Ecology II Objectives

-Explain why human overpopulation is the single biggest environmental problem

-Give examples of the powerful influence humans have on the environment

-Define and give examples of renewable resources

-Define and give examples of non-renewable resources

-List 3 ways to preserve our resources (reduce, reuse, recycle); give specific examples of how you practice each method

-Name and describe 2 natural processes that help balance atmospheric gases

-Name two reasons that soils should be protected

-Name 2 decomposers and explain why they are important

-Describe the ecosystem where decomposition occurs most rapidly.  Why is it important to be done so rapidly?

-Define carrying capacity, and draw simple graph to illustrate it

-List at least three limiting factors that control the population of a species

-What factors have led to the human population explosion; why is this a problem for humans;

-Describe some ways to control the population explosion

-Define direct harvesting; describe three examples of species that have been harmed

-Give one example of a species that is now extinct due to human activities

-Define and give a specific example of deforestation

-Define biodiversity; which ecosystem has the most biodiversity, and has had the least environmental change?

-List three human activities that have decreased biodiversity, and list three ways the loss of biodiversity can harm humans?

-Explain why importing a new species to an environment can cause many problems; discuss two specific examples.

-Describe two safe methods of pest control.
-Define pheromones

-Define technology

-List 3 problems associated with industrialization and give a brief description of each

-Explain how water pollution depletes the amount of oxygen in the water

-Describe how toxins move through a food chain, using a specific example

-Define thermal pollution

-List 4 ways people can reduce water pollution

-List and describe 3 major sources of air pollution

-List the steps in formation of acid rain; give examples of  NY state habitats affected, and its effects

-Describe “greenhouse effect”; contrast it with the problem of global warming

-List the sequential effects that global warming has on the earth’s ecosystems

-Describe the depletion of  the ozone layer: importance of the ozone layer to life on earth; cause of ozone depletion; effects of this hole in the ozone layer; steps taken to reduce ozone depletion

-List 6 steps humans have taken toward solving our environmental problems.  

-Define “trade-off” with regard to solutions to environmental problems, and give two examples.