Study Guide Questions Chapter 1
1. What is the importance of studying systems in environmental science? Why can’t we just study isolated events or
isolated individuals? Systems are important to study because it enables you to understand the big picture, how
certain events impact other parts of the system. Ecosystems are good examples to think of when referring to system
study. If we study a single part such as a predator, we gain limited information. However if we study the effects of
predation upon prey etc., we have more information. This broad information can then be used to create solutions to
existing problems.
2. Tool use and social cooperation have allowed humans to alter their environment enormously. How would these
traits help Homo Sapiens in these scenarios:
a. Hunting in 10,000 BC? The use of tools and cooperation could have helped Homo Sapiens by allowing them
to be more efficient while hunting. Cooperation would have enabled early humans to develop strategies and
tools would have helped them kill large, faster prey.
b. Surviving in very cold climates today? Tools have allowed human to create heating systems and more
insulated shelters. Social cooperation is also key because communication is necessary for
development/widespread use of tools/technology.
c. Responding to the discovery a huge asteroid that will crash in to the Earth in a few years? Social cooperation
would be essential in a situation such as this, with communication and social skills it is likely that a solution
would not be found. Tools may allow humans to develop a strategy to alter the path of an asteroid and
predictive tools would also enable humans to be aware of an impending disaster.
3. So far in history, technological development has led to both increased human well-being and increased
environmental disruption. Why has this been the case? While technology enables humans to make advances in
medicine and other fields, it also allows human to have more impact on their environment. Technology has enables
humans to extract natural gases in new methods, while at the same time causing harm to the environment and
water supply.
4. For each of the following environmental indicators, explain which direction it is trending and why it important to
measure that indicator:
a. Biodiversity: Decreasing, trending down. It is important to keep track of biodiversity because it is directly
correlated to our impact on earth. As we drive species to extinction, environments & resources are altered
as well.
b. Food Production: Increasing or trending up, keeping track of food productions gives us insight into soil
quality, land availability and other factors that affect food production.
c. Global Surface Temp & Atmospheric CO2 concentration: Trending up or increasing. Monitoring the earth’s
surface temperature provides motivation to develop cleaner forms of energy with fewer emissions as well as
other strategies to decrease carbon dioxide concentration.
d. Human Population: Trending up or increasing. It is important to monitor human population
because the
earth has a carrying capacity and we are growing exponentially as a population.
e. Resource Depletion: Trending up or increasing, this is important to monitor because resources are limiting
factors and if we continue to use them at the current rate, then there will be major worldwide social and
economic issues in the future.
5. List the 5 global scale environmental indicators. How do they help us to monitor the health of the environment?
Biodiversity, Food Production, Global Surface Temp & Atmospheric CO2 concentration, Human Population, Resource
Depletion
These indicators provide global information about how we are impacting the earth. These indicators also provide
measures of necessary components of human life.
6. Describe the following: genetic diversity, species diversity, ecosystem diversity.
Genetic Diversity: differences in genotype and phenotype amongst a population. If a population has high genetic
diversity, then that population is considered to be healthy and fit (more likely to overcome environmental
pressures).
7. Give an example of an activity that is anthropogenic. Anything that humans do which as an environmental impact is
anthropogenic. Examples include mining, fracking, driving automobiles/flying, farming, nanotechnology,
deforestation, damming rivers.
8. Define environmental science. Distinguish between environmental science and ecology. Environmental science is
the study of biotic and abiotic components and how they interact with a particular emphasis on human impacts.
Environmental science includes other sciences, (biology, ecology, geology, physics, chemistry etc.) and also includes
politics, law and other social aspects. Ecology studies the living things and how they interact with the abiotic
components of an ecosystem. Environmental studies includes ecology as well as other aspects.
9. Define sustainability as it applies to the use of resources. Provide three examples, from your own experience, in
which you identify and describe the barriers to attaining sustainability with regards to the use of a resource.
Sustainability is using resources in a way that is sensitive to the needs of future generations. (The use of resources in
a manner so that future generations will be able to easily use them as well). Followed by personalized answer!
10. Describe a ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ that you have observed or of which you are aware. Identify the commons and
the events that have led to the ‘tragedy’ as well as possible solutions to the ‘tragedy’.
One tragedy of the commons is the use of timber on Easter Island, islanders used timber in an unsustainable manner
and this led to their ultimate demise of destroying their environment. A possible solution in this event would have
been to replant trees and not use them for unnecessary purposes. Another solution could have been to establish
ownership of the resource, this ownership would have created more of a sense of responsibility about the resource.
11. Currently, what is the size of the world human population, the United States populationWorld population if
currently 7 billion and the United States is about 318,000,000.
12. What is a person’s ecological footprint? Looking specifically at your ecological footprint: Identify and describe two
areas of your personal resource utilization that surprised you the most and two that were not surprising. List three
ways in which you could substantially decrease your ecological footprint, and for each, explain why you will or will
not make the change in lifestyle that would be required to decrease your ecological footprint. Your ecological
footprint is a measure of your impact on the earth, usually measured in hectares or acres. Your footprint examines
the amount of land and ocean area required to sustain your consumption patterns and absorb your wastes on an
annual basis.
Personal answer
13. List the steps of the scientific method
Question/Observations
Hypothesis
Research
Experimental design (this includes constants: factors that remain the same throughout the experiment, independent
variable: what is changed by the experimenter, dependent variable: what is measured and a control group: does not
receive the experimental (independent) variable, used as a basis for comparison.
Data Analysis
Conclusion
Study Guide Questions Chapter 2
14. Where is Mono Lake? What does it mean that it is a terminal lake? Monolake is in California, it is a terminal lake
because it does not flow into another body of water.
15. What happens to the mineral concentration of the lake water when evaporation takes place? Why is that a
problem? When evaporation takes place, minerals are left behind and they can become particulate dust. This dust is
harmful to the respiratory systems of animals.
16. Why is the lake of importance ecologically? The lake is ecologically important because it is a nesting ground for a
large group of migratory birds. Whether or not these birds have access to this nesting ground has potential to
globally damage the ecology of the world.
17. What city was having water issues and what did they do to solve this problem? What was the result of this effort?
How can consumers contribute to decreasing the problem? Los Angeles was having water issue, the state diverted
tributaries from the lake to provide more water for LA. The result of this effort was a reduced water volume of
Mono Lake. Consumers can have an impact on this issue by reducing water use.
18. Briefly explain radioactive decay. Radioactive decay is the spontaneous decay of an element into another elements.
Radiodecay is useful in carbon dating.
19. What is an element’s half-life? An elements half- life is the time it takes for half of the element sample to decay.
20. List some properties of water and describe how these properties are important to living systems.
This is a review of the reasons water is so essential to living systems. Make sure you understand why polarity of the water molecule causes it
to behave as it does. Make sure you review surface tension, cohesion, adhesion, capillarity, boiling and freezing, water density, and water as a
solvent. Remember, cold water sinks, as this is important to understand when we talk about aquatic systemses.
Cohesion: the tendency of water to “stick” to other water molecules. Adhesion is the tendency of water to stick to
other sustances. Surface tension occurs because of cohesion and allows small insects to walk on water.
Water is polar, with hydrogen being slightly positive and oxygen slightly negative. The polarity of water allows it to
be a universal solvent (dissolves substances).
Water is less dense as a solid (ice). This allows for bodies of water to freeze on top rather than bottom up. The
frozen layer provides insulation for life to exist underneath.
21. Make sure you understand what pH is and what makes an acid or base vs. a salt. How the concentration changes
logarithmically as you move from one number to the next.
a. Why is the water in the atmosphere typically a pH of 5.65?
Pollutants that are acidic decrease the pH of atmospheric water.
b. If a substance has a pH of 3, how many times more acidic is it than a substance with a pH of 5?
A substance with a pH of 3 is 100 times more acidic than a substance with a pH of 5.
Energy is a fundamental component of environmental systems.
22. Give an example of potential energy and of kinetic energy. An example of potential energy is a ball resting on top of
a hill, an example of kinetic energy is a ball rolling down a hill.
23. What is the electromagnetic spectrum? The electromagnetic spectrum is a range of all possible frequencies of
electromagnetic radiation. It includes Radiowaves, Microwaves, Infrared waves, Visible, Ultraviolet waves, X-rays,
Gamma waves.
This is going to come into play often in this class as we will discuss the ozone layer, radiation, convection, conduction, and other energy
related topics.
24. What is temperature? A property of matter, a quantitative measure of how “hot” or “cold” something is.
A measurement of kinetic energy.
First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy is Conserved
25. Explain the first and second laws of thermodynamics in your own words.
The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. The second law states that when energy is
transformed it ability to do work may be diminished.
26. What is energy efficiency? Using less energy to provide the same service. Give an example. Window panes, energy
efficient appliance, compact fluorescent bulbs.
14. See attached visual. What happens when chemical energy from coal is turned in to electricity? Energy is lost as
waste and heat.
How efficient is this process? 1.6% efficient
a. What is the energy from burning coal given off as if not to make electricity?
Heat, waste, sound.
b. How efficient is the coal then by the time it reaches the house?
31 %
c. How efficient is an incandescent light bulb when the electricity is being used by it?
5%
d. So what does the overall efficiency end up being?
1.6%
27. What is energy quality?
The ease at which an energy source can be used
28. Use the following equation to solve for the cost per year of running a 400 W radio 2 hrs a day, assume that the radio
is on every day (365 days).
400 x
2hrs x 365 / 1000 X .14 = $ 40.88
Ex)
Appliance
Window
Fan
Watts x
200
x
Hours per
Day
x
Days per
Year
÷
Convert to
kWh
x
kWh Rate
=
Cost per
Year
4
x
120
÷
1,000
x
.14
=
$13.44
17. Use the above information to determine how much it costs to run a 50 W laptop for 1 hr a day 4 days a week. THIS
INVOLVES AN ADDITIONAL STEP!
50 W X 1hr/day X 4days/week X 52 weeks / 1000 X .14 = $1.46
29. What is the cost of using your 120 W flatscreen television for 2 hrs every day for one year?
120 W X 2 hrs/day X 365 days / 1000kW/W X .14 = $12.26
30. What is entropy? Disorder within a system
31. In what direction does energy always flow? Cold to hot or hot to cold?
Cold to hot (cold molecules move less, they are always trending towards more movement, which means higher temps.)
32. What is the difference between an open and a closed system? Open systems allows energy/matter to flow across
boundaries. A closed system does not allow matter/ energy to be exchanged across boundaries.
a. Give examples of an open system? Closed system? An open system would be energy on earth, it flows in
and out of earth. A closed system would be matter on earth, no major input or output.
b. Which system is more common Open
33. What does the term feedback mean? Feedback is the product of a process
a. Differentiate between negative and positive feedback. Which is more common? Negative
Positive feedback is when there is an Increase in the magnitude of the initial increase/decrease.
Negative feedback is when a system is altered and restored to it’s original state.
b. Which amplifies changes and which resists changes?
Positive feedback amplifies change and negative feedback resists change.
34. What is a feedback loop When an input affects and output
a. How do humans affect these natural cycles? By increasing inputs
b. Give an example of a negative and a positive feedback loop.
A good example of positive feedback is population growth, more births more breeding, more births, more people, etc.
A good example of negative feedback is blood pressure, blood pressure goes up, receptors respond, heart rate
decreases, blood pressure decreases.
What are some examples of environmental conditions that might vary over time? Global temps, water levels, density of
timber, etc.