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APES 100 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW...

Terms in this set (90)

Sustainability
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)
LD50
the amount of a chemical that kills 50% of the animals in a test population
Anthropogenic
human centered; human caused
Photosynthesis
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
Biotic/abiotic
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)
Mutualism
symbiotic relationship where both partners benefit
Commensalism
symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits & the other is unaffected
Parasitism
relationship in which one partner obtains nutrients at the expense of the host
Biome
large distinct terrestrial region having similar climate, soil, plants & animals
R strategist
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
K strategist
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)
Exotic species
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
Leaching
removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards
Loam
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
Conservation
allows the use of resources in a responsible manner
Preservation
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)
Nitrification
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
Doubling time
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
Tree harvest
clear cutting, selective cutting, strip cutting
Forest fires
surface fires, ground fires, crown fires
Soil conservation techniques
minimum tillage, no-tillage, terracing, contour farming, strip cropping, wind breaks
Pesticides
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
Aquaculture
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)
Ore
a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine
Reclamation
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
Petroleum
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
Nuclear Fusion
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)
Sulfur oxides
(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)
Carbon oxides
(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)
Ozone
(Formation: secondary pollutant, NO2+UV=NO+O O+O2=O3, with VOC's) (Effects: respiratory irritant, plant damage) (Reduction: reduce NO emissions & VOCs)
Radon
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)
Aquifer
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
Eutrophication
rapid algal growth caused by an excess of N & P
Hypoxia
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
Love Canal, NY
chemicals buried in old canal and school & homes built over it causing birth defects & cancer
Incineration
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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