Human Systems
E.g. intrinsic value, future uses, value for future generations.
Non-use valuation
The loss of ice caps due to the enhanced greenhouse effect is reducing the amount of reflective land surface for solar radiation. This is causing the more solar radiation to be absorbed, causing the temperature to continue to rise. This is what type of feedback loop?
Positive Feedback- it is causing the system to become unstable, leading to a tipping point that will cause a new equilibrium.
The loss of green areas to desert-like conditions is called what?
Desertification
Some causes- changes in agriculture (increase in livestock herds)
Impacts- loss of usable soil, increased hunger, reduced crop yields, falling incomes, reductions in soil moisture.
The transformation of ice directly to water vapor.
Sublimation
Anaerobic bacteria in water logged soils convert nitrogen containing compounds into nitrogen gas. This process is called...?
Denitrification.
In contrast to the linear model of consumption (take, make, use, dump), this model is more sustainable and is based on the idea that the resources on earth are finite.
Circular economy
Outline the main purpose of stratospheric ozone.
Protection from incoming UV Radiation that can cause skin cancer, eye damage, reduced photosynthesis, etc.
State the 5 horizons of soil.
O- organic horizon
A- mixed mineral/organic
E- eluvial (transport of soil material downwards) or leached horizon
B- illuvial (accumulation of eluvial soil) or deposited horizon.
C- bedrock or parent material.
This is a method of catching shellfish and bottom feeding fish by dragging a bar along the sea bottom. This method is effective in gathering these organisms, but also destroys the habitat and results in a high amount of bycatch. What technique is this?
Bottom trawling/dredging.
Systematic- you are talking to every 3rd student.
Could argue stratified as well because they are asking only high school students.
The demographic transition model shows the pattern of decline in mortality and fertility of a country as a result of social and economic development.
Stage 1: high stationary, Stage 2: early expanding, Stage 3: late expanding, Stage 4: low stationary, Stage 5: declining.
Determine where a MEDC falls on this and support.
Stage 4; low birth and death rates, industrialized countries. Stable population sized.
Stage 5: Population is not being replaced as fertility rate is low. Problems with aging workforce.
Outline the role of the 1987 Montreal Protocol on the environmental issue of stratospheric ozone loss.
Educated the public about the negative impacts of CFC's.
Provided incentives for countries to find alternatives.
Technology designed to create alternatives (but typically the alternatives are HCFC's which are still ODS or HFC's which are greenhouse gases).
Distinguish between food waste between MEDC's and LEDC's
MEDC: occurs at household level or retail (due to sell by or best before regulations). Over-purchasing or over-selling.
LEDC: occurs due to lack of storage or refrigeration. Lower transportation infrastructure.
State 3 causes of the loss of usable water from aquifers (e.g. the Ogallala)
Pollution (runoff), over-extraction for domestic, agricultural or industrial use, decrease in rainfall.
As energy is passed from lower trophic levels to higher trophic levels, the disorder of the system increases, reducing the amount of energy available to do work. What is the disorder called?
Entropy- this is the 2nd law of thermodynamics.
Calculate the crude birth rate (CBR) for a country with the following data....
# of births= 59,000
total population = 4,000,000
CBR = (59,000/4,000,000) * 1000
=14.75
Nitrogen oxides are released from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars. The reaction of nitrogen oxides with volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere create tropospheric ozone. The tropospheric ozone is an example of what type of pollutant?
Secondary pollutant
Intensive cattle feed lots in California are meant to produce a high amount of product that can be sold and purchased for profit. What type of terrestrial food production system is this?
Commercial
In comparison, there is subsistence/peasant farming-- where products are consumed by those who grow them.
What are some impacts of the development of dams on the Colorado River?
Loss of species, hydrology (decrease in water flow rate), geology (change in shape of the soil, rock), loss of indigenous lands and culture, loss of water availability to countries/states down river (Mexico).
Inequitable distribution- access of water to the rich.
This is the total gain in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time by green plants after allowing for losses to respiration. It is measured using the increase in biomass of a plant.
Net Primary Productivity
NPP = GPP - R
...where GPP is gross primary productivity and R is respiratory losses.
Outline 1 reason for and 1 reason against industrialization.
FOR:
Standard of living increases
More jobs
Better nutrition
AGAINST:
Going into debt to finance industrialization
Increased pollution
Destruction of culture
Outline 3 impacts of acidification on ecosystems.
1) Uptake of toxic aluminium ions from soils by trees, reducing leaf growth in coniferous trees.
2) Loss of fungi, bacteria and earthworms.
3) Runoff into water systems that impact fish and other aquatic organisms.
Outline how climate change is causing an increase in infertile soil.
1) Salinization- sea level rise.
2) Desertification- less rainfall, higher temperatures.
Ecosystem- less light availability, decrease in oxygen availability (due to increase in bacteria), hypoxia, net primary productivity is higher (due to algal or bacteria blooms), length of food chain decreases, fish populations decrease.
Human- financial impact (agriculture, fish, clean up), health issues (stomach cancer and pregnancy risks from consumption).
Species diversity is measured by 2 variables- the number of species and their relative proportions. What are the vocabulary terms for these?
Richness- how many species are in an area.
Evenness- the proportions of each species.