Introduction to Environmental Science

Transcription

1 Introduction to Environmental Science

2 Enviornmental Science 150 Greg Hueckel (360) home (360) cell Required Text Sustaining the Earth (Seventh Edition) G. Tyler Miller Jr.

3 Confusing terms environmental science (or studies) environmentalism ecology ecosystem

4 Definitions environmental science (or studies) interdisciplinary studies in natural sciences, including geology, climatology, hydrology, ecology, and their interaction with social sciences such as economics, political science, sociology, anthropology, geography

5 The Role of Science and People +

6 Definitions environmentalism social movement for protecting earth s life support systems for us and other species

7 More definitions ecology study of the interactions between organisms and between organisms and their environment (example) ecosystem includes all organisms living in an area and the physical environment with which these organisms interact.

8 What is environment? Environment is everything that affects a living organism. Environment can include both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components. Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem Abiotic components are nonliving chemical and physical factors in theenvironment, which affect ecosystems

9 What Keeps Us Alive? Solar Capital Natural Capital natural resources are natural capital Fig. 1-2, p. 7

10 Ecosystem Economics Biological income must not exceed biological expenditures. Protect your capital and live off the income it provides.

11 Resources Perpetual Solar renewed continuously Renewable Replenished fairly rapidly through natural processes Non-renewable minerals

12 Renewable Resources Sustainable yield Highest rate at which a potentially renewable resource can be used without reducing its available supply throughout the world or in a particular area. Environmental Degradation Depletion or destruction of a potentially renewable resource such as soil, grassland, forest, or wildlife that is used faster than it is naturally replenished. If such use continues, the resource becomes nonrenewable (on a human time scale) or nonexistent (extinct).

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14 Tragedy of the Commons Depletion or degradation of a potentially renewable resource to which people have free and unmanaged access. An example is the depletion of commercially desirable fish species in the open ocean beyond areas controlled by coastal countries. How do we avoid this?

15 Ecological Footprint Amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply each person or population with the renewable resources they use and to absorb or dispose of the wastes from such resource use. It measures the average environmental impact of individuals or populations in different countries and areas.

16 Non-Renewable Resources Resource that exists in a fixed amount (stock) in various places in the earth's crust and has the potential for renewal by geological, physical, and chemical processes taking place over hundreds of millions to billions of years. Energy, metals, and other minerals Examples are copper, aluminum, iron, salt, clay, coal, and oil. Any potentially renewable resource can become nonrenewable if used improperly Theoretically, never exhaust due to economic feasibility for extracting.

17 Non-renewable resources and natural capital degradation Extracting, processing and use come at an environmental expense

18 ECOLOGY: Integrative levels, scope, and scale of organization backm

19 Ecology: Habitat backm

20 Ecology: Community backm

21 Ecology: Ecosystem backm

22 BIOTIC component of environment Food chain

23 BIOTIC component of environment Food Web back

24 ABIOTIC component of environment

25 ABIOTIC component of environment

26 ABIOTIC component of environment back

27 Renewable: Sustainable yield back