APES 100 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW...

Terms in this set (90)

the ability to meet humanities current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

The Tragedy of the Commons

Global commons such as atmosphere & oceans are used by all and owned by none - this leads to misuse

Positive feedback

when a change in some condition triggers a response that intensifies the changing condition (EX: warmer Earth - snow melts - less sunlight is reflected & more is absorbed, therefore warmer earth)

Negative feedback

when a changing in some condition triggers a response that counteracts the changed condition (EX: warmer earth - more ocean evaporation - more stratus clouds - less sunlight reaches the ground - therefore cooler Earth)

High Quality Energy

organized & concentrated, can perform useful work (fossil fuel & nuclear)

Low Quality Energy

disorganized, dispersed (heat in ocean or air wind, solar)

First Law of Thermodynamics

energy is neither created nor destroyed, but may be converted from one form to another

Second Law of Thermodynamics

when energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is always degraded into lower quality energy (usually heat)

the amount of a chemical that kills 50% of the animals in a test population

human centered; human caused

plants convert atmospheric C (CO2) into complex carbohydrates (glucose C6H12O6)

Aerobic respiration

oxygen consuming producers, consumers & decomposers break down complex organic compounds & convert C back into CO2

living & nonliving components of an ecosystem

Producer / Autotroph

photosynthetic life that gets their food from the sun

Consumer / Heterotroph

organisms that get their food by eating other organisms

Trophic levels / energy flow in food webs

only 10% of the usable energy is transferred to the next level because energy lost as heat (2nd law), not all biomass is digested & absorbed, and predators expend energy to catch prey

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to convert solar energy into biomass

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to convert solar energy into biomass minus the rate they use energy for aerobic respiration

Primary succession

development of communities in a lifeless area not previously inhabited by life; it has no soil

Secondary succession

life progresses where soil remains (clear cut forest, fire)

symbiotic relationship where both partners benefit

symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits & the other is unaffected

relationship in which one partner obtains nutrients at the expense of the host

large distinct terrestrial region having similar climate, soil, plants & animals

many small offspring; little or no parental care or protection; early reproductive age; most offspring die; small adults; high population growth rate; population size fluctuates wildly; generalist niche

fewer, larger offspring; high parental care; later reproductive age; most offspring survive; larger adults; lower population growth rate; population fairly stable; specialist niche

Natural selection

organisms that possess favorable adaptations pass them onto the next generation

Keystone species

species whose role in an ecosystem are more important than others

Indicator species

species that serve as early warnings that an ecosystem is being damaged

Endangered species

so few in number that the species could soon become extinct over all or part of its natural range. Ex.: North spotted Owl (loss of old growth forest), Bald Eagle (thinning of eggs caused by DDT)

species living in a nonnative area. Ex.: gypsy moth, Asian Long Horned Beetle

Most endangered species

have a small range, require large territory or live on an island

5 major causes of species decline and extinction

(HIPPO) habitat destruction and degradation, invasive species, pollution, human population growth, and overexploitation

removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards

perfect agricultural soil with equal portions of sand, silt, clay

Major soil layers

the surface litter layer or O horizon is brown/black and composed of leaves, twigs, and other organic material; the topsoil layer or A horizon of decomposed organic matter called humus; the B horizon (subsoil) - sand, silt, clay, and gravel; and the C-horizon (parent material) or bedrock

Salinazation of soil

caused by irrigation in arid regions; water evaporates leaving salts behind

allows the use of resources in a responsible manner

setting aside areas & protecting them from human activities

Parts of the hydrologic cycle

evaporation, transpiration, runoff, condensation, precipitation

Nitrogen fixing

because atmospheric N cannot be used directly by plants it must first be converted into ammonia by bacteria (rhizobium)

ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO-3)

Denitrification

bacteria convert ammonia back into N

Phosphorus does not circulate as easily

it does not exist as a gas, but is released by weathering of phosphate rocks

Carrying capacity

the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area

rule of 70... 70% divided by the growth rate: r%

Pop growth rate

(crude birth - crude death) / 100 = r %

Replacement level fertility

the number of children a couple must have to replace themselves (2.1 developed, 2.7 developing)

Infant mortality rate

is the number of babies out of every 1,000 who die before their first birthday

Demographic transition

as countries become industrialized, first their death rates and then their birth rates decline in four stages: Preindustrial stage: birth & death rates high, population grows slowly, infant mortality high; Transitional stage: death rate lower, population grows fast; Industrial stage: decline in birth rate, population growth slows; Postindustrial stage: low birth & death rates

clear cutting, selective cutting, strip cutting

surface fires, ground fires, crown fires

Soil conservation techniques

minimum tillage, no-tillage, terracing, contour farming, strip cropping, wind breaks

pros: saves lives from insect transmitted disease, increases food supply, increases profits for farmers cons: genetic resistance, ecosystem imbalance, pesticide treadmill, persistence, bioaccumulation, biological magnification

Natural pest control

better agricultural practices, genetically resistant plants, natural enemies, natural pesticides, sex attractants

the process of raising fish/shellfish for food, rather than harvesting them in the seas

Plate boundaries

(divergent, spreading, mid-ocean ridges) (convergent, trenches) (transform, sliding, San Andreas)

a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine

restore mined land back to its original state, or at least a useful one

Electricity is generated by

using steam (from water boiled by fossils fuels or nuclear) or falling water to turn a generator

pros: cheap, easily transported, high quality energy; cons: reserves depleted soon, pollution during drilling, transport and refining, burning makes CO2

Two most serious nuclear accidents

(Chernobyl,Ukraine) (Three Mile Island, PA)

Nuclear Fission

nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons

2 isotopes of light elements (H) forced together at high temperatures till they fuse to form a heavier nucleus. Expensive, break even point not reached yet

Best solution to energy shortage

conservation and increase efficiency

Alternate energy sources

wind, solar, waves, biomass, geothermal, fuel cells

Primary air pollutants

produced by humans & nature (CO,CO2,SO2,NO,hydrocarbons, particulates)

Particulate matter

(source,effect,reduction): (burning fossil fuels & diesel exhaust) (reduces visibility & respiratory irritation) (filtering, electrostatic precipitators, alternative energy)

Nitrogen Oxides

(Source: auto exhaust) (Effects: acidification of lakes, respiratory irritation, leads to smog & ozone) ( Equation for acid formation: NO + O2 = NO2 + H2O = HNO3) (Reduction: catalytic converter to reduce emissions)

(Source: coal burning) (Effects: acid deposition, respiratory irritation, damages plants) (Equation for acid formation: SO2 + O2 = SO3 + H2O = H2SO4) (Reduction: scrubbers, burn low sulfur fuel)

(Source: auto exhaust, incomplete combustion) (Effects: CO binds to hemoglobin reducing bloods ability to carry O, CO2 contributes to global warming) (Reduction: catalytic converter, emission testing, oxygenated fuel, mass transit)

(Formation: secondary pollutant, NO2+UV=NO+O O+O2=O3, with VOC's) (Effects: respiratory irritant, plant damage) (Reduction: reduce NO emissions & VOCs)

radioactive gas, formed from the decay of Uranium, causes lung cancer

Photochemical smog

formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight (NO, VOC, O)

Acid deposition

caused by sulfuric and nitric acids resulting in lowered pH of surface waters

Greenhouse gases

(Examples: H2O, CO2, O3, methane (CH4), CFC's) (EFFECT: they trap outgoing infrared (heat) energy causing earth to warm

Effects of global warming

rising sealevel (thermal expansion), extreme weather, droughts (famine), extinctions

Ozone depletion caused by

CFC's, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, halon, methyl bromide all of which attack stratospheric ozone

Effects of ozone depletion

increased UV, skin cancer, cataracts, decreased plant growth

Percent water on earth by type

97.5% seawater, 2.5% freshwater

Ways to conserve water

(agriculture, drip/trickle irrigation) (industry,recyling) (home, use gray water, repair leaks, low flow fixtures)

Point vs. Non point sources

(Point, from specific location such as pipe)(Non-point, from over an area such as runoff)

any water bearing layer in the ground

Cone of depression

lowering of the water table around a pumping well

Salt water intrusion

near the coast, overpumping of groundwater causes saltwater to move into the acquifer from the ocean

rapid algal growth caused by an excess of N & P

when aquatic plants die, the BOD rises as aerobic decomposers break down the plants, the DO drops & the water cannot support life

Sewage treatment

Primary sewage treatment - physical process that removes floating objects and suspended solids; Secondary sewage treatment - biological process where aerobic bacteria remove oxygen-demanding organic wastes; Tertiary sewage treatment - combination of chemical and physical processes remove specific pollutants left in the water

chemicals buried in old canal and school & homes built over it causing birth defects & cancer

advantages: volume of waste reduced by 90% and heat can be used to make electricity; disadvantages: toxic emissions, scrubbers & electrostatic precipitators needed, ash disposal (contains heavy metals)

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