Transcript Environmental Chap. 1 Sect. 1 Understanding Our Environment

Environmental Chap. 1 Sect. 1
Understanding Our Environment
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Warm-up exercises:
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1. Choose a partner
2. Think of 2 different ecosystems and
write them down
3. Name the abiotic (non-living) and the
biotic (living) parts of your ecosystems
4. Think of 2 ways that humans might
impact your ecosystems and write them
down
Collect Assignments
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1. Signed pledge forms
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2. Signed lab contracts
DE State Standards
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GLE - Science Standard 1
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Collect accurate and precise data through the
selection and use of tools and technologies
appropriate to the investigations. Display and
organize data through the use of tables,
diagrams, graphs, and other organizers that
allow analysis and comparison with known
information and allow for replication of
results.
DE State Standards
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1.1.3.
Understand that: Theories in science are wellestablished explanations of natural phenomena that are supported by
many confirmed observations and verified hypotheses. The
application of theories allows people to make reasonable predictions.
Theories may be amended to become more complete with the
introduction of new evidence.
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Be able to: Collect accurate and precise data through the selection and
use of tools and technologies appropriate to the investigations.
Display and organize data through the use of tables, diagrams, graphs,
and other organizers that allow analysis and comparison with known
information and allow for replication of results
DE State Standards
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Standard 8: Ecology
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Strand 3: Human Impact
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Enduring Understanding: Humans can alter the living and
non-living factors within an ecosystem, thereby creating
changes to the overall system.
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Essential Question: How do humans have an impact on
the diversity and stability of ecosystems?
DE State Standards
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8.3.1.
Exponential growth of the global human population and
the resulting increase in consumption places severe stress on finite
resources.
8.3.2.
Human decisions concerning the use of resources can
affect the stability and biodiversity of the ecosystems and the natural
recycling processes which maintain the quality of air, water, and
land.
8.3.3.
Human activities have a major effect on other species.
For example, increased land use reduces habitat available to other
species, pollution changes the chemical composition of air, soil, and
water, and introduction of non-native species disrupts the ecological
balance.
DE State Standards
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8.3.5. People manage the Earth and its
resources by preservation, conservation,
appropriate utilization, and restoration.
The complexity and interaction of these
ecosystems requires individual and
collaborative efforts on a local, regional,
national, and international scale.
Section Objectives
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Define environmental science and compare to ecology
List 5 major fields of study that contribute to
environmental science
Describe the major environmental effects of huntergatherers, the agricultural revolution, and the
Industrial Revolution.
Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable
resources
Classify environmental problems into 3 major
categories
Key Terms
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Environmental science
Ecology
Agriculture
Natural resource
Pollution
Biodiversity
Definitions
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Science: observing, studying and
experimenting to find the nature of
things.
Environment: everything around us. It
includes: natural things, as well as things
produced by humans.
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Ex.: city of Wilmington, Ashland Nature
Center, your back yard.
Applied – Pure Science
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Pure sciences – chemistry, biology, physics
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Applied sciences – examples
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Environmental science –( chemistry, biology, etc.)
Engineering – (physics, chemistry, math)
Medicine – (biology, chemistry)
Can you think of any other professions?
3 Main Areas of Focus in Env. Science
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1. Conservation and Protection of
natural resources
2. Environmental education and
communication
3. Environmental research
Extinction of North American Megafauna
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What do you think brought about the
extinction of the species below over 15,000
years ago?
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Mammoths
Camels
Giant ground sloths
Beavers – as large as a black bear
Saber-toothed cats
Maned lions ?
Extinct N. American Mammals
SOME THEORIES OF EXTINCTION
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1. Over kill by early humans – over
hunting
2. Rapid sift in climate on earth – End of
the Ice Age
3. Diseases such as influenza and rabies
we brought over by early humans
Probably a combination of all of the
above!
Experimental Study
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Keene High school – New Hampshire
Ashuelot River study of dwarf wedge
mussel dwindling population.
Students took water samples and
conducted population studies at different
areas of the river
Possible Causes
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Sewage discharges into river
Fertilizer runoff from golf course
Algae growth – oxygen starvation – called
“artificial eutrophication”
• Upstream dam disrupting reproductive
cycles
(more later in case study)
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Definitions
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Environmental Science: the study of how
humans interact with the environment.
“MISCONCEPTION ALERT” –
environmental issues usually thought to
be associated with an endangered species
disappearing – can also be an
overabundance of a species –disruption
of food chain
Definition
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INVASIVE SPECIES – a non-native
species of plant, animal or other
organism introduced into an ecosystem.
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Ex.: Zebra mussels in Great Lakes
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Introduced in 1989 from the ballast of an ocean going ship
Has spread through 23 states and 2 Canadian provinces
Causes 50-100 million dollars in damage each year by
blocking intakes and outflows of power plants and water
treatment plants
Other Invasive Species
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Snake-head fish – from Asia – MD, DE
Fire ants
Killer bees
Hydrilla & kudza vines – brought in to help
prevent erosion on highways
Mitten crab – from Asia – in Chesapeake Bay
Website: www.delawareinvasives.org
Delaware Invasive Species of Plants
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Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica
Oriental bittersweet, Celasrus orbiculatus
Japanese stilt grass, Microstegium vimineum Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii
Periwinkle, Vinca minor
Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata
Winged euonymus, Euonymus alata
Porcelain berry, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
Bradford pear, Pyrus calleryana
Marsh dewflower, Murdannia keisak
Lesser celandine, Ranunculus ficaria
Purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria
Reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea
Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii
Tartarian honeysuckle, Lonicera tatarica
Tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima
Japanese knotweed, Fallopia japonica
Autumn olive, Elaeagnus umbellata
Norway maple, Acer platanoides
Common reed, Phragmites australis
Hydrilla, Hydrilla verticillata
Morrow's honeysuckle, Lonicera morrowii
Mile-a-minute weed, Polygonum perfoliatum
Yam-leaved clematis, Clematis terniflora
Privet, several species
European sweetflag, Acorus calamus
Wineberry, Rubus phoenicolasius
Delaware Invasive Species of Insects
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Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta
Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis
Asian long horned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis
European wood wasp, Sirex noctilio
Pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda
Gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar
Sudden oak death, Phytophthora ramorum
Potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida
Exotic woodborers and bark beetles
OTHER DELAWARE INVASIVE SPECIES
FLATHEAD CATFISH
MITTEN CRAB
ZEBRA MUSSEL
NORTHERN SNAKEHEAD
NUTRIA
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
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WITH A PARTNER
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List some of the most significant
environmental problems in the
world today. – List 5 things
GLOBAL ENV. ISSUES
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Global warming/climatic change
Ozone depletion
Habitat destruction
Over population
Destruction of rain forest
Acid rain
Ocean Acidification
Sea Level Rise
Local Environmental Issues
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WITH A PARTNER
List some local (state or region)
environmental problems.
Local Environmental Issues
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Acid rain – SO2 emissions-Delmarva, Valero
Water pollution – industry, ships, farms, jet
skis, parking lots, etc. (petroleum products,
benzene, fertilizers)
Habitat loss – housing boom – Middletown,
etc.
Air pollution – cars, factories, power plants,
airplanes, etc.
Sea level rise – Sussex County
Recent Local Pollution Incidents
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Sulfuric acid cloud – Glasgow – 5 yrs. ago
Nitric acid cloud Claymont – 4 years ago
Sulfuric acid spill – Motiva – Delaware City –8 yrs.
ago
BTME gas additive – 70% of all gas stations leaked
into ground
TiO2 factory Edgemoor –DuPont - #1 producer of
dioxins in U.S. – carcinogen
SiO2 emissions – Millsboro – Delmarva power plant #3 worst in U.S. – HAS SINCE BEEN CONVERTED
TO NATURAL GAS!!!
Goals of Environmental Science
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Main Goal: to understand and
solve environmental problems
Types of Interaction Between Humans
& the Environment
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2 main Types:
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How we use natural resources –
(water, air, trees, land,
petroleum)
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How human actions alter our
environment
Interrelations of Environmental
Science and other sciences
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Ecology: the study of how living things
interact with their non-living
environment.
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Ex. – Ecologist – studies how bees pollinate
flowers
Environmental Scientist : studies how the
behavior of bees is influenced by human activities
– What caused the depletion of this species in
2008? Einstein said: “When the bees disappear so
goes humans.”
Other Sciences Interacting with
Environmental Science
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Can you name some other sciences
that contribute to Environmental
Science?
Other Sciences in Env. Science
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Chemistry – understand the nature of
pollutants and reactants
Geology – helps us model how pollutants
travel underground – permeability, porosity
Botany & Zoology – identify and preserve
species
Paleontology – understand how earth’s climate
has changes from the past – “the key to the
future lies in the past”
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ANCIENT CITY
OF TROY?
READ ECOFACT on top of page 8
 How did the ancient city of Troy’s economy
collapse over 3000 years ago?
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(A case of an environmental problem
becoming an economic issue)
Can you think of any modern day country
that is experiencing the same fate as Troy?
Who played the part of Achilles in the movie
Troy?
Assignment – CP ENV ONLY
Work with a partner
 1. Answer the questions on page 15, 1 – 6
 2. Quiz each other with the questions
until the answers are understood by both
10 Minutes!!!
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Page 15, questions 1 - 6
EXIT TICKET – Chap 1, Mid-Section
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1. What is the difference between
Environmental Science and Ecology?
2. What is the difference between an
applied science and a pure science? Give
2 examples of an applied science and 2
examples of pure science.
3. Why are invasive species bad for an
ecosystem?
Our Environment Through Time
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Wherever humans have hunted, grown
food, or settled, they have changed the
environment.
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Ex.: New York City – used to be area
where native Americans hunted game and
gathered food.
Hunter-Gatherers
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Definition: people who obtain food by
collecting plants and by hunting wild
animals or scavenging their remains
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They traveled to where the food was at
different times of the year – native
Americans followed buffalo
THE LAST OF THE HUNTER-GATHERERS
How did hunter-gatherers effect their
environment?
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Burned prairies to prevent trees from
growing to keep grazing areas open for
buffalo.
Helped to spread different plants to
different areas by dropping seeds
Hunter-gatherer Env. Effects-con’t
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In early N. America, hunter-gatherers killed
many large mammals, helping in the extinction
of many species such as: giant sloth,
mastodons, cave bears and saber-toothed
tigers.
They drove large herds into pits for slaughter,
the fossil record shows
Climate also changed
Agricultural Revolution
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Definition:
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Agriculture: the practice of growing, breeding,
and caring for plants and animals that are used
for food, clothing, housing, transportation and
other purposes.
Started over 10,000 years ago
It made a dramatic impact on human societies,
that’s why it is called the Agricultural Revolution
Can you name some positive effects from the Ag
Revolution?
THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION AND
CIVILIZATION
Ag Revolution Positive Effects
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An area of land could support up to 500
times as many people by farming than
hunting and gathering.
It allowed human population to grow.
Food changed from it’s wild ancestors to
domesticated plants over many
generations
Field Activity
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Growing popcorn
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Small, clear cups
Paper towels
Unpopped popcorn kernels
Water
Sunlight
Observe similarities of corn sprouts to
blades of grass (early ancestors of corn)
Ag Revolution- Neg. Effects
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Can you name some negative
effects of the Agricultural
Revolution?
Ag Revolution Negative Effects
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As populations grew, people lived in smaller
areas, placing higher pressure on local
environments
Many grasslands, wetlands, and forests were
destroyed to make way for farmland, much
like what is happening today in the South
American rain forests.
Slash & burn – a “double whammy”- CO2
using trees cut down and burned, putting CO2
into air.
Ag Revolution Neg. Effects-con’t
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Much land became infertile due to over
use – planting the same crops every year
took same nutrients from soil.
Salts in soil built up.
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Crop rotation later solved this problem
Effects of Slash & Burn
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Soil loss
Floods
Water shortages
Build-up of greenhouse gases
Loss of habitats
Skill Builder Exercise
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According the World Wildlife Fund – rain
forests are being cleared at a rate of 26
hectares per minute. (1 hectare = 2.47 acres)
 Calculate the number of hectares (ha)
cleared in:
An hour
 A day
 A year
 Convert to acres for yearly total
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( put in your Eco-Log)
Skill Builder Calculations
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26 ha per minute X 60 min. per hour = 1560
ha/hour
1560 ha per hour X 24 hrs = 37,440 ha/day
37,440 ha/day X 365 days/yr = 13,665,600 ha/yr
1 hectare = 2.47 acres
13,665,600 ha X 2.47 = 33,754,032 acres/yr =
52,763 sq. mi.
State of New York = 54,475 sq. miles
Industrial Revolution
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Occurred in mid 1700’s
A shift from energy sources like animal muscle
and running water (water wheels) to fossil
fuels (coal & oil)
Changes society by increasing efficiency of
agriculture, industry, and transportation
Can you name some positive effects of the
Industrial Revolution?
THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Industrial Rev. Positive Effects
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Tractors made farming more efficient –
cheaper food
Fewer people had to grow their own food –
populations in cities grew
Fossil fuels –(trains, trucks, cars) – allowed
food and other goods to be transported long
distances cheaply
Industrial Rev. Positive Effects
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Improved Quality of Life:
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Light bulbs
Electricity
Sanitation
Medical care
Nutrition
Can you name some negative effects of the
Industrial Revolution?
Industrial Rev. Negative Effects
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Overpopulation – Ghettos
Loss of habitats – trees
Pollution – air, water, land
1900’s – plastics, pesticides, fertilizers
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Good in one way
Brought environmental issues with them
Name positives and negatives of these products
Skill Builder Exercise
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List the positive and negative effects of the
Industrial Revolution
Use these lists to write a brief essay( 1 page)
expressing your personal view on whether the
positives outweigh the negatives of the
Industrial Revolution
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Due Tuesday, 9/10/13
Maximum 50 points
Spaceship Earth
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Earth is a “closed system”
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The only thing that enters the earth’s atmosphere
is energy from the sun (radiant energy)
The only thing that leaves the earth is large
amounts of reflected heat (infrared)
Only exception is water from comets
Problems with a Closed System
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Resources limited – worse as population
grows – China
Waste produced faster then we can
dispose of it – (Wilm. landfill)
Levels of Environmental Problems
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Local: landfill space, protection of habitats, over
development
Regional: acid rain, water pollution, beach erosion,
deforestation
Global: ozone depletion, run away greenhouse effect
(global warming/climatic change)
GLOBAL ATMOSPHERE: what we do in our region
effects the whole world
Earth as a Living Organism
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Discussion: page 12
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1960’s- NASA scientist James Lovelock designed
tests to search for life on Mars
Earth atmosphere 78 % Nitrogen, 21 % Oxygen\
Mars atmosphere 95% Carbon Dioxide, traces of
oxygen and other gases
Developed the Gaia hypothesis – states that the
Earth is a living organism
What do you think?
Case Study – Lake Washington
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Page 12
What was the problem?
How did they solve it?
Answer questions page 13
Population Growth
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Increased population growth has an enormous
impact on the environment:
Reasons for population growth(population
quadrupled in the 20th century):
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Industrial/Agricultural Revolutions
Improved medicines- prolonged lives- (turn of
century, 19th/20th, pneumonia was leading cause
of death
Increased sanitation
Population Milestones
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1804 – world population hit 1 billion
1960 – world population hit 3 billion –
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October 12, 1999 – world population hit 6
billion –
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2 billion increase in 156 years
3 billion increase in 39 years
UN estimate: 9 billion by 2050
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Fertility rate: 2.1 children/women
Problems of Increased Population
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Increased environmental problems feeding
vast population:
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Clearing forests – farmland/livestock
Soil erosion – loss of roots to stabilize soil
Pesticide pollution
Fertilizers – eutrophication
Scientist predict population to double in 21st
century- increased pressure on environment
and resources ( 12 billion people?)
Categories of Environmental
Problems
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Resource depletion
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Pollution
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Loss of Biodiversity
Resource Depletion
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Definitions:
Resource: a natural material used by humans
Depleted: when a large fraction of a resource is used
up
Deforestation: In an area where trees are being
destroyed faster than they can grow back
Renewable resource: can be replenished relatively
quickly by natural processes.
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Ex.: fresh water, air, soil, tress, crops
Non-renewable resource: a resource that replenishes
at a much slower rate than it is being consumed
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Ex.: minerals, fossil fuels
Quick Lab
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Choose 5 items in the classroom
List the components that make up that
item
Classify the ingredients of your items as
renewable or non renewable resources
Pollution
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Pollution: An undesired change in air, water or soil
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that adversely affects the health, survival, or activities
of humans or other organisms
2 Types:
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Biodegradable: can be broken down by natural processes(human sewage, newspapers)
Non-biodegradable: pollutants that cannot be broken down
by natural processes- (mercury, lead, plastic)
Can build up to dangerous levels in environment-(mercury
in tuna, benzene in Red Lion Creek)
Loss of Biodiversity
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Biodiversity: the number and variety of
species that live in an area
Hundreds of millions of species have inhabited
the earth- only a small fraction alive today –
others are extinct
Mass extinctions – large scale
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End of Permian Period (250 million yrs ago)- as
much as 95% of all species became extinct
Some say we are living the greatest mass
extinction the earth has ever experienced
Extinctions disrupt eco-systems
Assignment
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Read pages 16 – 21 – (sect 2)
Page 21, questions 1 – 5