Unit 4

• Environment is derived from the French word "environ," meaning surroundings
• Environment includes living and non-living things like land, water, animals, and plants
• Living things constantly interact with and adapt to their environment
• The environment consists of interactions among plants, animals, soil, temperature, light, and other living and non-living things
• An ecosystem is a community of lifeforms interacting with non-living components
• Ecosystems are characterized by biotic and abiotic components
• Biotic components include producers, consumers, and decomposers
• Abiotic components include air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, and nutrients
• Functions of ecosystems include regulating essential ecological processes, cycling nutrients, maintaining balance among trophic levels, and cycling minerals through the biosphere
• Types of ecosystems: terrestrial and aquatic
• Resiliency of an ecosystem includes adaptability, resistance, and biodiversity
• Climate change, global warming, and ozone layer depletion are common environmental issues
• Climate change impacts weather conditions, sea levels, and habitats
• Global warming leads to rising temperatures, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels
• Ozone layer depletion is caused by chlorofluorocarbons, leading to increased exposure to harmful UV rays
• Biodiversity is crucial for the health of ecosystems and includes species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity
• Biodiversity refers to the degree to which organisms differ in an ecosystem and is crucial for determining the health of that ecosystem
• Biodiversity encompasses everything from humans to microorganisms and is essential for ecosystems and civilization to survive
• The disappearance of biodiversity habitats can impact the capacity to support environmental services and energy needed by humans
• Human interferences like deforestation and irrigation have changed habitats on Earth, leading to an increase in endangered species and dwindling populations
• Extinction, which has accelerated due to human interference, can damage not only the climate but also human health and food and energy supply
• Deforestation is the rapid loss of trees and vegetation, especially problematic in tropical forests due to human influence
• Trees provide oxygen, raw materials, and help regulate the earth's temperature, making deforestation detrimental to the environment
• Deforestation leads to the depletion of biodiversity, loss of carbon sinks, increased carbon dioxide levels, disrupted water resources, and degraded water quality
• Desertification is the erosion of arid soil, leading to the extinction of fauna and flora, caused by human activities and natural climate change
• Pollution, caused by human activities, releases toxic chemicals into the environment, posing threats to human and environmental health
• Water pollution involves injecting hazardous substances into water bodies, altering their physical, chemical, or biological state, and threatening marine life and human health
• Coral reefs, despite having more habitat than rainforests, are vulnerable to global warming, leading to bleaching and extinction of marine animals
• Air pollution, caused by factory emissions and vehicle exhaust, poses health risks like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and cancer
• Nuclear energy is produced in nuclear power plants through nuclear reactions, generating electricity, while overfishing endangers ocean health by depleting fish populations
• Efforts addressing environmental issues include using recycled goods, reducing water and energy usage, and promoting environmentally sustainable activities
• Efforts to address environmental issues involve energy production from green sources, environmental education, wildlife protection, ecosystem restoration, and advocacy for policy change