Env. Bio – Ch. 1 – Flashcards
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How many citizens of Haiti does it take to equal the ecological footprint of the average citizen of the United States?
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Twelve citizens of Haiti equal the ecological footprint of the average U.S. citizen.
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Nearly 50% of the land on our planet is currently used for agriculture, with very little more agriculturally usable land available. If everyone on the planet had an ecological footprint the size of the average citizen of the United States, then ________.
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we would need at least two more planet Earths to feed and support everyone.
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The U.S. average footprint is ________ times larger than the world average footprint.
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2.7
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The global average footprint per person has increased from 2.2 to 2.7 hectares since 2008 including the footprints of many developing nations, such as India and China. This means that ________.
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our collective lifestyle is even more unsustainable than before
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The variable that is manipulated.
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Independent variable.
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A scientific field of study.
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Ecology.
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Information expressed with numbers
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Quantitative data.
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Expectations of experimental outcome.
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Prediction.
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Widely accepted, well test explanation of one or more cause and effect relationships.
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Theory.
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Type of discipline describing environmental science.
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Interdisciplinary science.
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A paradigm ____.
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is a dominant view in science.
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Global population is projected to be about ________ in 2050.
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7 billion
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The scientific method is a process that involves ________.
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testing hypothesis that are built on observations.
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To determine your specific impacts on the environment, you can ________.
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calculate your ecological footprint.
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A hypothesis is ________.
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a statement that explains an observed phenomenon or answers a question.
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Sachiko and Fred are having a discussion about the scientific method. Sachiko makes the comment that every time she sees people carrying open umbrellas, she also sees car accidents. This is a(n) ________.
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observation.
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An experiment ____.
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is an activity designed to test the validity of a hypothesis.
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In a manipulative experiment ________.
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researchers manipulate the independent variable.
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An environmental scientist is least likely to be involved with which of the following?
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Studying X-ray emissions for evidence of black holes.
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Which of the following terms best describes the practice of environmental science?
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Integrative and interdisciplinary.
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In general, natural resources ________.
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should be used efficiently and conserved.
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Solutions to environmental problems ________.
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must be designed with sustainable goals.
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Ruben has a new puppy named Paddington and wants to feed him the best possible food. He decides on an experiment where he will feed Paddington the very best canned food plus a dietary supplement of vitamins recommended by a veterinarian. Which of the following best describes Ruben's project?
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This is not an experiment-there are no controls or replicates.
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The process by which several researchers review another researcher's manuscript prior to publication to ensure research quality is referred to as ________.
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peer review.
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Geothermal energy, wind energy, and solar radiation are all examples of ________.
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renewable environmental resources.
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Which of the following best embodies the qualities of a scientific theory?
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Students who study for their environmental science exams will perform better on those exams than those who do not.
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Ecosystems are ____.
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are economically valuable services provided by natural systems
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The concept of sustainable development includes ________.
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the needs of future generations
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You have read about the mistakes made on Easter Island. On Tikopia, another small island, the people acted in other ways. When they realized that the pigs they had imported were damaging the environment, they killed them all. They had to have permission from a chief to fish, which prevented overfishing. They also practiced contraception. These actions all indicate that ________.
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they truly practiced sustainability.
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Sustainability _____.
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involves using resources without compromising future availability.
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Pesticides use ______.
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may be a necessary part of modern technological agriculture
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In a controlled experiment, ____.
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the researcher controls for the effects of all variables except one
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Qualitative data ____.
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can be acquired in the detailed examination of personal interviews or observations.
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A pharmaceutical company wishes to study a possible new headache medicine. They are doing human trials with 1000 volunteers who experience frequent headaches. The researchers will need to ________.
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control for the type of headache - stress, migraine, or other causes.
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A study's results are deemed worthy of acceptance into the body of scientific knowledge if they are published in journals which ________.
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use the peer review process.
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Pablo and Johanna have to do a yearlong study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them to test their hypothesis that the local veterinarian's special dog food mix will enhance growth and development. Each student adopts a puppy from the local pound. Pablo plans to feed his shepherd-mix dog the special diet, while Johanna plans to use generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog. The independent variable in this study will be ________.
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the type of food the dogs receive.
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One dependent variable in this study will be ________.
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how much the dogs grow
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When they write up their initial proposal, the instructor will probably ________.
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tell them they have some serious problems with the proposal, but it is fixable if they are willing to take care of more dogs.
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Pablo and Johanna have too many ________.
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variables that they didn't control and not enough replicates.
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After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3-month-old litters of pups from four Irish setters, for a total of 24 puppies consisting of 12 females and 12 males. In order to have two groups of puppies (control and experimental), Pablo and Johanna should ________.
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for several months, weighing and measuring the pups every week
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If the puppies in the experimental group gain, on average, 3 pounds more than those in the control group over a 4-month period and seem healthier and more energetic, then ________.
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there is a high probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for puppies.
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Why is it important to understand our interactions with the environment? What will studying environmental science enable you to do?
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we depend on environment for air, water. food, and other necessities. More understanding will give us knowledge on the changes and problems of our natural environment and how an individual can positively play their environmental role on earth.
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Differentiate between environmental science and environmentalism. Define each term and explain how they are similar and how they differ.
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Environmental science is the actual study of the environment and our interactions. It's somebody who studies the environment in a scientific manner. Environmentalism science is the concept on how humans prevent environmental problems. they are concerned with the protection and preservation of the natural environment Both have same topic however participate in different roles. An environmental scientist conduct research to subside, identify, and eliminate hazards that affect people, wildlife, and their environments Environmentalism is more concerned with the protection and preservation of the natural environment.
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Compare and contrast the types of knowledge gained and the research methods of natural and social sciences when considering environmental problems. Why do both types of disciplines need to be a part of environmental science?
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The natural sciences are made up of disciplines that study the physical and biological facets of the natural world and their interactions with each other. These disciplines rely on all types of studies that generate mainly quantitative data, allowing scientists to acquire and interpret information about the natural world. The social sciences are made up of disciplines that study human attitudes, behaviors, and interactions. The scientists in these disciplines mainly collect qualitative data using a variety of research techniques that are similar to natural scientists. Studies that examine how cultures perceive an environmental concept may be used to implement environmental policy. Because environmental problems involve accurate assessment of the scope of the problem by which policy that affects humans is devised, both types of sciences are needed to be a part of environmental science.
