Download Chapter 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability

Chapter 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
1.
Define exponential growth. Describe the connection between exponential growth and environmental problems.
2.
Distinguish between solar capital and natural capital. Evaluate the significance of these forms of capital in the
development of human societies.
3.
Distinguish between living on principal and living on interest. Analyze which of these behaviors humans are
currently illustrating. Evaluate the possibility of continuing to live in our current style.
4.
Define globalization. What factors affect globalization? Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of
globalization.
5.
Distinguish between developed countries and developing countries. Describe changes in the wealth gap
between these groups of countries.
6.
Distinguish between the following terms: physically depleted and economically depleted resources;
nonrenewable, renewable, and potentially renewable resources; reuse and recycle. Draw a depletion curve.
Explain how recycling and reuse affect depletion time.
7.
Define sustainable yield. Describe the relationship between sustainable yield and environmental degradation.
Describe the tragedy of the commons. Summarize how most environmentalists alleviate this type of tragedy.
8.
Distinguish between the following terms: point source of pollution and nonpoint source of pollution;
persistent, nonpersistent, and nondegradable pollutants. Distinguish between pollution prevention and
pollution cleanup. Evaluate the effectiveness of these two approaches in decreasing pollution.
9.
Summarize underlying causes of environmental problems. Describe a simple model of relationships among
population, resource use, technology, environmental degradation, and pollution. Evaluate which model is most
useful to you. Assess which model would be most useful in explaining these relationships to young children
and which more closely resembles reality.
10. Understand the cultural changes that have increased the human impact on the natural environment.
11. Summarize strategies humans can use to work closely with the earth.
Key Terms (Terms are listed in the same font style as they appear in the text.)
affluenza (p. 19)
biodiversity (p. 6)
ecological footprint (p. 13)
ecology (p. 7)
environmental degradation (p. 12)
environmental ethics (p. 22)
environmental worldview (p. 22)
environmentally sustainable economic
development (p. 10)
environmentally sustainable society (p. 9)
exponential growth (p. 6)
free access resources (p. 12)
globalization (p. 10)
gross domestic product (GDP) (p. 10)
input pollution control (p. 16)
Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
law of progressive simplification (p. 19)
living sustainably (p. 9)
malnutrition (p. 18)
natural capital (p. 8)
stewardship worldview (p. 23)
sustainability (durability) (p.8)
sustainable yield (p. 12)
solar capital (p. 8)
sound science (p. 9)
tragedy of the commons (p. 12)
nonpoint sources (p. 15)
nonrenewable resources (p. 14)
output pollution control (p. 16)
per capita GDP (p. 10)
point sources (p. 15)
1
11
Chapter 2: Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy
Objectives
1.
Describe how science works. Distinguish between frontier and consensus science. Summarize the limits of
environmental science.
2.
Define matter. Distinguish between forms of matter and quality of matter.
3.
Define energy. Distinguish between forms of energy and quality of energy.
4.
Define and explain mathematical models and how they are useful in predicting the behavior of a complex
system.
5.
Describe synergistic interactions within a complex system.
6.
Describe how the law of conservation of matter and the law of conservation of energy govern normal physical
and chemical changes. Briefly describe the second law of energy (thermodynamics).
7.
Define radioactivity. Distinguish between natural radioactivity, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
8.
Define high-throughput economy. Explain where you would expect to see this type of economy.
9.
Define low-throughput economy. Explain where you would expect to see this type of economy.
10. Compare the sustainability of the two different types of economies for future generations of people.
Key Terms (Terms are listed in the same font style as they appear in the text.)
atomic number (p. 35)
biodegradable pollutants (p. 40)
chlorinated hydrocarbons (p. 37)
complex carbohydrates (p. 37)
consensus science (p. 32)
control group (p. 31)
controlled experiment (p. 31)
controlled nuclear fusion (p. 41)
critical mass (p. 41)
degradable (nonpersistent) pollutants (p. 40)
discontinuity (p. 34)
electromagnetic radiation (p. 43)
energy efficiency (p. 46)
energy productivity (p. 46)
energy quality (p. 44)
environmental threshold (p. 34)
experimental group (p. 31)
feedback loop (p. 33)
first law of thermodynamics (p. 45)
half-life (p. 40)
high-quality energy (p. 44)
high-quality matter (p. 38)
high-throughput economies (p. 46)
junk science (p. 32)
low-quality energy (p. 44)
Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy
low-quality matter (p. 38)
low-throughput economy (p. 46)
material efficiency (p. 38)
multivariable analysis (p. 31)
natural radioactive decay (p. 40)
negative feedback loop (p. 33)
nuclear fission (p. 40)
nuclear fusion (p. 41)
parts per million (ppm) (p. 40)
peer review (p. 30)
positive feedback loop (p. 33)
radioactive isotopes (radioisotopes) (p. 40)
resource productivity (p. 38)
scientific (natural) law (p. 30)
scientific theory (p. 30)
second law of thermodynamics (p. 45)
sinks (p. 46)
slowly degradable (persistent) pollutants (p. 40)
syllogism (p. 31)
synergistic interaction (p. 34)
synergy (p. 34)
threshold level (p. 33)
throughputs (p. 33)
uncontrolled nuclear fusion (p. 41)
variables (factors) (p. 31)
11
Chapter 3: Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work
Objectives
1.
Define ecology. List and distinguish among five levels of organization of matter that are the focus of the realm
of ecology.
2.
List the characteristics of life.
3.
Distinguish among lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and ecosphere. Briefly describe how the sun,
gravity, and nutrient cycles sustain life on Earth. Compare the flow of matter and the flow of energy through
the biosphere.
4.
Define soil horizon. Briefly describe six soil layers. Using Figure 4-25 on p. 73 in the text, compare soil
profiles of five important soil types.
5.
Describe a fertile soil. In doing so, be sure to refer to soil texture, porosity, loam, and acidity.
6.
Distinguish between an open system and a closed system. Name and describe three types of biogeochemical
cycles.
7.
Define abiotic component of an ecosystem. List three important physical factors and three important chemical
factors that have large effects on ecosystems.
8.
Summarize the law of tolerance. Compare limiting factors in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
9.
Define biotic component of an ecosystem. Distinguish between producers and consumers. List and distinguish
four types of consumers. Distinguish among scavengers, detritus feeders and decomposers. Distinguish
between photosynthesizers and chemosynthesizers; aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration.
10. Distinguish between food chains and food webs; grazing food web and detrital food web. Apply the second
law of energy to food chains and pyramids of energy, which describe energy flow in ecosystems. Explain how
there may be exceptions to pyramids of numbers and biomass, but not energy.
11. Evaluate which ecosystems show the highest average net primary productivity and which contribute most to
global net primary productivity.
12. Briefly describe the historical development and distinguishing features of three approaches ecologists use to
learn about ecosystems: field research, laboratory research, and systems analysis.
13. Define ecosystem service. List five examples of ecosystem services. Distinguish among three types of
biodiversity. Briefly state two principles to sustain ecosystems.
Key Terms (Terms are listed in the same font style as they appear in the text.)
abiotic (p. 56)
acid deposition (p. 75)
acid rain (p. 75)
aerobic respiration (p. 60)
aerobic respiration (p. 73)
ammonification (p. 74)
anaerobic respiration (p. 60)
aquatic life zones (p. 56)
aquifers (p. 70)
autotrophs (p. 58)
Ecosystems: What are they and how do they work?
baseline data (p. 80)
biological diversity (biodiversity) (p. 61)
biomass (p. 63)
biomes (p. 56)
biosphere (p. 53)
biotic (p. 56)
carbon cycle (p. 73)
carnivores (p. 60)
chemosynthesis (p. 60)
consumers (p. 60)
19
decomposers (p. 60)
denitrification (p. 74)
detritivores (p. 60)
food chain (p. 63)
food web (p. 63)
Gaia hypothesis (p. 78)
genetic diversity (p. 53)
gross primary productivity (GPP) (p. 66)
herbivores (p. 60)
hydrothermal vents (p. 60)
infiltration (p. 69)
leaching (p. 69)
limiting factor (p. 57)
limiting factor principle (p. 57)
lithosphere (p. 54)
mature soils (p. 68)
microbes (p. 52)
natural greenhouse effect (p. 74)
net primary productivity (NPP) (p. 66)
nitrification (p. 74)
nitrogen fixation (p. 74)
nitrogen-fixing bacteria (p. 74)
nutrient (biogeochemical) cycles (p. 70)
20
nutrients (p. 70)
omnivores (p. 60)
parent material (C horizon) (p. 69)
permafrost (p. 54)
Pests (p. 50)
primary consumers (p. 60)
producers (p. 58)
pyramid of energy flow (p. 64)
range of tolerance (p. 57)
remote sensing (p. 79)
salinity (p. 58)
secondary consumers (p. 60)
soil horizons (p. 68)
soil profile (p. 68)
soil texture (p. 70)
stratosphere (p. 54)
subsoil (B horizon) (p. 69)
surface litter layer (O horizon) (p. 68)
third and higher level consumers (p. 60)
topsoil layer (A horizon) (p. 68)
trophic level (p. 63)
troposphere (p. 54)
Instructor's Manual: Chapter 3