Environmental Studies

• What is the main focus of environmental studies?

  Interactions and interdependence within the environment
• What does ecology study?

  How organisms interact with other organisms and their environment
• What is an ecologist?

  Someone who studies ecological relationships and interactions
• What are the four levels of ecological interactions?

  • Populations
  • Communities
  • Ecosystems
  • Biosphere
• What is a population?

  A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at a specific time
• What is community ecology?

  The study of how populations interact with each other in a certain area
• What is an ecosystem?

  A system that includes all living organisms and their physical environment functioning together
• What distinguishes a biome from an ecosystem?

  A biome comprises a variety of habitats and spans continents
• What are the biomes of Southern Africa?

  • Savanna
  • Grassland
  • Nama Karoo
  • Succulent Karoo
  • Fynbos
  • Forest
  • Thicket
• What characterizes the savanna biome?

  Grass with scattered trees and large terrestrial mammals
• What is a habitat?

  The natural environment in which an organism or population lives
• What are abiotic factors?

  Non-living components of an ecosystem
• What is the primary source of radiant energy for Earth?

  The sun
• How does the greenhouse effect benefit Earth?

  It keeps the Earth's temperature high enough to support life
• What is the impact of increased carbon dioxide on global warming?

  It retains more heat, causing the Earth to warm
• What is the composition of the atmosphere?

  79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 0.04% carbon dioxide
• What is climate?

  The weather conditions prevailing in an area over a long period
• What are the three types of soil water?

  Hygroscopic, capillary water, seepage(gravitational water)
• What are the main types of soil?

  • Sandy soil: Poor water retention, well-aerated
  • Loam soil: Rich in humus, good water retention, ideal for agriculture
  • Clay soil: High water retention, poorly aerated, low humus
• What are biotic factors in an ecosystem?

  Living factors including plants, animals, and microorganisms
• What are producers in an ecosystem?

  Green plants that convert radiant energy into usable forms
• What is a food chain?

  An illustration of the flow of energy from producers through consumers
• What are ecological pyramids?

  • Energy pyramids: Show energy flow through trophic levels
  • Numbers pyramids: Show the number of organisms at each trophic level
  • Biomass pyramids: Show the biomass at each trophic level