Chapter 16 vocab
Primary pollutants- Those directly released from the source into the air in a harmful form.
Secondary pollutants- Modified to hazardous form after they enter the air or are formed by chemical reactions as components of the air mix and interact.
Fugitive emissions- Those that do not go through a smoke stack.
Ambient air- Air around us
Conventional or Criteria pollutants- Seven major air pollutants(sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulates, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, photochemical oxidants, lead), lead to the highest amounts of air degradation.
Sulfur dioxide- Colorless, corrosive gas, immediately hurtful, can oxidize quickly
Nitrogen Oxides- Highly reactive gases formed when nitrogen in fuel or combustion air is heated to temps, above 650 degrees C.
Carbon monoxide- Colorless, odorless, nonirritating but highly toxic gas produced by incomplete combustion of fuel.
Aerosol- Any system of solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gaseous medium.
Particulate material- All atmospheric aerosols, whether solid of liquid
Volatile organic compounds- Organic chemicals that exist as gases in the air; plants make the most VOC’s.
Photochemical oxidants- Products of secondary atmospheric reactions driven by solar energy.
Ozone- Singlet, or atomic oxygen forms with another molecule of O2. Valuable shield for the biosphere.
Hazardous air pollutants(HAP’s)- Carcinogens, neurotoxins, mutagens, teratogens, and endocrine disrupters.
Toxic Release Inventory(TRI)- Best source of information about the HAP’s, a community knowledge pursuit.
Aesthetic degradation- Any undesirable changes in the physical characteristics or chemistry of the atmosphere.
Temperature inversions- Occurs when a stable layer of warmer air overlays cooler air, reversing the normal temperature decline with increasing height and preventing convection currents from dispersing pollutants.
Stratospheric ozone- Levels over the South Pole were dropping precipitously during Sept. and Oct. every year as the sun reappears at the end of the long polar winter.
Chlorofluorocarbons(CFC’s)- Humans release chlorine containing molecules into the atmosphere, the most dangerous of these.
Bronchitis- A persistent inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles, that causes mucus buildup, a painful cough, and involuntary muscle spasms that constrict airways.
Chronic obstructive lung disease- Irreversible, airways are permanently constricted and alveoli are damaged or even destroyed.
Synergistic effects- Where the injury caused by exposure to two factors together is more than the sum of exposure to each factor individually.
Acid precipitation- The deposition of wet acidic solutions or dry acidic particles from the air.
chapter 14 notes
Chapter 14 notes
Earth is a dynamic and constantly changing structure
Layered Sphere- Core(composed mainly of iron), Mantle(less dense, hot pliable layer), and Crust(rocks that float on the mantle)
-Continents are made of tectonic plates
-Earthquakes are caused by the grinding of one plate on another
Rocks and Minerals
Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid element or compound with a definite chemical composition and a regular internal crystal structure
-distinguishable traits of minerals 1.) chemical composition 2.) crystal structure
Rock- a mixture of minerals
Rock Types and How They R’ Formed
Igneous- magma extrudes to the surface and cools rapidly
Sedimentary- due to the process of weathering, many kinds of rocks break down and then are compacted( ex. Sandstone, tuff, and conglomerates)
Metamorphic- preexisting rock subjected to high amounts of heat, pressure, and chemical agents
Environmental Effects of Resource Extraction
-Australia, China, Brazil, U.S., Russia and Canada account for the majority of metal extraction.
-mining of these precious metals(aluminum, iron ore, copper, lead) lead to air and water pollution
Mining-open pit, strip, underground
Processing-to extract metals from the ore, a process called smelting is used
another method is heap-leach extraction , piling crushed ore into huge piles and spraying it with a solution
Conserving Geologic Resources
recycling- aluminum, glass, steel, plastics, titanium, copper and paper
Geologic Hazards- earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes
chapter 14 vocab
Core- interior of the Earth, composed of a dense, intensely hot mass of metal, mostly iron, thousands of kilometers in diameter.
Mantle- surrounding the molten outer core is a hot, pliable layer of rock.
Crust- the outermost layer of the Earth is the cool, lightweight, brittle layer of rock that floats on the mantle.
Tectonic Plates- breakup of crust into huge blocks, convection currents move these plates across Earths surface
Magma- molten rock
Mineral- a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid element or compound with a definite chemical composition and a regular internal crystal structure.
Rock- a solid, cohesive, aggregate of one or more minerals.
Rock Cycle- cycle of creation, destruction and metamorphosis or rocks
Igneous Rocks- magma that has been extruded to the surface from volcanic vents that cool quickly to make basalt, rhyolite, andesite, and other fine grained rocks.
Weathering- exposure to air, water, changing temperatures, and reactive chemical agents that slowly break rocks down.
Sedimentation- deposition of weathered materials
Sedimentary Rock- sedimentary materials that have been compacted over a long period of time; sandstone, tuff, and conglomerates.
Metamorphic Rock- preexisting rocks can be modified by heat, pressure, and chemical agents to form this
Smelting- roasting ore to release metals
Heap-Leach Extraction- piling crushed ore in huge heaps and spraying it with a dilute alkaline-cyanide solution. The solution percolates through the pile and dissolves gold
Earthquakes- sudden movements in the Earth’s crust that occur along faults(plans of weakness) where one rock mass slides past another one.
Tsunami- giant seismic sea swells, earthquakes in the ocean are the cause
Volcanoes- undersea magma vents that produce much of the Earth’s crust.
Mass Wasting- mass movement, in which geological materials are moved down slope form one place to another.
chapter 13 notes
Chapter 13 Notes
Preserving and Restoring Nature
Parks and Natural Reserves
Occupy a small percentage of our land however they protect valuable cultural/biological resources
Park numbers have grown in recent years however they are being challenged in recent years
Wildlife, Lands and Parks serve many often contradictory demands
Forms of recreation, wildlife habitat and extraction of timber oil minerals and gas
Globally protected areas have expanded ten fold in the past 50 years
Need to meet diverse needs(hunting farming and protection)
Developing Countries
Suffered from poaching and logging
Recent efforts like the Man and Biosphere program have tried to balance man and ecological needs
Landscapes
Patchiness and heterogeneity are characteristics
Ecosystem management involves long periods of time, human resources and a maintaining of biodiversity and ecological systems
Restoration Ecology
Restore
Rehabilitate ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
Re-Create
Hope to maintain original species in their original locations( but how authentic should it be?)
chapter 12 notes
Chapter 12
Land Use: Forests and Grasslands
Approx 11% of the Earths landmass is used for crops
World Forests
Regulate climate, control water runoff, provide shelter and food for wildlife, and purify the air
Rough estimates say that half the worlds original forests have been converted into crop land, pasture settlements or wasteland
Closed canopy forests
Open canopy forests
Old growth forests-contain the majority of biodiversity, endangered species and indigenous human cultures
Remoteness protects the majority of these forests, not laws
Forest Products
Wood plays the biggest part in the modern day economy than any other commodity
Global wood consumption has doubled in the last 50 years to 3.4 billion m^3 per year
Industrial lumber- make lumber, plywood, veneer, particleboard and chipboard
United States, Russia and Canada are the largest producers of wood in the world
Japan is the worlds largest importer
Fuelwood accounts for about half of all wood harvested worldwide
Forest Management-
about 25% of the worlds forests are managed scientifically for wood production
harvesting is not matched by planting for the majority
Clear cutting is one method that is cheap and efficient but cuts EVERYTHING
Diminishing Forests
Greatest losses of tropical forests were in Africa, 9-12 million ha of forest per year for ten years
Causes for Deforestation- 1.) make way for oil palm and fruit plantations 2.) forests burned to disguise illegal logging 3.) roads, and urban expansion
Swidden Agriculture is mistaken as detrimental but is good for fragile soil types and is when done correctly is very sustainable
Forest Protection
Preserves have been established in countries like Indonesia and Congo
Dept for Nation Swap
Troubles is that environmental, forest issues are controversial and contradict the previous tax breaks for cheap lumber for house builders
Rotational Grazing
Land Reform
chapter 13 vocab
inholdings- land already in private ownership when a park was established
biographical area- regional ecosystem
wilderness- an area of undeveloped land affected primarily by the forces of nature
wildlife refuges- area put under preservation by the government, there are now 540 in the United States
world conservation strategy- for natural resources, maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems, preserve genetic diversity, ensure that any utilization of species is sustainable
Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program- encourages division of protected areas into zones with different purposes
poachers- illegal hunters who massacre wildlife for valuable meat, horns and tusks
landscape ecology- the study of how ecological processes shape the diverse environment, and how mosaic landscapes in turn shape the ecosystem processes
corridors- allow natural habitat to move from one area to another
restoration ecology- seeks to repair or reconstruct ecosystems damaged by humans or natural forces
restoration- to bring something back to a former condition
rehabilitation- attempts to rebuild elements of structure or function in a ecologic system without complete restoration
remediation- cleaning chemical contaminants from a polluted area by physical or biological methods
reclamation- chemical or physical manipulations carried out in severely degraded sites, such as open pit mines and large scale construction
re-creation- attempts the construct a new biological community on a site so severely disturbed that there is virtually nothing left to restore
wetland mitigation- creating wetlands to restore those lost to development
floodplains- low lying land along river banks and lakes subjected periodic inundation, seasonally flooded
ecosystem managment- new, attempts to integrate ecological, economic, and social goals in unified, systems approach
chapter 12 vocab
closed canopy- forest with tree crowns that cover over twenty percent of the ground
open canopy- forest or woodland in which tree crowns cover less than twenty percent of the ground
old-growth forests- remnants of ancient forests that contain most of the worlds biodiversity, endangered species and indiginous peoples
industrial timber- and roundwood are used to produce lumber, plywood, veneer, particalboard, and chipboard
fuelwood- 1/2 the wood harvested, used for heating and cooking
forest management- involves planning for sustainable harvests, specific attention is paid to forest regeneration
monoculture forestry- intensive production of a singular species of tree
milpa agriculture- slash and burn agriculture, burned trees provide a rich seedbed for new plants
swidden agriculture- same as milpa, just a different name for field
mixed perennial polyculture- when maize, rice and up to 80 other crops are planted in a riotous profusion
debt-for-nations swaps- conservation organizations buy land that is tied up by the bank in order to keep it from harms way
clear cutting- most common method of harvesting, every tree is in a given area is cut regardless of size
selective cutting- least disruptive method, small percentage of the mature trees are taken in each ten to twenty year rotation
salvage logging- removal of dead or dying trees from forests damaged by fire or disease
pasture- enclosed or managed grasslands
rangelands- unfenced, natural prairie and open woodlands which make up about twice the area of the worlds croplands
desertification- the process of denuding and degrading a once fertile land initiates a desert-producing cycle that feeds on itself
rotational grazing- confining animals to a small area for a short time before shifting them to a new location
land reform- seek the redistribution of landownership(radical means have been the civil war)
