Study Guide Questions for Lecture #14 Ecology (PDF)

**Study Guide Questions for Lecture \#14 Videos** **Main Topic: Ecology 'Impact of Humans on the Environment'** Hello Students! Below are the topics we've studied & questions you should practice answering in writing/aloud before the exam. A good system is to sort questions based on your current un...

**Study Guide Questions for Lecture \#14 Videos** **Main Topic: Ecology 'Impact of Humans on the Environment'** Hello Students! Below are the topics we've studied & questions you should practice answering in writing/aloud before the exam. A good system is to sort questions based on your current understanding of & comfort with related concepts. Mark questions with ✓ (got it!), **\~** (so-so), or **?**, then practice writing/talking out the questions starting with those you feel you understand (✓). Save the **?** questions for last; those will be more time-consuming. Some topics require you to simply memorize terms, but many topics require you to understand the concept. For more ideas and suggestions on studying biology, check out the "How to Study Biology" link in the Introductory Module. **Study Guide Questions** - What exactly is the Anthropocene? What is [biodiversity], and what is its value in society? How many species have been identified on Earth? - What types of factors are studied when learning about populations? Why is studying demographics important in thinking about the future? Give an example. - What is the world's human population currently, and how is it projected to change? What types of growth patterns are found in nature? Which one is more common? What is carrying capacity in reference to? - How do we degrade the environment, and thus effect biodiversity, in terms of food production? - You should be familiar with each of the following: - Habitat loss (what are the two main ways this occurs?) - this is the biggest driving force for loss of biodiversity!! - Overharvesting -- how does this reduce biodiversity and give examples. - Limited resource -- water! Which food source takes the most water to grow? - Farming releases toxic chemicals which can pollute the environment - Case Study: DDT and atrazine (What are these chemicals and what do we know about them?) - What is the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification? Do DDT and Atrazine bioaccumulate and biomagnify? - How do farming practices lead to nutrient enrichment (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus)? What is eutrophication? How does can this effect an ecosystem? What causes dead zones? How do dead zones decrease biodiversity? - What about climate change? What is the greenhouse effect and is it a good/bad thing? How does food production increase greenhouse gases? How does this contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect? Focusing on CO2 and CH4 (methane) how to they differ in their ability to cause climate change? What effects could rapid climate change have on organisms? - Can we feed more people if we switch to a more veggie-based diet? Use the concept of the 10% rule and energy diagrams to explain your answer. - What are a few ways that could slow a growing human population? - What does it mean to live a more sustainable life? Outline 3 ways in which you could live a more sustainable life. What, specifically, was the History of Stuff about? How did this movie change your perspective, if any, on how you live your life?