MODELS OF SUSTAINABILITY:

Identify at least two models of sustainability and discuss each one, highlighting both their potentials and
shortcomings and include a small visual.

FUNCTIONAL ECOSYSTEMS:
State some of the laws of energy and matter, then choose one to discuss the implications of the law on an
ecosystem.

ECOSYSTEM CYCLES (N and P):

Why has nitrogen become an issue, when it is abundant in our atmosphere?

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES:
Explain the difference between an ecosystem function and service, and provide an example of each.

ECONOMICS OF ECOSYSTEMS:
Compare and contrast between a “public good” and a “common pool resource,” and give at least one example
of each.

FROM Dr. Larson:

What are the 9 processes that define Planetary boundaries in Rockstrom’s paper? Which ones have already
exceeded the boundaries?
exceeded: biodiversity loss, N cycle, climate change. okay: P cycle, change in land use, ozone depletion,
ocean acidification, global freshwater use, particulate concentration in atmosphere, chemical pollution

How do you define sustainability?

system(s) of processes where input equals output, and can be long-lasting without any negative effect on
the Earth’s function to humans/other planetary life, meets our needs, “capacity to endure”

Draw and interpret one visual representation (model) of the relationship between sustainability, economic
welfare and social justice in a functioning society.

economic

social enviornmental

Venn diagram model, where the place in between each element is also a way of operating
soc & econ= equitable, soc & enviro = bearable, econ & enviro= viable, all 3= sustainable

Compare and contrast two models of sustainability (ex: Stool and Bull’s Eye Models)
 sustainability

environmental

economic
environmental

social
social
economic

3-legged stool assumes need each one in equal proportion to each other, and gives little room to have
variation between the 3
bullseye model assumes hierarchy (one has to constrain the other 2, the middle one is constrained by the larger
and provides limits to the smaller). neither model really portrays the reciprocal relationship each one has with
the other, and the larger whole

What is the notable characteristic of the Holocene that has allowed for unprecedented human development?
the Holocene is named so because it is relatively calm, at least in comparison to other geologic eras,
which also plays into the Anthropocene– named for the idea that humans have basically taken over the world

Give 2 examples of Tragedy in the Commons and explain how they are currently affecting the earth. Define the
“common” and explain how we could better manage this resource.
the “common” is a common pool resource– something that is open to everyone (or at least a large
number of people) yet is a non-renewable resource. one “common” is air, or rather clean air, that is being
affected by air pollution

What is the "tragedy" in the Tragedy of the Commons?

the “tragedy” is that because a user of the commons is not punished for using too much of the resource
of the common, and actually benefits from taking more, there is no immediate limit to one user’s use of the
resource.

Define an externality, and give an example.

an externality is something unaccounted for in a given system, and can be either positive or negative. a
negative externality is something like secondhand smoke effects, where the primary user is not the one being
affected– a “third party” is the one being affected yet they are not the ones who have paid for the thing, but are
experiencing negative consequences

What is an ecosystem service, and for what reason are they being analyzed for economic value? Is it effective?
an ecosystem service is a benefit provided to humans– or other living things, which are often difficult to
notice, or even quantify, and more difficult/near impossible to replace by a human-made mechanization or
technology. they are being analyzed for economic value, because we live in an advanced capitalist society
where monetary value is just that– valued. it can be effective in that it gives us a concrete number (or at least
estimated number) that we can interpret to understand the value

Briefly explain each phase of the water cycle (different stores, forms of precipitation and the heat source that
makes it all happen).
How have humans affected the different components of the water cycle?

How do we maintain our quality of life if we have exceeded our biocapacity?

How does the Inuits' connection with their environment go beyond mere means of survival?
as illustrated in the article we read from Moral Ground, the Inuit peoples have a culture based on their
land and environment, that is one of ice and snow. one can argue that this cultural connection is also one of
survival, as it provides their ways of knowing and being, along with history and cultural practices and traditions

Provide a concrete example of one culture that has been affected by climate change. Give 3 examples of how
they were affected.
as seen in the Bid Melt article, there are peoples who have been living nomadically around the
Himalayas, but as the glacial ice melts, they are being displaced to stationary, government-supported camps

What is an ecological footprint?

an ecological footprint is one way of quantifying/illustrating an individual’s impact on the environment,
through their social and personal choices

What is biodiversity?
biodiversity is the number of different species– and the population of each specie– within a certain
system

What is biocapacity?
biological capacity, the Earth’s capacity to sustain human life, capacity of a given area to generate
resources and absorb waste

What is the relationship between biocapacity and ecological footprint?

sustainability= ecological footprint fits within biocapacity

Why is there a water scarcity problem when Earth has the same number of molecules of H20 as it had thousands
of years ago?
the problem is not necessarily the amount of water available, it is the kind of water, and the human use
of that water. there were far less humans thousands of years ago– if any at all, depending on how many
thousands– along with little to no human-created industry and mass agricultural practices

What is the difference between an open and closed system?

an open system is affected by things outside of it, and a closed system is fully internalized. at a planet-
wide scale, we basically operate as a closed system

What are the two forms of energy?

kinetic and potential

What are the two laws of energy we discussed in class?

= laws of thermodynamics. cannot be created or destroyed, can be converted from one form to another
but have “loss” often in form of heat

What is a watershed?
an area that separates water flowing to different places/directions

Which watershed is Portland’s main water source? What is Portland’s secondary water source?
main water source= Bull Run watershed, secondary water source= city’s groundwater supply
True or false, energy can be created and destroyed?
false, energy cannot be created or destroyed (at a smaller scale, energy can look like it is, but only
changes, as in form)

Which nutrient is primarily used in fertilizer and what are the negative side effects?
nitrogen, it can run off into other waters, like water sources and affect things like contaminating drinking
water and accelerate algae blooms

What are some negative effects of high nitrogen levels outlined in the article by Townsend and Howarth?
air pollution from fossil fuel, which can also create acid rain, which gets into water systems and can
contaminate our drinking water and acidify soils, can add to algae blooms and coastal dead zones

What are some issues with phosphorus?

moves slowly through its cycle, as seen in reading about Nauru– areas once mined are then basically
unusable

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

energy cannot be created or destroyed

What is the second law of thermodynamics?

some energy is “lost” (to outside the observed system) with every process, just converted to another
form elsewhere, usually as heat. no conversion is 100% efficient

What is often the difference in water quality between ground water source and surface water source?
surface water is more affected by things like pollution and run off

What is the law of conservation of mass? What is the law of conservation of energy? What are the implications
for sustainability?
neither mass and nor energy can be created or destroyed, meaning they just move through systems, or
from one system to another. sustainable systems will recognize this and realize that whatever is used must come
from somewhere, and whatever is put out must go somewhere as well. this means if you use energy it must
come from somewhere, and if you create pollutants they never really go away

What is the 6th extinction?

the 6th extinction is the possibility that as humans, we may create our own extinction, as well as that of
many other living things on Earth. we can see the potential and path for this in global biodiversity loss

What are the categories or types of ecosystem services? Compare and contrast two landscapes, in terms of what
services they provide. For example, wetland vs a forested area.
provisioning, supporting/regulating, cultural.

What are five ways humans benefit from coral reefs or mangrove forests?
coastal protection, nutrients for fish/plants/other in water, water quality, air quality, forestry products

What happens to energy as it progresses through the food chain? What percentage of energy is lost between
different trophic levels? What does it mean to say that is energy is “lost”? What really happens to it?

What is the trophic cycle? What are the names of the major components?
 how energy flows through system (energy pyramid/food chain). producers (primary= get energy from
sun), consumers, predators, energy lost to heat at each level. decomposers recycle nutrients from each level to
primary producer

True or False: Living systems can only use available energy, not create it.
true, on a large scale

What is the value of ecosystem services?

What’s the difference between ecosystem function and ecosystem service?

function= how it cycles matter and flows energy through the ecosystem, service= what it does for
humans

What is the definition of an Ecosystem?

flow of energy, with at least 1 producer, at least 1 decomposer, has a fluid medium (air/water/soil), able
to sustain life

What’s the difference 3between intrinsic and extrinsic values?

intrinsic value= inherent value, extrinsic= intrinsic plus market

What are the two of the major nutrient cycles? How do they differ?

Do social and financial inequality have an effect on the rate of climate change? Why?

What are the three findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment we discussed in class?
humans have altered ecosystems, human use is increasing, there is no universal solution for positive
change

How much of Earths water is drinkable? (easily accessible freshwater)

very, very little (1% or less).

What are point and non-point pollution? What is the difference?

point source pollution= from single source. non-point source pollution comes from a range of large
sources, caused by rainfall/snowmelt

Big Melt= Due to the globally increasing temperatures, glaciers are now melting at increased rates. What are the
issues that are brought about by this increased melting rate?
deteriorating grassland/wetland, growing desert, dried-up lakes, some places have too much water:
topsoil getting carried away, flooding, landslides

When plotting countries' environmental sustainability versus social sustainability, why is it so very difficult to
be socially sustainable while staying under their bio capacity?

How is environmental change a human rights issue? (In reference to Nauru)

What is Eutrophication?
when a body of water has excess nutrients, and a lack of oxygen

What are 3 ways Nitrogen is fixed?

natural= volcanoes, lighting, land bacteria. human (more than natural)= synthetic fertilizer, combustion
of fossil fuels, industrial use of ammonia
MID-TERM CORRECTIONS
• ground water= fluxes driven by the sun and gravity
• human influence on P cycle: can increase influx of P into aquatic ecosystems and cause eutrophication
• ecosystem services:
° provisioning (food, materials, water, medicinal)
° regulating/supporting (local climate/air quality, carbon sequestration/storage, waste-water treatment,
erosion prevention, biological control, pollination, habitats, maintain genetic biodiversity)
° cultural (recreation, tourism, aesthetic, spiritual
• neoclassic economics= assumes: infinite/substitutable resources, prioritize short-term returns, internal
costs/benefits; only within market (not outside social/environmental forces)
• ecological economics= assume: cannot substitute human-made for natural, natural resources as finite, mono-
directional use of resources, unknown scale impacts