ESRM 100 Test 1 Essay Example

ESRM 100 Test 1 Essay Example ESRM 100 Test 1 Paper ESRM 100 Test 1 Paper How much has the population increased in the last 35 years? from 2.5 to 6.6 billion(more than doubled) Sustainability Use it, but dont use it up Carrying Capacity Maximum number of individuals of a species that can be sustained by a population by an environment over a long term Gaia Hypothesis global environment has been profoundly changed by life throughout the history of life on Earth, and that these changes have improved the chances that life on Earth will continue Principle of Environmental Unity Everything affects everything else Environmental Science Group of sciences that explain how life on earth is sustained, what leads to environmental problems, and how theyre solved. Ulitarian Justification Ecological Justification Aesthetic Justification Moral Justification 1 Economic/Survival 2 Value larger life suport functions of the environment 3 Beauty 4 Ones view of right and wrong System Set of parts that function together to act as a whole Things we need to understand to effectively manage natural systems Types of disturbances and changes that are likely to occur The time period which changes occur The importance of each change to the long-term productivity of the system Biota Biosphere 1)All living things within a given area 2)Region of earth where life exists Ecosystem A community of organisms and their local nonliving environment in which matter cycles and energy flows Ecological footprint the total area each person requires based on the resources used and the waste produced We may be consuming about 20% more of Earths biological productivity than is replaced each year Age structure proportion of the population in each age group Limiting factors to population growthshort-term intermediate termlong term 1) drought, energy supply, disease 2)desertification, pollutants,disruption of supply of unrenewable resources3) soil erosion, climate change, ground water Ways to create zero population growth Raising the first childbearing agesocial pressures to delay marriagebirth control and family planning Factors affecting carrying capacity food supplyland and soul resourcesWater resourcesPopulation densityTechnology Biochemical Cycle complete path a chemical takes through the earths four major reservoirs What are the earths four major reservoirs? atmospherehydrospherelithosphere(rocks and soils)biosphere(plants and animals) Flux amount that moves between sinks and sources How many elements are required for life? 24 Geological cycle Formation and change of Earths materials through physical,chemical and biological processes Consists of four sub-cycles -tectonic, hydrologic, rock, biogeochemical How much do plates move a year 1-12 inches a year What leads to plate movements? convection currents in earths mantle Tectonic subduction one plate being pulled under another Where is the earths water? 97% in the oceans, 2% in glaciers, 1% as landwater or atmosphere Drainage basin area contributing runoff to a stream or river How much of the earths water is freshwater? 2.4% What % of the earths atmosphere is nitrogen 80% Nitrogen fixation converts nitrogen to ammonia/nitrate Types of symbionts obligate symbionts absolutely necessaryfacultative symbionts helpful but not essential habitatniche habitat where it livesniche what it does for a living oldest fossils 3.5 billion years old ecosystem individuals of various species and their nonliving environment Ecosystems have 3 fundamentals characteristics structure(living and non living), proccesses and change gross production producing organic matter within the body net production storing some of the newly produced organic matter for future use what % of the land surface is occupied by agriculture 12% Biological diversity wealth of species that live on earth What four processes lead to evolution mutation, genetic drift, natural selection, migration Gene chemical information for a single characteristic genotype genetic makeup of an invidual or group Divergent Evolution single species evolving into two Ways in which extinction is caused hunting/harvestingdisrupting/destroying habitatsintroducing exotic speciespollution primary successionsecondary succession 1) initial establishment and development of an ecosystem where one did not exist2)reestablishment of an ecosystem following disturbances