and wants
Term
Natural Services Limitations
Definition
Perpetual, Renewable, Non-renewable
Term
Earth Systems
Definition
Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biota, Solid Earth
Term
System
Definition
A combination of components that interact/function together
Term
Cellular Respiration
Definition
The conversion of the chemical energy of carbon compounds into another form of chemical energy, ATP
Glucose+Oxygen=Carbon Dixide+Water+Energy
Term
Food Chains& Food Webs
Definition
Trophic Structure
Term
Consumers
Definition
Heterotrophs, Organisims that eat other organisims, cannot make their own glucose
Term
Producers
Definition
Autotrophs, Organisims that make their own food, glucose.
Term
Photosynthesis
Definition
the process that converts carbon dioxide from the air into carbon products like sugar, using energy from the sun. The way plants, algae (phytoplankton) and bacteria create Glucose. 

Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight= Glucose +Oxygen

Term
Symbiosis
Definition
Living Within, Two organisims together
Term
Nutrients in Soil (terrestrial)
Definition
Rock & Mineral nutrients, Decaying organic matter, Water & Air, Billions of living microorganisms, Water (aquatic)
Term
NPK
Definition
N=Nitrogen, P= Phosphorus, K = Potassium
Term
Decomposers
Definition
Bacteria, fungi, some insects
Term
Ecological efficiency
Definition
amount of usable energy transferred from one trophic level to the next
Term
Water Breakdown
Definition
71% of earth’s surface covered by water, 97.6% is in ocean 2.4% is freshwater. Only 0.1% of all water on earth is accessible fresh water
Term
What else does our atmosphere do for us?
Definition
Protection from harmful energy from the Sun, UVB, UVC, Warms the troposphere 26 Greenhouse gases
Term
Greenhouse gases
Definition
molecule that is able to absorb and emit infrared light. Water vapor, Carbon dioxide, Nitrous oxide, Methane, Halocarbons, Ozone
Term
Composition of Lower Atmosphere
Definition
Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%) Other 1% (Trace gases)
Term
Perpetual Resource
Definition
A resource that will always be present, like the sun or the wind
Term
Renewable Resource
Definition
A resource that can be replenished, like trees
Term
Non-Renewable Resource
Definition
Anything found in a fixed quantity, such as fossil fuels, diamonds, and silicon
Term
Mutualism
Definition
a symbiotic relationship where both individuals benefit, Both organisims gain
Term
Parasitism
Definition
One organisim gains, the other is harmed
Term
N2
Definition
Atmospheric Nitrogen
Term
How do bateria help plants?
Definition
Notrogen Fixing Bacteria turn n1trogen into amonium, which plants need
Term
Ecosystem Services are the source of all ...
Definition
Food
Term
How much of the Earth's surface is covered in water?
Definition
71%
Term
How much of the Earth's water is fresha nd accesible?
Definition
0.1%
Term
What do wetlands do?
Definition
Naturally filter water
Term
What do tree's hold onto?
Definition
Carbon
Term
What do you call trees holding onto carbon?
Definition
Carbon Sync
Term
What do Greenhouse gases do?
Definition
Absorb or emit infared light
Term
What are the drivers of change?
Definition
Natural disturbances (volcanoes, landslides, etc)Habitat Change, Over Explotation, Invasive species, pollution, climate change. Drivers can be synergestic.
Term
Equilibrium
Definition
A condition in which all acting influences are canceled
by others, resulting in a stable, balanced or unchanging
system
Term
Feedback loops
Definition
Self perpetuating mechanism of change and response
to the change
Term
Negative Feedback Loop
Definition
Diminishes the effects of a disturbance
Term
Positive Feeback Loop
Definition
Amplifies the effects of a disturbance
Term
Returning to a Set point can be called...
Definition
Negative Feedback Loop
Term
Non-linear Change
Definition
A change that is not based on a simple
proportional relationship between cause and effect
A small change in a driver can produces a disproportionate change in the outcome
Term
“Tipping Point”
Definition
The levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable
Term
Resilience
Definition
The level of disturbance that an ecosystem can undergo without crossing a threshold into a different structure or function
Term
Provide the reasons humans need bacteria
Definition
convert nitrogen, act as decomposers
Term
If the earth has water covering 71% of its surface, why is lack of water an environmental
concern?
Definition
Most of that water is salt water – living organisms need fresh water
Term
List two services humans get from functioning ecosystems.
Definition
food, clean water, clean air, personal enjoyment
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