Environmental Science Overview

Environmental Science as an Interdisciplinary Field

• Environmental science combines various scientific disciplines, including ecology, economics, biology, and political science.

Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources

• Renewable resources: Naturally replenish at a rate at least equal to their rate of consumption. Examples: solar energy, wind energy, hydro power, tides, and sustainably harvested timber.
• Non-renewable resources: Form at a rate much slower than their rate of consumption, thus potentially depleting them. Examples: coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy (uranium).

Resource Consumption Over Time

• Human resource consumption has significantly increased alongside population growth.

Economics and the Environment

• Economic production relies heavily on environmental resources.
• Increased resource extraction from the environment can negatively impact the environment.

Plant and Animal Migration Due to Global Warming

• Changing climates and rising temperatures are forcing plant and animal species to migrate to more suitable habitats.
• Examples include birds moving further north during migration for cooler temperatures.

Greenhouse Gases

• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide
• Ozone

Fossil Fuels

• Fossil fuels are nonrenewable, formed from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals.
• Types: coal, oil, natural gas.

Climate Change Consequences

• Rising global temperatures
• More extreme weather events (hurricanes, droughts, storms)
• Loss of biodiversity
• Increased health risks (heat stress, spread of disease)

Factors Determining Climate Conditions

• Latitude
• Earth's tilt
• Temperature
• Precipitation

Environmental Science Solutions

• The ban on DDT helped to recover the bald eagle population, which had declined due to weakened eggs resulting from DDT's movement through the ecosystem.

Water Shortages Despite Abundance

• A small percentage of Earth's water is fresh and easily accessible.
• Water distribution is uneven globally, some areas experience more rainfall while other areas require special water management.
• Competition and conflicts over water resources arise.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

• Use energy-efficient appliances.
• Conserve water (shorter showers).
• Reduce waste (less plastic, recycling).

Human Sprawl and CO2 Emissions

• Human sprawl increases driving distances, leading to higher fuel consumption and increased CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion.

Primary vs. Secondary Succession

• Primary succession: Occurs on bare, newly exposed surfaces with no existing soil (e.g., volcanic rock). Requires the development of soil by pioneer species.
• Secondary succession: Occurs in areas that have been disturbed but retain some soil from a previous ecosystem (e.g., after a forest fire).

Biomass, Energy, and Organisms in Food Webs

• Biomass and available energy decrease as you move up a food web from producers.
• There are always more producers than any other trophic level in an ecosystem.

Factors Affecting Primary Productivity

• Light intensity
• Water availability
• Temperature
• Nutrient levels
• High net primary productivity: tropical rainforests
• Low net primary productivity: deserts

Types of Biodiversity

• Genetic diversity: variation within a species.
• Species diversity: variety of different species in an area.
• Ecosystem diversity: different ecosystems within a region.

Causes of Biodiversity Loss

• Climate change
• Invasive species
• Pollution
• Habitat loss (leading cause)

Population Changes with High Life Expectancy and Low Infant Mortality

• Population size increases with longer lifespans and lower infant mortality rates.

Water Treatment and Infectious Disease

• Water treatment plants filter and disinfect water to remove infectious agents.
• Treatment steps include filtering and disinfection to kill bacteria.
• Stored water reservoirs are routinely monitored.

Hunting, Harvesting and Biodiversity

• Hunting/harvesting specific harmful species can increase biodiversity in areas overrun with harmful invasive species.

Ecotourism Costs and Benefits

• Costs: overtourism, wildlife destruction.
• Benefits: economic development for local communities, environmental conservation, and environmental education.

Single-Species Management vs. Ecosystem Diversity Protection

• Management of specific endangered species (e.g., Endangered Species Act, captive breeding programs, habitat restoration) focuses on individual species.
• Protecting entire ecosystems considers various interacting species and environmental factors.

Biodiversity Protection in the United States

• US Endangered Species Act (ESA): protects endangered and threatened species.
• Wildlife reserves and national parks.

"The Dose Makes the Poison"

• The effect of a substance depends on the amount consumed or absorbed. Anything can be harmful in excessive amounts.

Hazards to Human Health

• Chemical hazards: lead paint exposure
• Biological hazards: contracting salmonella
• Physical hazards: loud noises
• Ergonomic hazards: prolonged computer use

Urbanization Drivers

• Job opportunities
• Access to education and healthcare
• Public transportation and convenience
• Recreation and entertainment

Vocabulary Terms (Concepts)

• Environmentalism: social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world.
• Ethics: study of moral principles.
• Cost-benefit analysis: comparing the costs and benefits of a decision.
• Geosphere: Earth's rocky parts (above and below the surface).
• Hydrosphere: Earth's water.
• Atmosphere: Earth's gaseous envelope.
• Biosphere: Earth's living components and their environments.
• Biogeochemical cycles: nutrient movement through the environment.
• Feedback loop: describes cause-and-effect relationships in systems.
• Global warming: increased Earth's surface temperature.
• Carbon footprint: total CO2 emissions from an individual, group, or region.
• Ecosystem: all living organisms and their physical interactions in an area.
• Habitat: specific area where an organism lives.
• Fresh vs. saline/brackish water: varying salt levels in water.
• Resource partitioning: different species sharing common resources.
• Biomass: total living organic matter at a trophic level.
• Biome: grouping of ecosystems with similar conditions.
• Net primary productivity: organic matter remaining after cellular respiration.
• Extirpation: local extinction.
• Captive breeding: breeding organisms in controlled conditions.
• Species survival plan: zoo/aquarium plan to protect a species.
• Biodiversity hotspot: area with high native biodiversity.
• Endangered Species Act: US law protecting biodiversity.
• Wildlife corridor: habitat connection across an area.
• Age structure diagrams: graphical representations of population age distributions.
• Life expectancy: average lifespan.
• Population density: number of individuals/unit area.
• Carrying capacity: maximum population an environment can support.
• Demographic transition model: theory of population change with decreasing birth and death rates.
• Invasive species: non-native species that take over an area.
• Toxicology: study of poisons.
• Infectious disease: disease caused by pathogens.
• Carcinogens: cancer-causing substances.
• Teratogens: substances that harm embryonic development.
• Neurotoxins: substances that damage the nervous system.
• Epidemiology: study of disease occurrence.
• Urbanization: population shift to cities.
• Green building design: sustainable building practices.
• Sprawl: outward expansion of low-density development.