uwo 2485 - enviro bio (concepts) - Details

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Developed (1.2B) countries vs developing (6.0B) countries --> smaller %age of people use majority of resources = 88%

Two tales of supply and demand

Exponential growth --> industrial revolution = 6.2B people added to planet --> decrease in time vs increase in people added - world total and developing countries = increasing population, estimated to taper off - developed countries = relatively stable, estimated to remain stable

Human population growth

- dependent on HOW resources are used --> resources = limiting factor - decrease resource quality or quantity reduces K (carrying capacity)

Carrying capacity

1. change in birth rate (fertility) - decreased reproduction (socioeconomic and cultural factors) --> decreased infant mortality, children not needed for family labour, higher education, female employment status, older age of first marriage 2. change in death rate (mortality) - usually catastrophic, disease, resource availability/quality, war 3. resource availability/usage - affluenza (unsustainable use = decrease quality)

Factors affecting global population size

I(impact) = P(population) x A(affluence) x T(technology) - P = size - A = amount of resource consumption per person - T = positive or negative impact --> varies in mechanism of technology --> solar panels vs cut down forest with chainsaw

IPAT (conceptual formula)

- resources have direct economic value --> overuse beyond ability to reproduce = not renewable when over consumed and degraded

Solar and natural capital

Potentially renewable resources to nonrenewable or unusable - cover productive land = change soil ability to renew and its h2o flow - improper soil management = farming degrades quality, erosion - improper soil irrigation - rapid use of fresh groundwater - pollution = decrease quality of air and h2o (more algae growth, smoke stacks)

Environmental degradation

- wetland/reef destruction (urbanization) = destroy flooding borders - deforestation w/o adequate replanting = systems degraded - desertification by overgrazing = change environment, creates desert/unstable soil - elimination/decimation of wild species = loss of biodiversity

Examples of environmental degradation

1. air pollution 2. food supply problems 3. biodiversity depletion 4. water pollution 5. waste pollution

Top 5 major environmental problems

1. population size 2. unsustainable resource use 3. poverty 4. lack of valuation of ecological services 5. lack of knowledge of environment

5 major causes of environmental problems

= environmental degradation and resource depletion for basic survival needs = meet immediate needs, no long term thinking (quicker degradation of resources)

How poverty contributes to environmental problems

- world value = $16-54 trillion USD/year = average $33 trillion/year - global gross national product total = around $18 trillion/year

Valuing ecological services

- knowledge of how ecosystems work - knowledge of impacts and prevention - advisement - measuring risk - science education - technological developments (vaccines, disease prevention)

Solutions to environmental problems (science)

- solid>gas - salt>salt solution in h2o - coal>coal emissions - gas>car emissions

Change in matter quality (high to low quality) examples

Save energy = match task with appropriate energy source --> ex. you do not need a chainsaw to cut butter

Energy quality (saving energy)

There is no "away" when you throw something away --> we have all the matter we will ever have

Law of conservation of matter (closed system)

Law 1 = conversion of energy form only law 2 = lose energy quality with conversion - high quality --> low quality (cannot be reused or recycled) - usually degraded energy is in heat form - directly connected to ecosystem functioning

Energy laws

Life uses high-quality matter and energy resources to exist - end product = low quality energy - conversion of energy underlies all ecological processes

Life and energy use

1. one way flow of high quality energy 2. cycling of matter 3. gravity

Life depends on .... (3 things)

10% efficiency, 90% loss as heat - chemical energy available from producers measures as primary productivity

Pyramid of energy flow (efficiency and loss)

= carrying capacity, tells us about what can be supported in that ecosystem = major limiting factor of all systems - 59% takes place on land, 41% in aquatic systems - humans waste 27% of earth's NPP

Net primary productivity

1. terrestrial - biomes 2. aquatic - aquatic life zones (freshwater and marine ecosystems)

Biosphere divisions

1. biotic 2. abiotic --> cycling between the 2

Ecosystem divisions

- transition zones (terrestrial --> littoral --> aquatic) --> have unique habitat, specialized species - abiotic changes due to many variables - gradual or abrupt changes in biota - flow of energy and matter between zones (cycling)

Ecosystem boundaries

= essential for existence = nutrient cycles - nonliving --> living --> nonliving - driven directly or indirectly by solar energy and gravity - recycling = connect past, present, and future

Matter cycling through biogeochemical cycles

1. carbon cycle (terrestrial or marine) 2. nitrogen cycle 3. phosphorus cycle 4. sulfur cycle 5. hydrological cycle

Biogeochemical cycles

1.provisions, 2.support systems, 3.regulating services, 4.resilience, 5.cultural services

Ecosystem services (5 categories)

--> climatic factors --> abiotic --> edaphic factors ecosystem --> biotic --> producers --> consumers --> decomposers

Ecosystem structure

Species tolerance, adaptation, speciation, biodiversity, background extinction, mass extinction, mass depletion, disturbance

Species response to ecosystem changes (8)

- occurs @ different frequencies and magnitude - interaction of anthropogenic and natural disturbance = greater magnitude - some disturbance is necessary for environments to maintain naturally

Disturbance

= directly proportionate to stability --> high resistance ad high resilience = high stability

Resistance and resilience

- experience succession (primary, secondary) and restoration --> primary: @ beginning lichens (initial developers of soil) and moss (very resilient, trap organic matter, secrete acids) --> secondary: generally same process as primary but much quicker (germination happens quickly with present or introduced seed) - endpoint? --> classic view=yes=stable climax community, modern view=mature community, constant patches of change

After a disturbance ("factory reset")

1.amount of solar energy, 2.global circulation!!, 3.water circulation, 4.atmospheric gases, 5.features of earth's surface

Main factors determining climate (5)

1. uneven heating of earth's surface (dependent on angle of dun that hits earth) 2. seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation due to tilting of earth's axis 3. convection currents/cells = movement of air across earth's surface (hot rise, cool falls) --> distribution of heat and moisture by vertical currents from 6 giant convection cells @ different latitudes --> determines climatic zones (very patterned manner) 4. rotation of earth on its axis (turns faster beneath air masses @ equator vs poles, results in prevailing winds)

Global air circulation (4 factors)

Ocean absorbs heat and distributes it through currents, results in distribution of heat from place to place and mixing/distributing nutrients --> prevailing winds, coastal upwellings = driving forces

Water circulation (ocean currents)

Prevailing winds: drive surface currents and thermohaline regulation coastal upwellings: wind from west pushes warm water away from surface, cold nutrient-rich h2o brings nutrients up --> important for food chains!! --> cold h2o moderates local temperatures, humidity, and hemispheric climate

Prevailing winds and coastal upwellings

1.gravity (tides), 2.earth's rotation, 3.prevailing winds, 4.temperature and salinity differences (ocean currents)

Driving forces of ocean currents (4)

Poles = polar --> subarctic --> cool temperate equatorial = tropical --> dry --> warm temperate/highland

Climate zones

Interactions between land and oceans and disruption of air flow by mountains and cities affects local climates --> urban heat island effect (result of human unterference)

Topography and local climate

= climate and soil type - each biome contains many ecosystems, communities present have adapted to differences in climate, soil, and other environmental factors --> different climate = different communities of organisms and vegetation!!

Biomes, main determining factors

-undefined boundaries, uneven resource distribution (organized in terms of precipitation and temperature) --> drier and colder = less biotic --> similar relationship w vegetation (increase latitude and elevation = less biotic)

Climate and life on land

1.desert, 2.grassland, 3.tropical rainforest, 4.deciduous forest, 5.coniferous forest

Soil types (5)

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