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Environmental Science
A Study of Interrelationships
Tenth Edition
Enger • Smith
Chapter 1
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Environmental Interrelationships
Chapter 1
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Outline
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•
Field of Environmental Science
– Interrelatedness
– Ecosystem Approach
Regional Environmental Concerns
– Wilderness North
– Agricultural Middle
– Dry West
– Forested West
– Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast
– Diverse South
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The Field of Environmental Science
•
Environmental Science is interdisciplinary,
and includes applied and theoretical aspects
of human impacts on the world.
– A mixture of traditional science, individual
and societal values, and political
awareness.
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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems
•
Environment is everything that affects an
organism during its lifetime.
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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems
•
Most social and political decisions are made
with respect to political jurisdictions.
– Environmental problems do not
necessarily coincide with artificial
boundaries.
 Forest fires in Mexico affecting air
quality in Texas.
 Air pollutants from U.S. causing acid
rain in Canada.
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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems
•
International agencies such as the
International Joint Commission have major
bearing on environmental quality over broad
regions.
– Established in 1909, in part, to protect
boundary waters between the U.S. and
Canada.
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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems
•
First worldwide meeting of heads of state
directed towards the environment took place
at the Earth Summit (United Nations
Conference on Environment and
Development) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
– Most countries have also signed
agreements on sustainable development
and biodiversity.
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Interrelated Nature Environmental Problems
•
In 1997, representatives from 125 nations
met in Kyoto, Japan for the Third
Conference of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change.
– Kyoto protocol is viewed as one of the
most important steps to date in
environmental protection and diplomatic
diplomacy.
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An Ecosystem Approach
•
Ecosystem - Region in which the organisms
and the physical environment form an
interacting unit.
– The task of an Environmental Scientist is
to recognize and understand natural
interactions that take place, and then
integrate these with the uses humans
must make of the natural world.
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Regional Environmental Concerns
•
Most regions tend to focus on specific, local
issues that apply directly to them.
– In most metropolitan areas, the problem of
endangered species is purely historical, as
the construction of cities has destroyed
previously existing ecosystems.
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Regions of North America
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Wilderness North
•
Much of Alaska and Northern Canada can
be characterized as “wilderness” - areas with
minimal human influence.
– Much of this land is owned by
governments, thus governmental policies
have a large effect.
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Wilderness North
•
These areas have important economic
values in their trees, animals, scenery, and
other natural resources.
– Resource exploitation involves significant
trade-offs as these ecosystems are
sensitive to insults and take a long time to
repair damage caused by exploitation.
 Many short-term political and economic
decisions have failed to look at longterm environmental implications.
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Wilderness North
•
Native peoples in this area are sensitive to
changes in land use or government policy
that would force changes in traditional ways
of life.
– Increasingly sophisticated in negotiations.
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Agricultural Middle
•
Middle of North America is dominated by
intensive agriculture.
– Original, natural ecosystems have been
replaced by managed agriculture.
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Agricultural Middle
•
•
Tremendous economic value.
– Mostly private land - large economic risks.
Major non-point pollution source.
– Soil erosion and groundwater
contamination.
 Fertilizers and Pesticides
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Dry West
•
•
Characterized by areas where rainfall is
inadequate for agriculture, but adequate
enough to allow livestock production.
Because much of western U.S. is of low
economic value, most is still controlled by
the U.S. government.
– Encourages use by providing cheap water
for livestock and irrigation, cheap grazing
fees, and access for industrial
development.
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Dry West
•
As cities grow, conflict arises between urban
dwellers and ranchers and farmers.
– Increased demand will result in shortages
and resulting trade-off decisions.
 Low population density areas tend
towards wilderness character.
 Economic livestock vs. wilderness
preservation.
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Forested West
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•
Coastal and mountainous regions of western
United States and Canada receive sufficient
rainfall to allow coniferous forests to
dominate the landscape.
Government and commercial timber
companies own large sections of land.
– Historically, much of this timber has been
sold at a loss.
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Forested West
•
In 1993, USFS was directed to stop belowcost timber sales.
– Timber officials claim access to public land
is necessary to remain in business and
support the economy; conservationists
argue ecological and intangible values
outweigh economic values.
 Northern Spotted Owl has become a
symbol of conflict between logging and
preservation.
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Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast
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Great Lakes and Northeast are dominated by
large metropolitan complexes with large,
complex resource demands.
– Many older cities have declined, leaving
behind abandoned sites and environmental
problems.
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Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast
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One of the greatest problems is water
contamination from toxic materials.
– Bioaccumulation in food chain.
 Fish Advisories
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The Diverse South
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Microcosm of all other regions.
– Extremely rapid population growth in some
areas such as coastal regions.
 Pockets of extreme poverty.
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Review
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•
Field of Environmental Science
– Interrelatedness
– Ecosystem Approach
Regional Environmental Concerns
– Wilderness North
– Agricultural Middle
– Dry West
– Forested West
– Great Lakes and Industrial Northeast
– Diverse South
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