Summaries:

Chapter One:
Chapter one is a good overview for what the rest of the course will look like. It
outlines some major definitions, and ideas that will be covered more in depth later
in the book. It also brings up themes that will be brought up throughout the rest of
the book, like the idea of sustainability. Chapter one serves as a good overview and
introduction to the rest of the textbook.
Chapter Two:
Chapter two is similar to chapter one in the sense that its an overview.
Chapter two reminds the students of more major concepts that will be revisited
during the rest of the course, but this time it focuses on the things that students
had learned in previous courses. It revisits the nature of science and the scientific
process, as well as some of the major themes learned in chemistry and biology.
These are also applicable to environmental science, so its important to be
reminded of these concepts.
Chapter Three:
Chapter three starts going into depth on one of the major subjects of
environmental science: environments and ecosystems. Chapter three begins to
discuss food chains and food webs, as well as biodiversity and nutrient cycles. It
talks about extinction and what its major causes are, as well as describe the major
kinds of biomes. Chapter three is the chapter that starts to explain our environment,
what they look like, and why they work like they do.
Chapter Five:

This chapter discussed climate and the different types of biomes. It explained that a
biome is a terrestrial region grouped by similar climate, plants, and animals. A
desert is where evaporation exceeds precipitation, and they have little moisture and
vegetation. Grasslands occur in areas too moist for deserts and too dry for forests,
and savannas are grasslands with scattered areas of trees. Tropical rainforests are
found near the equator, where hot, damp, moisture air dumps its moisture. It has
warm temperatures and high humidity, with high net productivity and little wind to
spread pollen. All these biomes differ in characteristics, but they are all important
regions on Earth.

Chapter Six:
Chapter 6 discussed aquatic biodiversity in areas like oceans and lakes. It discussed
the different layers to lakes, which are the: littoral zone, limnetic zone, profundal
zone, and benthic zone. The littoral zone is closest to the top and absorbs the most
sunlight. The limnentic zone is open and has sunlit waters and is the place where
most photosynthesis occurs. The profundal is deep and too dark for plants, and the
benthic is where fish go from one zone to the other. Overturns cause the layers to
mix, which is good since it gives nutrients to the plants. This chapter also discussed
different types of lakes, such as the eutrophic, which has a large supply of nutrients,
and the oligotrophic, which is a newly formed lake with little nutrients. Aquatic
biodiversity is just as important as land biodiversity and is very complex.

Chapter Four:

Chapter four is about evolution and species interaction. The history of evolution had
two phases: chemical evolution and biological evolution. The chapter also talks
about how natural selection led to the formation of different species, also known as
speciation. Speciation can either occur through geographic isolation, when a two
groups of a population become physically separated, or reproductive isolation, when
two groups of a population become genetically different from each other. The
chapter also talks about different niches that species can take in an ecosystem. This
chapter shows that the four principles of sustainability contribute to the earths
resilience in the face of catastrophe, and they help life adapt to changes in the
environment.

Chapter Seven:
Chapter 7 talked about community ecology. The structures of communities can vary
drastically depending on what species are occupying it. The chapter discussed
species diversity, which is a combination of species richness and species
abundance. It also discussed important species in ecosystems, such as native
(species that normally live in a particular community) and keystone (species that
have a larger effect on the abundances of other species in a community). Species
are constantly interacting in their communities, and some ways they do this is by
interspecific competition. There are many types of species interactions, including:
parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. These interactions are vital in any
community of organisms.

Chapter Eight:
This chapter went over population dynamics and species reproduction methods.
Populations tend to live in clumps, and there are many factors that control its size.
Populations also have different densities, and ones with a greater density have both
advantages and disadvantages. Population has different stages of size: stable,
irruptive, cyclic, and irregular. Different species have different methods of
reproduction. The two types are asexual, which creates clones of a single parent,
and sexual, which mixes DNA from two different parents. The majority of species
reproduce sexually. Another different among species is whether or not they are rselected or k-selected.

Chapter Nine:
Chapter nine was about human population. It described what effects human
population, and the various ways to describe it. Like birth rates, death rates, fertility
rates, immigration rates and emigration rates. Also, it described how different kinds
of countries population develop. For example when a country is becoming more
industrialized and developed, first their birth rates drops and then their death rates
drop.
Chapter Eleven:
Chapter eleven talked about the different kinds of extinction: local extinction,
ecological extinction and biological extinction. It also talked about HIPPO and what

makes some species more vulnerable to extinction and what makes species not
vulnerable. Also, chapter eleven talked about invasive species and what harmful
effects they have on the environment, as well as the harmful effects of illegal killing
of animals.
Chapter Twenty:
Chapter twenty talked about global warming and cooling. It discussed what makes
our earth warmer or cooler: namely, the greenhouse effect, but there are also other
factors like cloud cover. Also, it talked about what the warming of the troposphere
now is telling us about climate change, and what other negative things are resulting
because of this warming of the troposphere. It also brought up possible solutions
that are being explored to help stop climate change and bring it back to a healthy
level.
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Chapter twenty-four talks about the capitalistic society we live in, and how the
government works closely with markets and corporations. The chapter also brought
up the idea that to create a more environmentally sustainable society, we must
start with the economy. The government can help to do this by encouraging
businesses to include the economic cost of a product in its market price,
distinguishing/labeling environmentally beneficial products from environmentally
harmful ones, taxing pollution and waste, and regulating businesses and markets in
order to prevent pollution and waste. Also, by shifting to a sustainable economy a
new industry will open up for improving environmental quality, generating tons of
new jobs and decreasing poverty. Therefore, an environmentally sustainable

economy will benefit way more than just the environment, and can improve our
lives in many ways.

Chapter Twenty-Five:
This chapter talks about how the government plays a major role in dealing with
environmental issues, but this process can be difficult. In democracies, it is hard to
get controversial laws passed, and many environmental issues are widely debated.
One section of environmental policy is environmental laws. These laws use input
from a larger community to define suitable environmental behavior for individuals.
There are many environmental groups on local, state, and international levels that
advocate for the creation of new environmental laws and regulations. No matter
what, individuals always have an impact when it comes to environmental change
and can easily contribute to solutions.

Chapter Twenty-Six:
Chapter twenty-six mainly discussed environmental worldviews. An environmental
worldview is essentially what someone sees as their role in the environment.
Environmental worldviews can be categorized into Life-centered and Earthcentered. Life-centered worldviews say that humans should be able to control the
environment. Earth-centered worldviews, on the other hand, say that humans
should live in peace with the environment, not control it. Obviously, Earth-centered
worldviews are more geared towards sustainability, as resources would get quickly

depleted according to a life-centered worldview. There are many other ways that
we can contribute to environmental sustainability. By increasing literacy and
encouraging people to become more in tune with nature, they will be less likely to
contribute to environmental issues. Other ways we can improve environmental
sustainability is through reforming our agriculture, transportation, energy use,
water, and resource consumption.