BIOL 350 FINAL EXAM COMPLETE
QUESTIONS WITH 100% VERIFIED
ANSWERS
\.1) The current state of civilization can be described in terms of problems of
'input' or problems of 'output'. Describe the main current concerns associated
with 'forests' as a problem of 'input', and describe the main reasons why forests
have important value in terms of providing ecosystem services for humans. -
ANSWERS✔-Problems of input:
-Deforestation; clearing forests for agriculture, urban expansion, mining, over-
harvesting for timber and paper production
-increased frequency of fire, drought, insect outbreaks
-clearing forests out faster than we can replace them
-world forest area shrunk by 80% per capita in past century
Value:
-"earth's lungs"; source of oxygen
-Earth's major source of water circulation; about 50% of the water that ends up in
the clouds for rain has been transpired by forests
-forests build and protect top soil; without forests we lose soil and minerals
through erosion
-major carbon sinks; capture, store, and decrease greenhouse carbon dioxide
levels (about 25% of carbon emitted by burning fossil fuels each year are absorbed
by forests)
,-home to Earth's treasury of biodiversity
\.(2) World food production now appears to have peaked and prices are rising.
Describe the main reasons for this crisis that we discussed in BIOL350. -
ANSWERS✔-Today's food shortages result from 4 critical long-term trends:
1) Rapid pop'n growth
-leads to over-plowing and over-grazing resulting in a loss of top soil
-increased demand for energy therefore increasing energy from fossil fuels which
contributes to global warming
-higher demand for food...causing food shortages
2)Loss of top soil
-because of deforestation, global warming, over-plowing...etc
3)Spreading water shortages
4)Rising temperatures and Global warming
-leads to rising sea level causing coastal flooding, which leads to loss of top soil
-higher temps also reduce crop yield
OTHER REASONS:
-arable land has peaked
-lost irrigation water from melting/dried up glaciers resulting from global warming
-rising energy prices
-more land being used to grow bio-fuels instead of crops
-falling pollinator (bee) pop'ns from pesticide use and pollution
-over exploitation of fish
,\.(3) The current state of civilization can be described in terms of problems of
'input' or problems of 'output'. Describe the main current concerns associated
with 'fossil fuels' as a problem of 'input'. - ANSWERS✔-problems of input:
-problem of supply and demand
-oil discoveries peaked in the 60s and since the 80s we have used more oil yearly
than we are discovering
-most things that we use require oil/natural gas to make (includes everything
plastic)
-rely on fossil fuels for transportation
-since the Great acceleration 5x more energy use (especially fossil fuels)
-turn to renewable resources like solar and wind energy but forget that a lot of
these alternate solutions depend on petro chemicals/fossil fuels to keep them
running; not durable, reliable, or completely safe
-2x more oil consumption in last 4 decades
-fossil fuels=non-renewable=definite supply
-contributes to global warming/climate change
\.4) The current state of civilization can be described in terms of problems of
'input' or problems of 'output'. Describe the main current concerns associated
with 'soil loss' as a problem of 'input' - ANSWERS✔-soil is one of the most
precious and threatened resources:
-arable land is disappearing...top soil is vital for maintaining the world's food
supply
-it takes centuries to generate an inch of top soil even in a healthy ecosystem so
essentially it is a non-renewable resource
-soil degradation is especially high in dry lands due to salination from irrigation
, -losing it from water erosion, wind, glacier melting (flooding) , deforestation
-loss of biodiversity from pesticide use; less biodiversity= more susceptible to
disease
MAIN PROBLEM OF OUTPUT= decreased capacity for food production
\.(5) Forecasters worry that climate change may disrupt the so-called 'global
ocean conveyer'. Describe what this is, how it might be disrupted, and what the
main consequences would be. - ANSWERS✔-Global conveyer belt= a constantly
moving system of deep ocean circulation driven by temp/salinity; warm less
salinated water from gulf stream travels upward towards Europe in Atlantic and
the wind over this current picks up heat to warm Europe...this causes evaporation
making the water more salty which makes the water colder b/c it's more dense
and sinks...downdraft of heavy cold water generates south going stream
How is it disrupted?
-warming of arctic ice/Greenland ice sheet making the North Atlantic less salty
therefore surface currents aren't as warm, making Europe colder
Consequences:
-colder Europe= shorter growing season
-crop loss/less food production
\.(6) Several forecasters have predicted that even if we completely stop all fossil
fuel burning tomorrow, it is too late to stop climate change. Describe the main
reasons why this may be so. - ANSWERS✔--it will take an 80% decrease in carbon
dioxide emission by 2050 to stabilize atmospheric gas concentration
-feedback loops not in our favor; 1) increased levels of water vapour in the
atmosphere traps heat, leads to more evaporation of water vapour increasing the
amount of trapped heat, 2) loss of snow from global warming exposes more land
QUESTIONS WITH 100% VERIFIED
ANSWERS
\.1) The current state of civilization can be described in terms of problems of
'input' or problems of 'output'. Describe the main current concerns associated
with 'forests' as a problem of 'input', and describe the main reasons why forests
have important value in terms of providing ecosystem services for humans. -
ANSWERS✔-Problems of input:
-Deforestation; clearing forests for agriculture, urban expansion, mining, over-
harvesting for timber and paper production
-increased frequency of fire, drought, insect outbreaks
-clearing forests out faster than we can replace them
-world forest area shrunk by 80% per capita in past century
Value:
-"earth's lungs"; source of oxygen
-Earth's major source of water circulation; about 50% of the water that ends up in
the clouds for rain has been transpired by forests
-forests build and protect top soil; without forests we lose soil and minerals
through erosion
-major carbon sinks; capture, store, and decrease greenhouse carbon dioxide
levels (about 25% of carbon emitted by burning fossil fuels each year are absorbed
by forests)
,-home to Earth's treasury of biodiversity
\.(2) World food production now appears to have peaked and prices are rising.
Describe the main reasons for this crisis that we discussed in BIOL350. -
ANSWERS✔-Today's food shortages result from 4 critical long-term trends:
1) Rapid pop'n growth
-leads to over-plowing and over-grazing resulting in a loss of top soil
-increased demand for energy therefore increasing energy from fossil fuels which
contributes to global warming
-higher demand for food...causing food shortages
2)Loss of top soil
-because of deforestation, global warming, over-plowing...etc
3)Spreading water shortages
4)Rising temperatures and Global warming
-leads to rising sea level causing coastal flooding, which leads to loss of top soil
-higher temps also reduce crop yield
OTHER REASONS:
-arable land has peaked
-lost irrigation water from melting/dried up glaciers resulting from global warming
-rising energy prices
-more land being used to grow bio-fuels instead of crops
-falling pollinator (bee) pop'ns from pesticide use and pollution
-over exploitation of fish
,\.(3) The current state of civilization can be described in terms of problems of
'input' or problems of 'output'. Describe the main current concerns associated
with 'fossil fuels' as a problem of 'input'. - ANSWERS✔-problems of input:
-problem of supply and demand
-oil discoveries peaked in the 60s and since the 80s we have used more oil yearly
than we are discovering
-most things that we use require oil/natural gas to make (includes everything
plastic)
-rely on fossil fuels for transportation
-since the Great acceleration 5x more energy use (especially fossil fuels)
-turn to renewable resources like solar and wind energy but forget that a lot of
these alternate solutions depend on petro chemicals/fossil fuels to keep them
running; not durable, reliable, or completely safe
-2x more oil consumption in last 4 decades
-fossil fuels=non-renewable=definite supply
-contributes to global warming/climate change
\.4) The current state of civilization can be described in terms of problems of
'input' or problems of 'output'. Describe the main current concerns associated
with 'soil loss' as a problem of 'input' - ANSWERS✔-soil is one of the most
precious and threatened resources:
-arable land is disappearing...top soil is vital for maintaining the world's food
supply
-it takes centuries to generate an inch of top soil even in a healthy ecosystem so
essentially it is a non-renewable resource
-soil degradation is especially high in dry lands due to salination from irrigation
, -losing it from water erosion, wind, glacier melting (flooding) , deforestation
-loss of biodiversity from pesticide use; less biodiversity= more susceptible to
disease
MAIN PROBLEM OF OUTPUT= decreased capacity for food production
\.(5) Forecasters worry that climate change may disrupt the so-called 'global
ocean conveyer'. Describe what this is, how it might be disrupted, and what the
main consequences would be. - ANSWERS✔-Global conveyer belt= a constantly
moving system of deep ocean circulation driven by temp/salinity; warm less
salinated water from gulf stream travels upward towards Europe in Atlantic and
the wind over this current picks up heat to warm Europe...this causes evaporation
making the water more salty which makes the water colder b/c it's more dense
and sinks...downdraft of heavy cold water generates south going stream
How is it disrupted?
-warming of arctic ice/Greenland ice sheet making the North Atlantic less salty
therefore surface currents aren't as warm, making Europe colder
Consequences:
-colder Europe= shorter growing season
-crop loss/less food production
\.(6) Several forecasters have predicted that even if we completely stop all fossil
fuel burning tomorrow, it is too late to stop climate change. Describe the main
reasons why this may be so. - ANSWERS✔--it will take an 80% decrease in carbon
dioxide emission by 2050 to stabilize atmospheric gas concentration
-feedback loops not in our favor; 1) increased levels of water vapour in the
atmosphere traps heat, leads to more evaporation of water vapour increasing the
amount of trapped heat, 2) loss of snow from global warming exposes more land
