Enviro Sci Exam Review

Front 1

Tillage

Back 1

Turning over the soil every season

Front 2

Pros of tillage:

Back 2

Helps deter weeds

Front 3

Cons of tillage:

Back 3

Organic matter needs to be on the surface to decompose

Front 4

Pros of no till:

Back 4

Cheaper

Easier

Reduces compaction

Reduced CO2 released

Front 5

5 planting techniques:

Back 5

1. Terracing

2. Contour planting

3. Strip cropping/poly culture

4. Alley cropping/agro forestry

5. Wind breaks/hedge rows

Front 6

3 Ways to get more nutrients into the soil

Back 6

1. Organic fertilizer

2. Crop rotation (corn, soybean, wheat)

3. Commercial inorganic fertilizer

Front 7

Pros of commercial inorganic fertilizer:

Back 7

Easy to get, store, and use

Depend on it for 40% of food

Front 8

Cons of commercial inorganic fertilizer:

Back 8

Not food for detritivores

Only has PNK

Excess N can become greenhouse gas

Can pollute rivers

Front 9

Main ideas of sustainable agriculture:

Back 9

1. Low inputs + use efficiently

2. Soil conservation and restoration

3. Economic incentives

Front 10

How to prevent soil salinization:

Back 10

Reduce irrigation

Front 11

How to clean up soil salinization

Back 11

Flush soil, underground drainage system, salt tolerant crops

Front 12

Pest:

Back 12

Anything that is in the way of achieving a goal, an unwanted organism

Front 13

Pesticide:

Back 13

Kills or controls unwanted organisms

Front 14

History of pesticides:

Back 14

Before: crop rotation, vary planting times

First generation: sulphur, lead, arsenic, plant's natural chemicals

Second generation: synthetic organic compound, broad to narrow spectrum, persistence

Front 15

Pros of pesticides:

Back 15

Save lives (from diseases), increased food supply, health risks may be better than risks

Front 16

Cons of pesticides:

Back 16

Genetic resistance, kill non-target species, health threat

Front 17

Alternatives to pesticides

Back 17

Biological pest control (biomimicry) insect birth control, preditors

Hot water

Genetically resistant plants

Front 18

Biomimicry

Back 18

the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes

Front 19

Classifications of forests

Back 19

Old growth

New growth

Tree farm/plantation

Front 20

Ecological services of forests

Back 20

carbon sinks, erosion protection, landslide, wind, tsunami protection, water and air purification, climate regulation

Front 21

Economic services

Back 21

Food, shelter, medicine, lumber, paper, jobs, recreation, fuel

Front 22

Mangroves

Back 22

where rainforest meets ocean, protect from tsunamis

Front 23

Types of forests

Back 23

Tropical

Temperate

Boreal/Taiga

Front 24

Forest regions in Ontario

Back 24

Boreal (biggest)

Taiga

Carolinian (most threatened)

Great Lakes St Lawrence

Front 25

Types of forest management

Back 25

1. Selective cutting

2. Shelterwood

3. Seed tree cutting

4. Clear cutting

5. Strip cutting

Front 26

What type of forest suffers the greatest loss?

Back 26

Rainforest

Front 27

Primary causes of deforestation

Back 27

Not valuing ecological significance

Lack of policy

Population growth

Poverty

Front 28

Process of tropical rainforest destruction

Back 28

1. Roads are built

2. Selective cutting

3. Ranchers/slash and burn

4. Settles (subsistence farming)

5. Land is abandoned

Front 29

Solutions to deforestation

Back 29

Teach and subsidize sustainable methods

Debt for nature swap

Reduce poverty and population growth

Reduce illegal cutting

Use new equipment (Spider)

Front 30

Deforestation and climate change

Back 30

Reduction of carbon sinks

Increased CO2 release

Change in hydrologic cycle (decreased rainfall)

Loss of NPP

Albedo

Front 31

Mountain pine beetle

Back 31

British Columbia

Bug eats trees, kills them, they rot, they release carbon, warmer temperatures, beetle can live longer, eat more trees

Front 32

Invasive species

Back 32

Take up resources and space, disrupt food chain

Front 33

Best defence against invasive species

Back 33

High biodiversity (more likely for there to be a predator, niche resources)

Front 34

Examples of invasive species

Back 34

European buckthorn, kudzu, emerald ash borer (kills ash trees), giant hogweed

Front 35

Levels of the atmosphere

Back 35

1. Thermosphere

2. Mesosphere

3. Stratosphere

4. Troposhere

Front 36

Good ozone:

Back 36

Where: Stratosphere

What: o2 + sunlight

Front 37

Bad ozone:

Back 37

Where: troposphere

What: VOCs + NO + sunlight

Front 38

Outdoor air pollution

Back 38

any chemical that is in the atmosphere and in high enough concentrations to cause harm

Front 39

3 sources of air pollution

Back 39

Mobile

Stationary

Natural

Front 40

Primary vs secondary air pollution

Back 40

Primary = the form they are emitted in

Secondary = ground level ozone

Front 41

Types of smog

Back 41

1. Photochemical (reduce photosynthesis)

2. Industrial

Front 42

Natural factors that reduce air pollution

Back 42

Rain, snow, sea spray

Wind

Front 43

Natural factors that increase air pollution

Back 43

Tall buildings/mountains

High temperatures

Front 44

Grass hopper effect

Back 44

Chemicals in the air move from hot regions to colder regions (polar) because of prevailing winds

Front 45

How to prevent air pollution

Back 45

Burn low sulphur coal, remove sulphur, convert to liquid/gas

Use less polluting fuels

Front 46

Clean up air pollution

Back 46

Smoke stacks, scrubbers, tax pollution

Front 47

Prevent motor vehicle air pollution

Back 47

Mass transport

Loss polluting engines/fuels

Improve fuel efficiency

Remove old cars

Tax breaks

Restrictions in polluted areas

Front 48

Motor vehicle air pollution clean up

Back 48

Emission control devices

Exhaust inspections

Stricter emission standards

Front 49

Sources of acid deposition

Back 49

NO and SO2 from acid and salt

Front 50

Types of acid deposition

Back 50

Wet and dry

Front 51

Impacts

Back 51

Respiratory health, toxic metal leeching (kills fish), damage to buildings and structures, soil pH changes (less productive and more susceptible to diseases)

Front 52

Clean up

Back 52

Neutralize acid with lime or phosphate (but can lead to eutrophication)

Front 53

Greenhouse effect is...

Back 53

...naturally occurring and essential for life

Front 54

Green house gasses

Back 54

CO2, N2O, CH4 (methane)

Front 55

Albedo

Back 55

The amount of light or radiation that is reflected by a surface

Front 56

Nation that is the biggest offender in term of greenhouse effect

Back 56

United States

Front 57

Human actives that increase greenhouse effect

Back 57

Fossil fuel use

Deforestation/grassland destruction

Increased cattle raising

Growing rice

Inorganic fertilizer use (bacteria in soil release NO into the atmosphere)

Front 58

Ozone depleting chemical

Back 58

CFCs / chloroflurocarbons

Front 59

CFCs...

Back 59

Are human creates

Last 11-20 years in the troposphere

Last 65-110 years in stratosphere

Front 60

Process of CFCs breaking up ozone bonds

Back 60

Front 61

Ozone loss vs greenhouse effect

Back 61

Ozone loss is the loss of good zone in the stratosphere

GH effect is heat trapped in the troposphere

Front 62

Connections

Back 62

CFCs are GHG

GHGs cause stratosphere to cool (where good ozone is)

Front 63

Climate

Back 63

a measure oflong term conditions (average temperature and temperature)

Front 64

FactorsDetermining Climate:

Back 64

1.Uneven heatingof Earth’s surface (direct sun vs angled)

2.Seasonalchanges in temperature and precipitation (tilting of axis)

3.Convectioncurrents (sun evaporates ocean, becomes precipitation)

Convection cells: 6 giant ones, distribute warmth and precipitation

4.Rotation ofearth on axis (turns faster at equator = prevailing winds)

Coriolis effect: northern hemisphere = air moves right, southern =air moves left

Front 65

Globalwarming:

Back 65

averagetemperature increases in troposphere

Front 66

Global climate change

Back 66

Changes in any aspect of earth's climate

Front 67

How to study climate change

Back 67

1.Ice core takenfrom Antarctica (air bubbles analyzed for GHGs)

2.Sediment cores(pollen, fossils, plants, bottom of lakes)

3.Directmeasurement of troposphere

4.Air samplecollection

Front 68

Past climate change

Back 68

- Prolongedperiods of heating and cooling

- Gradual toquick temperature changes

Front 69

Present climate change

Back 69

Interglacialfor 12,000 years

Relativelystable global climate

Regionalclimate changes

More CO2 in atmosphere than last 90,000 years

Front 70

Drivers of climate change

Back 70

Rate ofchange: temperature changes happen quickly

Volcaniceruptions

Changes insolar radiation- active vs quiet

Changes inEarth’s tilt- axis wobble

Oceansmoderate temperature- El Nino brings warm water to coast every 7 years

Oceans storeheat and CO2

Clouds andwater vapour (warmer temperature = more clouds)

Increased CO2 (greenhousegasses and photosynthesis)

Methaneemissions (melting ice, organic matter breaking down)

Front 71

Evidence of troposhere warming:

Back 71

1.20th century hottest in 1000 years

2.Temperature oftroposphere risen 0.74 degrees Celsius

3.Warmest yearssince 1850

4.Glaciers, seaice, and permafrost melting

5.Rising sealevel (thermal expansion + melting)

Front 72

Should CO2 be classified as an air pollutant?

Back 72

•Industry says:

Highconcentration is bad for any chemical•Scientistssay:

Changes wereprecipitation happens and food grows

Rising sealevels

Harmorganisms/ ecosystems

Front 73

Effects of climate change

Back 73

Decreasedwater quality

More draughtand flooding

Environmentalrefugees

Habitat lossand extinction

Changes indemands and yields

Front 74

Disagreements

Back 74

Cost of reducing GHGs vs economic benefits

Who is responsible

Front 75

Options

Back 75

1.Do nothing

2.Do moreresearch

3.Act now:

-Precautionaryprinciple

-Improve energyefficiency and reduce fossil fuels (renewable energy)

-Changeagriculture and food choices

-Politicalpressure

-Economicchanges

Front 76

Transpiration

Back 76

the process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere

Front 77

Evapotranspiration

Back 77

the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land and ocean surface to the atmosphere

Front 78

Percolation

Back 78

Water slowly moving through the soil

Front 79

What does latitude have to do with water?

Back 79

Dry spots at 30 degrees North and South

Front 80

Types of water

Back 80

Surface water- precipitation that doesn't infiltrate, Drains into watershed or drainage basin

Ground water

Aquifers

Front 81

Reliable run off

Back 81

Amount of water that can be counted on each year until

Front 82

What is above and below the water table?

Back 82

Area of aeration

Area of saturation

Front 83

What are the 3 types of aquifers

Back 83

Unconfined (precipitation can get to it)

Confined (rock above and below)

Fossil

Front 84

Two types of water use

Back 84

Withdrawal- removed and returned

Consumptive- removed and not returned

Front 85

Biggest global water uses

Back 85

1. Agriculture

2. Industry

3. Domestic/cities

Front 86

What does Canada use the most water for?

Back 86

Power plant cooling

Front 87

Problems with water distribution in Canada

Back 87

-Population pressure and over burden

-Rivers flow north

-Soil salinization and aquifer depletion

Front 88

Contributors to water scarcity

Back 88

Dry climate

Drought (less precipitation)

Dry Soil

Demand

Front 89

Types of water scarcity

Back 89

Physical- reduced input + too much demand

Economic- don't have money to get to it

Front 90

Political conflict related to water scarcity

Back 90

Aral Sea dried up because input river was diverted for agriculture

Front 91

Ways to increase water supply

Back 91

1. Store it

2. Transport it

3. Groundwater withdrawal

4. Desalination

5. Reduce water waste

6. Other options (deep aquifer mining, cloud seeding, towing icebergs, biomimicry)

Front 92

Pros and cons of dams and reservoirs

Back 92

Pros: increased volume and access, recreation, electricity, agriculture

Cons: more evaporation, habitat destruction

Front 93

Cons of transporting it

Back 93

Displaces people and habitats

Front 94

James Bay Project

Back 94

600 Dams in northern Quebec, used to collect hydro electricity but displaced aboriginal people

Front 95

Pros and cons of ground water withdrawal

Back 95

Pros: cheap and easy, no evaporation issueCons: depletionand pollution, subsidence (groundsinking)

Front 96

Ways to desalinate

Back 96

Distillation- Boil water and collect vapour

Reverse osmosis- filter out salt (what to do with salt??)

Front 97

Ways to reduce water waste

Back 97

subsidies, precision irrigation, xeriscaping, use greywater

Front 98

Cloud seeding

Back 98

Putting silver oxide into the air to force precipitation)

Front 99

Water pollution

Back 99

Any chemical,biological, or physical change to water that is harmful

Front 100

Types of water pollution

Back 100

Biological and Chemical

Front 101

Indicator organisms

Back 101

Fish fly = clean

leech - dirty

Front 102

Major sources of water pollution

Back 102

Agriculture

Industry

Mining

Front 103

Water types

Back 103

Stream/River (runoff, poverty)

Freshwater Lake (more vulnerable bc less mixing)

Groundwater (landfill leakage, wells)

Ocean (plastic waste, dredge spoils, oil spills)

Front 104

Biomagnification

Back 104

Concentration of toxins as they move up the food chain

Front 105

Bioconcentration

Back 105

Concentration of toxins through generations

Front 106

4 Characteristics of groundwater

Back 106

1. Low flow/recharge

2. Low oxygen

3. Few bacteria

4. Cold temperatures

Front 107

Process of algae blooms

Back 107

1. Block Sunlight

2. Aerobic bacteria(use up the dissolved oxygen)3. Anaerobic bacteria(create methane + sulfide)

4. Dead zones

Front 108

Prevention/clean up of algae blooms

Back 108

Prevention: less runoff, fertilizers, phosphates in detergents

Cleanup: weeding, algaecides, add oxygen

Front 109

General solutions

Back 109

Nonpoint: focus on agriculture run-off

Point:focus on legislation

Personal:waste and drugs down drain

Front 110

What is the anthropocene era?

Back 110

Humans have changed earth's climate so much that its a new geological era

Front 111

A gallon of gasoline =

Back 111

8-10 weeks of hard human labour

Front 112

What type of living arrangement was created based on the dependence on cheap oil?

Back 112

Suburbs

Front 113

What is peak oil?

Back 113

May 2005, demand became greater than supply

Front 114

Why no other countries want to adapt western culture?

Back 114

Seen in media as being good

Improves wellbeing and happiness

Front 115

Why shouldn't they adapt western culture?

Back 115

Use many resources because of huge population

Front 116

What is the latest crisis we should be concerned about?

Back 116

The fresh water crisis (access and supply)

Front 117

What human activity accounts for 70% of water use?

Back 117

Irrigated agriculture

Front 118

What is fossil water?

Back 118

Aquifer, from long ago, used for irrigation but not easy to replace

Front 119

What is the source and use of the Ogallala aquifer?

Back 119

Millions of years old, used to grow corn for energy

Front 120

Why is the speed of climate change the greatest problem for humanity?

Back 120

People depend on water for agriculture, floods destroy homes, economies depend on climate

Front 121

Bark beetles

Back 121

warmer climate = more beetles = more dead trees

Front 122

Glaciers in Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau melt

Back 122

Himalayas- feed major rivers (Ganges)

Tibet- supply rivers that grow crops for the world

Rising sea levels

Front 123

Ecosystem services

Back 123

Provisioning (food, water)

Cultural (recreation, education)

Supporting (photosynthesis, biodiversity)

Regulating (store carbon, purify water)

Front 124

Effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on ocean life

Back 124

Oceans absorb CO2, increases acidity, inhibits shell formation

Front 125

Dead zones

Back 125

Caused by excessive nutrient pollution, low oxygen levels in lakes and oceans

Occur near inhabited coastlines with lots of aquatic life

Front 126

Chacoan/Anasazi people

Back 126

Took advantage of rainfall and created market economy for corn

Population grew too much, drought caused wars so people left

Front 127

Why are failing states a concern?

Back 127

All systems and states are interconnected, it is a sign of failing civilization

Front 128

Ways to reduce resource depletion

Back 128

Reduce consumption (oil, minerals)

Use less energy

Steady state + sustainable economy

Change throw-away economy

Front 129

Greatest challenges

Back 129

Getting over transition

Rethink and change lifestyle

Front 130

GPI and GDP

Back 130

GPI= Genuine progress Indicator

Measures people's satisfaction with their lives, deeper than GDP, environmental, economic, and social calculations