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Environmental Science 1st Semester Study Guide
CHAPTER ONE:
1. What is environmental science? Compare it with ecology.
The study of how humans impact the environment; ecology helps environmental scientist
to understand how human actions affect things and their environment
2. What was an important effect hunter-gatherer societies had on the environment?
People who hunted for food, hunting animals and collecting plants; the environment was
affected by setting fires to prevent the growth of trees and by over hunting species to
extinction
3. What is the agricultural revolution and how did it change the environment?
Growing, breeding, and caring for plants and animals they used for food, clothing
housing, transportation and other purposes. Began to become domesticated
4. Identify three ways the Industrial revolution changed society. Include how it
affected human population growth.
Switching from animal power to fossil fuels increased the efficiency of agriculture.
Inventions such as the light bulb improved quality of life, increased use of artificial
substances such as plastics introduced new environmental problems; people were able to
travel more easily, get food more easily and were more healthy
5. Explain the difference between renewable and non renewable resources.
A natural material that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural process; a resource
that forms at a much slower rate than the rate it is consumed
6. Explain the law of supply and demand.
The price of oil is directly related to the rate of its production
7. What is an ecological footprint?
An indication of the productive area of Earth needed to produce the resource consumed
by that individual
8. What is the difference between developing and developed nations? Name one of
each.
Rapid population growth, poverty, and reduced life expectancy; lower average income,
simple and agriculture-based economic and rapid population growth
9. What is a sustainable world?
Indefinite existence of human populations in a healthy and prosperous condition
10. What is biodiversity?
The number and variety of species that live in an area
CHAPTER TWO:
11. What is the experimental/scientific method?
A series of steps scientist use to identify and answer questions
12. Define the term hypothesis? Why is it not just a guess?
A testable idea, that leads to your investigation; it is testable
13. What is an experiment? Why should it be repeatable?
Procedure used to test a hypothesis under controlled conditions; if the results of an
experiment cannot be replicated, scientists cannot trust the reliability of their conclusions
14. What is probability?
That chance that an event will happen
15. What is data?
Numeric information gathered in an experiment
16. Explain the roles of a control group in a scientific experiment.
The group that does not receive any treatment, does not change the outlook of experiment
CHAPTER THREE:
17. What four systems divide the earth? Explain each.
Geosphere (rock), atmosphere (air), the hydrosphere (water), the biosphere (living
Things)
18. What are seismic waves?
The waves that travel through Earth’s interior during an earthquake
19. What are the physical layers of the earth?
Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mesosphere, Outer core, inner core
20. Which of the earth’s physical layers is liquid?
Earth’s outer core
21. What is the Richter scale?
Quantify the amount of energy released by an earthquake
22. What are tectonic plates?
The underlying part of asthenosphere sliding across each other
23. What is a fault?
A break in the earth’s crust along which the blocks of the crust slide relative to one
another
24. What lies along the tectonic plate boundaries?
The largest and most active earthquake zones, mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes
25. What is the Ring of Fire?
Majority (75%) of the worlds volcanoes lie along the tectonic plates boundaries Pacific
ocean
26. What are two types of erosion? What do they affect?
water erosion - changes in land by water, erode coastlines, carve deep gorges
wind erosion - change landscape, blow soil away very quickly and erode soft rock
27. What gases make up the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere? What is the
percentage of each?
Nitrogen (78%) Oxygen (21%) Other (1%)
28. What are the four layers of the atmosphere? Describe each
Troposphere-layer nearest earth’s surface (we live here)
Temperature decreases as altitude increases
Stratosphere-ozone absorbs sunlight and warms the air
Temperature rise as altitude increase
Mesosphere----coldest layer
Thermosphere-layer farthest from the earth
Nitrogen and oxygen absorb solar radiation
29. Where do deep currents flow? What do surface currents affect?
Along the ocean floor
Influence the climate of the land they flow past.
30. What is the greenhouse effect?
Gases trap heat near the earth
31. What is radiation?
The transfer of energy across space and in the atmosphere,
32. Distinguish between condensation, conduction, and convection.
Condensation - Change from gas to a liquid
Conduction - Flow of heat from warmer object
Convection - Transfer of heat by air currents—hot air rises, cold air sinks
33. How does ozone in the stratosphere affect life on the Earth’s surface?
Ozone in the stratosphere protects life on earth by reducing the amount of damaging UV
radiation that reaches earths surfaces
34. Where is most of the fresh water on earth located?
Ice caps and glaciers
35. Name and describe each of the three major processes of the water cycle.
Evaporation-change form liquid to gas
Condensation—change from gas to liquid
Precipitation—water that falls to the earth’s surface, rain, sleet, snow, and hail
CHAPTER FOUR:
36. What is an ecosystem?
All of the organisms living in a area together with their physical environment
37. What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?
Biotic factors are living or once living parts of an ecosystem; abiotic factors are the
nonliving parts of an ecosystem
38. What is a species? What is the scientific name for the human species?
Group of organisms that are can mate to produce fertile offspring, homosapiens
39. Define population.
Group of organism of the same species that live in the same place at the same time
40. Explain the process of evolution by natural selection.
Natural selection is the survival and reproduction of organisms with particular traits.
Over many generations, natural selection eased to a change in the genetic characteristic
of a population called evolution
41. Describe the three steps by which a population of insects become resistant to
pesticides?
Many insects die when sprayed with pesticides. But those that survive have traits that
allow them to resist the pesticide. Those resistant insects produce offspring that are
resistant so the population becomes resistant
42. Name the six kingdoms used for classification.
Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, fungi, Protists, Plants, Animals
43. What is the purpose of fungi?
Breaking down the bodies and body parts of dead organisms
44. What are gymnosperms? What is another name used for gymnosperms?
Woody plants that produce seeds but their seeds are not enclosed in fruits
conifers
45. What are angiosperms and how do animals depend on them? How do they depend
on animals?
Flowering plants that produce seeds in fruit. Angiosperms depend on animals for
pollination and dispersal of seeds. Animals depend on angiosperms for food, building
material and fiber
46. What are the two kingdoms of bacteria? Describe these bacteria including where
they are found.
Archaebacteria – found in harsh environments, single-celled, cell wall, no true nucleus,
reproduce by dividing in half
Eubacteria – common, single-celled, cell wall, no true nucleus, reproduce by dividing in
half
47. What inherited trait increases an organism’s chance of survival and reproduction in
a certain environment?
Adaptation
CHAPTER FIVE:
48. Where does energy in food come from?
The sun
49. Describe the chemical equation for cellular respiration.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 ---- 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (ATP)
50. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
Food chain – sequence in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next
Food web – many feeding relationships that are possible in an ecosystem
51. How does energy move through most ecosystems on Earth?
Energy is transferred as organisms are eaten – only 10% is available - energy pyramid
52. What role do bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle?
Fix nitrogen – on the roots of legumes or in the soil
53. What is the process that breaks down food to yield energy called?
Cellular respiration
54. What are photosynthetic organisms?
Any organism that contains chlorophyll and can make its own food.
55. Define producer. They are also_____.
Producer – an organism that makes its own food - autotrophs
56. Define Consumers. They are also______.
Consumers – organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms - heterotrophs
57. Look at table 1 on page 127. List the types of consumers, their energy source, and
give an example of each
Herbivore – producers – cows
Carnivore – other consumers – lion
Omnivore – producers and consumers – black bears
Decomposers – breaks down dead organisms – fungi and bacteria
58. Give two examples of how carbon dioxide can be released during the carbon cycle?
Burning of fossil fuels, respiration of organisms, eruptions of volcanoes, weathering of
limestone
59. Name 2 ways that nitrogen in the atmosphere can be “fixed” or changed into a form
that is usable.
Lightning or nitrogen-fixing bacteria
60. Describe one way in which consumers depend on producers.
Food and oxygen
61. What are legumes?
Plants such as beans, peas, and clover
62. What is secondary succession?
Succession that occurs on a surface where an ecosystem has previously existed
63. Describe what role a pioneer species plays during the process of ecological
succession.
The first organisms to colonize any newly available area – make the area more habitable for
other species
64. Would a newly-formed volcanic island be a site of primary succession or secondary
succession?
succession
CHAPTER SIX:
65. What are biomes?
A large region characterized by specific types of climate and certain types of plant and
animal communities
66. Why does temperature limit which plants can grow in certain biomes?
Most species can only survive within a certain range of temperatures.
67. What type of forest has the greatest biodiversity?
Tropical rain forest
68. What are the main factors that determine weather?
Altitude, latitude, precipitation, and temperature
69. Define the tropical rain forest
a. Where are they located?
Located around the equator
b. What is the weather like?
Warm and wet – year round
c. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Greatest diversity on the planet
d. List and describe the layers of the rain forest. 4 layers
Emergent, canopy (upper and lower), understory
70. Which layer of the rain forest contains most of the animal life?
canopy
71. Define Temperate Rain Forests.
e. Where are they located?
North America, Australia, New Zealand
f. What is the weather like?
High humidity, moderate temperature
g. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Evergreen trees, mosses and lichens – animals - variety
72. Define the Taiga.
h. Where is it located?
Northern hemisphere below the Arctic
i. What is the weather like?
Winters are long – below freezing
j. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Needle-like leaves on trees (conifers), rabbits, rodents, wolves, foxes
73. Define the Savannas.
k. Where are they located?
Africa, Western India, Northern Australia, some parts of South America
l. What is the weather like?
Rain falls during rainy season which lasts for only a few months
m. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Herbivores – antelope, giraffe, elephant and predators grasses, shrubs and few trees
74. Define Temperate Grasslands.
n. Where are they located?
Large areas at the interior of continents – North American prairies
o. What is the weather like?
Hot summers and cold winters
p. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Grasses and wild flowers – no trees herbivores and some predators
75. Define Chaparral.
q. Where is it located?
Parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate (California, Spain)
r. What is the weather like?
Moderately dry, coastal climate, with little or no rainfall in the summer
s. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Low-lying evergreen shrubs and small trees, herbs, olive trees
Camouflage is a common adaptation – lizards, mule deer, quail
76. Define Deserts.
t. Where are they located?
Throughout the world – in or near mountain ranges
u. What is the weather like?
Receive less than 25 cm of precipitation each year
Wide range of temperatures from day to night (104 to near freezing)
v. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Have adaptations for conserving and obtaining water – cactus
Reptiles, insects, animals may be nocturnal and have thick, scaly skin or body armor
to help retain water
77. Define Tundra.
w. Where is it located?
Primarily north of the Arctic Circle
x. What is the weather like?
Cold winters – summers warm up a little – permafrost – permanently frozen soil- very
fragile biome
y. The climate is ideal for what type plants and animals?
Caribou, wolves, deer, moose, mice, rabbits, arctic fox, migratory birds, insects in
summer
Plants have shallow roots – flowering plants, mosses, and lichens
78. Name two adaptations that animals and plants might have to desert conditions.
Waxy covering on plants, shallow roots, animals have scaly skin to prevent water loss,
estivation, nocturnal animals
79. How is the tundra similar to the desert?
Less than 10 inches (25 cm) of precipitation each year
CHAPTER SEVEN:
80. What are phytoplankton and what role do they play in an aquatic ecosystem?
Microscopic plants – major food source, generally the base of aquatic food chains
81. What factors determine which organisms live in which area of water?
Temperature, sunlight, and nutrients
82. What are the three groups of aquatic organisms? Define each.
Plankton – drifting organisms that are the base of most aquatic food chains
Nekton – free-swimming organisms (fish, turtles, whales)
Benthos – bottom-dwelling organisms – may live attached to hard surfaces (mussels, worms,
barnacles)
83. What is eutrophication?
An increase in the amount of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem
84. What are the two types of freshwater wetlands? Define each.
Marshes – characterized by tall grasses Swamps – characterized by trees and shrubs
Both occur on flat, poorly drained land
85. What is an estuary?
An area in which freshwater from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean
86. Describe two threats to ocean ecosystems.
Waste from cities and industries, fertilizers, and sewage, overfishing and fishing methods
87. Describe two threats to coral reefs.
Global warming, oil spills, and polluting runoff, human activities
88. What are two threats to the estuaries?
Sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff
89. What is the purpose of a barrier island?
Protect the mainland and the coastal wetlands from storms and ocean waves
90. What are two threats to organisms that live in the ocean?
Waste from cities and industries, fertilizers and sewage running off the land (coastal
pollution), overfishing and certain fishing methods
CHAPTER EIGHT:
91. What is the calculation used for change in population size?
Change in population size = births - deaths
92. What is reproductive potential?
The maximum number of offspring that each member of a population can produce
93. What is exponential growth? What is necessary for a population to experience this
type of growth?
A population grows faster and faster (j-curve), plenty of food, plenty of space, no
competitors and no predators
94. What is carrying capacity?
The maximum number of organisms that an area can support for an indefinite period of time.
95. Define territory.
An area defended by one or more individuals – useful for space, shelter, food, or breeding
sites
96. Define competition and give an example.
A relationship in which different individuals in a population attempt to use the same limited
resource – both are harmed by the interaction
97. Define density dependent and density independent population regulation.
Density dependent – the more dense the population, the more organisms will die or be
affected (disease)
Density independent – it doesn’t matter how dense the population, a certain proportion of the
population will be affected (severe weather, natural disasters)
98. What is coevolution?
Species evolving adaptations over a period of time in response to long term interactions with
each other (reduce the harm or increase the benefit of the relationship)
99. Define mutualism and give an example.
A relationship in which both species receives a benefit
100.Distinguish between predation and parasitism and give an example.
A relationship in which one species benefits and the other is harmed (prey is usually killed) –
wolf and rabbit
A relationship in which one species benefits and the other is harmed (parasite lives in or on
the host – usually doesn’t kill the host) – tick and human
101.How does a niche differ from a habitat?
Niche – functional role or job habitat – location only
102. What determines how a species interaction is categorized?
Whether the species cause benefit or harm to the other species in the relationship
Chapter 9
Human population – How has it changed since around 1800? What led to these
changes?
Fertility Rates – Population growth rates – differences between these in developed and
developing countries
Infrastructure, arable land, trends and/or predictions for growth rates