GEOG 2412: Environment and Culture

Study Guide:

Start with 10/05 notes, the Nitrogen Cycle, Chap. 3 of the Millennial Assessment (Drivers of Change), and the Main Findings (aka Main Messages) in Chap. 4 “Biodiversity.”

10/12: Focus on section 4.3 “Anthropogenic Drivers” of the Millennial Assessment, especially introduced/invasive species and habitat change in the biomes, and the Summary of Biodiversity trends, section. 4.6. You can skip Chap. 28: The Synthesis. Know Homogenization and fragmentation.

10/17-19: Theme 3, Part 1: Interacting with the Environment as Natural Resource: see the lecture notes and Holechek reading.

10/26: Renewable resources, with focus on water: There will be a few questions based on Exercise 5, Parts 1 and 2: The Boulder Water Resource Supply System.

10/31: wrap-up water resources, briefly look at resource management problems like Common Property and Non-Tangible resources, and then move to Theme 2, part 2: Interacting with the Environment as Natural Hazard. Read Burton “Hazard, Response and Choice” eReserve, especially pp. 34-52.

11/2: More on Natural Hazards, with attention to various human responses (see Burton reading).

Sample Questions for Exam 2

1) According to the Millennial Ecosystem assessment, which is these is NOT an anthropogenic cause of species extinction?

(a) Over-exploitation

(b) Habitat Change, loss and degradation

(d) Creation of nature preserves

(e) Invasive species

2) T/F: According to the Millennial Ecosystem assessment most human-caused species extinctions historically were of island species.

3) The production of stock resources can be affected by:

(a) changes in demand

(b) changes in technology

(d) all of these

4) Renewable resources are characterized by:

(a) stable flows over long periods of time, like years.

(b) variable flows that repeat on some time frame, typically annually.

(d) Difficulty of estimating fixed reserves.

5) T/F In “mature’ resource systems, conservation of a resource can be as economically efficient, or even more efficient, than adding new supply.

6) T/F There is no ‘economically efficient” rate at which humans deplete stock resources.

7) T/F: In historical times the main human cause of species extinction was over-exploitation

8) T/F Homogenization is the process whereby species assemblages become increasingly dominated by a small number of rare species threatened by extinction due to human action.

Answers: 1=d; 2=T; 3=d; 4=b, 5=T; 6=F; 7=T; 8=F.

9) T/F: Because stock resources exist in fixed supply, we have been able to determine quantities available for production very reliably.

10) Market Failure in resource markets come about because:

(a) the market is captured by a monopoly

(b) the market incorrectly assess the quantity of the resource available

(d) the market does not account for “external” environmental and social effects of resource production and use.

11) “Carrying capacity:” is:

(a) the ability of a resource owner to carry the costs of holding the resource back from the market

(b) long-term species population that can be sustained by productivity of an ecosystem.

12) Maximum Sustained Yield of a renewable resource is:

(a) the yield that can be sustained by demand from the market

(b) the yield that can be expected to occur at the same level, year after year

(d) The one-time highest yield that could be achieved if all conditions were optimal.

Answers: 9=F, 10=d, 11=b, 12=c

Match these human response to natural hazards with their goal:

(a) adjustments to the human use system

(b) adjustments that change the natural event system

13) move houses out of the floodplain

14) build levees and dams to reduce flood heights

15) seed hurricanes

16) offer people earthquake insurance

17) evacuate in front of a hurricane

18) flood proof homes and offices

(19) T/F: In general the frequency and intensity of natural events (including those we call natural hazards) are inversely related.

Answers: 13=a, 14=b, 15=b, 16=a, 17=a, 18=a, 19=T.