Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
31 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
biosphere
|
all organisms on earth and their environments; ecology: the study of the interactions between organisms and their environments
|
|
|
introduced species
|
: a species deliberately or accidentally brought to a new area, negatively affecting native species
o Ex: zebra mussels, Japanese kudzu vine |
|
|
Chlorofluorcarbons (CFCs)
|
used to be found in refrigerators, aerosol cans, foam manufacturers etc. to lengthen shelf life/preserve
o Responsible for the hole in the ozone layer, which, if larger, would cause global temperatures to rise, increased skin cancer, lower crop yields, decreased phytoplankton, etc. o legislation has caused the hole to shrink significantly |
|
|
effects of removal of Australian dingoes
|
• When Australian dingoes were removed to protect sheep, kangaroo numbers increased and consumed the plants, the sheep’s food source, at an unsustainable level
|
|
|
climate
|
: prevailing weather patterns over a relatively long amount of time in an area (primary influence in ecology); weather: temperature, precipitation, wind speed, etc. over a shorter period of time
|
|
|
solar radiation
|
is the process of sunlight striking earth, which warms the earth’s surface and impacts temperature (ex: tropical regions get 2x more)
|
|
|
number of convection cells
|
• 4 large convection cells control basic patterns of air circulation
|
|
|
direction of wind in N America
|
wind normally travels eastward
|
|
|
ocean currents
|
: formed by rotation of Earth, differences in water temps between poles and tropics, wind directions; shape climates by moving huge amounts of warm or cold water to different terrestrial areas (ex: Gulf Stream makes Rome warmer than Boston)
o This is why Great Britain and Norway are temperate instead of subarctic climates o Northern hemisphere currents tend to run clockwise; Southern hemisphere currents tend to run counterclockwise |
|
|
7 terrestrial biomes
|
o Tundra
o Boreal forest o Temperate forest o Tropical forest o Chaparral o Grassland o Desert |
|
|
8 aquatic biomes
|
o River
o Lake o Wetland o Estuary o Coral reef o Open ocean o Benthic zone |
|
|
• 8 aquatic biomes; influencing factors
|
: climate (seasonal change), salt concentration, El Nino, etc.
|
|
|
El nino
|
usually the cold Peru Current warms as it flows west near the equator, but during El Nino events, warm water flows from west to east and pushes aside the weaker Peru Current
o Results in changes in precipitation, wind patterns, sea levels, etc. |
|
|
how do humans affect biomes?
|
o Species extinction
o Eutrophication o Deforestation → erosion o Invasive species o Pollution o Destruction of wetlands and estuaries o Global warming |
|
|
Story of Easter Island
|
o Human population grew to more than the island could support
o Deforestation strained ecosystems and depleted resources, so inhabitants started fighting and destroyed each other |
|
|
exponential growth curve
|
J-shaped; growth is exponential when a population increases by a constant amount
|
|
|
• Pop. growth curve
|
an S-curve because of limiting factors
|
|
|
carrying capacity
|
the maximum population size (number of individuals) that a given environment can support
o Occurs when growth = 0, which means birth + immigration = death + emigration |
|
|
• Density dependent factors that limit population growth
|
o Food shortages, lack of habitat, disease, predators, toxicity, aggression, etc.
|
|
|
• Density independent factors that limit population growth
|
o Weather fluctuations (ex: monarch butterfly migration), fire, floods, pesticides (ex: bald eagle increase after ban), pollutants, logging (endangered spotted owl)
|
|
|
irregular fluctuations
|
when population size of species rises and falls, but not smoothly (due to limiting factors)
|
|
|
human population growth
|
• Human population is growing exponentially (6.4 billion in 2005; 74 million/year)
|
|
|
effects if don't protect land
|
• Water, fossil fuels, trees, arable land, etc. will run out if not protected
|
|
|
ecological footprint
|
the amount of resources used by one individual
o In the UK and US, ecological footprints are 3-5x higher than the rest of the world |
|
|
effects of global warming on environment
|
• Humans have accelerated the pace of global change/transformation of land and water on earth through invasive species, species extinction, pollution, global warming, habitat destruction, deforestation, etc.
• Wetlands have shrunk drastically |
|
|
nitrogen fixation
|
occurring from human activities, leading to a significant destruction of the number of plant/animal species
o Humans now add more nitrogen to the environment than bacteria do o This is harmful because it has transformed many environments |
|
|
evidence of increased CO2 levels
|
• Ice samples from 1000s of years ago show bubbles that display carbon bubbles, increasing over time until jump at Industrial Revolution
o 200 years ago, carbon was 280 ppm, now it’s 370 ppm |
|
|
cause increased levels of CO2
|
burning of fossil fuels; increasing plant grow (destruction of ocean species) and heightening the effects of global warming (as earth’s temperature is rising)
|
|
|
Kyoto Protocol of 1997
|
o 141 countries (NOT U.S.) convened to set benchmarks for carbon emissions reduction (7% initially; most scientists say goals were far too conservative)
|
|
|
how build sustainable society?
|
o Maintain fresh water supplies, don’t destroy habitats, slow down deforestation, don’t endanger species or force them to extinction, plant trees/gardens to absorb CO2, govt. intervention (limit resource use), limit emissions and gas
|
|
|
how has hole in ozone layer been reduced?
|
• Hole in ozone layer has been reduced through govt. intervention (CFCs banned), business participation (new technology that negates their use), and individual participation (boycotting, choosing other products)
|
