Chapter 1: Studying the State of Our Earth

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Zusammenfassung der Ressource

Frage Antworten
What happened in the case of the Neuse River in North Carolina? -agricultural runoff led to increase in nutrients -pfisteria rapidly bloomed and killed fish population
environment sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life -living organisms, soil, temperature -determines how healthy we are
environmental science field that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature
system any set of interacting components that influence one another by exchanging energy or materials -human made or natural
ecosystem particular location on Earth whose interacting components include biotic and abiotic components
environmental studies includes additional subjects such as environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics
What factors make up an organism's environment? all conditions surrounding it that influence its life (eg. temperature, salinity, other living organisms)
In what ways is the field of environmental studies interdisciplinary? it is a broader field that includes other subjects relating to the environment (eg. environmental policy, economics, literature, ethics)
Why is environmental research important? -it is a rapidly growing area of study -it will help us understand how human activities are affecting the environment and increase consciousness
In what ways do humans alter the environment? -convert land from its natural state into suburban, urban, and agricultural areas -add fertilizers -generate pollution
What is the relationship between the development of technology and environmental impacts? -more advanced technology leads to more environmental harm
How does human development have an impact on natural systems? -destroy habitats -species cannot evolve quickly enough to keep up with changes in their environment
ecosystem services processes by which life-supporting resources are produced -clean water, timber, fisheries -unhealthy ecosystems cannot provide these services
environmental indicators describe the current state of an environmental system -biological diversity, food production, average global surface temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, human population, and resource depletion
sustainability living in a way that allows us to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources
biodiversity diversity of life forms in an environment -3 scales: genetic, species, and ecosystem
genetic diversity genetic variation among individuals in a population -high genetic diversity=better able to respond to environmental change
species diversity number of species in a region or a particular type of habitat -ecosystems with high species diversity are more resilient and productive
species a group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology, behavior, or biochemical properties -members of the same species can breed and produce fertile offspring
How many species have been identified? approximately 2 million
How many species are on Earth? between 5 million and 100 million, most common estimates around 10 million
speciation evolution of a new species -1-3 new species worldwide per year
background extinction rate average rate at which species go extinct over the long term -one species in a million every year
How many species go extinct every year? more than 10,000
ecosystem diversity measure of the diversity of ecosystems or habitats that exist in a given region
How many acres are in one hectare? 2.47 acres/hectare
Why is grain production not keeping up with population growth? -soil degradation -crop diseases -unfavorable weather -demand outpacing supply -humans use more grain to feed livestock -government policies make uncultivated land more profitable or encourage farmers to grow crops for fuels
greenhouse gases heat trapping gases -have risen in past 2 centuries
What are the two major sources of the increase in co2? combustion of fossil fuels and net loss of forests and other habitat types
How does the human population indicate the health of the environment? increasing world population adds additional demands on natural systems
What is the rate of population growth? 1 million people/5 days
What are some negative consequences of resource extraction and use? pollution, land degradation, waste, air pollution
development improvement in human well being through economic advancement
What are the three requirements that must be met in order to live sustainably? -environmental systems must not be damaged beyond the ability to recover -renewable resources must not be used at a rate faster than they can regenerate -nonrenewable resources must be used sparingly
sustainable development development that balances human well being and economic advancement with resource management for future generations
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