Environmental Systems and Societies Overview
48 Questions
0 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

A simplified description of reality, designed to show the structure or workings of an object, system, or concept is known as a ______.

model

The first law of thermodynamics is the principle of conservation of ______, which states that energy in an isolated system can be transformed but cannot be created or destroyed.

energy

The second law of thermodynamics explains that energy is lost from systems when work is done, bringing about disorder, also known as ______.

entropy

A ______ equilibrium is the condition of an open system in which there are no changes over the longer term, but in which there may be oscillations in the very short term.

<p>steady-state</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] feedback loops are stabilizing and occur when the output of a process inhibits or reverses the operation of the same process in such a way to reduce change.

<p>negative</p> Signup and view all the answers

Major landmarks such as Minamata, Silent Spring, and Chernobyl, are key events that significantly propelled the modern ______ movement.

<p>environmental</p> Signup and view all the answers

An environmental ______ system is a worldview shaped by cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political contexts, affecting how individuals perceive and evaluate environmental issues.

<p>value</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ______ is the minimum amount of change within a system that will destabilize it, causing it to reach a new equilibrium or stable state.

<p>tipping point</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ______ worldview emphasizes ecology and nature as central to humanity, advocating for a less materialistic lifestyle and greater societal self-sufficiency.

<p>ecocentric</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use.

<p>sustainability</p> Signup and view all the answers

An ______ is the hypothetical area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population.

<p>ecological footprint</p> Signup and view all the answers

Individuals with a ______ worldview, often called Cornucopians, believe technology and human inventiveness can solve any environmental problem and continually improve living standards due to Earth's infinite resources.

<p>technocentric</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ______ is a group of individuals sharing common characteristics like geographical location, cultural background, or a shared value system.

<p>society</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ value refers to the inherent worth of something in its own right, independent of its utility or perceived benefits to others.

<p>intrinsic</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] represents the biological mass of the standing stock at each trophic level at a particular point in time, measured in units such as grams of biomass per square metre.

<p>Pyramid of biomass</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ______ approach involves visualizing a complex network of interactions, crucial for understanding ecological and societal relationships.

<p>systems</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] refers to the flow of energy through a trophic level, indicating the rate at which that stock/storage is being generated.

<p>Pyramids of productivity</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ occur when energy or matter moves and changes location but does not undergo a change in state.

<p>transfers</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the build-up of persistent/non-biodegradable pollutants within an organism or trophic level because they cannot be broken down.

<p>Bioaccumulation</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the increase in concentration of persistent/non-biodegradable pollutants along a food chain.

<p>Biomagnification</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is equivalent to the mass of glucose created by photosynthesis per unit area per unit time in primary producers.

<p>Gross primary productivity (GPP)</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the gain by producers in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time remaining after allowing for respiratory losses.

<p>Net primary productivity (NPP)</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the total energy or biomass assimilated by consumers and is calculated by subtracting the mass of faecal loss from the mass of food consumed.

<p>Gross secondary productivity (GSP)</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the rate of increase in natural capital that can be exploited without depleting the original stock or its potential for replenishment.

<p>Sustainable yield (SY)</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] biology attempts to exclude human activity in areas where humans have not yet encroached.

<p>Preservation</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the cumulative, gradual change in the genetic composition of a species over many successive generations, ultimately giving rise to species different from the common ancestor.

<p>Evolution</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] diversity is the range of different habitats per unit area in a particular ecosystem or biome.

<p>Habitat</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ______ is a group of populations living and interacting with each other in a common habitat.

<p>community</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the number of species in a community.

<p>Species richness</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is the largest crop or catch that can be taken from the stock of a species without depleting the stock.

<p>Maximum Sustainable Yield</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is a broad concept encompassing total diversity, including species diversity, habitat diversity, and genetic diversity.

<p>Biodiversity</p> Signup and view all the answers

[Blank] is where those more adapted to their environment have an advantage and flourish and reproduce but those less adapted do not survive long enough to reproduce.

<p>Natural selection</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ________ model consists of the polar cell, Ferrel cell, and Hadley cell, which together explain global wind patterns and pressure systems.

<p>tricellular</p> Signup and view all the answers

Climate change can cause ________ shifts as ecosystems respond to altered temperature and precipitation patterns.

<p>biome</p> Signup and view all the answers

The arrangement of communities in bands in response to environmental gradients is known as ________.

<p>zonation</p> Signup and view all the answers

During ecological ________, pioneer, intermediate, and climax communities replace one another over time.

<p>succession</p> Signup and view all the answers

The first species to colonize a barren environment form the ________ community, characterized by hardy, adaptable organisms.

<p>pioneer</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ________ community represents the final, stable stage of ecological succession, where the ecosystem is in equilibrium with its environment.

<p>climax</p> Signup and view all the answers

While ________ succession starts on previously uncolonized rock, ________ succession occurs after a disturbance like a forest fire.

<p>primary, secondary</p> Signup and view all the answers

To quantitatively assess biodiversity, ecologists often employ the Simpson Diversity Index, using variables such as N for total organisms and n for the sum of individuals in each unique ________.

<p>species</p> Signup and view all the answers

The process where water flows down in the soil, dissolving minerals and transporting them downwards is called ______.

<p>leaching</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ refers to a country's ability to secure all its energy needs.

<p>Energy security</p> Signup and view all the answers

Materials in soil are sorted and layers are formed by water carrying particles either up or down, a process known as ______.

<p>translocation</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ describes the conditions in the atmosphere over a short period of time whereas Climate describes how the atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time.

<p>weather</p> Signup and view all the answers

The business of agricultural production including farming, seed supply, breeding and food processing is known as ______

<p>Agribusiness</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ agriculture is farming for self-sufficiency to grow enough for a family.

<p>Subsistence</p> Signup and view all the answers

An increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere is ______.

<p>Global Warming</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ can occur when bodies of water receive inputs of nutrients which result in an excess growth of plants and phytoplankton.

<p>Eutrophication</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Environmental Value System (EVS)

A worldview that shapes how people perceive environmental issues, influenced by cultural, religious, and socio-political contexts.

Ecocentric worldview

A perspective that centers ecology and nature, emphasizing less materialism and greater self-sufficiency in societies.

Anthropocentric worldview

Belief that humans must manage the global system sustainably.

Technocentric worldview

Belief that technology can solve environmental problems.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Intrinsic value

The inherent worth of something, valued for its own sake.

Signup and view all the flashcards

System

A set of inter-related parts working together to form a complex whole.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Open system

Exchanges both energy and matter with its surroundings.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Transformations

Changes in energy or matter that alter its state or chemical nature.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Model

A simplified description of reality to show the structure or workings of something.

Signup and view all the flashcards

First Law of Thermodynamics

The principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Entropy

A measure of disorder in a system, increasing as energy transforms.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Positive Feedback Loop

A process that amplifies changes in a system, leading to instability.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Negative Feedback Loop

A stabilizing process that reduces changes in a system.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Tipping Point

The minimum change required to destabilize a system and reach a new equilibrium.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Pyramid of Biomass

Represents the biological mass of organisms at each trophic level measured in g m–2.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Ecological Footprint

The area of land and water needed to sustainably provide for a population's resource consumption.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Biodegradable

Capable of being broken down by natural processes.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Pyramid of Productivity

Indicates the flow of energy through a trophic level, showing generation rates.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Bioaccumulation

Build-up of persistent pollutants within an organism that cannot be broken down.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Biomagnification

Increase in concentration of persistent pollutants along a food chain.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

Total mass of glucose produced by photosynthesis per unit area per unit time.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Gain by producers in energy or biomass after respiratory losses.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Sustainable Yield (SY)

Rate of natural capital increase that can be exploited without depletion.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Biomes

Collections of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Species Richness

The number of different species in a community.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Species Diversity

The variety of species and their relative abundance in a community.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)

Largest amount of species that can be harvested without depleting their stock.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Biodiversity

Total diversity including species, habitat, and genetic diversity.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Habitat Diversity

The range of different habitats in an ecosystem.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Genetic Diversity

The variety of genetic material within a species' population.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Natural Selection

Process where species better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Evolution

Gradual genetic changes in a species over generations, leading to diversity.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Tricellular Model

A model of atmospheric circulation with three cells: Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Succession

The process of change in an ecosystem over time, from pioneer to climax communities.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Pioneer Community

The first species to colonize an area in ecological succession, usually hardy species.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Climax Community

The stable, final stage of ecological succession, in equilibrium with the environment.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Primary Succession

Succession occurring on uncolonized substrates like bare rock; starts from scratch.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Secondary Succession

Succession that happens after a disturbance in an area where a community previously existed.

Signup and view all the flashcards

r-strategists

Species that grow rapidly, produce many small offspring, and often inhabit pioneer communities.

Signup and view all the flashcards

K-strategists

Species that grow slowly, produce few large offspring, stabilizing in climax communities.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Eutrophication

Excess growth of plants in water due to nutrient input.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Salinization

Minerals left in the soil after water evaporates.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Leaching

Process of water dissolving minerals and moving them downwards.

Signup and view all the flashcards

LEDCs

Low economically developed countries with low industrialization.

Signup and view all the flashcards

MEDCs

More economically developed countries, highly industrialized.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Agribusiness

Business involved in agricultural production and supply chain.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Climate vs. Weather

Climate is long-term atmospheric patterns, while weather is short-term conditions.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Energy Security

A nation's ability to secure its energy needs reliably.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) Definitions

  • Environmental Movement Landmarks: Minamata, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Save the Whale campaign, Bhopal, Chernobyl Disaster led to pressure groups, stewardship concept, and increased media awareness.

Environmental Value Systems (EVS)

  • EVS Definition: A worldview or paradigm influencing how individuals or groups perceive and evaluate environmental issues. It's shaped by cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political contexts.
  • Ecocentric Worldview: Prioritizes ecology and nature as central to humanity, emphasizing less materialism and greater self-sufficiency.
  • Anthropocentric Worldview: Believes humans must sustainably manage the global system.
  • Technocentric Worldview: Believes technology provides solutions to environmental problems.
  • Cornucopian View: Views the world as having infinite resources and continually improving living standards aided by technology.
  • Society: A group of individuals sharing common characteristics (geographical location, cultural background, historical timeframe religious, perspective, and value systems).

Systems Approach and Concepts

  • Intrinsic Value: Inherent worth.
  • System: Inter-related parts working together to form a complex whole.
  • Systems Approach: A way of visualizing interactions within ecological and societal systems.
  • Biosphere: The part of Earth inhabited by organisms (upper atmosphere to deep crust).
  • Transfers: Energy or matter changes location without changing state.
  • Transformations: Energy or matter changes state or energy; change in chemical nature.
  • Open, Closed, and Isolated Systems: Open systems exchange energy and matter, closed systems exchange energy but not matter, and isolated systems exchange neither.

Environmental Value Systems (Detailed)

  • Ecocentrism: nature-centered, holistic view, emphasizing ecology and nature's importance. prioritizes biorights and self-restraint. Deep ecologists emphasize intrinsic value of nature. Self-reliant soft ecologists support small-scale community, localism (integration of work/leisure), participation and a less materialistic approach.
  • Anthropocentrism: people-centered, believes humans must manage the global system sustainably. Emphasizes consensus, pragmatic solutions for environmental problems.
  • Technocentrism: technology-centered, optimistic about the power of technology to fix environmental problems. Encourages scientific research and control of systems. Pro-growth agenda.
  • Cornucopians: optimistic in humans’ ability to overcome problems, believing in pro-growth goals, technological progress, and resource abundance.

Core Concepts (Models, laws, etc.)

  • Models: Simplified descriptions of reality, used to depict structure or workings of a system.
  • First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy within an isolated system can be transformed but not created or destroyed.
  • Second Law of Thermodynamics: Energy is lost from a system as work is done (increase in disorder which is entropy, which leads to less energy being available).
  • Entropy: Measures disorder. Increase as energy is transformed.
  • Steady-State Equilibrium: Open system's condition with no long-term change but potential for oscillation in short-term.
  • Stable Equilibrium: System tends to return to its previous state after disturbance.
  • Feedback Loops: Stabilizing negative loops; destabilizing positive feedback loops amplify changes.
  • Tipping Point: Minimum change causing a system to move into a new equilibrium state/unstable state.
  • Sustainability: Use/management of resources allowing for natural replacement and ecosystem recovery.
  • Natural Capital: Resources producing sustainable natural income.
  • Natural Income: Output/yield from natural resources.
  • Ecological Footprint: Hypothetical land/water area to sustainably provide all resources, at the rate of their consumption.
  • Pollution: Introduction of a substance/agent into an environment at a rate faster than which it is rendered harmless, with negative effect on organisms.
  • Point Source Pollution: Identifiable pollution source.
  • Non-point Source Pollution: Pollution from diffuse sources.
  • Efficiency: Useful energy output divided by energy input
  • Resilience: A system's ability to respond to disturbance and maintain integrity.
  • Sustainable Development: Meets current needs without harming future generations.

Ecosystems and Ecology

  • Niche: Species’ particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions.
  • Fundamental Niche: Full possible conditions.
  • Realized Niche: Actual conditions influenced by biotic interactions.
  • Abiotic Factors: Nonliving physical factors affecting ecosystems. (Temperature, sunlight, pH, salinity, pollutants).
  • Biotic Factors: Living components of an ecosystem.
  • Carrying Capacity: Maximum sustainable population size an area can support.
  • Predation: One organism hunts and consumes another.
  • Herbivory: Animal feeding on plants.
  • Parasitism: Symbiotic relationship, one benefits at the others cost.
  • Mutualism: Symbiotic relationship, both benefit.
  • Pathogen: Organism causing disease.
  • Interspecific Competition: Competition between different species.
  • Intraspecific Competition: Competition between members of the same species.
  • Population: Group of organisms of the same species in a specific location.
  • Population Dynamics: Study of factors impacting population size changes.

Communities, Ecosystems, Biodiversity

  • Community: Group of interacting populations.
  • Ecosystem: Community and physical environment.
  • Photosynthesis: Conversion of light energy into chemical energy.
  • Cellular Respiration: Organic matter converted to carbon dioxide and water.
  • Autotrophs: Produce their own food.
  • Consumers/Heterotrophs: Obtain energy from other organisms.
  • Trophic Levels: Positions in a food chain or web.
  • Food Chains: Feeding relationships.
  • Food Webs: Interconnected food chains.
  • Ecological Pyramids: Visual representation of trophic levels.
  • Pyramid of Numbers: Numerical representation of organisms at each level.
  • Pyramid of Biomass: Biological mass of trophic levels.
  • Bioaccumulation: Accumulation of pollutants in organisms.
  • Biomagnification: Increase in pollutant concentration with each trophic level.

Energy Flow, Productivity, Biomes

  • Gross Primary Productivity (GPP): Total amount of glucose created by photosynthesis per unit area per time.
  • Net Primary Productivity (NPP): GPP minus respiration (energy available to primary consumers).
  • Gross Secondary Productivity (GSP): Total energy/biomass consumers assimilate.
  • Net Secondary Productivity (NSP): GSP minus respiration.
  • Sustainable Yield (SY): Rate of natural capital/income exploited without depletion.
  • Biomes: Groups of ecosystems with similar climates and characteristics (aquatic, forest, grassland, desert, tundra).

Climate Change and Biodiversity

  • Climate: Long-term average weather patterns.
  • Weather: Short-term atmospheric conditions.
  • Climate Change: Alterations in climate patterns.
  • Biome Shifts: Changes in distribution of biomes due to climate change.
  • Zonation: Spatial arrangement of communities based on environmental gradients.
  • Succession: Sequential change in an ecosystem over time.

Biodiversity, Conservation

  • Biodiversity: Species diversity (richness, evenness), habitat diversity, genetic diversity.
  • Species: Interbreeding, shared characteristics.
  • Species Diversity: Number and relative proportions of species in a community.
  • Richness: Number of species.
  • Evenness: Relative abundance.
  • Ecosystem Diversity: Range of habitats.
  • Genetic Diversity: Variation of genetic material in a species.
  • Community: Group of organisms interacting in a common habitat.
  • Habitat: Environment where a species normally lives.
  • Habitat Diversity: Variety of habitats.
  • Conservation Biology: Using and managing resources sustainably.
  • Natural Selection: Process where advantageous traits become more frequent due to better survival/reproduction rates.
  • Speciation: Formation of new species.
  • Mass Extinction: Significant loss of species over a given time.
  • Biodiversity Hotspot: Areas of high biodiversity under threat.
  • Endemic Species: Species found only in a particular geographic region.

Water, Food Production Systems and Society

  • Hydrological Cycle: Movement of water through different storages and flows.
  • Storages: Water in various forms.
  • Flows: Movement of water.
  • Water Pollution: Contamination.
  • Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): Amount of oxygen required by organisms to break down organic material.
  • Indicator Species: Species whose presence indicates the level of pollution.
  • Biotic Index: Indirect measure of pollution impacts on species.
  • Eutrophication: Over-enrichment of water by nutrients leading to excess plant growth.
  • Aquaculture: Farming of aquatic organisms.
  • Fishery: Capture or farming of fish.

Soil Systems and Society

  • Soil Systems: Storages (organic matter, organisms, nutrients) and flows (transportation).
  • Translocation: Movement of materials up and down within the soil.
  • Salinization: Accumulation of salts in soil.
  • Leaching: Minerals dissolved by water flowing through the soil and transported downwards.
  • Low Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs): Low economic development, low average GNP per capita, and moderate industrialization.
  • More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs): Strong industrialization, high average GNP per capita.

Atmospheric Systems and Societies

  • Atmosphere: dynamic system.
  • Greenhouse Gases: Trap heat (e.g., water vapor, CO2, methane).
  • Global Warming: Increase in average Earth temperature.
  • Photochemical Smog: Air pollution, harmful effects on environment and people.
  • Trophspheric Ozone: Ozone in the lower atmosphere.
  • Thermal Inversion: Layers of cold air trapped below warm air.
  • Acid Decomposition: chemical reactions in atmosphere, acidic compounds.

Other Topics (General)

  • Demographic Tools: Crude birth rate(CBR), Crude death rate(CDR), total fertility rate(TFR), natural increase rate(NIR), doubling time(DT).
  • Demographic Transition Model (DTM): Model showing stages of population growth patterns.
  • Carrying Capacity: Maximum sustainable population/load of species in an area.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Quiz Team

Related Documents

ESS Definitions PDF

Description

Explore key concepts and definitions related to Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS), including landmark events in the environmental movement and various Environmental Value Systems (EVS). Understand the differing worldviews that shape our interactions with the environment and influence policy and personal action. This quiz will test your knowledge on these critical topics.

More Like This

Use Quizgecko on...
Browser
Open
Browser
Browser