A system where the resources are being renewed as quickly as they are being used. All wastes are able to be completely absorbed.
The 3 R's
•Reduce: The amount of garbage you produce •Reuse: Products rather than throwing them away •Recycle: Find other ways to make use of products if they cannot be reused.
Suzuki Speaks
Here is the link to the video watched in class: Suzuki Speaks
https://vimeo.com/207416267
Pollution
•Pollution: occurs when a substance is added to the environment at such a fast rate that it cannot be broken down, stored or recycled in the air, land or water in a non-damaging form. •Acid Rain: occurs when pollutants containing sulfur and nitrogen are found in high levels in the air. Pollutants can enter the ecosystem by combining with water vapor in the air. Their effect in felt when they become acidic and destroy the ecosystem.
DDT
•Using pesticides that contained DDT was very effective in controlling insect pests on many crops – it was banned eventfully because of the harmful side effect of soft egg shells for birds •Banning of DDT, captive breeding programs and relocation of predators helped save animals such as the peregrine falcon, swift fox and the burrowing owl
Environmental Monitoring
•Ecosystem Monitoring(also called Environmental Monitoring): Is a way to check the condition of an ecosystem by comparing the results of investigations done at different times. •Physical Monitoring: Uses satellites to track changes in landscape over time. •Environmental Monitoring: Tracks changes in climate, temperature and weather patterns. •Chemical Monitoring: Assesses air, soil and water quality. •Biological Monitoring:Tracks changes in organisms and populations of organisms over time.
Long-Term Monitoring
Indicator Species: A species that is sensitive to environmental change and is the first to be affected; they help to monitor the overall health of our environment. Scientists can study the populations of these organisms to determine the overall health of our environment. The indicator species in Alberta that scientists study because they are affected by pesticides, acid rain, loss of habitat and the introduction of non native species are amphibians.
What would be some good indicator species??
Data
Baseline Data: A starting point of data that allows scientists to go back and see if changes have occurred
Quadrant Sampling: When a study area is divided into sections, each 1m^2, scientists can count and study samples from these areas and determine the overall health and population of a particular species.
Permanent Plots: Study areas that scientists always return to.
A report that outlines how an activity will affect the environment is called an environmental impact assessment.
Redevelopment
When an area becomes urban that was previously natural
•If a forested area has been cleared and then redeveloped as prime agricultural land – what would happen to the population of organisms in the area? Decrease in population! •If a bushy grassland area was cleared to make room for a new housing development, in a city suburb – the original area was home to many species that thrived. The species that would most likely adapt to a new habitat which of the following? - rabbit, fox, coyote or a wolf?
A Coyote! Why do you think so?
Dichotomous Key
A dichotomous key is a tool that allows the user to determine the identity of items in the natural world, such as trees, wildflowers, mammals, reptiles, rocks, and fish. Keys consist of a series of choices that lead the user to the correct name of a given item.