CH 1
What does carrying capacity vary with?
1. location
2. time (including short term seasonal changes + long term global changes in factors such as climate)
3. types of tech used to extract and process resources + to deal w env problems caused by pop growth and resource use
What is frontier science?
Controversial aspects of science, not widely tested or accepted.
What is an element?
Distinctive building blocks of matter that make up every material substance
What is sustainable yield?
the highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used indefinitely without reducing its available supply.
What are non degradable pollutants?
Pollutants that can't be broken down by natural processes. Ex: toxic elements lead and mercury.
What are some examples of a potentially renewable resource?
Forest trees, grassland grasses, wild animals, fresh lake and stream water, groundwater, fresh air, fertile soil.
What were some methods used during the Agricultural Revolution?
agroforestry, slash & burn, shifting cultivation
What is a compound?
Two or more different elements held together in fixed proportions by chemical bonds
What is a mineral?
Any hard, usually crystalline material that is formed naturally.
What is special about an atom?
It is the smallest unit of matter that is unique to a particular element
What types of diversity does biodiversity include?
1. genetic diversity
2. species diversity
3. ecological diversity
What are 3 types of unwanted effects of pollution?
1. Can damage health and property
2. Can disrupt/degrade life support systems
3. Can increase nuisances such as noise and unpleasant smells and sights
What is inside the nucleus of atoms?
Protons and neutrons
What are some differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Prokaryotic-lack distinct nucleus, no compartments, in bacteria, produce 2 ATP/glucose
Eukaryotic-have distinct nucleus, membrane-bound organelles, in plants and animals, produce 36 ATP/glucose because of mitochondria
What are reserves?
What are some major types of env degradation that can convert potentially renewable into non-renewable resource?
1. Salinization and water logging of soil
2. Wetlands destruction
3. Groundwater depletion
4. Livestock overgrazing
5. Poor soil management
6. Deforestation
7. Pollution
8. Reduction in biodiversity by eliminating habitats and species
What are some types of models?
mental, physical, conceptual, mathematical, graphic
What is the empirical formula for carbohydrates?
CH2O
What are some examples of earth capital?
air, water, soil, wildlife, minerals, natural purification, recycling, pest control
How long have humans been around on earth?
60,000 years
When did the agricultural revolution begin?
10,000-12,000 years ago. Nomadic hunter gathering -> settling down + domestication
What is the 3 factor model that measures that environmental impact of a population?
I = P x A x T
Impact = size of population x affluence of population x trash
What nucleotide base does RNA have that DNA does not have? Which one does DNA have instead?
Uracil, Thymine
Glucose + Glucose = ? + ?
Glucose + Fructose = ? + ?
(After dehydration synthesis)
Glucose + Glucose = Maltose + H2O
Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose + H2O
What is the concept "intergenerational fairness/equity"?
The ethical concept that future generations should receive undiminished capital and economic opportunity