Ecology: Theory and Applications -
Final
Exam Review
Gaytha A. Langlois,
Ph.D.
Site Map
Review
Session - Thursday, May 7th, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. (Room 380)
Chapters
to be Included
Weeks 7,9,10,11, and 14
(includes chapters 10,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,22 and Appendix II &
III)
Reserve
Readings #9 is included
See posted lecture notes for outlines
Team Research Presentations are included (see websites for Details)
http://web.bryant.edu/~langlois/ecology/ecoteamprojects.htm
Review
Material
Definition of an
ecosystem (trophic structure; types of ecosystems such as terrestrial,
marine, aquatic, estuarine)
Biogeochemical cycles
(carbon,
nitrogen, phosphorus, and pollutants such as mercury or radionuclides)
Biomagnification of
chemicals
in the environment
(e.g.,
pesticides, mercury,
chlorinated hydrocarbons, radionuclides)
Biodiversity (species
diversity;
population interactions; keystone species, exotic species)
Hydrological Cycle
(role
of transpiration, precipitation, stormwater runoff, groundwater
aquifers)
Major Biome Types (deserts, tropical rainforests, mixed deciduous
forests,
tundra, grasslands, coral reefs)
Types of water
pollution (e.g., sewage, pathogens, nutrients, organic and inorganic
chemicals)
Ecological succession (role of pioneer plants like lichens and mosses)
Organisms:
(why?) Pfeisteria piscicida, three-toed sloth, zebra mussels,
snakehead fish, snow leopard,
Baijy, Metasequoia,
peregrine falcons
New
Material
Methods of sewage
treatment
(primary, secondary & tertiary, role of federal Clean Water
Act)
Water Quality Testing
(D.O., B.O.D., coliform tests, nitrates, phosphates, salinity,
chlorides,
specific toxics testing, e.g., mercury, lead, pesticides, etc.)
Types and examples of
drinking
water problems (insufficient supply; surface reservoirs vs. groundwater
aquifers;
public vs. private
supplies;
pollution episodes such as arsenic, MTBE, pesticides, etc.)
Land use issues
(wetlands protection, vernal pools, drinking water quality, building
practices, zoning issues,
drainage runoff,
eutrophication, infrastructure costs, sustainable practices, etc.)
Problems associated
with
toxic chemicals (hormone disrupters, carcinogens, teratogens, mutagens)
Chemical toxicants
(Pesticides,
mercury, chorinated hydrocarbons, radionuclides--see "Trace of the
Black Wind")
Contamination of the human and pet food chain (bacterial
outbreaks)
Bottled water problems (petroleum for plastic, energy for shipping,
etc.)
Global environmental
issues
(e.g., deforestation, toxic wastes, biodiversity losses, human overpopulation,
stratosphere
ozone depletion,
global warming, ocean pollution, toxic algae blooms,fishery decline,
etc.)
Waste management
problems (toxic waste disposal, bioremediation)
Organisms:
(why?) Vorticella
marina, zooxanthellae, Metasequoia)
Important locations
(Chernobyl,
Ukraine; Minamata Bay, Japan; Love Canal, Niagara Falls, NY; Bhopal,
India, Matunuck, RI)
China's population
problems
(size of population compared to land mass; growth rate and doubling
time;
crowding and food
supply
issues; government intervention in controlling overpopulation)
China's energy
problems and
solutions (extensive coal consumption, leading to higher air pollution;
development
of hydropower, specifically the Three Gorges Dam; consequences of
impounding
the Yangtze River behind the dam
China's problems with
endangered
species (e.g., Baiji, giant panda and Metasequoia trees) and
the country's
attempts
to reverse these trends and to better manage rare and
endangered
species
Team Research Presentations (see web sites for details); available at:
http://web.bryant.edu/~langlois/ecology/ecoteamprojects.htm
Coral Reef Problems
(values of reefs, causes of damage, research
techniques, solutions)
Global warming issues (polar regions, equatorial regions, sea level,
climate change, rainfall patterns, etc.)
Special
Questions I - Complete ONE question; prepare ahead of exam on word
processor (5 points each)
(Bring
a word-processed
copy of these questions with you to the exam)
(1) What are some of the health
problems directly attributable to the
Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Ukraine?
(2) Discuss some of the
problems associated with frog populations
throughout the world?
(3) What are some of
the
impacts of exposure to methyl mercury? How widespread is this problem
in
the U.S.? What are the likely causes?
(4) What are some
causes
of coral reef bleaching and other types of degradation?
(6) What are some of
the problems associated with nuclear weapons production at Hanford,
Washington?
(7) What are some of
the problems associated with the human food cycle in the United States?
(8) Describe some
factors related to the outbreaks of Pfiesteria
in east coast estuaries? What lessons can be learned?
Special
Questions II - Complete both questions; prepare ahead of exam on word
processor (5 points each)
(Bring
a word-processed
copy of these questions with you to the exam)
(1)
Select one type of renewable energy and describe an example of how it
could be utilized in a developing nation to move that country toward
better sustainability.
(2) Choose
an overpopulated country in the world. Describe its situation
(use some statistics) and then find out if that country (or perhaps a
United Nations program, or NGO program, is in place to the help in the
resolution of the problams associated with the overcrowding. Use
the foldout sheet in the back of your textbook to find the descriptive
information.
Specific
Terms: Know the term and its context
(Also see review terms listed on
the website lecture outlines)
Acid Deposition
Baijy
Belarus
Biodiversity
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act) - Superfund Act
Chlorinated
Hydrocarbons
(e.g., pesticides, dioxins, PCB's)
Clean Air Act
Clean Water Act
Coral
bleaching
Deforestation
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
Endangered Species Act
Estuary
Exotic Species
Fecal Coliform Test
ISDS
Land Use Plan
LUST
Metasequoia
Methane
Methyl Mercury
Oil Pollution Control Act
Online Materials Exchange (e.g., R.I.'s "Resource Exchange" website)
pH
RCRA (Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act)
RI-DEM
Sulfur dioxide
Sustainability
Symbiosis
Syzygy
USEPA
Vernal Pools
Watershed
copyright
Gaytha
A. Langlois, Ph.D., 1999
Bryant University,
Smithfield, RI 02917
E-mail:
langlois@bryant.edu
Last
Updated: May 5, 2009