ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 3205 – CHAPTER 1 – AN INTRODUCTION TO

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Chapter 1:

Ecology is the study of the interrelationships between organisms , and between those organisms and their environment.

Environmental Science is a mix of sciences (ecology, chemistry, biology, math) and social studies (municipal, Provincial, and National government, law, art, and politics). A study of how humans relate to their environment and the impacts we have on it....both positive and negative. A study of the physical environment, and how its chemistry and life are impacted by us. A relatively new science, its grown out of “ecology” because of these paradigm shifts.

What are some natural resources, both RENEWABLE and NON-RENEWABLE, that are found on Earth? ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Define Renewable and Non-renewable resources

Let’s pick one of these resources, the FISHERIES: How did people view the fisheries resource in

the past?

It was believed that fish was an UNLIMITED resource that could be EXPLOITED (i.e., take as much as you want).

What HAPPENED historically to change the view?

1.Fish stocks depleted with overfishing

2.Advancements in Fishing Technology (ex: fishfinders, dragnets, big trawlers)

3.Scientific research led to greater understanding

What FACTORS do people consider when managing the fisheries industry TODAY?

Social Factors – culture, politics, values, needs

Economic Factors – industry, jobs

Environmental Factors – nature, beauty

SUSTAINABILITY DIAGRAM

SUSTAINABILITY

It means living WITHIN the EARTH’s LIMITS.

It means meeting the needs of the PRESENT without compromising the ability of the FUTURE to meet their needs.

Another name:

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

How much Earth do you Need? P. 38

Ecological Footprint Assignment

What Are Some of the Effects of this New Paradigm ? 1. We as a society act on a new “Precautionary

Principle”....a moral, legal and political ideas which states : if an idea or policy might cause harm to the public or the environment, it is the responsibility of those pushing the idea or policy to prove that it will not cause harm, unless there’s a lot of scientific evidence to suggest its ok.

In other words, caution ahead of time, BEFORE we make decisions or take action. That’s completely opposite of the old development ethic. It applies to individuals, businesses, and Governments.

We have created legislation to guide people, businesses, and Governments to be more environmentally sustainable. Ex. NL’s “Sustainable Development Act”, hunting and fishing regulations, forestry planning requirements, industry clean up, limiting air pollution, protecting water, reducing carbon emissions.

2.

3. We monitor human activity to ensure its sustainable. Being more aware of what you’re doing will help make you more sustainable. (Ex. Any idea how much garbage your family puts out in a year ? How much water your home uses ? How much energy your family demands ? How much earth is needed to support your lifestyle ?)

4. We recognize now that our lifestyle choices have an “ecological footprint”. Earth’s resources DO have limits, and can only provide a certain amount of resources with today’s technology. It is an estimate of how much land and sea space is needed to supply humans with resources and deal with our wastes under current technology.

(Page 34)

Scientific Method

Is a planned organized approach to solving a problem

Steps: 1. Define a problem 2. Make a hypothesis to suggest an explanation for your problem 3. Gather information/data (testing) 4. Record information attained and results are studied 5. Analyze data and make conclusions

Text P. 5 & 6

Paradigm and Paradigm Shift

PARADIGM

The way humans view the world.

PARADIGM SHIFT

A rare and significant change in the way humans view the world (i.e., a change in our paradigm!).

Paradigm Shifts . . .

Examples:

IDEA: SHAPE OF THE EARTH

PAST: The Earth is FLAT.

PRESENT: The Earth is ROUND.

IDEA: ORBITING OF PLANETS

PAST: The Sun revolves around the Earth.

PRESENT: The EARTH revolves around the Sun.

IDEA: SANTA CLAUS

PAST (children): Santa Claus brings us presents!

PRESENT (adults: There is no Santa Claus? What?

THE ECOLOGY PARADIGM SHIFT

PAST: EXPLOITATION

It was believed that resources were UNLIMITED and put on the Earth for the SOLE benefit of HUMANS. Humans can take as much as we want as often as we want.

PRESENT: SUSTAINABILITY

Earth’s Resources are in LIMITED SUPPLY. Humans are CARETAKERS of the Earth and need to practice SUSTAINABILITY in our management of resources.

Developmentalist – AKA Utilitarian. Humans are “Masters” of nature and that Earth and its resources. The resources are on Earth for our benefit. Take what you can at all expense. $$$

Environmental Attitudes/Ethics

Conservationist – Believes in using the Earths resources. Works towards a balance of resource use and resource availability. Sustainable use of resources.

Preservationist – Nature is special and should be left untouched. Preserve the natural beauty of an area, all living things at any cost to social or economic want or needs.

How Did Different Cultures Use Our Resources ?

Aboriginal cultures....- hunters and gatherers

Harvest extraction- seasonally nomadic, effects spread out- harvest technology was not very efficient, harvests more sustainable- saw themselves as a part of the environment, not masters of it...strong cultural

connections to the resources

- as numbers of aboriginals go up, harvest impacts grow quickly, introducedtechnology lets them take more per capita than other people

Europeans.....Europeans.....

- brought a money based economy, and a more “utilitarian” view of“unlimited” resources....they were there to use

- the “wild” environment was seen as something to be brought under controlof people, for our own benefit

- people were masters of the environment, and the most superior thing in it- community based, harvesting and producing in the area

There is now an ongoing paradigm shift.....more people realize that resources do have limits,

Ecosystem

A community of organisms and the physical environment in which they live.

So What Makes an Ecosystem Stable ?

1. Recycling of important nutrients like water, carbon, nitrogen (and others) between the living and nonliving parts of the environment.(because earth is a closed system remember !)

2. Healthy populations of organisms that do not increase or decrease dramatically..

3. A wide variety of “biodiversity” that makes food webs stable if there is an environmental change

4. The ability to rebound from disturbances ( repair itself ) using “succession”.

5. Balanced ecological pyramids

6. Sustainable resource use.

7. No major disturbances

Habitat

The place where an organism lives.

Not the organisms “home”! It’s habitat!

Abiotic Factors

The NON-LIVING FACTORS which affect life in an ecosystem.

Examples include: ___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

Biotic Factors The LIVING factors in an environment.

Biotic factors include both: the ORGANISMS AND

the interactive RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN organisms

Examples include: ______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

Symbiotic Relationship

Relationships in which TWO ORGANISMS LIVE in CLOSE ASSOCIATION such that at LEAST ONE BENEFITS.

5 Types of Symbiotic Relationships

1. Mutualism

2. Commensalism

3. Parasitism

4. Parasitoidism

5. Predator-Prey

1. Mutualism BOTH organisms BENEFIT.

Examples:

Polyp and hermit crab

Pollination

Egyptian plover and crocodile

2. Commensalism ONE organism benefits, ONE organism is

neither benefited nor harmed

Examples:

Beaver and fish

Trees and nesting birds

Clown fish/anemone

3. Parasitism One organism, the PARASITE, benefits.

One organism, the HOST, is harmed.

Examples:

Tapeworm and human

4. Parasitoidism One organism benefits, one organism is killed

a slow death

Example:

Parasitic wasp and other insects

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/bugs-animals/bees-and-wasps/wasp_attacks_spider.html

5. Predator-Prey One organism benefits, one organism is

harmed/killed quickly

Example:

Lion and zebra

Lynx and snowshoe hare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxVMnJXWvdM

FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS in ECOSYSTEMS

Trophic Structure

Types of Organisms Producer

Consumer

Decomposer

Food Chain VS. Food Web

Pyramid of Energy

Population VS. Community

Ecotone

Microecosystem

TROPHIC STRUCTURE

Feeding relationships within an ecosystem

Types of Feeders

PRODUCER

CONSUMER

DECOMPOSER

PRODUCERS Also known as AUTOTROPHS (“self-

feeders”)

Organisms that CAN produce their own food and oxygen through PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

Examples:

Plants

Algae

CONSUMERS: Also known as HETEROTROPHS (“other-

feeders”)

Organisms that CANNOT produce their own food and feed on OTHER organisms to survive.

TYPES OF CONSUMERS: Types based on WHAT the organism eats

HERBIVORE Eats plants

Ex: __________________________

CARNIVORE Eats other consumers

Can be either a PREDATOR or a SCAVENGER (or both)

Ex: __________________________

OMNIVORE Eats plants AND animals

Ex: __________________________

CATEGORIES OF CONSUMERS: Category based on where organism is LOCATED in

food chain

Categories: PRIMARY (10)

Also known as FIRST ORDER consumers Feed on PRODUCERS Considered the SECOND trophic level.

SECONDARY (20)

Also known as SECOND ORDER consumers Feed on PRIMARY CONSUMERS Considered the THIRD trophic level.

TERTIARY (30)

Also known as THIRD ORDER consumers Feed on SECONDARY CONSUMERS Considered the FOURTH trophic level.

DECOMPOSERS:

Also known as DETRITIVORES or SAPROBES

Organisms that get their nutrients by breaking down DETRITUS

Detritus is decaying plant and animal material

FEEDING RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAMS

FOOD CHAIN

FOOD WEB

PYRAMID OF ENERGY

FOOD CHAIN

A diagram that defines ONE SINGLE CHAIN of feeding relationships in an ecosystem

Starts with PRODUCERS and connects with arrows up to the TOP CARNIVORES

Ex: Hawk

Downy Woodpecker

Spruce budworm

Black spruce tree

FOOD CHAIN... Why do food chains usually only go up as high

as the third order, or tertiary consumer?

Energy decreases as it is passed up the food chain, and the top levels have the least energy, so they are limited in levels.

FOOD WEB

A diagram that defines ALL OF THE POSSIBLE FOOD CHAINS in an ecosystem.

Ex:

PYRAMID OF ENERGY A diagram that defines the passage of ENERGY

though a food chain. Energy is measured in Joules, symbol J. PRODUCERS always have the most energy

(bottom of pyramid). TOP CARNIVORES always have the least energy

(top of pyramid). About 10 % of the total energy is passed on

from one trophic level to the next. That is, 90% is lost due to processes such as:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PYRAMID OF ENERGY... Example:

Corn (10000 J) Mouse (1000 J) Snake (100 J) Hawk 10 J

A PYRAMID OF BIOMASS is a graphical representation of the TOTAL BIOMASS of all the members of each trophic level. Often similar in shape to a Pyramid of Energy.

POPULATION Describes members of the SAME SPECIES

living in the same ecosystem or habitat

Examples:

Caribou population in Labrador

Hedgehog population in New Brunswick

COMMUNITY Describes ALL POPULATIONS of the variety

of species in the same ecosystem or habitat.

Examples:

Newfoundland & Labrador Community

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BIODIVERSITY: The variety of life .

Why is biodiversity important to an

ecosystem?

The higher the level of biodiversity, the more STABLE that ecosystem is in the long-term.

Species – a group of closely related organisms that are able to breed with one another

Carrying Capacity

The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is the number of individual species that can survive in an area over time.

If something limits the size of a population, it is known as a limiting factor. 1. Availability of Raw material

2. Availability of Energy

3. Accumulation of waste products and their means of disposal

4. interactions among living organisms

See Page. 30

Water Cycle

Carbon-Oxygen Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

Precautionary Principle

a moral, legal and political ideas which states : if an idea or policy might cause harm to the public or the environment, it is the responsibility of those pushing the idea or policy to prove that it will not cause harm, unless there’s a lot of scientific evidence to suggest its ok.

In other words, caution ahead of time, BEFORE we make decisions or take action. That’s completely opposite of the old development ethic. It applies to individuals, businesses, and Governments.

Developing and using our resources has the potential to bring great prosperity, but that shouldn’t degrade the quality of our environment.

WE NEED TO BE STEWARDS TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND BECOME A BETTER “ECOCITIZEN”……………reduce your carbon footprint!!! Examples:_____________________________________________________

Our NL Government must lead with sustainable examples, and decide how our resources are to be used. As a Province, we also work towards environmental goals set by national and international agreements or programs.

A Government’s role is to protect our future, provide leadership, help make us better global citizens. That includes municipal Governments as well as our Provincial Government. The decisions and programs coming to or from them help us do that.

Ex. Passing and enforcing environmental protection

Giving money to projects and organizations aiming to help improve the environment

Participating in global agreements

Industry’s role is to comply with regulations and be a good community citizen ( supporting projects, hiring / buying locally ). Setting examples of sustainable resource use and concern for the environment.

Your role as an individual is called “eco-citizenship”. Being active in helping maintain a high quality environment through your decisions and actions.

How ?

By doing a course like this, you gain knowledge to help you make better informed decisions about issues and be aware of who’s doing their part and who isn’t. Build an attitude of awareness and concern. Practice doing things in a more environmentally friendly way.

(For lots of examples, browse through pages 47 - 54)

(Earth as a Spaceship analogy....understand that Earth is a “closed system”)

a closed system is a physical system which doesn't exchange any matter with its surroundings, and isn't subject to any force whose source is external to the system

a region that is isolated from its surroundings by a boundary that admits no transfer of matter or energy across it.

The “biosphere” is the portion of earth where life is found, and can be subdivided into three

parts:

geosphere (lithosphere) -

the solid portion of the earth.....rock, hills, soils and the resourcescontained there

atmosphere - the gas portion of the planet that protects, insulates

hydrosphere - the water portion of earth.....all freshwater and marine

environments as well as groundwater and glaciers

Labrador West is in the New Quebec-Central Plateau Eco-Region

Lithosphere divided into eco-regions based on areas of distinct natural communities