APES Flashcard Review

1. APES Flashcard Review

2. A resource that is not sustainable because it will be depleted before it can be replenished… • Non-renewable resource. • Examples: oil, coal, natural gas, copper, iron, gold.

3. Sustainable resources that can be replenished before they are used up… • Renewable resources. • Examples: solar energy, wind energy, timber, water, fertile soil, fisheries.

4. The practice of using a resource at a rate that is less than or equal to the rate that it is naturally replenished…. • Sustainability

5. Describe the Tragedy of the Commons… • A resource that is free and available to everyone is overused and depleted as a result of shortsightedness. • Ex. Overfishing, overgrazing, aquifer depletion, etc.

6. Relatively affluent countries with a high per capita gross domestic product (GDP) are called… • Developed countries (MDC) • Examples include the U.S., Canada, Japan and Australia.

7. Less affluent countries with lower per captita gross domestic product are called… • Developing countries (LDC) • Examples: China, India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Brazil.

8. What is an Ecological Footprint? • Amount of biologically productive land and water required to provide all of the resources and absorb all of the pollution resulting from processing, manufacturing, use and disposal to support the lifestyle of a person, country, state, etc.

9. Give examples of Ecological Services… • Pollination of agricultural crops • water purification and storage by aquifers • climate regulation • flood control • protection from UV radiation • nitrogen fixation • recreational activities

10. How is Carbon important in environmental studies? • It is the backbone of biomolecules. • It is an ingredient of photosynthesis. • It is a greenhouse gas. • It is released during the burning of fossil fuels.

11. How is nitrogen important in environmental studies? • It is the building block of proteins and forms the genetic code in DNA. • It is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere (78%). • it is an important plant nutrient. • Excess nitrogen runoff can lead to eutrophication in aquatic habitats. • Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas.

12. How is oxygen important to environmental studies? • It is the 2nd most abundant gas in the atmosphere (21%). • It is an ingredient of cellular respiration and a waste product of photosynthesis.

13. How is phosphorus important in environmental studies? • It is an important plant nutrient. • It is the limiting factor to plant growth in many ecosystems. • Excess runoff can lead to algae blooms and eutrophication.

14. How is sulfur important in environmental studies? • Like phosphorus is part of a sedimentary biogeochemical cycle. • Volcanic eruptions are a natural source of sulfur pollution in the air. • Burning coal is an anthropogenic source of sulfur pollution in the air. • It mixes with rain water to become sulfuric acid (acid rain).

15. How is pH important to environmental studies? • It is the amount of hydrogen ions dissolved into solution. • High and low pH damages living tissue. • 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acid, more than 7 is base.

16. How is radioactivity important in environmental studies? • Radiation can damage and destroy living cells. • Half life is the time it takes for one half of a radioactive sample to decay. • It is an air, water and soil pollutant. • It powers nuclear energy creating dangerous radioactive waste which must be disposed of.

17. Open Environmental Systems… • Exchange both energy and matter across their boundaries. • Most environmental systems are open. • Ecosystems are an example.

18. Closed environmental systems… • Systems that exchange energy but not matter. • The global water cycle is an example.

19. Positive feedback loop… • Decreasing vegetationleads to erosion and nutrient losscausing more vegetation to die. • An initial change is amplified leading to further change and destabilization.

20. Negative feedback loop… • House coolstemp reaches desired setting and furnace turns onhousewarmsreaches desired setting and furnace shuts off. • Initial change triggers other changes with eventually stabilize the system.

21. Describe the levels of ecological organization. • Biosphere- all the places on earth that can support life. • Biomes- a region characterized by a particular geography, climate, flora and fauna. • Ecosystem- a place and all of the biotic and abiotic factors in that place. • Community- all of the living things in an ecosystem. • Population- all of the living things of a particular species in an ecosystem.

22. What three factors are required for life to exist on Earth? • One way flow of energy from the sun. • Cycling of nutrients. • The force of gravity.

23. What are the three parts of the Biosphere? • Lithosphere- land • Hydrosphere- water • Atmosphere- air

24. What are the trophic levels found in a food web? • Producers- plants/autotrophs/produce their food during photosynthesis • Primary consumers- herbivores/heterotrophs/ get energy by eating producers • Secondary consumers- primary carnivores/ heterotrophs/ eat primary consumers • Tertiary consumers- secondary carnivores • Quantanary consumers- tertiary carnivores • Decomposter- feed off of waste and detritus from the other levels.

25. H2O + CO2  C6H12O6 + O2 • Photosynthesis

26. Food + O2  ATP + CO2 • Cellular respiration

27. H2S + CO2 + H2O  C6H12O6 + H2SO4 • Chemosynthesis

28. 1st law of thermodynamics… • Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

29. 2nd law of thermodynamics… • Energy is changed into different forms eventually being lost as heat.

30. 10% rule… • As energy moves up the food chain 90% is lost to metabolism leaving 10% available for the next trophic level. • Biomass is the dry weight of living organisms at a trophic level. Biomass = Energy.

31. Gross primary productivity… • Rate at which primary producers convert solar energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis.

32. Net primary productively… = gross primary productivity (photosynthesis) – aerobic respiration (by plants)

33. High productivity ecosystems… • Tropical rain forests • Swamps • Marshes • Estuaries

34. Low productivity ecosystems… • Deserts • Tundra • Open ocean

35. The movement of nutrients through biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem… • Biogeochemical cycles • Nutrient cycles • Examples: hydrological, nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, phosphorus

36. Evaporation, Transporation, and Condensation (precipitation) drive the… • Hydrological cycle • Human impact includes overuse due to irrigation of crops, overpopulation, etc. • Also flooding as the result of development and deforestation.

37. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration drive the… • Carbon cycle • Human impacts include the burning of fossil fuels which releases carbon dioxide and monoxide as air pollutants. • Also deforestation decreases carbon storage biomass.

38. Bacterial decomposition, fixation, denitrification and nitrification drive the… • Nitrogen cycle • Burning of fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxide contributing to smog and acid rain. • Also excess nitrates from fertilizers and animal waste can cause eutrophication in aquatic environments

39. Weathering and erosion drives the… • Phosphorus cycle • Human impact includes excess runoff from sewage, mining waste, and fertilizers leading to eutrophication.

40. Volcanic activity, inaerobic respiration, and sea spray drive the … • Sulfur cycle • The burning of fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide which contribute to acid rain.

41. The number of different species of organisms in an ecosystem is called… • Biodiversity. • Biodiversity is the result of evolution. • Adaptations occur in individuals which are naturally selected to survive passing on these traits to the rest of the population causing evolution to occur.

42. When an entire species disappears from the earth it is called… • Extinction • There have been 5 mass extinctions in Earth’s history….we are causing the fifth.

43. Species that have a broad variety of food sources and habitats and is at less risk of extinction… • Generalist species • Ex. Coyotes, cockroaches, humans

44. Species with a narrow number of food sources and habitats that are more at risk of extinction… • Specialist species • Ex. Koala bears, Attwaters Prairie Chicken

45. Species that are introduced to a habitat and are able to outcompete native species due to lack of predators or improved adaptability… • Invasive species • Ex. Zebra mussel, water hyacinth

46. The disappearance of this species has a large impact on an ecosystem… • Keystone species • Ex. Pollinators like bees and bats, predators like alligators and sea otters.

47. Species which provide an early warning that damage is occurring to an ecosystem… • Indicator species • Ex. song birds, amphibians

48. Members of two different species complete for the same limited resources… • Interspecific competition • Ex. A thrush and bluebird compete for insects in the same tree.

49. When members of different species form an interdependent relationship… • Symbiosis • Parasitism- one benefits while the other is harmed • Commensalism- one benefits while the other is uneffected • Mutualism- both benefit

50. What is the Competitive Exclusion Principal? • When two species occupy the same habitat and their niches overlap significantly resources will be limited. The one that is best adapted will drive the other out or force them to better adapt. • If they share by utilizing resources in different ways it is called Resource Partitioning. Hawks and owl both eat mice but hunt at different times.