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16 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Major Environmental issues |
-Pollution of air, water, and land - Hazardous chemicals and wastes - Land degradation - Loss of biodiversity - Ozone depletion - Climate change - Loss of natural and cultural resources |
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Causes of environmental issues |
- Rapid population growth - Effects of urbanization, industry and harvesting practices on the ecosystems - Rapid and wasteful use of resources - Degradation of the earth's environmental systems |
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Environmental impact depends on 3 factors |
- Population size (P) -per capita consumption or affluence (A) - destructiveness of the technologies used to provide and consume resources (T) I= P×A×T (environmental impact) |
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Pollution |
When harmful materials enter the environment |
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Sources of pollution |
- Point source pollution- from a clearly identifiable location - Nonpoint source pollution- that comes from many different places - Organic pollution- decomposition of living organisms and their bi- products - inorganic pollution- dissolved and suspended solids as silt, salts, and minerals - toxic pollution- heavy medals and other chemical compounds that are lethal to organisms - thermal pollution- waste heat from industrial and power generation processes - nuclear pollution- radioactive minerals |
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Harmful Impacts of Pollution (3 factors that determine the severity of the harmful effects) |
1. chemical nature- how active and harmful the pollutant is to living organisms 2. Concentration- the amount of pollutant post unit of volume 3. Persistence (degradability)- how long the pollutant stays on the air, water, soil, or the body of the organisms |
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POLLUTIONS |
Air, Water, Thermal, Soil, Noise, Light, Radioactive |
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Desertification |
Is an expansion of arid conditions into a non arid environment |
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Desertification: Major causes Major endangered species |
Major causes: 1.deforestation 2. Overheating or poor grazing management 3. Expanding human population & urbanization 4. Incorrect Irrigation practices leading to salinization Destruction of vegetation in arid regions - Most endangered regions 1. Atacama Desert in S. America 2. Most of Australia 3. Sahara, Arabian, Great Indian, Taklimakhan, Gobi and the deserts of Iran and the former Soviet Union |
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Deforestation |
The permanent destruction of indegenous forests and woodlands for agriculture or exploration |
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Forest Terminology |
1. Old Growth Forest- one that had never been cut down 2. Second Growth- area previously harvested 3. Plantations or Tree Farms- remaining forests 4. Silviculture- management of forest plantations to lumber 5. Clear Cutting- removal of all trees in an area- environmental problems 6. Selective Cutting- removal of selected trees leaving majority of habitat on place 7. Shelter- Wood Cutting- cutting only mature trees and leaving younger trees took reseed the forest 8. Agroforest- tress and crops are planted together for symbiotic relationships 9. Green- Belts- open forested areas where no one is permitted to build 10. Surface Fires- burn only forests' underbush but don't damage trees 11. Crown Fires- damage canopies of trees and spread quickly 12. Ground Fires- smoldering fires that take place in bogs or swamps and can burn under ground for days |
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Soil Pollution |
Causes: 1. Seepage from a landfill 2. Discharge of industrial waste into the soil 3. Percolation of contaminated water into spill 4. Rupture of underground storage tanks 5.excess application of pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers 6. Solid waste seepage Chemicals: 1. Petroleum hydrocarbons 2. Heavy Metals 3. Pesticides 4. Solvents |
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Waste Categories |
1. Solid waste our municipal waste- commonly known as trash 2. Regulated Medical Waste (RMW)- potentially infectious or biohazardous waste 3. RCRA Hazardous Waste- hazardous pharmaceuticals, bulk chemotherapeutic agents, mercury, xylene and other solvents, some paints, aerosol cans etc 4. Nuclear waste- radioactive materials 5. Universal waste- batteries, pesticides, mercury- containing equipment, bulbs or lamps 6. Recyclables- paper, cardboard, beverage and food containers, metal and glass 7. Composting material- as grass, weed clippings, tree limbs, branches, waste from vegetable produce, bread and grains, and paper products as napkins and paper plates |
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Mining- Environmental Risks |
Metallic Minerals: zinc, copper Non- Metallic minerals: salt, precious gems Mineral deposit: where a particular mineral is concentrated Surface mining: starting from the top down and mining for minerals or oil deposits- results in permanent scaring of the land and changing land features Trailings: waste created from mining operations (usually consists of acids, sulfur compounds) |
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Causes of Habitat fragmentation & destruction |
Conversion: to human- made uses; urbanization, deforestation, etc Fragmentation: natural geographic ranges are "cut up" due to construction, farming, etc Simplification: clearing and cleaning up land areas for natural debris Intrusion: interference with species RESULTS IN: -Loss of resident species - Loss of food - Loss of ecosystem functions provided by the habitat |
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Biodiversity Threats and Causes |
THREATS: 1. Genetic diversity- varies in the genetic make-up among individuals within a single species 2. Species diversity- variety among the species 3. Ecological diversity- variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, streams , lakes, oceans and other biological communities CAUSES: 1. Habitat loss & Fragmentation 2. Climate Change 3. Over use and exploitation (deforestation, overfishing, excessive hunting) 4. Construction and farming (simplification & intrusion) 5. Human population explosion 6. Pollution 7. Invasive Species |
