Chapter Introduction
1.1 Environment is everything
1.2 Science uses a formal method to gather evidence about how nature works
1.3 Scientific evidence can reduce uncertainty about natural phenomena
1.4 The integrity of science depends on following a strict code of ethical conduct
1.5 Human impact and environmental awareness began long ago
1.6 Human impact on the environment has become a global issue
1.7 Environmental ethics extends moral responsibilities to the environment
1.8 Sustainability as a pragmatic solution to environmental woes
1.9 Environmental science provides a comprehensive framework for addressing environmental issues
Central Question: How do science and values help address environmental issues?
Chapter 1 Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
2.1 Ecosystems and economic systems are built on matter
2.2 Energy makes matter move
2.3 Energy flows through ecosystems, while matter recycles
2.4 Economic systems and their currencies take several forms
2.5 Energy fuels, and limits, the economy
2.6 How we represent economic systems can have environmental consequences
2.7 Unregulated use of resources can lead to a “Tragedy of the Commons”
2.8 Economics should include environmental costs and benefits
2.9 Property rights can lead to environmental preservation
2.10 Alternative paths to sustainability: Tragedy of the Commons revisited
Central Question: How can linking ecology and economics help reduce societies’ environmental impacts?
Chapter 2: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
3.1 Genetic diversity is essential to the evolution and survival of populations
3.2 Distribution and abundance are key indicators of population security
3.3 Populations change
3.4 The life history of a species influences its capacity to recover from disturbance
3.5 Species interactions define biological communities
3.6 Habitat destruction and alteration are the most serious threats to biodiversity
3.7 Invasive species threaten native species
3.8 Plant and wildlife trafficking are growing dangers to species
3.9 Pest and predator control have pushed species to the brink of extinction
3.10 National laws and international treaties protect endangered species
3.11 Banning of a toxin and captive breeding brought peregrine falcons back from the brink of extinction
3.12 Population ecology provides a conceptual foundation for wolf restoration
3.13 Restoration of North American gray wolves has required working through conflict
3.14 Wild populations are sources of significant economic benefits
Central Question: How can we protect species in an increasingly human-dominated world?
Chapter 3: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
4.1 Species and ecosystem diversity are key elements of biodiversity
4.2 Geographic patterns and processes influence biodiversity
4.3 Some species influence biodiversity much more than others
4.4 Ecological succession affects community composition and diversity
4.5 Global species richness results from a balance between speciation and extinction
4.6 Habitat fragmentation reduces biodiversity
4.7 Valuable services of ecosystems are threatened
4.8 Many invasive species harm ecosystems
4.9 The number of protected areas has grown rapidly
4.10 Nongovernmental conservation complements governmental programs
4.11 Sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services requires active management
4.12 Integrating conservation with local communities can help sustain protected areas
Central Question: How can we protect Earth’s diverse ecosystems?
Chapter 4: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
5.1 Human population density varies significantly across Earth
5.2 The global population will grow into the middle of this century
5.3 The age structure of a population gives clues to its growth or decline
5.4 Fertility ranges greatly among countries and regions
5.5 Development varies widely among countries
5.6 Population growth and development generally increase environmental impact
5.7 Developmental differences between populations create migration pressures
5.8 Most nations have national policies aimed at managing population growth
5.9 Human development is associated with lower fertility and reduced emigration
5.10 The challenge: Achieve high development and sustainable resource use
Central Question: How can we achieve sustainable human populations?
Chapter 5: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
6.1 The hydrologic cycle moves water around Earth
6.2 The El Niño Southern Oscillation causes periods of dry years and wet years
6.3 Access to adequate water supplies as a human right
6.4 Humans already use most of the world’s accessible freshwater supplies
6.5 Groundwater is being depleted faster than it is replenished
6.6 Managing water for human use threatens aquatic biodiversity
6.7 Water conservation can increase water use efficiency substantially
6.8 Reclamation and recycling are saving water throughout the world
6.9 Desalination taps Earth’s largest reservoir of water
6.10 Conservation and restoration can protect aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity
Central Question: How can we meet human needs for freshwater, while avoiding or reducing environmental impact?
Chapter 6: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
7.1 Climate, biodiversity, and nutrients influence terrestrial primary production
7.2 Agriculture, forestry, and grazing systems are built on the natural biomes
7.3 Soil structure and fertility result from dynamic processes
7.4 Industrial agriculture, which increases production, comes with environmental impacts
7.5 Common farming, grazing, and forestry practices deplete soils
7.6 Deforestation and some forestry management practices deplete soils and increase flooding danger
7.7 Irrigation can damage soils
7.8 Intensive agriculture can cause pollution and promote pesticide resistance
7.9 Genetically modified crops are sources of controversy and agricultural potential
7.10 Investing in local farmers, while increasing genetic and crop diversity, may be a sustainable approach to feeding our growing population
7.11 Sustainable farming, forestry, and ranching practices can reduce soil losses and improve soil fertility
7.12 Sustainable irrigation requires careful management of water and salts
7.13 Integrated approaches to pest control can reduce pesticide pollution and evolution of pesticide resistance
Central Question: How can we produce food and forest products while minimizing environmental impact?
Chapter 7: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
8.1 Commercial fish populations are heavily harvested and actively managed
8.2 Nutrient availability influences primary production in marine environments
8.3 El Niño and other large-scale climatic systems affect fisheries
8.4 Tragedy of the Commons: Intensive harvesting has resulted in overexploitation of many commercially important marine populations
8.5 Dams and river regulation have decimated migratory fish populations
8.6 Aquaculture can pollute aquatic environments and threaten wild fish populations
8.7 Saving global fish stocks requires careful management and strong incentives
8.8 Biodiversity contributes to the productivity and stability of fisheries
8.9 River restoration may be a key to restoring decimated salmon populations
8.10 Aquaculture can provide high-quality protein with low environmental impact
Central Question: Can we sustainably manage fisheries and aquaculture?
Chapter 8: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
9.1 Fossil fuels provide energy in chemical form
9.2 Power plants and vehicles burn fossil fuels to generate electricity and movement
9.3 Nuclear energy is released by atomic fission and fusion
9.4 Global energy use grows as energy shortages loom
9.5 Fossil fuel extraction and use can harm the environment
9.6 Nuclear power development comes with environmental costs
9.7 New laws and technology are cleaning up the oil industry
9.8 Ecosystem restoration can mitigate the environ-mental impacts of fossil fuel extraction
9.9 Advances in nuclear power plant operation and design are aimed at improving safety
Central Question: How can we manage nonrenewable energy resources in a way that reduces environmental harm?
Chapter 9: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
10.1 Solar energy can be used as a heat source and to generate electricity
10.2 Wind, water, and geothermal energy add to the renewable energy portfolio
10.3 Biomass fuels represent stored chemical energy
10.4 Solar power remains costly and can damage the environment
10.5 Wind turbines and transmission lines kill birds and bats
10.6 Hydroelectric development can have multiple environmental and social impacts
10.7 Biofuel development can reduce food supplies and harm the environment
10.8 Smart solutions to issues associated with solar power are under development
10.9 Less damaging wind-generation strategies are under development
10.10 Downsizing can mitigate the impacts of hydroelectric development
10.11 Less damaging, more efficient biofuels are under development as alternatives to oil-based fuels
Central Question: Can we develop renewable energy resources to help sustain a thriving economy without adversely affecting the environment?
Chapter 10: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
11.1 Chemical hazards include toxic substances and pollutants
11.2 Bacteria, viruses, and parasites are spread through the environment
11.3 Toxic substances move through the environment and can accumulate in large concentrations
11.4 Exposure to endocrine disruptors can affect the health of humans and other organisms
11.5 Misuse and overuse have promoted resistance to antibiotics and insecticides
11.6 Infectious diseases spill over from wild species and continue evolving to evade our defenses
11.7 We assess risk both qualitatively and quantitatively
11.8 Risk management involves reducing environmental hazards and controlling disease
11.9 Evolutionary biology can help manage antibiotic and insecticide resistance
Central Question: What is the relationship between the environment and human health and how can we manage that relationship?
Chapter 11: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
12.1 The “waste” generated by economic systems does not occur in ecosystems
12.2 Waste has diverse sources and properties and varies with level of economic development
12.3 Municipal solid waste management is a growing problem
12.4 Hazardous waste generation is increasing and is often handled unsafely
12.5 New forms of hazardous waste are on the rise
12.6 Safe nuclear waste disposal requires long-term security
12.7 Modern waste management emphasizes reduced disposal
12.8 Food waste and other biodegradable trash can be reduced and repurposed
12.9 Recycling and demanufacturing are critical to reducing waste
12.10 Safe and secure long-term disposal is the last resort
Central Question: How can we reduce the environmental impact of solid waste and dispose of hazardous waste safely?
Chapter 12: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
13.1 Industry releases pollutants
13.2 Humans produce a wide variety of pollutants
13.3 Atmospheric and aquatic transport eventually move pollutants around the planet
13.4 Air pollution exacts major health-related and economic tolls
13.5 Acid rain is a major source of damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
13.6 Persistent pollutants enter the human food chain
13.7 Organic matter and nutrient pollution can disrupt local and distant ecosystems
13.8 Environmental regulation and international treaties have played important roles in reducing pollution in North America
13.9 Control measures have reduced emissions of pollutants and acid rain
13.10 New technologies can reduce indoor air pollution
13.11 Soils and sediments contaminated by hazardous wastes can be cleaned using a variety of techniques
13.12 There are many effective ways to reduce organic and nutrient pollution
Central Question: How can we control and reduce environmental pollution?
Chapter 13: Review Questions
Chapter Introduction
14.1 The atmosphere exerts key controls on planetary temperatures
14.2 Scientists began building the basis for understanding the greenhouse effect more than 200 years ago
14.3 Global temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations have varied cyclically
14.4 Atmospheric CO2 appears to be the thermostat controlling global temperatures
14.5 Precise measurements reveal that fossil fuel burning is the main cause of increased atmospheric CO2 levels
14.6 As CO2 levels have risen in modern times, global temperatures have increased significantly
14.7 Rising temperatures have been accompanied by diverse changes in the Earth system
14.8 Climate change can lead to a wide range of societal costs
14.9 Developing a road map to reduce carbon emissions
14.10 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions provides new economic opportunities
14.11 Restoring and enhancing carbon sinks could help balance the carbon budget
Central Question: How can we mitigate and adapt to the environmental and social impacts of climate change?
Chapter 14: Review Questions
Appendix A: Basic Chemistry
Appendix B: The Rock Cycle: Product of a Dynamic Planet
Chapter Introduction
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK
BRIEF CONTENTS
CONTENTS
A UNIQUE CHAPTER STRUCTURE
A CENTRAL QUESTION SETS THE LEARNING GOAL FOR THE CHAPTER
LaunchPad
Reviewers
Glossary