Download ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE- BIO130 Objectives for Unit 1

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE- BIO130
Objectives for Unit 1
CHAPTER 1
 Define environmental science and state its goals.
 Explain what is meant by the term sustainability. State the scientific principles of sustainability.
 Define natural capital. Distinguish between living off principal and living off interest. Analyze which
of these behaviors humans are currently illustrating. Evaluate the possibility of continuing to live in our
current style
 Distinguish between the following terms: nonrenewable, renewable, and perpetual resources;
reuse and recycle.
 Explain biodiversity. Briefly describe its four components. Analyze the relationship between
biodiversity and human life.
 Define sustainable yield. Describe the relationship between sustainable yield and environmental
degradation.
 Describe the "tragedy of the commons" and how it leads to environmental degradation.
 Describe economic growth and the wealth gap in regard to more developed (developed) and less
developed (developing) countries.
 Distinguish between point sources of pollution and nonpoint sources of pollution.
 Distinguish between pollution prevention and pollution cleanup. Evaluate the effectiveness of
these two approaches in decreasing pollution.
 Explain the concept of one’s ecological footprint.
 Describe early forms of agriculture. Describe changes that occurred in human population distribution,
employment, and relationships between societies as the Agricultural Revolution unfolded.
 Compare hunter-gatherer societies, agricultural societies, and industrial societies, focusing on
division of labor and power, the relationship of the population to food supply, the relationship of
humans to nature, the use of resources per person, and the environmental impacts of each
society. Project how a sustainable-Earth society would fit into this analysis.
 Explain the concept of globalization and describe the effects it has had on the environment since
the 1950s.
 Name the basic causes of environmental problems.
 Describe the concept of an environmentally sustainable society. Describe changes that would
have to occur in order for our society to become sustainable.
CHAPTER 25
 Compare the human-centered environmental worldviews with the life-centered and Earthcentered environmental worldviews. Focus on differences in beliefs about the relationship of
humans to nature, politics, and views about the success of the human species.
 List eight strategies that would help lead to a sustainable society.
 Explain the basic ideas behind a sustainability revolution.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE- BIO130
Objectives for Unit 2
CHAPTER 2
 Describe how science works and how values influence scientific thinking.
 Distinguish between science and technology.
 Differentiate between atom, ion, isotope, molecule, and compound.
 Name the subatomic particles, their charges, and how to determine the number of each for a particular
element.
 Define matter. Distinguish between forms of matter and quality of matter. State the law of
conservation of matter.
 Distinguish among physical, chemical, and nuclear changes.
 Distinguish between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
 Define energy. Distinguish between forms of energy and quality of energy.
 Explain the first and second laws of thermodynamics and give examples of each.
 Describe the implications of the laws of matter and energy for a long-term, sustainable, Low
Throughput Economy/Society.
 Define and give an example of a system. Distinguish between and give examples of positive
feedback loops and negative feedback loops.
CHAPTERS 13 & 20
 List the physical properties that make water unique.
 Compare the amounts of salt water and fresh water on Earth. Compare the amounts of frozen fresh
water and water available for human use.
 Define watershed and groundwater.
 Define aquifer and explain why aquifers are important.
 Describe four cases of water scarcity and four methods to increase water supply. State five ways to
prevent unnecessary water waste.
 Define floodplain. Explain how humans impact flooding and its resulting damage. List four ways to
reduce the risks associated with flooding.
 List nine common types of pollutants and give two examples of each. Distinguish between point and
nonpoint sources of pollution. Describe at least three strategies to reduce nonpoint source pollution.
 Briefly explain the differences among streams, lakes, groundwater, and oceans which vary in their
vulnerability to pollution.
 Draw an oxygen sag curve and illustrate what happens to dissolved oxygen levels in streams below
points where degradable oxygen-demanding wastes are added.
 Explain lake strata and differentiate among types of lakes with regard to their nutrient content.
 Name water pollution problems particular to oceans. Tell one way each might be prevented..
 Describe and distinguish among primary, secondary, and advanced sewage treatment.
 Summarize the artificial wetland (solar) sewage treatment approach to water purification.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE- BIO130
Objectives for Unit 3
CHAPTERS 3, 4 & 5
 State the characteristics of living organisms.
 Explain three life-sustaining factors of the earth.
 Define ecology, ecosystem, and biosphere.
 Distinguish between abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems.
 Define the following: organism, species, population, community, biome, biodiversity.
 Explain the difference between habitat and niche.
 Explain limiting factors and the range of tolerance. Give examples.
 Distinguish between the following: producer & consumer; autotroph & heterotroph;
photosynthesis, chemosynthesis & respiration; herbivore, carnivore, omnivore & detritivore.
 Distinguish among trophic levels, food chains, and food webs.
 Apply the laws of energy to food chains.
 Distinguish among and interpret data given in the pyramids of energy flow, numbers and biomass.
 Compare the flow of matter and the flow of energy through the biosphere.
 Explain the differences between gross primary productivity and net primary productivity.
 Apply the laws of matter to biogeochemical cycles. Discuss man's impact on these cycles.
 Define the following: native species, immigrant species, alien species, indicator species, and
keystone species.
 Describe and give examples of the following species interactions: competition, predation,
scavenger, parasite, mutualism, commensalism.
 Differentiate between and give examples of intraspecific and interspecific competition.
CHAPTER 10
 List five types of public lands in the United States. Explain the mission and principles of management
of each.
 Distinguish among old-growth forests, second-growth forests, and tree farms.
 Describe the current state of forests in the United States.
 Briefly describe types of tree harvesting and their environmental impacts.
 Differentiate between the two types of forest fires.
 Describe the current state of tropical forests. Describe the significance of tropical forests.
 Explain the root causes of tropical deforestation.
 Describe ecological restoration.
CHAPTER 9
 Describe the extinction crisis that currently exists.
 Distinguish between endangered and threatened species. Give three examples of each.
 Describe the economic, medical, aesthetic, ecological, and ethical significance of wild species.
 Describe why species become extinct. Describe ways that humans accelerate the extinction rate.
 Describe four methods which can be implemented to protect wild species from extinction.
 Explain wildlife management and conservation biology.
 List five ways individuals can help maintain wild species.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE- BIO130
Objectives for Unit 4
CHAPTER 12
 Explain food security and insecurity. Summarize food distribution problems.
 Explain the differences between chronic malnutrition and chronic undernutrition. Indicate how
many people on Earth suffer from these problems.
 Describe overnutrition and indicate its health implications.
 List the types of agriculture. Compare the inputs of land, labor, capital, and fossil-fuel energy of these
systems.
 Explain four methods of interplanting crops.
 Evaluate the green revolution in regards to its successes and its failures.

Describe the trends in world food production since 1950.
 Identify ten environmental effects of agriculture.
 Describe the possibilities of increasing world food production by increasing crop yields, cultivating more
land, and growing genetically modified food crops.
 Describe trends in the world fish catch. Explain two alternatives to overfishing marine fisheries and
describe the benefits and drawbacks of each.
 Explain the benefits and drawbacks of using pesticides on crops. Evaluate alternatives to pesticide
use.
 Assess the pros and cons of agricultural subsidies and current U.S. government agriculture policy.
 Describe a sustainable agricultural system. List ten steps that could be taken to move toward more
sustainable agriculture.
CHAPTER 15
 Explain the concept of net energy.
 Distinguish among primary, secondary, and tertiary oil recovery. List the advantages and
disadvantages of using conventional oil, oil from shale, and oil from tar sands to heat space and water,
produce electricity, and propel vehicles.
 Name the countries which have the largest known oil reserves and the countries that use the most.
 Evaluate the ability of the United States to meet its demand for crude oil by increasing domestic drilling.
 Distinguish among natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and liquefied natural gas. List the
advantages and disadvantages of using these energy resources.
 List and describe three types of coal. Indicate which is preferred for burning and which is most
available. List advantages and disadvantages of using coal as a fuel source.
 Briefly describe the components of a conventional nuclear reactor. List advantages and disadvantages
of using conventional nuclear fission to create electricity. Explain how and where nuclear wastes are
disposed.
 Explain the limitations of using nuclear fusion to generate energy on Earth.
CHAPTER 16
 Define energy efficiency and life-cycle cost. List the advantages and disadvantages of improving
energy efficiency so that we do more with less.
 Explain how we can improve the energy efficiency of automobiles and buildings.
 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using solar energy, hydropower, wind, and biomass
to produce electricity.
 Explain how solar energy is utilized to passively and actively heat homes.
 List the advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogen gas to heat space and water, produce
electricity, and propel vehicles. Name the energy source that is needed to produce hydrogen to create
a truly sustainable future.
 List the advantages and disadvantages of using geothermal energy to produce electricity and heat
space and water.
 Evaluate proposals to attain a more sustainable energy future.
 Apply the concepts from this chapter to identify ways to save energy in your own life.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE- BIO130
Objectives for Unit 5
CHAPTER 6
 Describe the reasons for the exponential growth of the human population throughout our existence on
Earth.
 Define birth rate, death rate, emigration rate, and immigration rate. Write an equation to
mathematically describe the relationship between these rates and the rate of population change.
 Describe factors affecting population. Utilize the proper equations to calculate crude birth rate,
crude death rate, and annual rate of population change.
 Explain how the rate of population change of a given country is calculated. Describe the trends in the
rate of world population change since the agricultural revolution.
 Define two types of fertility. Describe how fertility rate affects population growth. List factors that
affect birth rate and death rate.
 Define life expectancy and infant mortality rate.
 Compare rates of population growth in developed and developing countries. Briefly describe how we
can slow population growth.
CHAPTER 18
 Distinguish between weather and climate.
 Compare the role of ozone in the troposphere with the role of ozone in the stratosphere.
 List the classes of outdoor air pollutants. Distinguish between a primary pollutant and a secondary
pollutant.
 Differentiate between industrial smog and photochemical smog.
 Describe the variables which affect the frequency and severity of smog.
 Summarize four processes which act on pollutants that enter the troposphere.
 Describe temperature (thermal) inversion.
 Define acid deposition and give its effects. Explain how acidic particles are formed in the
atmosphere.
 Assess the significance of the problem of indoor air pollution. Name the most dangerous indoor air
pollutants.
 Evaluate the success of U.S. air pollution laws.
CHAPTER 19
 Describe how the sun’s energy heats the atmosphere (greenhouse effect).
 Name greenhouse gases that humans contribute to the atmosphere.
 Explain how humans have affected the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
 Define global warming (global climate instability or climate disruption).
 Briefly describe how global climate change might affect agriculture, water supplies, forests,
biodiversity, sea level, weather extremes, human health, and environmental refugees.
 Explain how humans can reduce the threat of global climate change resulting from human activities.
 Describe what is happening to ozone in the stratosphere.
 Describe what is causing changes in the ozone levels and the consequences of these changes.
CHAPTER 21
 State the quantity of the world's solid wastes produced by the United States. State the percentage of
solid waste produced in the United States that is municipal solid waste.
 Define hazardous waste and give examples. State the percentage of hazardous waste that is not
regulated.
 Summarize the sources, effects, and ways to deal with lead, mercury, and dioxin.
 Compare waste management and waste reduction approaches to solid and hazardous waste.
 Identify four goals of waste reduction. Explain five ways to reduce waste and pollution.
 List reuse strategies for refillable containers, grocery bags, and shipping pallets.
 Distinguish between closed-loop (primary) recycling and downcycling (secondary recycling).
 Distinguish between pre-consumer and post-consumer waste.
 Explain the main reasons for recycling our waste. Summarize the U.S. experience with recycling
aluminum, wastepaper, and plastics.
 Define compost and explain the benefits of using compost in landscaping.
 Describe a modern sanitary landfill. Summarize the benefits and drawbacks of burying solid wastes in
sanitary landfills.
 Explain what is meant by e-waste. Propose methods to deal with the increasing amount of e-waste
being produced by consumers.