chapter 1Review
Throughout this chapter, we have outlined principles, techniques, and methods that will allow us to approach environmental science from an interdisciplinary perspective as we evaluate the current condition of Earth and the ways that human beings have influenced it. We identified that we can use environmental indicators to show the status of specific environmental conditions in the past, at present, and, potentially, into the future. These indicators and other environmental metrics must be measured using the same scientific process used in other fields of science. Environmental science does contain some unique challenges because there is no undisturbed baseline—
Fracking Environment Environmental science Ecosystem Biotic Abiotic Environmentalist Environmental studies Ecosystem services Environmental indicators Biodiversity Genetic diversity Species Species diversity Speciation Background extinction rate Greenhouse gases Anthropogenic Development Sustainability Sustainable development Biophilia Ecological footprint Scientific method Hypothesis Null hypothesis Replication Sample size Accuracy Precision Uncertainty Theory Control group Natural experiment | The number of times a measurement is replicated in data collection. Development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations. A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population. Hydraulic fracturing, a method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open cracks in rocks deep underground. An objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes, or changes. A group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties. The field of study that includes environmental science and additional subjects such as environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics. Nonliving. Living. In a scientific investigation, a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the single variable under study. Love of life. The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term. The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature. The processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced. A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem. How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another. Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources. The data collection procedure of taking repeated measurements. The evolution of new species. The diversity of life forms in an environment. Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement. A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance. Derived from human activities. A testable conjecture about how something works. An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system. How close a measured value is to the actual or true value. A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components. A prediction that there is no difference between groups or conditions, or a statement or an idea that can be falsified, or proved wrong. A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land. A person who participates in environmentalism, a social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education. The sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life. Gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat near the surface. The number of species in a region or in a particular type of habitat. An estimate of how much a measured or calculated value differs from a true value. |
Module 1 Environmental Science
Define the field of environmental science and discuss its importance.
Environmental science is the study of the interactions among human-
Identify ways in which humans have altered and continue to alter our environment.
The impact of humans on natural systems has been significant since early humans hunted some large animal species to extinction. However, technology and population growth have dramatically increased both the rate and the scale of human-
Module 2 Environmental Indicators and Sustainability
Identify key environmental indicators and their trends over time.
Five important global-
Define sustainability and explain how it can be measured using the ecological footprint.
Sustainability is the use of Earth’s resources to meet our current needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The ecological footprint is the land area required to support a person’s (or a country’s) lifestyle. We can use that information to say something about how sustainable that lifestyle would be if it were adopted globally.
Module 3 Scientific Method
Explain the scientific method and its application to the study of environmental problems.
The scientific method is a process of observation, hypothesis generation, data collection, analysis of results, and dissemination of findings. Repetition of measurements or experiments is critical if one is to determine the validity of findings. Hypotheses are tested and often modified before being accepted.
Describe some of the unique challenges and limitations of environmental science.
We lack an undisturbed “control planet” with which to compare conditions on Earth today. Assessments and choices are often subjective because there is no single measure of environmental quality Environmental systems are so complex that they are poorly understood, and human preferences and policies may affect them as much as do natural laws.