Environment
The sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life
Environmental Science
The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature
System
An interaction set of components that influence one another by exchanging energy or materials
Ecosystem
A particular location on Earth distinguished by its mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components
Biotic
Living
Abiotic
Nonliving
Environmentalist
A person that seeks to protect the environment
Environmental Studies
Field of study that includes environmental science, environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics
Ecosystem Services
The process by which natural environments provide life-supporting resources
Environmental Indicators
An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system
Sustainabiliy
Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resouces
Biodiversity
The diversity of life forms in an environment
Species
A group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology, behavior, or biochemical properties
Speciation
The evolution of new species
Background Extinction Rate
The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term
Greenhouse Gases
Gasses in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface
Anthropogenic
Derived from human activites
Development
Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement
E.O. Wilson wrote that humans exhibit biophilia, which is the love of
life
One way to assess if we are living sustainably is to measure a person's
ecological footprint
Scientific Method
An objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes , or changes
Hypothesis
A testable theory or supposition abut how something works
Null Hypothesis
A statement or idea that can be falsified, or proven wrong
Replication
The data collection procedure of taking repeated easurements
Sample Size
The number of times a measurement is replicated in the data collection process
Accuarcy
How close a measured value is to the actual or true value
Precision
How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another
Uncertainty
An estimate of how much a measured or calculated value differs from a true value
Inductive Reasoning
The process of making general statements from specific facts or examples
Deductive reasoning
The process of applying a general statement to specific facts or situations
Critical Thinking
The process of questioning the source of information, considering the methods used to obtain the information, and drawing conclusions
Theory
A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance
Natural Law
A theory of which there is no known exception and that has withstood rigorous testing
Control Group
In a scientific investigation, a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experiment group, except for the single variable under study
Natural experiment
A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in a n ecosstem
Environmental justice is a field of study that works toward _____ enforcement of environmental laws
equal
what disciplines are incorporated into the study of environmental science?
Engineering, chemistry, biology, geology, hydro-geology, etc.
List the 5 global-scale environmental indicators
- Biodiversity
- Food Production
- Global Surface Temperature
- Human Population Size
- Resource Depletion
Describe the following: genetic diversity, species diversity, ecosystem diveristy
Genetic diversity - Usually refers to the variety of genes within a species
Species diversity - The measure of different species within a single ecosystem
Ecosystem diversity - The many different ecosystems that is located in one given location
Give an example of an activity that is anthropogenic
Factories polluting the air, burning fossil fuels, oil spills into the ocean, over using fertile land for farming, etc.
Currently, what is the size of the human population?
2016 : 7.4 billion
What is a person's ecological footprint?
A measure of how much that person consumes and is expressed in an area of land
List the steps in the scientific method
- Observe and question
- Form a testable hypothesis
- Collect data
- Interpret results
- Disseminate findings
There are 2,47 acres per hectare. Therefore, 1 acre = 0.40 ha. Convert the following from acres to hectares
50,000 acres = 20,000 hectares
75,000 acres = 30,000 hectares
150,000 acres = 60,000 hectares