VO DINH LONG Environmental Science (Specialized English for Environmental Courses) PART PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Ho Chi Minh University of Industry Publishing House, 2011 PREFACE This book is basically the result of six years of teaching in the field of environmental science Some of my graduate and undergraduate students using this book have been being engineers, practitioners, and officers I am very grateful to them for their patience and tolerance as it progressed from crude lectures to its present book This book is divided into chapters: Chapter 1: Basic units of ecology Chapter 2: Materials and nutrient cycles Chapter 3: Humankind’s invention with nature Chapter 4: The pollution problems Chapter 5: Sustainable development and the future Many problems are discussed in the book include: the ecosystem; materials and nutrient cycles; balance of nature; progress in agriculture, engineering, and medicine; adverse effects of people’s activities; air, water and soil pollution; pollution reduction; how the global environment faces; and the meaning of sustainable development Although this book contributes by one person for the purpose of teaching and reading I am lucky to have the supports from so many people and without their helps this book would not have been published While most people did not help directly on my theme, one of them contributed in some ways towarded helping me Many thanks to my colleagues at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry: Prof Le Huy Ba for reading my book and offering valuable advice; Miss Nguyen Le Kim Cuong and Mrs Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy for using my crude lectures for their teaching, and Miss Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung for her reading and commending I would also like to thank all of them for numerous hours they have allowed me to spend with them in discussing my book, confirming reading notes, and helping me with this book The most importantly of all, my thanks also to the editorial staff of Ho Chi Minh University publishing house for their patience with me in reading, reviewing, and publishing this book Ho Chi Minh City, June 2011 Author VO DINH LONG CONTENTS Chapter 1: Basic units of ecology §1 The ecosystem §2 Components of an ecosystem Vocabulary Questions Chapter 2: Materials and nutrient cycles §1 Importance of the nutrient cycles §2 the water cycle §3 the carbon and oxygen cycle §4 the nitrogen cycle §5 the phosphorus cycle Chapter 3: Humankind’s invention with nature §1 Balance of nature §2 Progress in agriculture, engineering, and medicine §3 Adverse effects of people’s activities Chapter 4: The pollution problems §1 Meaning of pollution §2 Air pollution §3 Land and soil pollution §4 Radiation and its harmful effects §5 Pollution reduction Chapter 5: Sustainable development and the future §1 The global environmental situation §2 Suistainable development Glossary Metric unit conversion tables References CHAPTER 1: BASIC UNITS OF ECOLOGY After studying this chapter, you should be able to: Define environment Define an ecosystem Identify the components of the biosphere Describe the living and nonliving components of the environment Explain that bacteria and fungi are agents of decay Discuss the process of photosynthesis Enumerate the important factors that affect the growth of plants and the survival of animals §1 THE ECOSYSTEM When God created the world, He said, “Let the earth produces all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit”, and it was done Then He also created animals, including human beings and provided light God, therefore, saw to it that everything needed for them to live is found in the world which He created He provided spaces, ways and means by with different organisms can interact with one another and with their environment Part of the world where life operates is known as the biosphere The biosphere consists of the air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), and earth (lithosphere) where living things interact with their environment When you study the interaction or relationship between organisms and their environment, you are studying an ecosystem The term ecosystem refers to all the living things and the nonliving things in a given area It includes all the plants and animals together with their surroundings Figure 1.1: The biosphere The ecosystem of an aquarium, for example, consists of the hydrilla and others plants, fish, snails, and other aquatic animals, some of which can only be seen under the microscope It also includes sand and pebbles at the bottom We can also include the owner who takes care of the aquarium A grassland, too, is an ecosystem This ecosystem consists of the grass, earthworms, insects, bacteria, soil, water, sunlight, and other plants and animals that live on it The pond is another example of an ecosystem WARM UP The forest is a more complex ecosystem Can you identify some of the components of this ecosystem? The entire earth can be thought of as an ecosystem It has an abundance of different kinds of species of living things which, although separate by great distances, still react with one another and with the nonliving world In a forest ecosystem, interrelationships among its living and nonliving components occur The branches and leaves of trees help break the force of the rain Layers of dead leaves and twins and branches on the forest floor soak up water and prevent rain from washing soil away Little water runs off the land The roots of trees hold the soil and water on which they depend Moreover, when the leaves and branches decay, they become part of the rich topsoil The soil is made up of minerals like silica and clay They come from the breakdown of rocks There are spaces between the mineral particles which are filled with air and water Roots of plants penetrate deeper into the soil causing physical change They loosen the tightly packed particles Chemical change also occurs The roots absorb the minerals present Figure 1.2: Plant-soil relationship There are thousands of organisms that live in the soil, like earthworms, that decompose the dead plants and animals Some are too small to be seen, but they all help maintain the ecological balance in the soil Figure 1.3: Organisms in the soil 10 GUIDE QUESTIONS What is an ecosystem? ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… How the living components of an ecosystem affect the nonliving components? Give example ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… Can a fallen log be considered as an ecosystem? Explain your answer ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… §2 COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM In the preceding section you learned what an ecosystem is The living component is known as the biotic and the nonliving component is known as abiotic The biotic component consists 11 of plants, animals, and bacteria The abiotic component includes all the factors of the nonliving environment such as the substratum, light, rainfall, nutrients, soil, and others Both the biotic and abiotic components are equally important in the ecosystem because without one of them the ecosystem would not function INSIGHTFULNESS The ecosystem consists of the biotic and abiotic components The biotic components are the plants, animals, and decomposers The abiotic components are the nonliving factors, such as temperature, water, and others The abiotic affect the biotic components and vice versa Green plants Green plants are known as the producers They capture energy from the sun and together with carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air and water (H2O) converting together those into food energy Since plants are able to manufacture their own food, they are also known as autotrophs (or self-nourishing) These plants are able to manufacture food though the process of photosynthesis, which will be explained in the next section Green plants also take substances, such as nitrogen and sulfur from the environment and convert those into plant materials that can be used by other organisms as food These green plants further provide oxygen which is taken in by humans and animals in the process of respiration For these reasons, all life, whether in the pond, forest, or grassland, depend on green plants You might think that green plants consist only of the trees or big plants that you see around The other producers are invisible 12 Biotic potential: Reproductive capacity of the living components of the ecosystem Birthrate: Average number of living births per year per 1000 inhabitants in the certain place Bottom-up approach: Change in attitudes and values which can influence a change in life-style in order to solve environmental problems Cancer: Uncontrolled growth of body cells Canopy: Uppermost leafy covering of the forest Carbon cycle: Cycling of carbon between organisms and the environment Carcinogen: Chemical that causes cancer Catalyst: Substance that accelerates reaction of chemicals Cell: Basic unit of life Chlorophyll: Green pigment in plants involved in the process of photosynthesis Clear cutting: Removal of all trees in an area like a forest Climate: Average weather condition Climax community: Mature and stable community Cogeneration: Production of two and more forms of useful energy from one process Community: Population of plants, animal, microorganisms living and interacting in a given locality and 195 Composting: Process of decaying plants and animals, and other organic matter in the presence of air to obtain humus Coniferous biome: Forest abundant in cone - bearing trees, called conifers, which have needlelike leaves Conservation: Process of reducing the use of resources through recycling, decreased demand, and increased efficiency use Consumer: Organism that feeds on other organisms Crop rotation: Alternating crops in the fields Curie: Unit of radioactivity equivalent to 3.70×1010 disintegration per second of any radioactive nuclides DDT: Organochlorine insecticide used to control pets It is now banned due to its harmful effects in the environment Death rate: Average number of deaths per year 1000 population in the certain place Deciduous forest: Forest consisting of plants that shed off their leaves annually Decomposer (also known as microconsumer): Organism which breaks down nonliving organic material; example are bacteria and fungi Deforestation: Destruction of forest Denitrifying bacteria: Bacteria that convert nitrates into nitrogen gas Desert: Type of biome characterized by low humidity, high temperature, and plants, and animals adapted to lack of water 196 Desertification: Formation of deserts in arid and semi - arid regions due to change in climate and overgrazing Detritus: Any organic waste from plants and animals Dinoflagellate: Small organism floating near the surface of the ocean that cause red tides Diversity: Number of different species in an ecosystem Dominants: Most numerous organisms in a community; they are usually the plants Ecological habitat: Place where the organisms live in the ecosystem Ecological niche: Specific function performed by an organism Ecology: Division of biology that treats the relation between organisms and their environment Ecosystem: Interaction between an organism and its environment Ecosystem stability: State of balance or equilibrium in an ecosystem Ecotone: Community of transition zone between two adjacent communities Endangered species: Organism that is in danger of becoming extinct Energy: Capacity to work Environment: Sun of all external forces and conditions acting on an organism or a community of organisms 197 Eutrophication: Accumulation of nutrients in a lake or pond due to human intervention or nature causes Exclusion principle: Idea that no two species can occupy exactly the same niche Fecundity: Ability of the population to bear children Fission: Splitting of heavy nuclei when struck by neutrons or other subatomic particles Fluorocarbon: Organic molecule consisting of chlorine and fluorine covalently bonded to carbon Food chain: Energy pathway which proceeds from the producer to the consumer Food web: Series of interrelated food chains in an ecosystem Fossil fuel: that which is composed of coal, gas, and soil which are derived from the decomposition of dead organisms after a long time Frontier mentality: Kind of attitude among people to effects that the environment can be abused and misused Fusion: See nuclear fusion Geothermal energy: Energy derived from magma Grassland biome: Community where grass is abundant while trees are scarce and where mostly herbivores and rodents dwell Greenhouse effect: Rising of the average global temperature caused by the accumulation of the carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere These gases trap radiant heat and prevent its escape into space 198 Groundwater: Water below the earth’s surface Habitat: Place where the organism lives Halophyte: Plant that grows in saline or salty environment, like seaweeds and algae Hazardous substance: Substance that poses a threat to human health and the environment Herbivore: Organisms that feeds directly on plants Heterotroph: Organisms that feeds on others and cannot manufacture its own food Humus: Material which consist of decaying matter and inorganic substances that result from the decomposition of dead plants and animal Hydroelectric power: Power produced in turbines powered by running water Hydrophytes: Plant that grows in water and permanently water logged soil Insecticide: From of pesticide used to control insect population Life expectancy: Average age at which a person is calculated to live Limnetic zone: Open water zone of lakes through which sunlight penetrates Littoral zone: Shallow waters along a lakeshore where rooted vegetation grows Magma: Molten rock beneath the earth’s crust 199 Maximum temperature: Highest limit of temperature by which an organism can still function Mesophyte: Plant of grows in moderate conditions between the environmental extremes Microconsumer: Bacterium of fungus that carries out decomposition Minimum temperature: Lower limit of temperature by which an organism can still function or survive Mutation: Any damage done to the DNA or chromosomes Natural gas: Fuel containing about 50 to 90 percent methane Niche: Place where organisms live Nitrate: Inorganic anion containing three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom Nitrite: Inorganic anion containing two oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom Nitrogen cycle: Cycling of nitrogen between the organisms and the environment Noise pollution: Unwanted sound that have harmful effects on the body Nuclear fission: Splitting of an atomic nucleus when struck by neutrons Nuclear fusion: Joining of two small atomic nuclei to from a new and large nucleus Nuclear power: Energy derived from nuclear fission or fusion 200 Oil: See petroleum Oil shale: Sedimentary rock which is finely grained and contains an inorganic substance called kerogen Omnivore: Organism that consumes both plants animals Optimum temperature: Temperature at which the organism can function best Ozone: Molecule that contains three molecules of oxygen found in the atmosphere and which screens ultraviolet rays Ozone layer (or the ozonosphere): Thin layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere which absorbs ultraviolet light and converts it to infrared radiation Paralytic shellfish poisoning: Effect to red tide poisoning Particulate radiation: That which consists of parts of atoms that are radiated either by natural radioactive disintegration or by artificial means like the explosion of atomic bombs Passive solar: Capture and retention of the sun’s energy within a building though windows and some from the heat storage in the building pH: Measure of the acidity on a scale of to 14 Photosynthesis: Process of manufacturing food by green plants in the presence of sunlight Physiological drought: The result when the roots of plants become les permeable at low temperatures Pioneer community: First group of organisms that becomes established in an environment that was not previously occupied by any life form 201 Pollution: That which occurs when there is a change in the physical, chemical, or biological conditions in the environment which harmfully effects the quality of life, including effects on other animals and plants Population: Group of organisms that belong to the same species and can interbreed freely Population growth rate: Natural increase in population represented by the different between birth and death rates Predator: Organism that kills and eats another organism Prey: Organism that is killed and eaten by a predator Primary consumer: First organisms that eats the plants in the tropic level Primary succession: Development of communities where no organisms previously existed Principle of least effort: phenomenon when the population of the herbivores increases Producer (autotroph): Green plant or organism that, performs photosynthesis Profundal zone: Deeper part of the lake water into which sunlight does not penetrate Pyramid of energy: Representation of the organic content in each trophic level Radiation dose absorbed in the human or animal tissue equivalent to 100 grs/gram of tissue Reactor core: That which consists of fuel rods in a reactor vessel 202 Recycling: Processing of material into new products that may or may not resemble the original material Red tide: Phenomenon that occurs when the population of the dinoflagellates increases tremendously Relative humidity: Amount of moisture in a given quantity of air divided by the amount the air could hold at that temperature Rem (or roentgen equivalent man): dose from any radiation that produces biological effects in man equivalent to one rad or X ray Resilience: Ability of an organism to return to its normal state after a disturbance Roentgen unit (R): Quantity of radiation (gamma or X ray) that will produce electrostatic unit of positive or negative electricity in 1cm3 of air at normal temperature and pressure Secondary consumer: Organism that belongs to the third trophic level in a food chain Secondary succession: Sequential development of biotic communities occurring after the complete or partial destruction of an existing community Sediment: Soil particles, sand, and other mineral mater eroded from land and carried to surface waters Shale oil: Thick heavy oil formed when shale is heated Slash-and-burn agriculture: Practice in farming in which the forests are cleared by cutting and burning Sludge: Solid organic material produced during sewage treatment Solar aqua cell: Waste water treatment, using solar heat 203 Solar collector: Derived from the sun and natural phenomena driven by the sun Species: Kind of organism Species diversity: Different kinds of plants and animals in a community Succession: Natural replacement of one community by another community Sustainable ethics: Set of views in which man and nature are one and that the earth’s resources are limited Taiga: Biome found south of North America, Asia, and Europe and characterized by coniferous forests Temperate deciduous forest: Biome characterized by deciduous trees and abundant rainfall Teratogen: Agent or chemical that causes birth defects Top-down approach: Approach in solving environmental problems which involves the creation of laws and regulations that will regulate behavior Toxic substance: Substance poisonous to human beings and animals Transpiration: Evaporation of water from the leaves Trophic level: Position occupied by lack of trees and low temperature Weathering: Process of breaking down rocks into small particles Wetland: Land area along freshwater and salt water Xerophytes: Plant that grows in dry or arid conditions 204 METRIC UNIT CONVERSION TABLES THE METRIC SYSTEM Standard metric Units Units Standard unit of mass gram g Standard unit of length meter m Standard unit of volume liter l Common Prefix Unit Abbreviations Examples kilo 1,000 A kilogram is 1,000 grams centi 0.01 A centimeter is 0.01 meter milli 0.001 A milliliter is 0.001 liter micro (µ) one-millionth A micrometer is 0.000001 (onemillionth) of a meter nano (n) one-billionth A nanogram is 10-9 (onebillionth) of a gram pico (p) one-trillionth A pictogram is 10-12 (onebillionth) of a gram UNITS OF LENGTH Unit Abbreviations Equivalent meter m Approximately 39 in centimeter cm 10-2m millimeter mm 10-3m 205 Unit Abbreviations Equivalent micrometer µm 10-6m nanometer nm 10-9m angstrom Ǻ 10-10m Length conversions in = 2.5 cm mm = 0.039 in ft = 30 cm cm = 0.39 in yd = 0.9 cm m = 39 in mi = 1.6 km m = 1.094 yd km = 0.6 mi To convert Multiply by To obtain 2.54 centimeters 30 centimeters centimeters 0.39 inches millimeter 0.039 inches inches feet UNITS OF VOLUME Unit Abbreviations Equivalent liter l Approximately 1.06 qt milliliter ml 10-3 (1ml = 1cm3 = 1cc) miccroliter µl 10-6 l 206 Volume conversions Equivalent tsp = 5ml 1ml = 0.3fl oz tbsp = 15ml 1l = 2.1 pt fl oz = 30ml 1l = 1.06 qt cup = 0.24l 1l = 0.26 gal pt = 0.47l pt = 0.95 l gal = 3.8 l To convert Multiply by To obtain 30 milliliters quarts 0.95 liters milliliters 0.03 fluid ounces liters 1.06 quarts fluid ounces UNITS OF WEIGHT Unit Abbreviations Equivalent kilogram kg 103g (approximately 2.2 lb) gram g Approximately 0.035 oz milligram mg 10-3 g microgram µg 10-6 g nanogram ng 10-9 g pico gram pg 10-12 g 207 Weight conversions oz = 28.3g 1g = 0.035 oz lb = 453.6g 1kg = 2.2 lb lb = 0.45kg To convert Multiply by To obtain ounces 28.3 grams pounds 453.6 grams pounces 0.45 kilograms grams 0.035 ounces 2.2 pounces kilograms Temperature conversions Some equivalents ( o F  32 ) * C= 0oC = 32oF 37oC = 98.6oF 100oC = 212oF o o F= 208 o C * + 32 REFERENCES Barrington, Ernest, and James William, Environmental Biology, Wiley Inc., New York, U.S.A., 1980 Chiras Daniel D., Environmental Science: A Framework for Decision Making, Benjamin/Cummings Publication Co., California, U.S.A., 1988 Committee for Global Biosphere Program, Global Change and Our Common Factor, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 1986 Erickson Jon, Greenhouse Earth - Tomorrow’s Disaster Today Blue Ridge Summit, Tab Books, P.A., U.S.A., 1990 Nebel Bernard, Environmental Science Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall, N.J., U.S.A., 1990 209 ... Huy Ba for reading my book and offering valuable advice; Miss Nguyen Le Kim Cuong and Mrs Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy for using my crude lectures for their teaching, and Miss Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung for her... the field of environmental science Some of my graduate and undergraduate students using this book have been being engineers, practitioners, and officers I am very grateful to them for their patience... Capacity to work Energy content: The amount of energy available for doing work For example, amount of energy in fuel available for powering a motor vehicle Food chain: Energy pathway which proceeds