Intro to Water Systems
What drives the hydrological cycle?
Solar radiation
What stage of development in a country would have easy access to fresh water?
MEDC countries like USA, etc.
What process drives most major aquatic food webs?
Photosynthesis by plankton
Outline 2 sources of water pollution.
runoff, sewage, industrial discharge, solid domestic waste
Name 4 storages of water on the Earth
Storages in the hydrological cycle include organisms, soil and various water bodies, including oceans, groundwater (aquifers), lakes, rivers, atmosphere, glaciers and ice caps
Name two factors that limit freshwater availability.
What international organization protects against atching salmon on high seas with drift nets in order to not have bycatch of birds and mammals?
NPAFC (North pacific anadromous fish commission)
What is the phenomenon of too many nutrients causing lack of plant growth and the death of animals due to the lack of oxygen?
Eutrophication
Name 5 flows of the water cycle
Evapotranspiration, sublimation, evaporation, condensation, advection, precipitation, melting, freezing
Outline the process of desalination.
seawater can be turned into freshwater, still expensive and relies on fossil fuel energy → raises waste management and climate change issues
Outline how our current culture surrounding fish consumption affects aquatic food production systems? Suggest one alternative.
Our current culture prioritizes human convenience over the aquatic ecosystems, disrupting food chains and fish. One alternative to this could be sustainable fishing with bans on overfishing.
Outline one effect of the burning of fossil fuels on marine life.
Ex: Particulates and acid rain that end up in the sea and poison ecosystems
Outline how one storage in the hydrological cycle decreases with urbanization.
Example answer: Glaciers decrease with urbanization because the advent of urbanization causes excess greenhouse gases to be pumped into the atmosphere, increasing temperatures. Increased temperatures melt glaciers.
Outline how an environmental value system of your choice might affect the issue of water scarcity?
Ex: An ecocentric might focus on preserving the biomes of specific regions and mitigating the effects of climate change on water scarcity. They will prioritize the ecosystems over the human lives and advocate for long-term sustainable practices.
To what extent may Iceland be used as a role model for sustainability by other countries?
How could loss of a coral reef ecosystem through coral bleaching and pollution impact a neighboring school of small fish?
Ex: The small of fish might have used the coral for protection against predators that they now do not have.
Example Answer: Trees act as carbon sinks through the process of photosynthesis. With excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, glaciers may melt and ocean levels may increase.
Ex: As global temperatures increase, so do the rates of drought as global warming alters precipitation patterns and causes greater extreme weather events. This can result in less access to water.
Suggest why the St Lawrence River beluga whale population has not recovered despite being given protected status in 1983.
Ex: The St. Lawrence River has faced pollution challenges, including industrial contaminants and agricultural runoff. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs and heavy metals can accumulate in beluga whales' bodies, leading to reproductive issues and weakened immune systems, hindering population recovery.
With your understanding of processes such as biomagnification, outline how pollution in water can affect human food consumption.
pollutants like heavy metals (e.g., mercury, lead), persistent organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, dioxins), and pesticides can enter water bodies, predatory aquatic organisms (e.g., fish, crustaceans) consume herbivores, leading to further concentration of pollutants in their bodies. humans may consume these animals