Scientific Method & Ecosystems
What is the difference between hypotheses and predictions?
Hypotheses need to be testable and falsifiable explanations for an observed phenomenon in nature.
Predictions state what will happen in an experiment if the hypothesis is correct. The action of predicting future events; a prophecy, a forecast.
Give an example of a negative and a positive externality.
Negative examples: illegal dumping in waterways, air pollution from vehicle emissions, neighbors having a house party with too loud music, LEAF BLOWERS (my advisor's least favorite thing in the world)
Positive examples: coffee shops offering free wifi, wetland restoration providing more greenspaces, native gardens, getting a flu shot/vaccine
What is the difference between ecosystem functions and ecosystem services?
Ecosystem functions are natural biological and physical processes that happen within nature, whereas ecosystem services are the specific benefits that humans get from those processes.
I want Yosemite National Park to be protected because of its intrinsic value.
What non-use value is this?
Existence
Radiative forcing =
energy in – energy out
True or False: The primary source of NO is from electric utilities burning fossil fuels
True
List the 4 types of environmental goods (hint: the ones on the excludable/rivalrous chart)!
Public goods, private goods, club goods, and common pool goods.
What are the 3 different types of diversity?
Alpha, beta, and gamma
Give an example of one policy instrument that incentivizes and one that disincentivizes.
Incentivizes: grants, rebates, tax breaks, vouchers, subsidies, buyout programs
Disincentivizes: taxes, price controls, fines, efficiency standards, limits
Does a blacktop playground have a high or low albedo?
Low albedo.
Albedo is a measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects. Surfaces with low albedo absorb more sunlight and reflect less, while surfaces with high albedo reflect most of the sunlight and absorb less.
List an anthropogenic impact that affects the hydrological cycle
1. Dams and river water abstraction
2. Deforestation and afforestation
True or False: Externalities only apply when it affects the consumers and producers in the transaction?
False (Why?)
Define the portfolio effect
Diversity stabilizes ecosystem properties.
List one issue with monetizing biodiversity
Patents are not on resources themselves, but on specific chemicals/compounds extracted.
Indigenous and local communities may not have the resources to challenge patents in the court system.
International laws that govern bioprospecting have loopholes
Massive discovery costs
Does not address root causes of biodiversity loss
Provide a real-world example of adaptive management.
Ecosystem-based fisheries management, California sea-level rise guidance, Highway 37 elevating the causeway
What makes observational studies different from manipulative experiments and models?
Not causal
Greenwashing is an example of what market failure?
Information asymmetry
What is the difference between community and ecosystem diversity?
Community diversity focuses only on living things (biotic components) and their interactions, while ecosystem diversity includes both living things and non-living elements (abiotic factors) like air, water, and soil across a larger area.
Non-use values can only be measured using what?
Stated preference (contingent valuation, WTP/WTA)
Define phenotypic plasticity
The ability of an organism to change its observable traits in response to different environmental conditions, without altering its underlying genetic code.
Is this a positive or negative feedback loop?
CO₂ Increase → Enhanced Photosynthesis → Increased Plant Growth → More CO₂ Uptake → Reduction in CO₂ Levels → CO₂ Level Stabilization
Negative!
Reason: The system counteracts the initial rise in CO₂ levels by enhancing plant growth, which then absorbs more CO₂ and helps to stabilize the atmosphere's CO₂ concentration. This negative feedback loop moderates the effects of increased CO₂ emissions.
What are the conditions for achieving efficient markets? (hint: there are 4)
1) No externalities
2) Properties of goods/services are excludable and rivalrous
3) Users have good information on the quality of the goods/services being traded
4) The market is competitive (no monopoly of buyers or sellers)
List the 5 main causes of biodiversity loss
Habitat destruction & degradation
Invasive species
Pollution
Overharvest
Disease
List one difference between Command-and-Control and Market-based Mechanisms
Along the lines of: Command-and-Control policies regulate behavior directly through mandatory limits and rules, whereas Market-based Mechanisms use economic incentives like taxes or tradable permits to encourage compliance.
If it is not sea ice, what contributes to sea level rise?
Land subsidence from groundwater extraction or natural compaction, tectonic subsidence, post-glacial isostatic adjustment, ocean circulation changes, changes in local wind patterns