UNIT 1 – INTRODUCTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Science 3205

Chapters 1 & 2

What would you need to start a colony on Mars? Shelter Food Plants / crops Water Oxygen Scientists / engineers Technology / resources

MARS ONE

http://www.mars-one.com/ video

Earth as a Space Ship

How is this statement true Floats in space Moves around the sun in orbit Surrounded by stars Both contain oxygen Only has so many resources Close to the moon Travels at high speeds Limited space

Environmental Science is….. The study of the interactions between the physical,

chemical, and biological components of the natural world, including their effects on all types of organisms and how humans impact their surroundings.

Multidisciplinary – it involves: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Math Concerned about nature, health, employment, profits, law,

politics, ethics, fine arts and economics

Conservationists – these are people who focus on sustainable resource use, allocation and protection

Environmentalists – people who deal with protecting the environment from destruction or pollution.

Environmentalism: A theory that views environment rather than heredity as the important factor in the development and especially the cultural and intellectual development of an individual or group.

Conservation: The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water.

The theory of environmentalism advocates for the protection, preservation, management, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment.

Ex. Provincial Parks

Big Bang Theory

Theory put forth to explain the origins of the universe, our solar system, and our planet

Claims that all matter in the universe was, at one time, concentrated in a giant mass (black hole?) that blew apart 10 to 20 billion years ago (and is still expanding)

Etc. etc.

Planet Earth

Geosphere (lithosphere) The solid earth that includes continental

and oceanic crust as well as various layers of the Earth’s interior

The geosphere is not static, but its surface (crust) is in a constant state of motion that causes movement of the continents

Planet Earth

Atmosphere Consists of a mixture of

gases composed mostly of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour

It extends some 500 km above the surface of the Earth and the lower level (troposphere) constitutes the climate system that maintains the conditions suitable for life on the surface

Planet Earth

Hydrosphere Includes all water on Earth 71% of planet “Earth” is covered by water

and only 29% is terra firma Exists in 3 states Water is basis of all life on our planet

Biosphere

Biosphere it is a complex system of living things that

interact with each other and extend into the geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere

The life zone of Earth A closed system

Biosphere

The biosphere is structured into a food web, where all life is dependant upon the first level (mainly primary producers that are capable of photosynthesis)

ex: interaction of the spheres Gannets at Cape St. Mary’s

A Few Definitions

Ecology – the study of the way organisms interact with each other and with their non-living surroundings

Note: all organisms are dependant on other organisms in some way, shape or form.

Abiotic – non-living factors (and never was) Biotic – living factors

Humans’ Impact on Biosphere Positive impacts

Population Management (Moose, etc.) Helping protect endangered species Recycling

Negative impacts Deforestation Pollution Global Warming Endangering species

Newfoundland and Labrador Transition How did the transition from Aboriginal to

European Settlers to the present day impact land use?

Aboriginal Populations

Aboriginal Cultures considered themselves to be one part of the environmental system

Aboriginals were one of the first groups to understand the concept of Sustainability

Sustainability: using resources so that it meets your needs and will continue to meet the needs of future generations

Aboriginal populations respected the environment and they understood the interconnectedness of the environment

They took only what they needed and were dependent on nature to survive

European Settlers

During the time of the discovery of North America, this land was considered to be “wild”

Europeans wanted to “tame” and shape the environment and people

They saw the environment as a source of unlimited resources to sustain life

Ex: Early logging practices in Western Newfoundland by companies such as Abitibi/Bowater - Clearcutting

Land was used for infrastructure development (railroad)

Beginning of individualized land ownership – quite different from Aboriginal views

No connection made between the environmental impacts and the costs of extracting resources, which has affected how we manage our resources today

Video

Today

We are slowly changing our ways of thinking and looking at more sustainable practices

Aldo Leopold, Rachael Carson, and Sir Clifford Sifton are considered to be conservation pioneers.

These people viewed us as being connected to the environment rather then being separate

Developers are now required to perform an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which is used to determine the impact of a particular development on the environment

http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/

Today Cont’d

EIA deal with: Energy use Waste management Mineral extraction

CBC Land & Sea: Edge of the Ice

Environmental Disasters

Minamata Bay, Japan (1956) Mercury dump

Bhopal, India (1984) cyanide

Three Mile Island (1978) Near nuclear meltdown

Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986) Nuclear meltdown

Exxon Valdez (1989) Oil spill

Balance in the Ecosystem

Energy Transfer and Utilization How do organisms use their energy?

Eating/drinking Moving Breathing Hunting Recreation Sleeping Thinking/learning Communicating Reproduction

How is energy lost by organisms in nature? Same as some of the reasons listed above

▪ Heat loss▪ Not all food is consumed▪ Waste (pee and poo)

Energy is lost as you move up the food chain because of the reasons listed above. Not all food is consumed by an organism while they are eating and therefore that food that is left behind contains energy that will be wasted.

Because Earth is considered a closed system then we must assume that there is a limited supply of energy, however this is not the case as it is recycled throughout the ecosystem

Energy Transfer and Utilization Energy is lost as it moves through the

levels of the food chain Each level of consumption is called a

trophic level There is less energy available at the top

compared to the bottom This is why you see few numbers of

organisms in the upper levels of the food web compared to the bottom

Roles in the Environment

Producers (Autotrophs) – make their own food (plants use photosynthesis)

Consumers – rely on other organisms for their food (humans and most other organisms)

Decomposers – breakdown dead and waste material so that the nutrients can be recycled (bacteria & worms)

3 types of consumers Carnivores – meat eaters Omnivores – plant and meat eaters Herbivores – plant eaters

Food Webs

More Webs - Freshwater

More Webs - Terrestrial

More Webs - Marine

Activity

Complete the following questions:

Activity p. 12 of textbook

Human Need & Population Growth Anthropocentric attitudes: the idea that

humans are the most important factor in the world Easter Island

As our population continues to grow, our demand for food, water, and space to live increases – as well as our demands for things we don’t really need (more demand on our resources)

We must look to more sustainable practices when using Earth’s resources (if possible)

Population Size

Population size is limited by four categories of limiting factors:

1. Raw materials available eg. water, air 2. Energy available eg. food 3. Accumulation of waste and their means of

disposal 4. Interactions among individuals eg. mating,

competitionVideo – How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth

The Science of Overpopulation

Sustainability

Using our resources so that they meet our needs and will continue to meet the needs of future generations

All of us must work together to ensure that our resources are used properly and so that they are around for future generations.

Stewardship - looking after the earth as if it were your home; it implies a shared responsibility that aims to achieve sustainability, including activities that preserve the environment at three levels: Self – ex. Recycling, composting, etc. Local – ex. Wetland protection (Spaniard’s Bay

Estuary), big game management Global – ex. Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC)

Eco-Citizenship

If you take an active role in making the environment better then you are an Eco-Citizen.

It is important for all of us to do our part for the environment

if we all do just a little, big things can be the result. If we change and do what is right for the

environment then others will follow that example. Knowledge Attitude Action (put into practice)

What can we do?

Individualparticipate in clean up of school grounds, beaches, communityrecyclingcomposting (MMSB gives discount price for composters $20)walking / riding a bikecarpoolingwriting on both sides of note paper

Misconceptions of Sustainability Common Misconceptions about

Sustainability Environmental damage is permanent Forest fires are bad One person cannot make a difference Science can solve all of our problems Practicing the four R’s (reduce, reuse,

recycle, recover) is difficult All human activity in nature is bad

3 Factors that Affect Sustainability

1. Ecological – abiotic and biotic factors Carry capacity – how many can live in an area Environmental resistance – how fast it can rebound

after a major event Space – how many organisms can actually fit there Water availability

2. Social Culture Values Attitudes Beliefs

3. Economic Local businesses (ex. tourism) Resource based companies General Population

Review for Quiz #1

15 fill in the blank questions Word list will be given Review your notes, pay attention to the following

terms / ideas: Big bang theory 4 spheres Aboriginals / Europeans Food chains (consumers, producers, etc.) Conservation pioneers (Carson, Leopold) Stewardship, eco-citizenship Sustainability Environmental Disasters

The Lorax

Based on what you have just seen in the movie “The Lorax” how was Sustainability affected based on the the following 3 factors: Ecology – did the environment rebound? Why

or Why not? Society – What values, attitudes and beliefs did

the Oncler have in the beginning and did they change? And how did they change?

Economy – Did the economy play a role in the development of the resource?

Ecological Footprint

This refers to the impact that an individual or a group is having on the environment.

It refers to the area of land and water that is required to produce resources that are consumed by humans. It also includes the area needed to dispose of wastes.

Ecological Footprint

28 billion acres of productive land and ocean on this planet to meet the needs of 6.3 billion people, averages 4.4 acres per person.

- at current rates of consumption, the global footprint exceeded biocapacity by 25% in 2003!

Video 1 Video 2 Video 3

Footprint

Canada ranks 4th highest footprint of all countries with populations greater than 1 million people.

Problem: 75% consumption is by 1.1 billion people in developed world and only 25% of the consumption remains for the other 4.6 billion people in underdeveloped countries.

www.earthday.org http://www.myfootprint.org/ Assignment

Ways to Reduce Your Footprint Eat less meat Be fuel-efficient Avoid disposable items (reuse & recycle) Compost Be a conscientious consumer (ex. Buy

local) Etc.

Social Sustainability

provides a decent quality of life for current and future generations

focuses on ensuring that the basic conditions for human life to flourish are addressed by society, including: food, shelter and clothing health care Education Employment Sufficient finances Humans rights / equal opportunities Crime prevention

Sustainable Development in NFLD Our province’s economic and social

prosperity depends on our natural resources

Sustainable Development Act Ensures that province’s renewable (fish,

forests) and non-renewable (minerals, oil, gas) resources are developed in ways that maximize benefits for us, while protecting and conserving our natural environment

Sustainable Development Act Sustainable development values are

incorporated into government’s policies, programs, and activities to: (p. 43) Protect our future

Natural resources - prosperity Provide leadership

Government leads by example Enhance our roles and responsibilities as

global citizens Climate change, water quality, biodiversity

Multi Materials Stewardship Board MMSB – part of Waste Management

Strategy developed by NL government (video clip)

Keep our province “healthy, clean, and green”

Recycling programs – 8 cent fee, 5 cent return

Public education / information programs

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Used or leftover contents of:

paints, cleaners, batteries, motor oil, pesticides, etc.

Poisonous – can poison or damage living organisms

Explosive – can react violently when mixed with other agents, or when exposed to heat/pressure

Corrosive – can eat away at surfaces (skin) Flammable – can burn easily Canada – over 1 million tonnes per year!

HHW Disposal

HHW Collection Days – qualified professionals safely collect and dispose

Video

Chapter 3 – Ecosystems, Ecoregions, & BiodiversityDefinitions:Ecosystem – includes the food webs, energy and nutrients in a particular area.

The Earth (biosphere) - global ecosystem Forest ecosystems, marine ecosystems,

etc. Two major factors – abiotic, biotic

Definitions…

Range of Tolerance – the set of physical conditions that an organism can live in Ex. temperature, food source, amount of

water, shelter Optimum Range – is the range of

physical conditions that certain organisms thrive in Ex. Cod tolerate -0.5 oC to +10 oC, but

prefer warmer

Populations – refers to all of the organisms of the same species in the one area

Community – refers to all of the different species of organisms in the one area.

Carrying Capacity – refers to the amount of communities or populations that an area can support

Wildlife – all living things (except humans) that are undomesticated

Ecoregions

Diversity – the variety of ecosystems in an area A diverse ecosystem includes many kinds of

organisms at each trophic level Newfoundland and Labrador has many different

eco-regions that support many different organisms

Ecoregion – an area of general similarity in ecosystems

They differ from one another in climate, soil, geology, flora (plants), and fauna (animals)

Newfoundland has 9 different ecoregions

Ecoregions of NL

Biodiversity

Biodiversity – the variety of life on earth or in an ecosystem

It is a measure of variety among ecosystems, species, populations within species, and genetic diversity Newfoundland and Labrador has a lot of biodiversity We have a lot of woods (forests) that provide a home

for many organisms The greater the biodiversity, the healthier the

biological system will be. NL only has 15 native species that survived the ice

age.

Why is Biodiversity important? Many of the things we use every day come from the

environment, including food, books and paper, buildings, clothing and medicine. The natural resources from which these things come from are critical for our survival and economic well being

Healthy ecosystems provide “essential survival services" like oxygen production, nutrient recycling, and climate control, all of which impact food production

The environment, and the living things in it, provide enjoyment during leisure activities such as hiking, fishing, camping, or visiting nature reserve parks

All organisms have a right and a place on this Earth

Human activities deplete Earth’s biodiversity. 10 – 40% of all species are at risk of extinction!

3 Levels of Biodiversity

Species Diversity – refers to the number of different organisms (species) living in a particular ecosystem Ex: Moose, rabbit, caribou, bears, coyote, owls, etc.

Genetic Diversity – describes the range of variation within a species Ex: Peppered moth or humans

Tasmanian Devil

Community or Ecological Diversity – different ecosystems can sustain (support) different levels of biodiversity Ex: Tundra – Low biodiversity

Rain Forest – High biodiversity

All three of levels of biodiversity contribute to a healthy and sustainable environment

Genetic Diversity This is crucial to the survival of a species Allows species to adapt or evolve in changing

environments Ex. Insects/pesticides, Newfoundland Marten

If every member of a species were the same, think about what would happen if: The climate changed Habitat was lost Disease was introduced