Environmental Science flashcards

What this deck covers

• Unit 3: How can biodiversity and development be sustained? (36 cards, 7 dot points)

  • Classification, taxonomy and naming of organisms (binomial nomenclature, taxonomic hierarchy): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
  • Ecosystem services (supporting, provisioning, regulating, cultural): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
  • Endemism and biodiversity hotspots (endemic species, restricted range, conservation priorities): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
  • Levels and value of biodiversity (genetic, species, ecosystem, ecosystem services): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
  • Measuring biodiversity (species richness, evenness, Simpson's diversity index): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (6)
  • Threats to biodiversity and extinction (habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation, pollution): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
  • Types of value of biodiversity (ecological, economic, social, intrinsic, instrumental): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
• Unit 4: How can climate change and energy use be managed? (25 cards, 5 dot points)

  • Earth's climate system and energy balance (four spheres, albedo, radiation budget): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)
  • Evidence and impacts of climate change (ice cores, proxy data, sea-level rise, feedback loops): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)
  • Natural drivers of climate change (Milankovitch cycles, solar variation, volcanic activity, feedback mechanisms): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)
  • The carbon cycle (carbon stores, sinks and sources, fluxes, human disturbance): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)
  • The greenhouse effect and enhanced warming (greenhouse gases, radiative forcing, global warming): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)
• Unit 3: How can biodiversity and development be sustained? (10 cards, 2 dot points)

  • Ecological sustainability and managing development (precautionary principle, intergenerational equity, ESD): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
  • In-situ and ex-situ conservation (protected areas, corridors, captive breeding, seed banks): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3 (5)
• Unit 4: How can climate change and energy use be managed? (15 cards, 3 dot points)

  • Energy concepts and efficiency (energy, power, joules, watts, energy conversions, efficiency): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)
  • Managing energy use and the low-carbon transition (efficiency, mitigation, adaptation, renewables): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)
  • Renewable and non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels, nuclear, solar, wind, hydro): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4 (5)

Sample cards from this deck

1. Definition

   Classification, taxonomy and naming of organisms (binomial nomenclature, taxonomic hierarchy): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3

   Define Common names

   Common names are unreliable: "magpie" refers to different unrelated birds in Australia and Europe, and a single species may have several common names across regions and languages. A binomial name removes that confusion, which is essential when scientists from different countries collaborate on conservation.

2. Definition

   Earth's climate system and energy balance (four spheres, albedo, radiation budget): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4

   Define Atmosphere

   The layer of gases surrounding Earth. It moves heat and moisture around the planet through winds and weather, and contains the greenhouse gases that trap heat.

3. Definition

   In-situ and ex-situ conservation (protected areas, corridors, captive breeding, seed banks): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3

   Define Protected areas

   National parks, nature reserves and marine protected areas restrict damaging activities such as clearing, grazing and fishing. Kakadu National Park and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protect large functioning ecosystems. Indigenous Protected Areas, managed by Traditional Owners, now make up a large share of Australia's conservation estate and combine modern science with cultural land management such as patch burning.

4. Definition

   Energy concepts and efficiency (energy, power, joules, watts, energy conversions, efficiency): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4

   Define Energy

   Energy is the capacity to do work, that is, to make something happen (move, heat, light). It comes in forms such as chemical (in fossil fuels and food), kinetic (movement), thermal (heat), radiant (light), gravitational potential and electrical energy. Energy is measured in joules (J). Because a joule is small, larger amounts are given in kilojoules (kJ), megajoules (MJ), gigajoules (GJ), terajoules (TJ) and petajoules (PJ).

5. Definition

   Ecosystem services (supporting, provisioning, regulating, cultural): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3

   Define Provisioning services

   Provisioning services are the tangible products that people harvest directly from ecosystems: food, fresh water, timber, fibre, fuel, and genetic resources used in medicine and crop breeding.

6. Definition

   Evidence and impacts of climate change (ice cores, proxy data, sea-level rise, feedback loops): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4

   Define Direct data

   Direct data are recorded with instruments in real time.

7. Definition

   Ecological sustainability and managing development (precautionary principle, intergenerational equity, ESD): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3

   Define Ecologically sustainable development (ESD)

   ESD is using, conserving and enhancing resources so that ecological processes are maintained and the total quality of life can be improved now and in the future. It is embedded in Australian law, including the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, which requires major projects to be assessed for their impact on matters of national environmental significance.

8. Definition

   Managing energy use and the low-carbon transition (efficiency, mitigation, adaptation, renewables): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4

   Define Adaptation

   Adaptation means adjusting to the changes that are already happening or unavoidable, to reduce harm. It does not reduce emissions but reduces impact.

9. Definition

   Endemism and biodiversity hotspots (endemic species, restricted range, conservation priorities): VCE Environmental Science Unit 3

   Define No safety net

   A widespread species can survive a local disaster because populations elsewhere persist. An endemic species has no such backup.

10. Definition

    Natural drivers of climate change (Milankovitch cycles, solar variation, volcanic activity, feedback mechanisms): VCE Environmental Science Unit 4

    Define Eccentricity

    The shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun stretches from nearly circular to more elliptical over roughly 100,000 years, changing total solar energy received.