**8 pages of in-depth study guide**
The document delves into various aspects of environmental science and ecology, covering topics such as environmental perspectives, systems thermodynamics, natural resources, and ecosystem dynamics. It discusses the interplay between human perspectives and enviro...
● EVS: How individuals or societies view and approach environmental issues
○ Affects what one sees as problems (agree/disagree)
○ Affects what the solutions are (^^)
○ Ecocentric: Respect nature, we as humans live equally with the environment
○ Anthropocentric: Humans are centered, resources are around us to use, and
we should manage them as best as possible– government, laws, rules, controls
○ Technocentric: Ex. Elon Musk, pure capitalist view, creates profit and ideas, a
big problem for capitalism is an opportunity to solve it for profit, a free market and
the free will of humans will eventually solve all our problems, using technology
● Inputs > Storage > Outputs
○ Input: media, education, experience, economic status, politics
○ Storage: environmental value
○ Output: decisions, voting, actions, policy
Topic 1.2
● Open System: Both matter and energy can go in and out of the system
● Closed System: Only energy can go in or out of the system
● Isolated System: Matter and energy cannot go in or out of the system
● Transfer: when a flow of energy or matter does not involve a change of form or state.
There is normally a change of location. (ex. if I drink water, it’s still water. it’s just a
change of location)
● Transformation: when a flow of energy or matter involves a change of state or chemical
form. (ex. Carbon dioxide to glucose or water freezing into ice)
Topic 1.3
● First law of thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is transformed
from one form to another. Energy is conserved.
● Second law of thermodynamics: The entropy cannot deplete over time, it will always
increase or stay the same in an isolated system
● Entropy: a measure of disorder, how many ways you can reorganize a given system.
When energy transforms, greater entropy is achieved through “lost” heat.
● Tipping point: Too much of one thing happens, forcing that to change too much, and a
new equilibrium gets created. Positive feedback continues to amplify a change and
pushes a system towards a new equilibrium.
○ Change occurs rapidly and reversal is difficult
, ● Positive Feedback Cycle: This type of feedback amplifies the change in the system
and keeps it going in the same direction. So a small disturbance in the system causes an
increase in that disturbance.
○ For example in climate change, more CO2 in the atmosphere causes rising
temperatures, which causes permafrost to melt.
● Negative Feedback Cycle: This type of feedback promotes stability in a system as it
reverses the change and returns the system to the original state of equilibrium.
● Gersmehl Nutrient Cycles: offer a model to depict stores and flows of nutrients in
ecosystems. Usually consist of biomass, soil, and litter. The size of storages and flows
differ based on the ecosystem.
○ Examples of flows and changes can be: leaching, weathering, precipitation,
runoff, etc.
Topic 1.4
● Natural Capital: is a term used for natural resources that can produce a sustainable
natural income of goods or services
● Natural Income: is the yield obtained from natural resources
● Ecosystem Services: any positive benefit that wildlife or ecosystems provide to people.
The benefits can be direct or indirect—small or large.
● Renewable resources: Renewable resources can be replaced as fast as they are used
○ for example, crops grow quickly so they are replaced as fast as we use them.
● Non-renewable resources: Non-renewable resources are essentially irreplaceable
except over geological timescales
○ for example, coal takes millions of years to form so we are using it faster than it is
forming.
● Ecological Footprint: the amount of land and water that is required to support a human
population at a given standard of living – providing all the resources and assimilating all
the waste
Topic 2
Topic 2.1
● Species: a group of organisms with common ancestors and physical characteristics, that
interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
○ Can exist in different biomes across the world
○ Species can be extremely diverse and specific
● Population: A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the
same time and which are capable of interbreeding.
○ Every species with a population has a specific habitat and niche (something they
do)
● Limiting factors: controls the population size in an ecosystem
○ Density-dependent: factors affect the population only when it reaches a certain
density. These include competition, disease, parasitism, and predation - they
tend to be the biotic factors. The disease spreads best when there are a lot of
organisms for it to infect.
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