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• Environmental science is Systematic study of our environment, and our proper place in it.
•
• There are five major fields of study related to Environmental Science, which are: Biology,
Chemistry, Earth Science, Social Sciences, and Humanities.
• Sustainability is the ability of the Earth’s various natural systems and human cultural systems
to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely.
• A critical component in sustainability is natural capital, which is the natural recourses and
natural services that keep us and other forms of life alive and support our economies
• There are two important things involved with natural capital, natural recourses and natural
services. Natural recourses are functions of nature that are essential or useful to humans.
Natural services are functions of nature, such as purification of air and water which support
life and human economies.
• There is a wide economic gap between rich and poor countries. 18 percent of the population
live in developed countries and those people use 88 percent of the worlds recourse use and
75 percent of the pollution and waste humans produce. 82 percent of the world population
live in developing countries and those people only use 12 percent of the worlds recourse use
and only create 25 percent of the pollution and waste produce by humans
• Ecological footprint: the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply
the people in a particular country or area with recourses and to absorb and recycle the
wastes and pollution produced by such recourse use.
• Every person in the world has some sort of ecological footprint and that is called the per
capita ecological footprint.
• The Earth has two types of recourses, renewable recourses and nonrenewable recourses.
• For humans to continually survive, the Earth has to continue to sustain us. Sustainable yield is
the highest rate at which a renewable recourse can be used indefinitely without reducing it’s
available supply is called sustainable yield. The problem is that we are using resources at such
a large rate that the available supply of recourses begins to shrink in a process known as
environmental degradation.
• The world’s ecological footprint is beginning to rise at a very steep rate and as a result by the
year 2060 we would need two earths to sustain humanity.
• The United States, Europeans Union, China, India, and japan are the countries that use the
most recourses and have the largest ecological footprints.
• Our ecological footprints have increased due to cultural changes, and the more recourses we
use, the larger the Earth’s population will grow.
Section 1.4-1.6 by Robert
Pollution = Anything in the environment that is harmful.
Point source pollution = identifiable source of pollution.
Non Point Source = Pollution whose origin is unidentifiable.
Biodegradable pollution = pollution that can be broken down
by nature.
Causes of Environmental Problems
1. Population increases
2. Unsustainable resource use
3. Poverty
4. Excluding environmental costs
5. Trying to manage nature without knowing enough about
nature.
1.4 – 1.6 continued
• Poverty = when people are unable to meet their basic needs
for food, water, shelter, health, and education.
• Four scientific principles of Sustainability
• 1. reliance on solar energy
• 2. biodiversity
• 3. population control
• 4. nutrient cycling.
• Pollution prevention = improvements in pollution control.
• Cleanup pollutants
• Pollution prevention.
Science, Matter Energy, and
Systems
By Nicholas Bloom
• The natural warming effect of the troposphere is
called the greenhouse effect.
• Biomes are large terrestrial regions characterized by
similar climate, soil, plants, and animals, regardless
of where they are found in the world.
• Permafrost is underground soil in which captured
water stays frozen for more than 2 consecutive
years.
• Forest systems are lands dominated by trees.
• Cold air is more dense than warm air, so cold air
sinks and warms while warm air rises and cools.
• Inductive reasoning involves using specific observations and
measurements to arrive at a general conclusion or hypothesis
• Deductive reasoning involves using logic to arrive at a specific
conclusion based on a generalization or premise
• Law of conservation of matter: matter cannot be created or
destroyed, only transferred
• Law of conservation of energy: otherwise known as the 1st law
of thermodynamics, this law states that energy cannot be
created or destroyed, only transferred
• Energy quality degrades with every use of that energy (2nd law
of thermodynamics)
• A system is a set of components that function and
interact in some way
• A positive feedback loop causes a system to change
further in the same direction
• A negative feedback loop causes a system to change in
the opposite direction from where it is moving
• Tipping point causes a fundamental shift in the behavior
of a system
• Synergistic interaction, or synergy, occurs when two or
more processes interact so that the combined affect is
greater than the sum of their parts
Chapter 3.1-3.3
(Zari Wilson)
3.1: What is Ecology?
Ecology is the study of how organisms
interact with one another and with their
physical environment of matter and
energy.
Ecologist study connections in Nature
•Eukaryotic Cells: have a nucleus
•Prokaryotic cells: do NOT have a nucleus
•Genetic Diversity: a variation in a
population
•Community/Biological Community:
consists of all populations of a different
species that live in a particular place
•Biosphere: consists of parts of the parts
of the earth’s air, water, and soil where life
is found.
3.2: What Keeps Us and Other Organisms
Alive?
Life is sustained by the flow of energy from
the sun through the biosphere, the cycling of
nutrients within the biosphere, and gravity.
•Hydrosphere: consists of all of the water on
or near the earth’s surface. It is found as
liquid water, ice, and water vapor
•The biosphere occupies those parts of the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere
where life exists
•Biomes: large regions such as forests,
deserts, and grasslands, with distinct climates
and certain species adapted to them
•3 factors sustain life on earth:
1.One way flow of high quality energy
2.Cycling of matter or nutrients
3. Gravity
3.3: What Are the Major Components of an Ecosystem?
Ecosystems contain living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components
Some organisms produce the nutrients they need, others get their nutrients
by consuming other organisms, and some recycle nutrients back to
producers by decomposing the wastes and remains of organisms.
• Limiting Factor: Too much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit or
prevent growth of a population, even if all other factors are at or near
the optimal range of tolerance.
• Primary Consumers: Herbivores (plant eaters)
• Secondary Consumers: Carnivores (meat eaters)
• Third and Higher level consumers: feed on the flesh of other carnivores
(ex: tigers)
• Omnivores: eat both plants and animals
• Decomposers: consumers that release nutrients from dead bodies of
plants and animals and return them to the soil, water, and air for reuse
by producers.
• Detritus Feeders: Detritivores (feed on the wastes or dead bodies of
other organisms.
3.4 – 3.6
Energy and Matter in
Ecosystems
By Julia Fox
• Organisms in most ecosystems form a complex network
of interconnected food chains called a food web. Energy
is transferred through the different trophic levels of the
chains, but much of the energy is lost. The percentage of
usable chemical energy that is transferred is called the
ecological efficiency. The average efficiency is 10%,
meaning that 90% of the potential energy is lost to heat.
• Gross primary productivity (GPP) is the rate at which an
ecosystems producers photosynthesize. Net primary
productivity (NPP) is the rate at which producers
photosynthesize minus the rate at which they respire.
(So, NPP = GPP – R, where R is the energy used in
respiration.)
ENERGY
• The water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur cycles are all
biogeochemical cycles, or nutrient cycles that are necessary in an ecosystem.
• Water is cycled through the ground, atmosphere, and organisms through
evaporation, precipitation, condensation, and transpiration (evaporation of
moisture from the surface of plants).
• Carbon is cycled though the earth by photosynthesis, respiration,
consumption, and combustion of organic material and fossil fuels.
• Nitrogen is cycled through nitrogen fixation, nitrification, ammonification, and
denitrification (all completed by specialized bacteria). Plants and animals
return nitrogen to the soil through waste and decomposition. Humans transfer
nitrogen through the use of fertilizers and burning fossil fuels.
• The phosphorus cycle does not include the atmosphere as the other cycles.
Most of the earth’s phosphorus is found in rocks and in ocean sediments. It is
often a limiting factor in plant growth.
• Sulfur is also found in rocks and deep beneath ocean sediment, and is often
released into the air by active volcanoes. Humans add sulfur into the
environment from burning fossil fuels that contain sulfur.
MATTER
4.1 (david)
• Biological diversity or biodiversity – is the variety of the earth’s
species, the genes they contain, the ecosystems in which they live,
and the ecosystem processes such as energy flow and nutrient
cycling that sustains all life.
• Species diversity – The number and abundances of species present
in different communities.
• Ecosystem diversity – Variety of genetic material within a species or
a population.
• Functional diversity – The variety of processes such as matter
cycling and energy flow taking place within ecosystem.
• Scientists have identified about 1.8 million of the 4 – 100 million
species on earth.
4.2
• Biological evolution – The process whereby earth’s life changes over
time through changes in the genes of populations.
• Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace independently proposed
the idea of natural selection but Darwin had evidence to prove it.
• Differential reproduction – enables individuals with the trait to
leave more offspring than other members of the population leave.
• Genetic resistance – The ability of one or more organism in a
population to tolerate a chemical designed to kill it.
• “Survival of the fittest” means “Survival of the strongest”, however
to Biologist , fitness is the measure of reproductive success not
strenght.
4.3
• The movement of the tectonic plates: The
location of the continents and oceanic basin
greatly influence the earth’s climate and thus
help determine where plants and animal can live.
• Second, the movement of the continent has
allowed species to move, adapt to new
environments, and form new species through
natural selection.
• Earthquakes can also affect biological evolution
by causing fissures in the earth’s crust that can
separate and isolate population of species.
Chapter 4; Section 4-6
Speciation, Species Diversity, and
Niches
4.4: Speciation
• Natural Selection can create entirely new species, through a
process called speciation, where two species arise from one.
• Speciation most commonly occurs due to geographic isolation
(physical isolation preventing one population to mix with
another) and reproductive isolation (mutation and change by
natural selection operate independently in the gene pools of
geographically isolated populations.
• Extinction, when a species entirely ceases to exist, affects how
many and what kind of species thrive on the Earth.
• Due to many anthropogenic environmental changes many
species become prematurely extinct, faster than their normal
rate of background extinction.
Species Diversity
• The number of species and the size of their
populations in a certain community or
ecosystem is known as species diversity.
• Species diversity increases in tropical areas
such like the equator, and decreases as you
move towards the poles.
• Species richness increases the productivity
and stability of an ecosystem.
Species play roles
• Every species has an ecological niche, or a distinct role they
play in their ecosystem.
• Generalist species, such as the cockroach have broad niche,
and can thrive in many different environmental settings.
• Specialist species have specific roles that are vital to the
ecosystem that they belong to, such as the Giant Panda
• Indicator species are species that give signs of early damage
to an ecosystem or a community.
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Chapter 5 (will)
Five types of species interactions-competition,
predation, parasitism, mutualism, and
commensalism
Specialist species have a narrow niche while
general species have a broad niche
Gause’s Law- no two species can occupy the
same niche
Biotic potential -capacity for population
growth under ideal conditions
• r- species, opportunists
high rate of population increase (Small, lots of
offspring, no parental care)
• K- species, competitors
Small number of offspring, reproduce later in life,
long life span (Large mammals)
• Ecological succession-primary: from scratch
(rocks),secondary: land has been disrupted (fire)
• Case study: sea otters- recovering from extinction,
keystone species and affected by oil and toxins in
the water
Chapter 6 (JURI)
•Birth, death, fertility, and migration rates are the factors that
determine population size.
•As birth rates have declined in developed countries, population
has increased due to people’s migrating into these countries.
• Women’s fertility rates have dropped but are still above the
replacement-level fertility around the world.
•Population size is profoundly affected by age structure. If
women are past their primary child-bearing ages, population
increase will be limited.
• If, however, the population has a large percentage of young
women entering their childbearing years, the potential for large
population increases is present.
• In general, the closer a country’s young women are to
15–40 years of age, the more potential for a rapidly
increasing population
• We can influence population size by encouraging
smaller families, by encouraging adoption of children
already born and discouraging new births.
• Population size is, also, affected by health care or its
lack; by epidemics (such as AIDS); by losses through
war, etc. Lack of prenatal care for expectant mothers,
failure to protect children from communicable diseases
(like measles) or wide-spread diseases (like malaria),
can contribute to a smaller population. In the past
economic development, family planning, and economic
opportunities for women have reduced birth rates.
• India and China have both made efforts to control their
population growth. China has been more successful because,
as a dictatorship, it has imposed restrictions on family size
with rewards and punishments for those who support or defy
the government’s direction.
• India, without a policy of coercion, has reduced its birth rate;
but the wish for male children and several children for the
care of old parents has helped to maintain a growing
population.
• Effective methods for slowing the growth of world population
include investing in family planning, reducing poverty, and
elevating the status of women.
Chapter 7
Kamal Patel
• Climate is an area’s general pattern of atmospheric
or weather conditions measured over long periods
of time ranging from decades to thousands of years.
• Air is heated much more at the equator, where the
sun’s rays strike directly, than at the poles, where
sunlight strikes at a slanted angle and spread over a
much greater area.
• As the earth rotates around its axis, its equator
spins faster than its polar regions.
• Prevailing winds blowing over the oceans produce
mass movements of surface water called currents.
• Greenhouse gases allow visible light and some
infrared radiation and ultraviolet radiation from the
sun to pass through the atmosphere.
• The natural warming effect of the troposphere is
called the greenhouse effect.
• Biomes are large terrestrial regions characterized by
similar climate, soil, plants, and animals, regardless
of where they are found in the world.
• Permafrost is underground soil in which captured
water stays frozen for more than 2 consecutive
years.
• Forest systems are lands dominated by trees.
• Cold air is more dense than warm air, so cold air
sinks and warms while warm air rises and cools.
8-1 and 8-2 Review Powerpoint
By: Khalid Ziad
Chapter 8-1
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The varying types of planktons are:
– Phytoplankton – They are drifting plantlike producers that support the aquatic ecosystem.
– Zooplankton – They are animal-like plankton that eat phytoplankton and are primary consumers.
– Ultraplankton – They are photosynthetic and responsible for 70% of the primary productivity near
the ocean surface.
The Benthos consists of oysters, clams, worms, and crabs. Basically, they’re the bottom-dwellers.
The Nekton of the aquatic ecosystems are whales, fish, and seaturtles. They are basically the strong
swimmers of the aquatic ecosystems.
The two types of systems are: deep and shallow
– Deep systems: They consist of a euphotic zone through which sunlight can penetrate. However,
these systems can easily be disturbed by the turbidity of the water (how cloudy it is) because of
algal blooms. They block out the sunlight and can cause coral reefs to die.
– Shallow systems: Nutrients are readily available to the producers in these systems which are
usually found in streams, rivers, and lakes, and thus they usually have a higher Net Primary
Productivity than deep systems.
Aquatic life zones are classified under two categories:
– Saltwater: oceans and their estuaries, coastal wetlands, shorelines, coral reefs, and mangrove
forests.
– Freshwater: lakes, rivers, streams, and inland wetlands.
Chapter 8-2
• Oceans provide nearly 12 trillion dollars in economical
services per year. This is close to the GDP of the US.
• The zone behind the open sea is divided into 2 parts,
the estuarine zone and coastal zone. The continental
shelf is also located here.
• The open sea is divided into the euphotic zone, bathyal
zone, and abyssal zone.
• Water temperature drops rapidly as you dive deeper
and pressure increases further.
• The ocean’s average NPP is low because it covers a
large space, but because of this fact it is the greatest
overall contributor to the Earth’s total NPP.
8.3-8.5
By: Carlos Carmona
Human impacts on marine ecosystems
and Coral Reefs
• Half of coastal wetlands lost to urban development
• Erosion of beaches due to coastal development/rising
sea levels
• At least 20% of coral reefs have been severely damaged
• Ocean warming, bleaching, damage from anchors,
fishing ,and diving
• By 2040, UP TO 80% OF WORLD’S PPL ARE GOING TO
LIVE ON OR NEAR COASTAL AREA!
• IMAGINE THAT :0
Importance of freshwater
systems(lakes, rivers, wetlands)
• Vital services provided: Climate moderation,
nutrient cycling, waste treatment, flood control,
groundwater recharge, biodiversity, food,
hydroelectricity, transportation, recreation,
employment
• BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY WATER!
• Define these MUST KNOW following terms:
oligotrophic lake, eutrophic lake, and cultural
eutrophication.
How have humans impacted
freshwater systems?
• Dams and canals fragment about 40% of the
world’s large rivers, thus destroying terrestrial
and aquatic habitats by reducing water flow and
increasing damage from coastal storms.
• Flood control levees disconnect the rivers from
their flood-plains.
• Addition of pollutants and excess plant nutrients
to nearby streams, rivers, and lakes.
• Wetlands have been drained or filled to grow
crops or have been covered with concrete,
asphalt, and buildings.
Chapter 9.1-9.2
colvin
• Humans have disturbed around 83% of the earths
land surfaces through filling wetland, converting
grassland, forest to crop land and urbanizing
areas.
• Background Extinction – Low levels of extinction
over 3.56 billion years.
• Extinction Rate – Percentage of extinctions
within a certain period aka year.
Ex.
One extinction per year 1/1,000,000 = 0.000001
Expressed as a percentage
0.00001 x 100 = 0.0001%
• Instrumental Value – usefulness to us in
providing many of the ecological and
economic services that make up earth’s
natural capital.
• 2 forms of instrumental value
• Use Value – Benefits us in for of economic
goods/ services, information, etc.
• Non-Use Value - (existence value) and
(Aesthetic value)
• Intrinsic or Existence Values
9.3:How Do Humans Accelerate Species Extinction? daniel
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HIPPCO: Habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation; Invasive (nonnative) species; Population
and resource use growth (too many people consuming too many resources); Pollution; Climate change;
and Overexploitation.
Migratory, mountain, island, wetland, Antarctic, Artic, and sea birds are especially at risk from climate
change.
The second biggest cause of premature animal and plant extinction is the deliberate or accidental
introduction of harmful invasive species into an ecosystem. Examples(Giant Toad, Zebra Mussel, Hydrilla,
etc.)
These invasive species don’t have no natural predators, competitors, parasites, or pathogens to help
control their numbers , so they end up disrupting the ecosystem.
Population Growth and the vast increase of excessive and wasteful consumption of resources has
eliminated vast areas of wildlife habitats.
Pollution also threatens some species with extinction. Pollution by pesticides has caused the deaths of
one-fifth of beneficial honeybee colonies in the USA, more than 67 million birds, and 6-14 million fish. EX
of pesticides DDT.
Climate change is also a great threat to wildlife. The increasing temperatures has caused the melting of
Artic ice caps leaving many of its inhabitants with out homes like polar bears.
Illegal Killing and capturing of wild species is a major threat to biodiversity. The poaching of endangered
animals has sprung a great demand in organized crime and illegal trade.
Bush Meat- a source of wildlife for food for centuries. An increases in bush meat hunting has led to the
extinction of exotic animals. Ex: gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee, elephant, and hippopotamus.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was designed to identify and protect endangered species in the USA
and abroad.
Precautionary Principle :When an activity can harm human health or the health of the environment, we
should take precautionary measures to prevent or reduce such harm.
5/22/2017
Daniel Carrillo 6th period
9.4: How can we protect wild Species from Extinction Resulting
form Our activities?
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International treaties such as the 1975 convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ( CITES)
can help to prevent the extinction of species. 172 countries signed it to ban hunting, capturing, and selling
of threatened or endangered species.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was designed to identify and protect endangered species in the USA
and abroad.
Few areas that have the concentration of a countries rarest and most imperial species are called
Hotspots.
Wildlife refuges were established to preserve wildlife area by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Gene or seed banks preserve genetic information and endangered plants species by storing their seeds in
refrigerated, low-humidity environments.
Precautionary Principle :When an activity can harm human health or the health of the environment, we
should take precautionary measures to prevent or reduce such harm.
Daniel Carrillo 6th period
5/22/2017