BIO-220 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST 1 STUDY GUIDE, GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Environmental Science The systematic study of our environment and our place in it. Scientific Methods 1: Identify question 2: Form testable hypothesis 3: Collect data to test hypothesis 4: Interpret Results 5: Report for peer review 6: Publish findings Brainpower Read More Previous Play Next Rewind 10 seconds Move forward 10 seconds Unmute 0:00 / 0:00 Full screen Ecological footprint The environmental impact of a person or population Stewardship Taking care of the resources we are given. Closed System self contained, exchanges no matter or energy with the outside Open System exchanges matter and energy with surroundings Components of Photosynthesis 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy + chlorophyll ------> C6H12O6 + 6O2 carbon dioxide + water + light energy + chlorophyll ------> sugars + oxygen Law of Thermodynamics Energy must be supplied (from the sun) to keep biological processes running, because as it flows through the various biological processes, it becomes dissipated First Law of Thermodynamics Energy is neither created nor destroyed (it is conserved). Second Law of Thermodynamics With each successive energy transfer, less usable energy is available to perform work. Negative Feedback Loop Suppresses change within a system, helps to maintain stability in systems. ex: Lynx controls population of hare by predation, if low population for hare, lynx population drops. Positive Feedback Loop Self perpetuating process, as an increase in a state variable leads to further increases in it. ex: Increasing amounts of pesticides as new generations become resistant to lower levels. Sustainability Living within our planet's means: - The Earth can sustain humans AND other organisms for the future - Leaving our descendants with a rich, full world - Developing solutions that work in the long term - Requires keeping fully functioning ecological systems Anthropocentric The belief the humans hold a special place in nature, decisions are based around human needs and interests. Ecocentric Evolution, adaptation, and biogeochemical cycles are really more important than individuals. The whole ecosystem is more important than the individuals and populations that make up the ecosystem. Biocentrism Life centered, all organisms have some intrinsic values and rights. Biodiversity is the highest ethical value in nature. Individuals and populations are the basic units of biodiversity. Ecofeminism Based on the concept that environmentalism and feminism are intrinsically connected. Addresses issues like water pollution, agricultural development, sustainability, and toxic waste dumping. Rachel Carson Awakened the public to the environmental threat posed by pesticides in her book Silent Spring (1962). Wangarii Maathai Founded the Green Belt Movement in 1997 to organize poor rural African women to restore the local environment by planting trees, also promoting justice and equality. Conservation Genetics Molecular genetics can identify species that are endangered and protected but still being bought and sold, often the products on the market cannot be identified by sight but can be identified using genetics. Ecological niche Describes either the role played by a species in a biological community or the total set of environmental factors that determine a species distribution. Estuaries Partially enclosed bodies of water along coastlines where fresh water and salt water meet and mix. Streams vs. Rivers Streams are small water bodies existing by themselves but add up when they meet to form a large river. Savannah A grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees. Tundra A treeless landscape that occurs at high latitudes or on mountaintops - Growing season of two or three months - Frost any month of the year - No trees - Water is frozen and unavailable most of the year Tropical Rainforest Humid regions in the tropics that support one of the most complex and biologically rich biomes. 200 cm (80 inches) of rainfall per year. Temp is warm to hot. Intertidal Zones The area between the high tide and low tide mark. Also known as the littoral zone. Organisms that live in this zone have to deal with difficult environmental conditions, being both submerged in sea water and exposed to the air. Deciduous Forest Temperate regions support lush summer plant growth when water is plentiful.Deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter as an adaptation to freezing temperatures. Desert Characterized by low moisture levels (less than 30 cm per year) and precipitation that is infrequent and unpredictable from year to year. Marine Ecosystem Ocean systems classified by depth and location to shore: • Benthic • Pelagic • Littoral Zone Benthic Bottom Pelagic Water column above Littoral Zone Area near the shore Freshwater Ecosystem Freshwater systems classified by depth and location to shore: • Epilimnion • Hypolimnion • Thermocline • Benthos Epilimnion Warm upper layer Thermocline Distinctive temperature transition zone that separates warm upper layer and deeper cold layer Hypolimnion Cold, deeper layer that does not mix Benthos Bottom