Environmental Science Final Exam Review Environmental Science the

Environmental Science Final Exam Review

Environmental Science • the study of how humans interact with their environments.

Intro to Ecosystems Definitions • Ecology - the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment, such as the interactions organisms have with each other and with their abiotic environment. • Ecosystem - a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. • Environment - the biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development and evolution.

Intro to Environmental Science • Biotic - a living or once living component of a community • organisms, such as plants and animals. • Abiotic - are those non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect ecosystems. • Air, water, soil…

Intro to Ecosystems

An organism’s biomass is made out of its total dry mass. The biomass in a given step within a food chain will always be smaller than the one from the previous step.

Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. The time scale can be decades (for example, after a wildfire), or even millions of years after a mass extinction. Primary Succession begins with bare rock (no soil); lichens, mosses and ferns Secondary Succession begins with soil; weeds and wildflowers are first plants.

Biomes

Energy • Nuclear Fission • (split atom) • Nuclear Power Plant • Nuclear Fusion • (bombard atoms) • On the Sun

The word fission means "a splitting or breaking up into parts“ Nuclear fission releases heat energy by splitting atoms. The surprising discovery that it was possible to make a nucleus divide was based on Albert Einstein’s prediction that mass could be changed into energy. In 1939, scientist began experiments, and one year later Enrico Fermi built the first nuclear reactor. Inside the sun, fusion reactions take place at very high temperatures and enormous gravitational pressures

Radioactive waste is usually a by-product of nuclear power. Radioactive waste is hazardous to all forms of life and the environment, and is regulated by government agencies in order to protect human health and the environment. The radioactivity of all radioactive waste weakens with time. (Uranium)

Biodegradable vs. Nonbiodegradable

Composting Benefits

Percentage of Waste Produced by Households and Businesses

Symbiosis: Mutualism, Commensalism or Parasitism?

Geology – Rock Cycle

Most Abundant Rocks….

Forestry Primary Succession: No Soil (lichens, moss, ferns…) Secondary Succession: Soil (grasses, annuals, perenials…)

• Physical Parameters – Texture (Sand, Silt, Clay) – Organic vs. Inorganic – Percolation Rate 50% Pore Space, 45% Mineral, 5% Organic matter. Soil Ecology R Horizon (rock)

Soil Ecology • Chemical Factors – p. H – Nitrogen – Phosphorous – Potassium

• Major Nutrients: • (N) Nitrogen – green leaves, quality & protein of fruit • (P) Phosphorus - (phosphates) – strong roots, increases seed yield and fruit development • (K) Potassium - (potash) – color of flowers, quality of fruit, vigorous root growth

p. H of Pa Soils • Eastern Pa soil p. H 4 -6 • Agricultural soil is best if between p. H 6 – 8 (except for certain acid loving plants) • Appalachian mountain valleys contain limestone which balances out acidic soil = good growing soil.

Climate

*Graph shows exponential growth

Human Histogram Population Growth

Forestry

Tree I. D. Compound Leaflet Arrangements

Tree I. D. Leaf Margins

Leaf Pigments • • Chlorophyll ------ Green Xanthophylls ----- Yellow Carotenes ------ Orange Anthocyanin ------ Red

Pennsylvania State Tree Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Pennsylvania State Tree The eastern hemlock (Tsunga canadensis) was designated official state tree of Pennsylvania in 1931. Eastern hemlock trees were used by early settlers to build log cabins and as a source of tannic acid (for tanning leather). The eastern hemlock (also called Canada hemlock or hemlock spruce) was pronounced the most picturesque and beautiful of the world's evergreens by A. J. Downing, the father of landscape gardening in America. The eastern hemlock is a prevalent tree in Pennsylvania forests. A slow-growing, longlived tree which can take 250 - 300 years to reach maturity and may live for 800 years or more.

Physiographic Provinces of Pennsylvania http: //www. dcnr. state. pa. us/topogeo/field/map 13/index. htm Piedmont Province

Climate: Appalachian Mtns. / Atlantic Ocean