Systems & Cycles
In what form does carbon enter the lithosphere through the hydrosphere?
Calcium Carbonate
What is a CAFO and what animal did it start with?
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation and Chickens
What is the definition of environmental justice?
The principle that no community should bear more environmental burdens or enjoy fewer environmental benefits.
Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies adaptive radiation, and why?
• A. A blue jay species migrates to a new island and gradually increases in population without diversifying.
• B. A group of related plant species in a stable environment evolve gradually, with no significant speciation events.
• C. A species of monkeys colonizes multiple islands with different ecological niches, leading to the evolution of distinct species adapted to unique food sources and habitats.
• D. An orca population undergoes a genetic bottleneck
• C. A species of monkeys colonizes multiple islands with different ecological niches, leading to the evolution of distinct species adapted to unique food sources and habitats.
What is global climate?
the average weather conditions over a significant period of time for the planet as a whole.
In what form is Co2 dissolved in water?
Carbonic Acid (H2CO3)
What word describes an uncultured field that is unplanted to restore soil health?
Fallow
What did Elinor Ostron say?
Tragedy of the commons is not inevitable or created 8 principles for managing the commons.
What is the process by which a subset of a population diverge enough genetically to no longer produce fertile offspring when they interbreed.
Speciation
What cycle is involved with Ocean Acidification?
Carbon Cycle
The Haber-Bosch method
How does the cost of a Fair Trade product compare to the cost of a conventional product in terms of agriculture?
A fair trade product may cost more ( but is produced by operations that pay higher wages + better work conditions)
When and where did the first national people of colour environmental leadership summit happen?
1991 at Washington D.C.
Which of the following is least likely to impact biodiversity in the next 50 years?
A. Changes in global climate patterns
B. Increases in habitat fragmentation due to urban development
C. Cyclical temperature variations over geologic timescales
D. Introduction of invasive species across ecosystems
C. Cyclical temperature variations over geologic timescales
What are the 3 planetary boundaries that we have not passed?
Ocean Acidification
Aerosol Loading
Ozone Depletion
What is a diazotroph?
A bacterium with an enzyme that uses free nitrogen from the air along with hydrogen to produce ammonia.
What is the tradeoff of the Green Revolution in terms of crops
Crop yields have greatly increased but the expense of overall variety/diversity of crops grown.
In 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, what is that?
Directed federal agencies to identify and address "disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects" on low income and minority populations
In a fragmented landscape, biodiversity can decline due to “isolation effects” that reduce gene flow and increase inbreeding within small populations. Which conservation strategy would most effectively counter these effects and why?
A. Increasing tourism in fragmented habitats to fund conservation efforts
B. Relocating populations of isolated species to protected areas such as Zoos
C. Establishing wildlife corridors between fragmented habitats
D. Removing predators to reduce population pressures on isolated species
C. Establishing wildlife corridors between fragmented habitats
How are CO2 and Temperature related?
Higher CO2 ppm correlates with higher temperatures. Temperature increases due to higher CO2 concentrations as it absorbs and radiates heat. Moreover, temperatures increase causes more CO2 is released into the air through ice melting and more.
What are the specific steps in the more common nitrogen fixation process from the atmosphere to the biosphere?
Ammonification -> Nitrification -> Assimilation
Name the 4 steps of genetic engineering?
1) identify an organism w/ traits of interest
2) isolate the genetic trait of interest
3) insert desired trait into new genome
4) grow the GMO
What are 2 out 4 problems with simple living as a political act?
1. Assumes humans always and only cause harm
2. Incorrectly assigns blame to individuals
3. Accepts capitalism redefinitions of us from citizens to consumers
4. Logical end point to simply living as a political act is suicide.
Biodiversity hotspots contain a large number of endemic species and are prioritized in global conservation efforts. However, this focus has limitations. Which of the following limitations is most relevant, and what approach could address it?
A. Biodiversity hotspots often receive concentrated funding, potentially neglecting ecosystems with lower endemism but critical ecosystem services.
B. Hotspot conservation frequently leads to high rates of tourism, supporting local economies without environmental impacts.
C. Biodiversity hotspots are all located in tropical regions, neglecting biodiversity in temperate zones.
D. Focusing on hotspots often overestimates their impact on global biodiversity conservation.
A. Biodiversity hotspots often receive concentrated funding, potentially neglecting ecosystems with lower endemism but critical ecosystem services.
What are the systematic patterns in the shape of the Earth's orbit and tilt/rotation that alters the energy from the Sun that reaches the Earth callled?
Milankovitch Cycle