Wasnesky
Environmental Science Final Exam Review (Full Year)
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Know each
Applied science vs. pure science
Sustainability
Industrial revolution
POPULATION
Define a population
§ Fertility/mortality
Effects on population
§ Immigration/emigration
Effects on population
Life expectancy at birth (define)
Migration
§ As a social event
§ Effect on global population
Biotic potential
§ Curve it makes
Limits to population growth
§ Habitat resources
§ Effect on population
Carrying capacity
§ Curve it makes
Demography/demographers
Developed vs. developing countries
§ Characteristics (income, growth, economy)
Age structure
Population pyramids
Demographic transition
Overpopulation
§ Infrastructure
§ Natural resources
§ Signs of overpopulation
§ Importance of water
§ Impact on land
Urbanization
ECOSYSTEMS
Define an ecosystem
Ecotones
Biotic/abiotic factors
Organization
§ Organism, species, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere
Niche/habitat
How species interact (define and examples)
§ Predation
o Predator/prey
§ Competition
§ Parasitism
§ Mutualism
§ Commensalism
ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEMS
All life depends on the…?
Photosynthesis
§ Who organisms do it?
§ What is it?
§ What goes in/comes out?
§ Autotrophs
Exception
§ Chemoautotrophs
o What to they use?
Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
Decomposers
§ Role, importance
Cellular respiration
§ Relationship to photosynthesis
§ Purpose
§ What goes in/comes out?
Food chains
§ Number of links, why not more?
Food webs
Energy pyramid
§ Primary producers/primary, secondary, tertiary consumers
§ Energy available at each level
Loss of energy
Cycling of materials
§ Biogeochemical cycles
o Reservoirs/exchange pools
o Water cycle
§ Steps and vocab. that goes with it
o Carbon cycle
§ How its cycled
§ Formed of stored carbon
· How this relates to global warming
o Nitrogen cycle
§ Why organisms need nitrogen
§ “Fixing” nitrogen
§ What organisms are important to this cycle
Ecosystem change
§ Succession
o Primary/secondary
§ Climax community
Pioneer species
BIODIVERSITY
· What is it?
· What are the 3 types?
· Keystone species
· Uses of it (why we need it)?
· What makes a species prone to extinction?
· How do we cause extinctions?
· How can we help protect the future of biodiversity?
CLIMATE
· Weather vs. Climate
· Factors that determine climate
o Latitude
o Circ. Of the Atmosphere
o Prevailing winds
o Circ. Of the Ocean
o El Nino/La Nina
o Topography
o Seasons
· Ozone damage. What causes it? How are we trying to correct it?
· Global Warming!
AIR
· Primary vs. Secondary pollutants
· Sources of primary air pollution
· Health effects of air pollution
· Indoor air pollution – Radon and Asbestos
· Noise Pollution
· Light Pollution