APES- Chapter #3- Guided Reading 1 APES- Chapter #3- Guided Reading Assignment The Big Picture: Systems

of Change Name: ____________________________Period: _______ Due Date: ______________ Define the following and give examples of each: System: Set of components, or parts that function together as a whole.

Open System Some energy or material (solid, liquid, or gas) moves into or out of the system.

Closed System No transfer takes place.

Materially Closed System No matter moves in and out of the system, although energy and information can move across the system's boundaries.

Ex:

Input: Seeing the bear Output: Your response, moving slowly away Static System versus Dynamic System -Static system: has a fixed condition and stays the same-Dynamic system: changes a lot over time-

 Classical Stability Constant condition if disturbed it continues once the disturbance is gone.

grandfather clock: if you push it, the pendulum moves back and forth for a while, but then friction gradually throws away the energy you just gave it and the pendulum comes to rest Steady-State System The inputs are equal to the outputs, so the amount stored is constant.

Why is the idea of equilibrium in systems somewhat misleading in regard to environmental questions? Is the establishment of a balance of nature ever possible? The environmental questions that arise is whether we want to, and should, force ecological system to be static if and when they are naturally dynamic. Sure if the amount imputed is the same amount being outputted. Like a dam, the water impute equals the water output. But in most of these cases things just get worse. Why is the concept of the ecosystem so important in the study of environmental science? Should we be worried about disturbing ecosystems? Under what circumstances should we worry or not worry? Since steady-state is seldom they are characterized as human-induced disturbances but also by natural disturbances. In studies it states that natural disturbances such as floods, fires, ect are necessary for the maintenance of forests, rivers, and coral reefs. Before managing the environment we need to understand how they change. APES- Chapter #3- Guided Reading Ogo

Define: Average Residence Time (How is it calculated?) How long on average a unit of something of interest will remain in a reservoir. Calculated: Divide the total volume of stored water in the series of dams by average rate of transfer through the system assuming that input is equal to output. Discuss the difference between positive and negative feedback loops. Give an example of each. Feedback occurs when the output of a system affects the output, ex: human temperature regulation. Negative feedback is an increase in output that leads to a decrease in output like walking into the shade because you feel hot. Positive feedback is an increase in output which leads to a further increase in output, like starting a fire. Once it gets started more wood around it dries up and the fire grows. The difference between these two is one leads to a decrease in output (Negative) and the other leads to an increase in output (positive)

Define Flow: Amount transferred. Flux: Rate of transfer per unit time. Lag Time The delay between a cause and the appearance of its effect. Exponential Growth (What is the main idea- is it good or bad?) Change is exponential when it increases or decreases at a constant rate per time period instead of constant amount. Two important qualities of exponential growth are: 1. rate of growth measured as a percentage 2. the doubling time in years Doubling Time The time necessary it takes to make the quantity double.

 Overshoot and Collapse (draw and label the graph) Overshoot: When it exceeds the carrying capacity Collapse: A lower level of population

Why does overshoot occur, and what could be done to anticipate and avoid it? Overshoot occurs when in this case the population grows it eventually exceeds the carry capacity. This can be avoided by lowering the population or watching statistic through the years to anticipate it. Discuss the idea of Environmental Unity. Environmental unity is the idea that it is impossible to change only one thing, if something gets changed it effects everything else. Many aspects of the environment are so closely linked that changing one part of the system can often have secondary and tertiary effects within the system.

Discuss the idea of uniformitarianism Uniformitarianism is the idea that geological and biological process that occur today are the same kinds of process that happened in the past and vis versa. So the present is the key to the past and the past is the key to the present. Uniformitarianism was introduced in 1785 by James Hutton a Scottish scientist. It is known as one of the fundamental principals of the biological and Earth science.

What is the Gaia Hypothesis? A hypothesis that states that life manipulates the environment for the maintenance of life. Ex: Scientist believe the algae floating near the surface of the ocean helps rainfall at sea and the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere, which means that it's affecting global warming.