Pretty Pictures for all
of the Visual learners
Environmental History of U.S.
National Environmental Policy Act
dictates ALL federally proposed actions
draft an environmental impact statement.
Carcinogens
Carcinogens
cancer causing
substances
See table 2-1 in text.
Page 26
Deaths caused by smoking
Economics and the Environment
Cost-Benefit diagram: economists identify
the optimum amount of pollution as the
amount at which
Marginal costs= marginal cost abatement
Economics and the Environment
HARMFUL
Marginal cost of
pollution EXCEEDS the
cost of reducing
pollution (abatement)
BENEFICIAL
why?
Levels of Biological
Organization
Antarctic food web
Competitive Exclusion: one species is excluded
from a portion of a niche by another as a result of
interspecific competition.
(2 species with identical niches can’t coexist.)
Ecological
Succession
Grasses shrubs  poplars (cottonwoods)  pine trees  oak
Predator/Prey Relationships
Data collected from fur pelts from the Hudson Bay Company
Factors that Affect Population Size
Case-in-Point: Predatory Prey Dynamics on
Isle Royale
Biological Diversity
Biodiversity
Species Richness
Genetic Diversity
Ecosystem Diversity
Why we need organisms
Biological diversity: the number
and variety of organisms.
Genetic diversity: variation within a
species.
Species richness: the number of
species
Ecosystem diversity: variation
within an ecosystem.
Ecosystem Services and Species
Richness
Why We Need Organisms
Ecosystem Services and Species Richness
Nests
eventually
become small
islands of trees
Gator trails clear
out aquatic
vegetation
Maintains
smaller fish
populations by
eating gar
Digs underwater
holes used by
other aquatic
organisms
DDT and the Peregrine Falcon
Endangered & threatened
Species
• What factors are common with most
Endangered & threatened species?
Gymnogyps californianus
Endangered & threatened
Species
• Endangered & threatened species often
have:
• Limited natural ranges
• Low population densities.
• Low reproductive rates
• Very specialized nutritional or
reproductive requirements.
Conservation Biology,
Challenges
The Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Hydrologic Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle
Atmospheric Circulation
Winds:
complex horizontal movements of the atmosphere.
Ocean Conveyor Belt
Climate associated with
ENSO
Biomagnification
Determining Health Effects of
Environmental Pollution
Lethal Dose-50%
(LD50)
Determining Health Effects of
Environmental Pollution
Effective Dose-50% (ED50) –
Dose that induces 50% of test subjects to
have some type of effect
Dose response curve –
Decision Making and Uncertainty
Risks:
Decision Making and Uncertainty
Cost-Benefit Analyses
Cost
Benefit
Reproductive Strategies
Survivorship
Principles of Population Ecology
Maximum Population Growthunder ideal conditions = intrinsic rate of
increase (aka biotic potential)
J-shaped curve
(exponential growth)
Principles of Population Ecology
Logistic growth
Arithmetic growth
Irruptive/Malthusian
J-shaped curve
exponential growth
Principles of Population Ecology
Overshooting the carrying capacity can lead
to a population crash.
Factors that Affect Population Size
Density-Dependence and Boom-or-Bust
Population Cycles
Demographics of Countries
Demographic Stages
High avg. # of children born (Baby boom)
Demographics of Countries
Age Structure of Countries
Generalized Age Structure
Population and Urbanization
Urban migration
The City as an Ecosystem
Environmental Problems Associated with
Urban Areas
• Creation of urban heat islands
The City as an Ecosystem
Environmental Problems Associated with
Urban Areas
• Dust domes
Making Cities More Sustainable
What has Curitiba, Brazil done to become a
world model for sustainability?
Generically
Creating Energy
Emissions, with
some exceptions
Energy
Source
to
Type and amount of
emissions depends on?
Water
Heated
Drives
Turbine
Drives
Generator
Fuel Sources:
Fossil Fuels, Nuclear, Geo = ?
Produces
Electricity
Energy Consumption
Per capita energy consumption
Energy Consumption
Energy consumption in the US
Coal
Making Coal a Cleaner Fuel
• Using scrubbers
• Using fluidized-bed combustion
Oil
Major Flows of Crude Oil
http://factsonfuel.org/gasoline/index.html#1gasoline
Oil and Natural Gas
World commercial energy sources for
electrical power:
Oil and Natural Gas
Petroleum refining
Oil and Natural Gas
Reserves of Natural Gas
Oil and Natural Gas
Case-in-Point:
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Synfuels and Other Potential Fossil
Fuel Resources
Synthetic fuel sources:
• Tar sands (oil sands)
• Oil shales
• Gas hydrates
• Coal liquefaction
• Coal gasification
Problem: these all still
produce CO2
Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Not taking place
Nuclear Fission
http://www.atomicarchive.com/Movies/Movies/chainreaction.mov
Nuclear Reactor
Secondary circuit
Primary circuit
Tertiary circuit
Nuclear Reactors Consist of ...
1 ) Reactor core: Fission takes place  heat.
2) Steam Generator: heat from reactor core
produces
steam.
3) Turbine: steam spins the turbine to
generate
electricity.
4) Condenser: cools the steam back to liquid
water.
Chernobyl
Exposure
to
radiation
Radioactive Wastes Sites
Yucca Mountain
145 km (90) miles from
Las Vegas
Scientific community
agrees that
underground
repositories are the
best long term option
of high-level
radioactive waste.
Around the world there
are 2 dozen countries
planning similar
repositories
Direct Solar Energy
Heating Buildings and Water, Passive solar heating
Direct Solar Energy
Heating Buildings
and Water
Passive solar
heating
Direct Solar Energy
Solar-Generated Hydrogen
Solar
energy
PV or wind
generated
electricity
Compression of
Hydrogen for
storage and
transport
Electrolysis
of water
Combustion
of hydrogen
Usable
energy
Solar
generated
hydrogen
Indirect Solar
Energy
Wind Energy
The Importance of Water
The Importance of Water
Largest watersheds
The Importance of Water
Aquifers
Water Use and Resource Problems
Too Much Water,
Flood Management
Channelization
Water Use and Resource Problems
Too Much Water,
Flood Management
Levees with natural river
Water Use and Resource Problems
Saltwater
intrusion
Water Management
Providing a Sustainable Water Supply
Desalinization
Condenses
Two methods:
1) Distillation
Simplified
process:
Pure water
is collected
Produces
steam
Salt
water
Water
boiled
Water Conservation
Reducing Agricultural Water Waste
Reducing Water Waste in Industry
Reducing Municipal Water Waste
Recycling water
Xeriscaping
Ecological Succession
Pioneer
Organisms
Climax
Community
What is Soil?
Soil Composition
25%
45%
25%
5%
Mineral matter
Organic matter
Water
Air
What is Soil?
Soil Horizons
E-horizon
develops if
leaching is
severe.
?
What is Soil?
Nutrient Cycling
Elements
incorporated into
organic matter in
plants
(alternate slide)
Elements in
organic matter in
animals
Organic matter in
soil
Decomposition
Plant roots absorb
minerals from soil
Minerals freed and
available to plant
Major Soil Types
Soil Problems
Case-in-Point: The American Dust
Bowl
Soil Conservation and Regeneration
Contour Plowing, Strip Cropping, and
Terracing
Strip cropping &
contour plowing
Terracing