Introduction to Environmental Science - Final Exam
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What is defined as a part of a cycle that holds water for a long period?

  • Sink
  • Source
  • Flux
  • Reservoir (correct)

    • What term describes the average amount of time a molecule stays in a pool?

  • Flux rate
  • Source-sink model
  • Resident time (correct)
  • Habitat diversity

    • Which element constitutes 78% of the atmosphere and is essential for protein and DNA?

  • Hydrogen
  • Carbon
  • Oxygen
  • Nitrogen (correct)

    • What happens in habitats of poor quality according to the source-sink concept?

    <p>Local demographic deficit occurs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which forms of nitrogen are primarily absorbed by plants?

    <p>Ammonium and nitrate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What impacts the stability of fluxes such as carbon to the atmosphere?

    <p>Environmental changes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do bacteria in the soil play regarding nitrogen?

    <p>They convert nitrogen into forms usable by plants</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary source of nitrogen input for fruit trees?

    <p>Chemical fertilizers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the best definition of ecosystem diversity?

    <p>The number of different ecosystems, habitats, and environmental niches in a landscape.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which aspect of biodiversity focuses on genetic variation within species?

    <p>Genetic diversity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In conservation biology, what is primarily assessed through species diversity?

    <p>The variety of species in a specific area.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does systematics play in biodiversity?

    <p>It is a method for identifying the relationship among biological species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is estimating the number of species on Earth considered a difficult task?

    <p>Some organisms are challenging to identify, such as insects and microorganisms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'biodiversity discovery' refer to?

    <p>The ongoing identification and classification of new species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes climate change denialism?

    <p>Speculation presented without scientific backing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes short-term climate change from long-term climate change?

    <p>Short-term reflects daily weather, long-term reflects systemic atmospheric changes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one reason for the continuous discovery of new species?

    <p>The availability of advanced technological methods.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of a key agreement discussed by the IPCC?

    <p>Agenda 21</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary factor that affects predictions of future climate change?

    <p>Greenhouse gas emissions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes an anomaly in climate change research?

    <p>A deviation from historical temperature or precipitation trends.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP)?

    <p>A scenario capturing various predictions about climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What major environmental disruption is associated with climate change impacts?

    <p>Loss of sea ice.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What best describes ecology?

    <p>The study of how organisms interact with their environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do the terms 'short-term', 'medium-term', and 'long-term' climate predictions by the IPCC refer to?

    <p>Different intervals of climate predictions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement is true regarding the predictability of climate change?

    <p>There is inherent uncertainty in climate change predictions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of autotrophs in an ecosystem?

    <p>They produce complex organic compounds from inorganic materials.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which process represents the transformation of carbon dioxide and water into energy?

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

    How is Net Primary Productivity (NPP) defined?

    <p>Energy available after accounting for producer respiration.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What factor is likely to increase Net Primary Productivity (NPP) in an ecosystem?

    <p>Favorable environmental conditions for plant growth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)?

    <p>Rate of energy production from photosynthesis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In ecosystems, what happens to matter?

    <p>It is recycled resulting in waste products.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best explains the process of respiration in ecosystems?

    <p>It involves the breakdown of glucose to utilize energy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main philosophy of Environmental Science?

    <p>A hypothesis-driven approach to scientific understanding.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following correctly defines 'matter'?

    <p>Anything that has mass and occupies space, including solids, liquids, or gases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Law of Conservation of Matter state?

    <p>Matter can change form but cannot be created or destroyed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the conservation of matter apply to environmental science?

    <p>It helps to understand chemical transport and environmental consequences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes a systems approach to Environmental Science?

    <p>Understanding environmental patterns, processes, and human impacts as interconnected systems.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are feedback loops in Environmental Science?

    <p>Interactions that can either amplify or mitigate changes in environmental systems.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be said about the transformation of matter in baking?

    <p>The apparent increase in size is due to air pockets, not new matter being formed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common misconception about the burning of candles?

    <p>The transformed materials turn into gases that are invisible.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of captive breeding programs?

    <p>To breed species with the intent of reintroducing them into the wild</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a major limitation of protected areas for species conservation?

    <p>Environmental changes may be irreversible, limiting their effectiveness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following describes soils as a system?

    <p>A complex mixture of organic and inorganic matter along with various organisms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor does NOT contribute to soil formation?

    <p>Human construction activities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do bacteria, fungi, and protists play in the soil environment?

    <p>They contribute to nutrient recycling and soil health.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary impact of human activity on extinction rates?

    <p>It contributes to gradual declines in species populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main method of in situ conservation?

    <p>Establishing protected areas to maintain habitats</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is de-extinction?

    <p>The practice of bringing back species that have gone extinct</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Introduction to Environmental Science (University of Toronto)

    • ESSA01 Final Exam Notes cover Environmental Science, specifically at the University of Toronto.
    • The notes cover topics like Environmental Science, Matter and Energy, Systems Approach to Environmental Science, Ecosystems and Ecology, The Global Water Cycle, Climate Change Predictions and Impacts, Biodiversity and Conservation and Agriculture and the Environment.

    Lecture 1: Introduction to Environmental Science

    • Environmental Science is interdisciplinary, encompassing multiple components across various spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere).
    • It examines environmental patterns, processes, and human influence.
    • The course employs a hypothesis-driven approach to understanding the natural world.

    Lecture 2: Matter, Energy, and the Systems Approach to Environmental Science

    • Matter is anything with mass and takes up space (solid, liquid, or gas).
    • The Law of Conservation of Matter dictates that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
    • Environmental processes involve changes in matter, like pollution, chemical transport, or unintended environmental consequences.

    Lecture 3: Matter, Energy, Systems, Approach to Environmental Science

    • "Ecosystems" are networks of interacting components (living and non-living elements) that exchange energy and matter in the environment.
    • Spatial scales reference the ratio of map distance to real-world distance, while temporal scales measure variable changes over time.
    • Open systems accept inputs of energy and matter and produce outputs of both, while closed systems receive energy inputs but only produce energy outputs.
    • Feedback loops where system outputs become inputs within the system; negative feedback loops maintain equilibrium.

    Lecture 4: Ecosystems and Ecology

    • An ecosystem encompasses a community of organisms and their physical environment.
    • Ecology studies organism interactions with their environment and their habitats.
    • Energy enters, is processed, and transformed within an ecosystem; matter is recycled via outputs (heat, water flow, and waste products).
    • Resistence and resilience are measures of how well an ecosystem maintains its condition against disturbances and returns to its original state.

    Lecture 5: The Global Water Cycle

    • Water is fundamental for life and is largely used in the various components of the Earth's systems.
    • About 71% of Earth is covered in water; however, only a little of it is completely fresh.
    • The water cycle refers to how water moves and changes forms among Earth's various spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere).

    Lecture 6: Energy Inputs into the Earth

    • Earth's energy balance depends on the balance between outgoing and incoming energy.
    • Earth's incoming energy (solar radiation) varies spatially and temporally.
    • Short-term variations influence seasonal changes, while long-term variations include changes in Earth's orbit.
    • Insolation (incoming solar radiation) is affected by Earth's albedo (reflectivity) and the greenhouse effect.

    Lecture 7: Climate Change Predictions and Impacts

    • IPCC reports assess global risks and provide ways to safeguard plant resources, and help protect wild plants.
    • Climate change predictions consider short-term, medium-term, and long-term scenarios.
    • Predictions take into account uncertainties in future greenhouse gas emissions and other human activity and ecosystem responses.

    Lecture 8: Biodiversity and Conservation

    • Biodiversity exists at various levels (ecosystem, species, and genetic).
    • Conservation efforts are important and biodiversity is assessed at these different levels.
    • Species at risk considerations, ecosystem management considerations, and human impacts on biodiversity are important parts of the course.
    • Extinctions and extirpations of species is also discussed, alongside conservation efforts.

    Lecture 9: Soils

    • Soils are a complex mixture of organic and inorganic materials, along with organisms.
    • Soils form from the weathering and decomposition of parent material, influenced by climate and biotic processes.
    • Soils vary widely due to different climates and weathering processes.
    • Soil formation factors are also influenced by time elapsed, topography, and parent material properties.
    • Soil classification systems describe soil types and properties.

    Lecture 10: Agriculture and the Environment

    • Agriculture significantly impacts the environment and uses natural resources, impacting the various systems of Earth.
    • Agriculture methods are important to discuss because of their impact on the environment.
    • Agriculture methods and their impacts on the Earth's systems are discussed.
    • Modern agricultural practices sometimes cause undesirable effects on the environment's ecosystems and humans. Sustainable agriculture methods promote resource efficiency, and biodiversity conservation..

    Further Topics

    • Pollution in various forms, including nutrient pollution, pathogens, toxins, sediments, and thermal pollution.
    • Human alteration of the phosphorus cycle.

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    ESSA01 Final Exam Notes PDF

    Description

    Revise for your Environmental Science final exam with these comprehensive notes covering vital topics such as ecosystems, climate change, and biodiversity. This quiz is designed to help you understand the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science and the influence of human activities on natural systems.

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