Unit 0-2
Unit 3-5
Unit 6-7
Unit 8
Unit 9
100
Differentiate renewable vs nonrenewable resources and give an example for each.
Renewable Resource: resources that will naturally replenish themselves over time(ex. wind)
Non-Renewable Resource:natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption(ex. coal)
100
What is carrying capacity?
Carrying capacity: the maximum population of a given species that a particular habitat can sustain indefinitely without degrading the habitat.
100
Define hydroelectricity and describe its advantages and disadvantages.
Hydroelectricity: A dam is constructed to hold back flow of water; flow of water turns a turbine to produce electricity- requires a consistent supply of fresh water
Advantages: renewable, no air pollution or GHGs, low cost to operate
Disadvantages: Expensive to build, dams destroy habitat, disrupt flow of water, and cause flooding upstream
100
How do sinkholes form?
Sinkholes form when the roof of an underground cavern collapses after being drained of groundwater (subsidence).
100
What does our ozone do and what does it block?
Ozone naturally forms and breaks down in a cycle that occurs in the stratosphere.
UV-A - much of the UV-A passes through the ozone layer; major contributor to skin cancer
UV-B - some UV-B passes through, potentially damaging to skin cells
UV-C - all is blocked by the ozone layer
200
Describe the Tragedy of the Commons
The tragedy of the commons suggests that individuals will use shared resources in their own self-interest rather than in keeping with the common good, thereby depleting the resources.
200
Describe the differences between K-strategists vs. R-strategists.
200
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of both non-renewable and renewable energy sources.
Non-Renewable(Coal, Oil, Bitumen, Natural gas):
Advantages: Readily available (for now), relatively cheap and efficient, easy to store & transport, versatile
Disadvantages: Climate change, air and water pollution, mining/drilling/refining, spills, unequal global distribution can create economic and political problems, finite
Renewable(Solar, Hydroelectricity, Tidal/Wave, Geothermal, Hydrogen fuel cell, Wind, Biofuels, Biomass):
Advantages: Produce little/no air pollution (except for biomass & biofuels!), don’t contribute as much to climate change, little/no risk of dangerous accidents or spills, renewable
Disadvantages: Initial cost investment & infrastructure, unequal availability, difficult to store and transport the energy, technology needs more research, currently use LOTS of fossil fuels to produce, mining of materials, habitat & migration disruption
200
What purpose do dams and reservoirs serve?
Large dams and reservoirs can produce cheap electricity, reduce downstream flooding, and provide year-round water for irrigating cropland, but they also displace people and disrupt aquatic ecosystems.
200
Where do greenhouse gases come from? How do humans add to it?
Greenhouse gases can come from natural sources, such as volcanoes & decomposition (bacteria), but these are balanced by natural biogeochemical cycles. Humans add additional greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, enhancing the natural greenhouse effect and causing the climate to change, through use of fossil fuels, agriculture, deforestation, and industrial processes.
300
List and describe the three symbiotic relationships.
Symbiotic relationships: Symbiosis is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two biological organisms of different species.
mutualism- all species involved benefit from their interactions.
commensalism- where one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped
parasitism- where one species benefits and the other is harmed
300
Describe Convection currents (hadley cells, ITCZ, polar cells).
Hadley cells- the convection currents that cycle between the equator and 30˚ north and south.
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)- the area of Earth that receives the most intense sunlight and where the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells converge.
Ferrel Cells - convection currents that form at mid-latitudes
Polar cells- the convection currents that are formed by air that rises at 60˚ north and south and sinks at the poles (90˚ north and south)
300
What does nuclear power plants use to generate power and describe the extraction process of nuclear power plants (alternatively draw a simple recreation of one).
Nuclear power uses Uranium-235 produce a chain reaction that heats water to produce steam.
300
What is the significance of water and describe its avliability.
Water keeps us alive, moderates climate, sculpts the land, removes and dilutes wastes and pollutants, and moves continually through the hydrologic cycle. Less than 1% of the earth’s water supply is available to us as usable liquid freshwater.
300
Describe ocean warming and its effects.
Covering more than 70% of Earth’s surface, our global ocean has a very high heat capacity. It has absorbed 90% of the warming that has occurred in recent decades due to increasing greenhouse gases, and the top few meters of the ocean store as much heat as Earth's entire atmosphere.
The effects of ocean warming include sea level rise due to thermal expansion, coral bleaching, accelerated melting of Earth’s major ice sheets, intensified hurricanes*, and changes in ocean health and biochemistry.
400
List and describe the steps in succession.
Ecological succession: the gradual change in species composition of a given area; this process builds the community.
Primary succession: the gradual establishment of biotic communities in lifeless areas where there is no soil or sediment. Involves Pioneer species where succession begins with an essentially lifeless area where there is no soil in a terrestrial ecosystem
Secondary succession: series of communities develop in places containing soil or sediment after a disturbance. It begins in an area after the natural community has been disturbed.
400
Describe the physical, biological, & chemical soil characteristics (horizons, porosity, permeability, texture type, nutrient content, etc)
Porosity: size of the particles they contain, the amount of space between these particles
Permeability: how rapidly water flows through them water-holding capacity: how much water they can hold
Infiltration and Percolation: the absorption and downward movement of water through soil.
Leaching: dissolving of minerals and organic matter in upper layers carrying them to lower layers.
400
Describe the difference between primary and secondary pollutants.
Primary pollutants: substances that are discharged directly into the atmosphere
Secondary pollutants: primary pollutants that have undergone a change in the presence of oxygen, water, or sunlight
400
Describe the controversy over ownership of fresh water.
There is controversy over whether water supplies should be owned and managed by governments or by private corporations. Corporations that bottle water are extracting it from local municipalities, leading to water shortages in many communities
400
Define ocean acidification and describe its consequence.
Ocean Acidification is the reduction in pH of the ocean due to increased carbon dioxide concentration. Carbonate ions are an important building block of structures such as sea shells and coral skeletons, thus, resulting in decreased biodiversity.
500
describe the roles of species in an ecosystem, including keystone, foundation, indicator, endemic, invasive, umbrella, and flagship species.
Keystone species: help determine the types and numbers of other species in a community thereby helping to sustain it; they have a much larger role than their abundance suggests
Foundation species: create and enhance habitats that can benefit other species in a community by physically altering the habitat
Indicator species: Species that serve as early warnings of damage to a community or an ecosystem.
Endemic Species: Native species that normally live and thrive in a particular community
Invasive Species: non native species that migrate, deliberately or accidentally introduced into a community
Umbrella species: Species that are prioritized for conservation because protecting them would “cover” all of the other species in the ecosystem
Flagship species: Species that are prioritized for conservation because they can draw attention to the ecosystem
500
Define the following: Overburden, Spoils, Gangue, Smelting, and Tailings.
Overburden - the layer of soil and/or rock material that sits on top of the target material
Spoils - once the overburden is removed, it is placed in large piles or heaps, now known as spoils
Gangue - the worthless material that is found around and/or mixed with the desired material and must be removed
Smelting - the extraction or separation of the target mineral from its ore through heating and melting; chemicals can also be used to dissolve the unwanted material (such as cyanide in gold production)
Tailings - The waste material left over after the target mineral is separated from the ore; sometimes known as slag
500
Describe how to reduce SOx and NOx emmisions.
Crushed Limestone (SO2): Calcium carbonate in limestone combines with SO2 to produce calcium sulfate, reducing the SO2 being emitted.
Fluidized Bed Combustion (NOx):Jets of air bring more O2 into rxn, making combustion more efficient and bringing SO2 into more contact with calcium carbonate in limestone --> also allows coal to be combusted at lower temp, which emits less NOx
500
Describe disadvantages of groundwater overpumping.
Groundwater overpumping can cause land to sink, and contaminate freshwater aquifers near coastal areas with saltwater.
500
Describe the characteristics of invasive species.
