Download Ecology 2 Human Impact Study Guide answers Effect of population

Ecology 2 Human Impact Study Guide answers
Effect of population growth on environment:
Resource depletion
Increased pollution
Reach carrying capacity
Loss of biodiversity
Etc.
What is a resource?
Anything that needs to be consumed (or used) to obtain a benefit from it
What is a renewable resource?
Something that replaces itself within a lifetime
Trees, fish, wind, solar
What is a nonrenewable resource?
Something that can not replace itself in a lifetime
Coal, gas, oil
3 R’s
Reduce, reuse, recycle
How does deforestation upset the process of soil formation? What happens to the
soil if there is no vegetation?
Tree roots hold soil in place, tree leaves add organic material to the soil. Loss
of trees can result in soil erosion and less material to make new soil
Can energy be recycled? No , doesn’t go back to the sun, one way path through food
chains
What is direct harvesting? Removal of species from their habitat, can be
detrimental.
In what ways do people misuse land? Over farming, landfills, deforestation, slash
and burn agriculture
Why is habitat destruction so detrimental to the environment? Alters food chains
and food webs, loss of biodiversity, change in global climate
Why are imported species detrimental to a local ecosystem?
Out compete native species, they have no natural predators to control their
population growth.
In what ways do we pollute water?
Pesticide, fertilizers, litter, run off from parking lots, etc.
What is thermal pollution? Putting water into an ecosystem that is warmer or
colder then the ecosystem.
Why do plant sometimes grow more in polluted water? More fertilizer
What is the relationship between water temperature and dissolved oxygen?
Indirect, that means as the water temperature increases the amount of dissolved
oxygen decreases. What does this mean? Organisms that use dissolved oxygen
(fish) get less oxygen in warmer water. (see thermal pollution)
How do harmful chemical get in the water? Point source (we put them there
directly). Non-point source (they get to large bodies of water through runoff)
How does burning of fossil fuel affect the carbon cycle? More carbon, more global
warming, my get more oxygen with photosysnthesis.
Nitrogen cycle? Increased NOx, more N added
Water cycle? More acid rain due to NOx and Sox
What is acid precipitation and how is it formed? NOx and SOx from the burning of
fossil fuels mixes with rainwater, snow etc. Precipitation has always been acidic but
it more acidic today.
How is smog formed? Pollution and sunlight
What is the green house effect? The natural trapping of radiated heat, it keeps are
planet warm.
What is global warming? The rise in overall global temperature, it is believed that
increased use of fossil fuels is producing more CO2 , causing this problem.
What is the role of the ozone? To block harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun
What is a trade-off? A compromise
How are we trying to improve our relationship with the environment? R,R,R, Laws,
more fuel efficient cars, alternative energies
What is the eventual impact of detrimental impacts on biodiversity? Loss of
biodiversity.