NASC Exam 1 Study Guide

docx

School

Bentley University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

150

Subject

Geography

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by BailiffOxide1718

Exam I study guide ● K-selected versus r-selected species. What is the difference between the two? Pigeon and rat ○ ○ ○ K-selected species are adapted to more stable environments. R-selected species are adapted to environments prone to sudden change. ● Climate change in coral reefs. What’s happening (heat, acidification) and what’s the projections of coral loss. Dying by etc ○ Oceans are absorbing more CO2 & heat ○ Coral reefs are rapidly bleaching, projected 70-90% coral reef loss at 1.5°C (2030) and 100% loss at 2°C (projected by 2040-2050) ○ Heat and ocean acidification ● What’s a cosmopolitan species? ○ A species found everywhere ● What is an ecosystem? ○ Living things (biotic components) interacting with non-living things (abiotic components) in the same environment ● Biotic vs. Abiotic? ○ Biotic =Living

○ Abiotic= nonliving ● Passenger pigeons, what do we think they did? ○ Tragedy of the commons ○ ecosystem services lost ■ Massive guano deposits fueled plant growth and added nutrients ■ Pigeons as food for predators ■ Roosting pigeons killed ‘older’ trees, allowing for increased light availability for new vegetation (biodiversity) ■ Regenerated forest allowed for more animals to move in and use new vegetation ● What does the Anthropocene refer to? ○ Human period on the planet ● What is our atmosphere comprised of? ○ 78% Nitrogen ○ 21% oxygen ○ 1% CO2 and other gases (greenhouse effect) ○ Water vapor % varies 0-4% ● Why are sea levels rising? ○ Melting of landlocked ice flowing into ocean ○ thermal expansion of water ● Types survivorship curves and what kinds of animals fall into each 3 types, mice, fish, humans (slide on BB) ○ ○ Type I – mortality occurs in old age (humans); slow reproduction, large k-selected animals ○ Type II – Mortality not age dependent, constant; large birds, some fish ○ Type III – early mortality, typical of smaller, r-selected species ● The four types of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, cultural, supporting) On

quiz ○ Definition= benefits that humans derive directly or indirectly from ecosystem processes ■ Provisioning: provides materials ● Water ● Food ● Medicine ● oil ■ Regulating: benefit provided by ecosystem processes ● Pollination ● Decomposition ● water/air purification ■ Cultural Services: nonmaterial benefit that advances the development of people ● Recreation ● Spiritual ● science education ■ Supporting: necessary for production of other services ● Photosynthesis ● Soil formation ● Water cycle ● Greenhouse gases: types, sources, strength of gasses, importance Co2(weakest), methane (strong), and nitrous oxide (strongest) ○ Traps in heat radiating off earth’s surface ○ CO2 ■ Fossil fuels ■ Cement ■ Burning of forest/grassland ○ Methane ■ Decaying matter ■ Natural gas ■ Cattle ■ Coal mines ○ N20 ■ Combustion engines ■ Burning of organic material ■ soil/microbial activity ● What is ocean acidification? ○ Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. ● Density dependent vs. density independent factors and population growth Bigger population and its effects (disease, lack of resources) Independent- stuff like storms Both affect population differently (independent all at once)

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

○ Density Dependence: population growth rates regulated by the size of a population. ○ Density Dependent Factors come into effect as populations grow. The more these factors work, the lower the population becomes ■ Disease ■ Competition ■ Predation ○ Density Independent Factors are unaffected by the actual population and can have effects on a population regardless of its size ■ They work to decrease a population ■ They're usually irregular activities ● Storm ● Flood/fire ● Avalanche ● Human activities (only non irregular) ● How hot is the planet now versus pre-industrial times? ○ CO2 has doubled (417) ○ We will reach 1.5°C (2.7°F) above preindustrial levels by 2030. Paris Accord states we need to stay under 2°C to avoid global flooding, sea level rise, etc. ● How is population levels maintained/grow at the global level and the country level? ○ Global= births and deaths ○ Country= Births, deaths, immigration, and migration ● Natural events that cause viability in earth’s climate. Milancavince (there are 4 slides) Cycles volcanoes, etc ● What is a carrying capacity (K)? How can we slow our approach to K or make K larger? ○ # of people an ecosystem can support We can slow ■ Carrying Capacity K: Population size that be sustained indefinitely by resources available without long-term damage to the environment ■ K depends on growth factors -- resources needed to survive and reproduce ● Carrying capacity can increase/drop as resource availability changes ● What is the tragedy of the commons? ○ Examples: Gold fish, overharvesting, lobster ○ a situation in a shared-resource system where individual users, acting independently according to their own self-interest, behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling the shared resource through their collective action

● What’s a climate feedback loop? ○ Example= Documentary, melting of Greenland's ice caps (reflective thing) (albedo, absorb more heat) ■ Melting ice become darker and the absorbs more heat so it melts even faster ○ Example= Microbes ● What’s the role of domestication of crops on human population growth? Bigger in population size, specialize and grow faster ○ Agricultural revolution allowed us to feed more people ● What is sustainability? What does it mean to be biocentric, ecocentric, and anthropocentric? ○ Sustainability=Use less and recycle more ○ Anthro=human ○ Bio=individ ○ Eco=ecosystem ● The Florida Everglades success story of ecosystem restoration and the role of restoration of the 4 ecosystem services. Successfulness (5 slides) ○ Background: The everglades are a 2million acre wetland in central-south east florida ■ Wetlands filter massive amounts of water & provide carbon sequestration ■ Contain wildlife (birds, alligators, manatees) ■ Rec, cultural, scientific activities ○ They were drained for about 70 years ■ From 1970-1980 → within this decade USACE went from aggressively draining this area to restoring it ● People started to understand the consequences of development in this area ○ Pine rocklands are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the US ● Bonefish & Tarpoon fishery no longer exists ○ loss of revenue -- high cost of development ■ Put in place the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Enacted by congress in 2000, estimated 50+ years to complete. ● ROI is 4.04 so for every $1 invested in the everglade restoration $4.04 are generated. ● Also an estimated 442,000 jobs will be created during/as a result of this process

● What are fossil fuels and examples? ○ Coal ○ Oil ○ natural gas ● The case of the bark beetle (what we can learn from its range expansion) ○ Increased expansion range under climate change ○ spruce tree: will expand through all spruce trees ○ Malaria could spread to parts of Europe Essay Questions: 1. Global climate change is often described as an “inconvenient truth”. With this phrase in mind, please explain how scientists know that global climate change driven by human activities is occurring using seven key pieces of scientific evidence. Please explain why you believe climate denialism is also occurring, and why the science of global climate change is “inconvenient”. In your career that you hope to go in to, please explain how you may be able to work towards affecting positive change related to the global climate. a. CO2 measurements from an observatory on Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii (410ppm) double preindus levels b. Arctic sea ice is <1/2 as thick as it was 30 years ago c. Ice shelves are breaking up & disappearing d. G rowing seasons are now up to 3 weeks longer in northern Eurasia & N America e. Droughts are more frequent & widespread f. Oceans are absorbing more CO2 & heat, ocean acidification, coral bleaching g. Storms are stronger & more damaging 2. You have been given $2.5 million to start your own business. The sky is the limit—you can choose to create any business you want. The only stipulation is that the business MUST help protect or stimulate the development of ecosystem services. Write out a brief business plan, describing how your business will promote at least 6 different ecosystem services, from at least 3 of the ecosystem service categories designated by the U.N. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Additionally, part of your business plan must address global climate change. Describe in detail how your business will combat climate change in 3 different ways (you can address any climate change related issue with your company).

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version