ENVI SCI John Xavier Manglicmot 7 environmental principles;

1. All life forms are important.

CHAPTER 1: 2. Everything is connected to everything else.
Science - way of life which uses systematic procedures 3. Everything must go somewhere.
to obtain facts based on observation, investigation and 4. Ours is a finite earth.
experimentation; is an organized body of knowledge 5. Nature knows best.
that deals with careful observation and interpretation 6. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s
of reproducible facts. creation.
Scientific method - make use of science process to 7. Everything Changes.
gather information and establish facts about a certain
problem. Sustainable Development - process of change by which
make use of science process to gather information and the exploitation of resources, the direction and
establish facts about a certain problem. investments, the orientation of technological
Science Process - include observing, inferring, development and institutional changes are made
measuring and controlling variables, as well as responsive too future and as well as present needs.
analyzing and interpreting data.
Environment - the condition that surround an organism
or group of organisms. CHAPTER 2:
Environmental Science - study of life and the method of Biotic Structure - An assemblage of organisms in a
sustaining it on Planet Earth. prescribed physical habitat. A diversity of species
Ecology - discipline of biology that studies the usually occupies an area sharing resources and
interrelationships between organisms and their competing on other factors.
environment and basic tool of environmental science. Producer - Autotrophic organisms that make their own
Atmospheric Science - includes the study of weather food.
and climate greenhouse and other airborne pollutants. Phototrophic - plants use light energy from the sun to
Environmental Chemistry - examines chemicals in the covert carbon dioxide (from the atmosphere) and water
environment including air, soil, and water pollution. (from the soil) to a sugar called starch and release
Environmental Geology - study of soil erosion, oxygen as a byproduct.
groundwater use, ocean pollution and climate. Photosysnthesis - The process of chemical conversion
Environmental Scientist - they study the physical, by light energy.
chemical and biological conditions of the environment Chemothropic - organisms use chemicals other than
and how these conditions impact organisms. H20, such as H2S.
Environmentalist - advocates for the environment. Consumers - organisms that cannot produce their own
Ethics - branch of philosophy that is concerned with food but must feed on other organisms in order to
morals and values. obtain energy and nutrients.
Morals - the distinction between right and wrong. Primary Consumers (Herbivores) - animals that feed
Values - the ultimate worth of action. directly on producers.
Environmental Ethics - the moral relationship between Secondary Consumers (Carnivores) - Animals that feed
humans and the natural world; the foundation of on primary consumers.
sustainable society. Tertiary Consumers (Omnivores) - Animals that have
Ecocentric - nature centered. mixed diets that includes both plants and animals.
Anthropocentric - people centered. Detritus Feeders and Decomposers - organisms that
Conservation - using the resources more efficiently. feed on the dead and break down their complex
Recycling - to use material again and again. substances to simpler forms and return these
Renewable Resources - resources that are generated by substances to the abiotic environment. e.g. earthworms
natural process.
Non-renewable Resources - resources that will deplete Abiotic Structure - The abiotic environment is a habitat
over a lifetime, consumed at a rate faster than they can with specific and complex sets of non-living factors
naturally reproduced. affecting life of the organism. E.g. soil, water, light, air,
Population Control - stabilization and eventually temp, topography
reduction of the size of human population. Topography - physical feature of habitat.
“The main agenda of the Earth Summit 1922 is to Biochemical Cycles - Inorganic nutrients cycle trough
reconcile the worldwide economic development with more than organisms, but they can also enter into the
protection of the environment, the purpose of the atmosphere, the oceans, and even rocks.
conference was to rethink economic growth advance Reservoires - are those parts of the cycle where the
social equity and to ensure environmental protection.” chemical is held in large quantities for long periods of
time.
Exchange Pools - the chemical is held for only a short Biomes - large-scale category containing many
period of time. communities of a similar nature, whose distribution is
Residence Time - The length of time a chemical is held largely controlled by climate.
in exchange pool or a reservoir is termed.
The Water Cycle - consists of evaporation, condensation Terrestrial Ecosystem;
and precipitation. Praire or Grassland - deep fertile soil with covering of
Carbon Cycle - movement of carbon in elemental and tall coarse grasses.
combined states on earth. Desert - an uninhabited and uncultivated tract of land.
Oxygen Cycle - closely related to the carbon cycle. It is desolate, barren, waterless and treeless region of
Molecular oxygen is continuously produced by the earth,
process of photosynthesis and by photo-dissociation of Tropical Forest - large tract of land covered with trees
water. oxidation process continuously withdraw oxygen and undergrowth, sometimes intermingled with nature.
from the atmospheric pool. Tundra - snow and ice and on the tree, line lies the flat,
Nitrogen Cycle - The main reservoir of nitrogen is the air marshy land. Only mosses and low plants grow.
which is about 78% nitrogen gas. Plants cannot utilize Savannah - very hot day and a very cold night, it is life
nitrogen gas directly from the air; instead, the nitrogen an enormous meadow.
must be in a mineral form, such as ammonium ion Temperate Deciduous Forest - has winter-summer
(NH4+) or nitrate ion (NO3-1). change seasons, typically have trees that lose their
Biological Nitrogen Fixation - A number of bacteria and leaves during the winter and replace them the following
also certain blue-green algae, which are actually spring.
bacteria can convert nitrogen gas to the ammonium. Taiga - noted for its great stands of spruce, fir,
Fixed organic nitrogen is passed from the plants to needlelike leaves that can withstand the weight of
other organisms in the ecosystem through food chain. accumulated snow.
Denitrifying Bacteria - As animals break down, protein
and other organic compounds containing nitrogen gas. Fresh water ecosystem – those that have little dissolved
Atmospheric Nitrogen Fixation - Some nitrogen gas is salt
converted to the ammonium form by lightening. Marine water ecosystem – those that have a high salt
Phosphorus Cycle - Phosphorus exists in various rocks content
and soil minerals as the inorganic phosphate ion (PO4- Pelagic - an open ocean with animals such as
3). As rock gradually breaks down, phosphate and other crustaceans, fish and whales swim actively as they
nutrient ions are released. Phosphate dissolved in pursue food.
water but does nor enter air. Euphotic Zone - region where the sun’s ray penetrates.
Zooplankton - small, weakly swimming animals of many
2 Laws of thermodynamics kinds that are often located at greater depths in the
1. energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be ocean that feed on phytoplankton.
changed from one to another. Benthic - ocean bottom, whether attached or not such
2. whenever energy is transformed, there is loss of as fish, clams, oysters, various crustaceans, sponges,
energy through the release of heat. sea anemones, and many other kinds of organisms live
on the bottom.
The Ten Percent Law - When all of the energy losses are Abyssal - a great depth in the ocean ecosystem that
added together, only about 10% of the energy entering must rely on a continuous rain of organic matter from
one trophic level forms biomass in the next trophic the euphotic zone.
level. Estuaries Ecosystem - special category of marine
ecosystem, consists of shallow, partially enclosed areas
Food Chain - sequence of consumption and represents where freshwater enters the ocean.
energy transfer through the environment. For example, Epilimnion - upper surface layer of a lake. It is warm in
a simple grazing food chain is comprised of summer.
plant herbivore carnivore. Hypolimnion - cold lower layer of a lake.
Food Web - network of food chains representing the Thermocline - A sudden drop in temperature occurs at
feeding relationships among organisms in an the middle of the lake .
ecosystem. Swamps - contain trees that are able to live in places
that are either permanently flooded or flooded for a
Terrestrial (Land), Aquatic (Water) - two basic types of major part of the year.
community contain eight smaller units known as Marshes - are dominated with grasses and reeds.
biomes.
Intraspecific Condition - density-dependent form of
competition.
Interspecific Condition - different individuals competing Demography - applied branch of sociology that deals
over resources. with population statistics and provides information on
the population of various countries or groups of people.
Symbionts - relationships can be beneficial, neutral, or Population Regulation - control of the size of the
harmful to one or both organisms. population. This regulation implies a tendency of the
Obligatory Symbiosis - one or both organisms are population to achieve or return to a size at equilibrium
entirely dependent on the relationship and will die or in harmony with the surrounding environment. If a
without it. population tends to remain about the same size, then it
Facultative Symbiosis - can live independently from is said to be stable.
each other. Overpopulation - condition where an organism’s
Parasitism - relationship where one symbiont benefits number exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat.
(the parasite) and the other (the host) is harmed in On Resources - Many of our basic resources are stained
some way and may eventually die. by the present population. The food we eat, the quality
Commensalism - , one species benefits and there is a of our air, the quality of our water, our oil and gas, and
neutral effect on the other—it neither benefits nor is the ozone layer.
harmed. On Social Problems - Another effect of overpopulation
Mutualism - both organisms benefit from the is its obvious stress placed upon people, especially in
relationship. cities who tend to be less friendly compared to people
in town.
Population - group of individuals of the same inhabiting On Personal Freedom - As the problem of higher
a common area; a collective group of individuals population density becomes worse, there are more and
occupying a particular place at a given time and it is more restrictions on our freedom. These include putting
affected by both biotic and abiotic factors. limits on our water consumption, driving, travel, and
Natality - refers to the individual added to the possibly what people can do for their land.
population through reproduction. On Other Species - What is more alarming is the effect
Mortality - refers to the number of deaths per year. of our present population not only on our species but to
Sex Ratio - refers to the relative numbers of males and other species as well who strike a balance in the
females. biosphere for the continuity of all life on Earth.
Distribution - refers to the arrangement of individuals
of a population within a particular space.
Random Distribution - organisms are spread throughout
the area without an over-all pattern.
Uniform Distribution – the organisms are evenly
distributed over an area.
Clumped Distribution – the organisms are evenly
concentrated in an area. It may offer the population
protection from enemies.
Population Density - refers to the number of organisms
found per unit area.
Open community - structure and the relative rarity of
species within a community.
Closed Community - a discrete unit with sharp
boundaries known as ecotones.
Succession - series of regular, predictable changes in
the structure of a community over time.
Primary succession - is a progressive colonization of a
previously unoccupied area. It occurs on some bare,
lifeless substrate such as rocks or open water where
organisms gradually occupy the area and change its
nature.
Secondary succession - this occurs in areas that have
been disturbed and that were originally occupied by
living organisms, human beings are initiating secondary
succession. This may also occur after a fire has burned
off the area, or after eruption of a volcano.