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Environment ScienceF
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Crown Fires | extremely hot forest that may start on the ground but eventually burn whole trees and leap from treetop to treetop. |
| Deforestation | temporary or permanent removal of Slarge expanses of forest for agriculture or other uses. |
| Ecological restoration | process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and dynamics of natural ecosystems. |
| Fishprint | area of ocean needed to sustain the consumption of an average person, nation, or world. |
| Old growth forest | an uncut or regenerated forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for at least several hundred years. |
| Overgrazing | occurs when to many animals graze for too long and exceed the carrying capacity of a rangeland area. |
| Reconciliation ecology | science that focuses on inventing, establishing and maintaining new habits to conserve species diversity in places where people live, work, play. |
| Tree plantations | managed tract that contains uniformly aged trees of one or two species that are harvested by clear-cutting as soon as they become commercially valuable. |
| One reason that protecting marine biodiversity is difficult. | most of the oceans lie outside of the legal jurisdiction of any one country. |
| Forest managers and ecologists classify natural into what two major groups? | old growth and second growth |
| In ______participating countries act as custodians for protected forest in return for foreign aid or debt relief. | Debt-for-nature-swap |
| According to conservation biologists, how much of the earth's ;and surface should be strictly protected? | 20% |
| What type of fire is the most ecologically damaging? | crown |
| True or False Tropical forests encounter a significant amount of deforestation practices | True |
| What is an alternate to harvesting timber? | Reduce tree harvesting subsidies. |
| Many parks suffer damage from all except: | lack of popularity |
| The harmful effects of deforestation include: | premature extinction of species |
| A biodiversity hotspot is also known as? | ecological arks |
| ______a variation of clear cutting that allows a more sustainable timber yield without widespread destruction | strip cutting |
| Which country has created megareserves to sustain 80% if its biodiversity? | Costa Rica |
| Rangelands can be managed more sustainably through methods such as: | rotational grazing, creating riparian zones, and controlling nonnative species. |
| Which type of forest would probably contain stands of trees that grew following a fire? | second-growth forest |
| We can best protect a biosphere reserve by surrounding it with______. | buffer zones |
| What is a marine protected area? | an area of ocean protected from some or all human activities. |
| Logging roads have a number of harmful effects including: | erosion and sediment runoff |
| Aquifers | porous water saturated layers of sand, gravel, or bedrock from which groundwater flows. |
| Desalinization | removing dissolved salts from ocean water or brackish water in aquifers. |
| Drainage basin | region from which surface water drains into a river, lake, wetland, or other body of water. |
| Eutrophication | natural nutrient enrichment of lakes, mostly from runoff of plant nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates from surrounding land. |
| Floodplain | flat valley floor next to stream channel. |
| Natural recharge | precipitation that percolates downward through soil and rock. |
| Reliable surface runoff | the amount of runoff that we can generally count on as a stable source of fresh water from year to year. |
| surface runoff | precipitation that does not return to the atmosphere by evaporation or infiltrate the ground. |
| Water pollution | any chemical, biological, or physical change in water quality that harms living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired use. |
| Water table | located at the top of the zone of saturation. |
| Which water supply problem that describes the United States? | uneven distribution of fresh water resources. |
| The water table: | goes up and down depending on precipitation. |
| What percent of the earth's land is protected in nature reserves, parks, refuges, wilderness, and other areas? | 12% |
| As large fish become less available and the fishing industry turns to fishing smaller fish, what will happen? | Food webs will begin to unravel |
| Which of the following is a major problem of U.S. national parks? | Popularity |
| true/false: The earth's fresh water supply cannot be refreshed. When what we have is gone, there will be no more. | false |
| The single largest use of domestic water in the US is_______. | flushing toilets |
| Which of the following is not a major source of water pollution? household dumping, agriculture, mining, industrial facilities | household dumping |
| true/false: Water's properties make it vital for life itself? | true |
| Aquifers are replenished through a process called: | natural recharge |
| What do we call the precipitation that can be counted on as a stable source of water from year to year? | reliable runoff |
| In the US, groundwater is being withdrawn, on average,_____ times faster than it is replenished. | four |
| How do most farmers irrigate their crops? | flood irrigation |
| Aquifers are threatened by all but which of the following events? evaporation, urban development, overpumping, subsidence | urban development |
| Most Americans get their water from______. | public utilities |
| Which of the following is not a purpose of a dam? flood control, reduce downstream flow, provide recreational areas, capture and store runoff. | reduce downstream flow |
| true/false: Water pollution cleanup is less expensive than water pollution prevention. | false |
| Is there more fresh water in ice caps, glaciers, and deep underground than there is in rivers and lakes? | There is more fresh water in ice caps, glaciers, and deep underground. |
| true/false: Underpricing is a major cause of excessive water use and waste in homes and industries. | true |
| Which of the following is the most environmentally sound approach to reducing flood risks? | restoring wetlands |
| Primary sewage treatment is also called the _____ process. | biological |
| Most cities in developing countries discharge______ sewage into rivers and lakes. | untreated |
| What is the difference between point and nonpoint pollution? | the source |
| Which of the following human-caused activities has contributed to flooding? | deforestation |
| What are the four main factors that cause water scarcity in a particular area? | 1. Drought 2. Dry climate 3. Wasteful use of water 4. Using water faster than it can be replaced. |
| List three methods of preventing groundwater pollution. | 1. Keep toxic chemicals out of the environment. 2. Require leak detectors on background checks. 3. Find substitutes for toxic chemicals. |
| What are four disadvantages of withdrawing groundwater? | 1. Aquifer depletion from over pumping. 2. Sinking of land from over pumping. 3. Pollution of aquifers lasts centuries. 4. Deeper wells are nonrenewable. |
| Name four ways to reduce water use and waste in a typical household. | 1. Shorter showers 2. Fix leaking sinks 3. Use water meters 4. Invest in water saving toilets |
| Active solar heating system | absorbs energy from the sun by pumping a heat-absorbing fluid through special collectors usually mounted on a roof or on special racks to face the sun |
| Coal | solid fossil fuel that was formed in several stages as the buried remains of land plants that live 300-400 million years ago were subjected to intense heat and pressure over many millions of years. |
| Energy efficiency | the measure of how much work we can get from each unit of energy we use. |
| Fossil fuels | products of partial or complete decomposition of plants and animals that occur as crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils as a result of exposure to heat and pressure. |
| Geothermal energy | heat stored in soil, underground rocks, and fluids in the earth's surface. |
| Natural gas | mixture of 50-90% by volume of methane, the simplest hydrocarbon. |
| Oil sand | a mixture of clay, sand, water and a combustible organic material called bitumen. |
| Passive solar heating system | absorbs and stores heat from the sun directly within a well insulated structure without the need for pumps or fans to distribute the heat. |
| Petroleum | a thick gooey liquid consisting of hundreds of combustible hydrocarbons along with small amounts of sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen impurities. |
| Solar cells | a transparent water that contains a semiconductor with a thickness ranging from less than that of a human hair to a sheet of paper. |
| Where does the United States get 93% of it energy from? | fossil fuels |
| Who has the most reserves of coal? | the United States |
| true/false: One advantage of nuclear power is little to no radioactive waste | false |
| true/false: If the United States opens up virtually all of its public lands and coastal regions to oil exploration, it will meet its growing demand for crude oil and gasoline. | false |
| About how much commercial energy used in the U.S. is wasted? | 84% |
| What percentage of the world's energy is renewable? | 13% |
| Water has three purposes in a nuclear reactor. Which of the following is not one of those purposes? Produce steam for generating electricity, Storage of spent fuel, Extract radioactivity from uranium ore, Cool fuel rods to prevent melting | extract radioactivity from uranium ore. |
| true/false: Nuclear power has a low net energy yield. | true |
| Which of the following technologies is considered a very important part of future energy production? Tidal power, hydrogen power, electric cars, thermal saline ponds. | hydrogen power |
| Which of the following represents the future trend of electricity production? | shifting to decentralized micropower systems |
| Which energy source has the most benefits and least serious drawbacks than any other energy source? hydroelectric power, solar power, biomass, wind power | wind power |
| Making the transition to a more sustainable energy future requires all but:sharply reducing energy waste,explore oil supplies withinUS boundaries,using a mix of environmentally friendly renewable energy resources,including harmful environmental costs of | energy resources in their market prices answer:explore oil supplies within US boundaries |
| Net energy is: | the total amount of useful energy available from an energy resource minus the amount need to find, extract, process and get that energy to consumers. |
| What is the primary component of natural gas? | methane |
| _______ has the largest portion of the world's crude oil reserves. | Saudia Arabia |
| The following devices waste large amounts of energy unnecessarily except: Nuclear power plants Internal combustion engine Incandescent light bulb Natural gas plant | natural gas plant |
| Photovoltaic (PV) cells use ______ to produce electricity. | sunlight |
| Wind power facilities: | are economically feasible only in areas with steady wind. |
| true/false: Choosing among energy alternatives is a matter of weighing cost against environmental impact. | false |
| List four advantages of using solar cells to produce electricity. | 1. Competitive cost for newer cells. 2. Moderate net energy yield, 3. Little or no direct emissions of CO2 and air pollutants 4. East to install, move around, and expand as needed. |
| List four disadvantages of using large dams and reservoirs to produce electricity. | 1. Large land disturbance and displacement of people 2. High CH4 emissions from rapid biomass decay 3. Always relying on gravity 4. Disrupts downstream ecosystems |
| List four advantages of using wind to produce electricity. | 1. Easy to build and expand 2. Low energy cost 3. Low CO2 emissions 4. Moderate to high net energy yield |
| List four disadvantages of using geothermal energy. | 1. High costs and not having stable sites 2. Scarcity of sustainable sites 3. The noise caused from it 4. The CO2 emissions |
| Troposphere | the atmospheric layer closest to the earth's surface that contains 75-80% |
| Atmosphere | a thin blanket of gases surrounding the earth that is divided into spherical layers |
| Stratosphere | the atmosphere's second layer which extends from about 17 to 48 kilometers above the earth's surface |
| Ozone layer | layer of gaseous ozone in the stratosphere that protects life on earth by filtering out most harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun |
| Air pollution | one or more chemicals in high enough concentrations in the air to harm humans, other animals, vegetation, or materials. Such chemicals or physical conditions are called air pollutants |
| Primary pollutants | chemical that has been added directly to the air by natural events of human activities and occurs in a harmful concentration |
| Secondary pollutants | harmful chemical formed in the atmosphere when a primary air pollutant reacts with normal air components or other air pollutants |
| Carbon oxides | collective term for the compounds carbon monoxide and carbon oxide |
| Nitrogen oxides and nitric acid | the collective term for nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide |
| Photochemical smog | complex mixture of air pollutants produced in the lower atmosphere by the reaction of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides under the influence of sunlights under the influence of sunlight. |
| Sulfur dioxide and Sulfuric acid | colorless gas with an irritating odor. |
| Particulates | also known as suspended particulate matter; variety of solid particles and liquid droplets small and light enough to remain suspended in the air for long periods of time |
| Ozone | colorless and highly reactive gas and a major component of photochemical smog. |
| Voltaile organic compounds (VOCs) | organic compunds that exist as gases in the atmosphere and act as pollutants some of which are hazardous |
| Industrial smog | type of air pollution consiting mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulfuric acid formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and suspended solid particles |
| Temperature inversion | layer of dense, cool air trapped under a layer of less dense war air. It prevents upward flowing air currents from developing. In a prolonged inversion, air pollution in the trapped layer may build up to harmful levels |
| Acid deposition | the falling of acids and acid-forming compunds from the atmosphere to the earth's surface. |
| Carbon capture and storage (CSS) | process of removing carbon dioxide gas from coal-burning power and industrial plants and storing it somewhere (usually underground or under the seabed). |
| Carbon capture and storage (CSS) | To be effective, it must be stored so that it cannot be released into the atmosphere essentially forever |
| Location: troposphere vs. stratosphere | The troposphere is the atmospheric layer closest to the earth's surface. The stratosphere is the second layer that extends 17-48 kilometers over the earth's surface. |
| Composition: troposphere vs stratosphere | The trophosphere consists of 75-80% of the earth's air mass. The stratosphere consists of less matter, its volume is 1/1000 of the troposphere and its concentration of ozone is much higher. |
| How are natural sources of air pollution are spread? | spread out over the globe or removed by chemical cycles, precipitation, and gravity |
| How are are human sources of air pollution spread? | generated mostly by burning of fossil fuels in power plants and industrial facilities, and mort |
| Give examples of natural sources of air pollution | wind blown dust, pollutants from wildfires, pollutants from volcanic eruptions, and volatile organic chemicals released by some plants |
| Give examples of human resources of air pollution | pollutants from industrialized and urban areas where people, cars, and factories are concentrated |
| Primary vs. Secondary Pollutants | Primary pollutants are chemicals or substances emitted directly into the air from natural processes and human activities at concentrations high enough to cause harm. |
| Primary vs. Secondary Pollutants | Secondary pollutants are primary pollutants that react with one another and with other natural components of air to form new harmful chemicals. |
| What is acid deposition? | the falling of acids and acid-forming compounds from the atmosphere to the earth's surface |
| Give some examples of acid deposition | wet deposition (acidic rain, snow, fog, and cloud vapor) and dry deposition (acidic particles) |
| What are some methods of reducing acid deposition? | reduce coal use, burn low-sulfur coal, increase use of natural gas and renewable energy resources, remove SO2 particulates and NOx from smokestack gases and remove NOx from motor vehicular exhaust, tax emissions of SO2 |
| What are the greenhouse gases? | water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide |
| How do scientists study climate change? | examining data on normally changing weather conditions to see if there has been a general rise or fall in any measurements such as average temperature or precipitation |
| What are the unavoidable effects of greenhouse gases? | warms the lower atmosphere and the earth's surface |
| What are CFC'S? | any of a class of compounds of carbon, hydroge, chlorine, and fluorine, typically gases used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants. |
| What are CFC'S? | Harmful to the ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere to the release of chlorine atoms upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation |
| Where are CFC's located? | ozone in the stratosphere |
| Describe the movement of CFC's | considerable seasonal depletion??? |
| Describe the reactions of CFC'S? | destroy protective ozone in the stratosphere. (75-80% of the ozone loss since 1976)??? |
| Describe the effects of CFC's? | depletion within the ozone? (worse sunburns, more eye cataracts and skin cancers, immune system suppression, reduced yields for some crops, reduced seafood supplies from reduced phytoplankton, decreased forest productivity fo UV sensitive tree species, w |
| Photochemical: Elements that they consist of | Photochemical smog begins when exhaust from morning commuter traffic releases large amounts of NO and VOC's. |
| Industrial Smog: Elements that they consist of | Industrial Smog is a unhealthy mixture of sulfur dioxide suspended droplets of sulfuric acid and a variety of suspended solid particles in outside air. |
| Photochemical: Examples of sources | Photochemical smog comes from exhaust from a morning commute. |
| Industrial Smog: Examples of sources | Industrial smog comes from the burning of coal in power plants of heating homes and cooking food. |
| What are the major sources of outdoor air pollution? | burning of fossil fuels in power plants, industrial facilities, and |
| What are the factors that increase air pollution? | pollutants from vehicles, industrialized and urban areas where people, cars, and factories |
| What are the six major air pollutants? | carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides and nitric acid, sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid, particulates, ozone, volatile organic compounds, and photochemical smog |
| What are 2 natural factors that reduce outdoor air pollution? | particles heavier than air settle out as a result of gravitational attraction, rain and now partially cleanse the air of pollutants. |
| What are 3 natural factors that reduce outdoor air pollution? | salty sea spray from the oceans washes out many pollutants from air that flows from land over the oceans, and winds sweep pollutants away and mix them with cleaner air. |
| Define the Cap and Trade Program | producers of air pollutants to buy and sell government air pollution allotments in the marketplace |
| Describe the circumstances where the Cap and Trade program are beneficial. | clear legal limit on emissions, rewards cut in emissions, record of success, and low expense for consumers |
| Describe the circumstances where the Cap and Trade program are not beneficial. | it allows utilities with older, dirtier power plants to buy revenues not predictable, vulnerable to cheating, rich polluters can keep polluting, and puts variable price on carbon |
| What is the number of US deaths as a result of air pollution? | 2.4 million people worldwide |
| Where is seasonal ozone loss the greatest? | the stratosphere? |
| What are the strategies for slowing projected climate change? | mitigation and adaption |
| What are the possible effects of climate change? | temperatures will continue to rise??? |
| Describe Kyoto Protocol | international climate negotiation to slow global warming and its projected climate disruption |
| What was the date of the Kyoto Protocol | December 1997 when the met, and February 2005 when the first phase went into effect |
| What did the Kyoto Protocol call for? | 36 participating more developed countries to cut their emissions of CO2, CH4, and N20 to certain levels by 2012. |
| Why did the US pull out of the Kyoto Protocol conerence? | it was a financial risk because it would curb economic growth |
| What are two important for protecting wilderness and other areas from exploitation and degradation both involving long term needs? | Preserve biodiversity and protect wilderness areas as centers for evolution. |
| What are three principles of the ecosystems approach? | 1. Map ecosystems and take inventory of species. 2. Locate and protect the most endangered ecosystems and species. 3. Seek to restore ecosystems that have been degraded. |
| What are four steps researchers have suggested for carrying out most forms of ecological restoration and rehabilitation? | 1. Identify the causes of degradation. 2. Stop and eliminate the causes of degradation. 3. Reintroduce key species. 4. Protect the ecosystem from further degradation. |
| What are the four approaches scientists recommend to speed up the recovery of natural ecosystems? | 1. Rehabilitation 2. Restoration 3. Replacement 4. Creating artificial ecosystem |
Created by:
mschultz12