Preface

Chapter 1   Understanding Our Environment

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Dredging the Hudson River
• Understanding Our Environment
• A Marvelous Planet
• What Is Environmental Science?
• Science as a Way of Knowing
• Cooperation and Insight in Science
• Scientific Design
• Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
• Hypotheses and Theories
• Modeling and Natural Experiments
• Investigating Our Environment What Are Statistics, and Why Are They Important?
• Statistics and Probability
• Paradigms and Scientific Consensus
• Pseudoscience and Baloney Detection
• Thinking About Thinking
• Approaches to Knowledge and Meaning
• Investigating Our Environment A Skeptical Environmentalist?
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Some Clues for "Unpacking" an Argument
• Using Critical Thinking
• A Brief History of Conservation and Environmentalism
• Historic Roots of Nature Protection
• Pragmatic Resource Conservation
• Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation
• Modern Environmentalism
• Global Concerns
• Current Environmental Conditions
• Causes of Environmental Degradation
• Signs of Hope
• Human Dimensions of Environmental Science
• Rich and Poor Countries
• A Fair Share of Resources?
• Sustainability
• Indigenous Peoples

Chapter 2   Principles of Ecology: Matter, Energy, and Life

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Measuring Energy Flows in Cedar Bog Lake
• Principles of Matter and Energy
• What Is Matter?
• What Is Energy?
• Thermodynamics and Energy Transfers
• The Building Blocks of Earth and Life
• Atoms, Molecules, and Compounds
• Chemical Reactions
• Acids and Bases
• Organic Compounds
• Cells: The Fundamental Units of Life
• The Miracle of Water
• Sunlight: Energy for Life
• How Does Photosynthesis Capture Energy?
• Energy and Matter in the Environment
• Food Chains, Food Webs, and Trophic Levels
• Ecological Pyramids
• Biogeochemical Cycles and Life Processes
• The Hydrologic Cycle
• The Carbon Cycle
• The Nitrogen Cycle
• The Phosphorus Cycle
• The Sulfur Cycle
• Investigating Our Environment Environmental Chemistry of Phosphorus

Chapter 3   Populations, Communities, and Species Interaction

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Darwin and the Theory of Evolution
• Who Lives Where, and Why?
• Critical Factors and Tolerance Limits
• Evolution: Natural Selection and Adaptation
• Speciation
• The Taxonomic Naming System
• The Ecological Niche
• What Are Weedy Species?
• Species Interactions
• Predation
• Competition
• Symbiosis
• Defensive Mechanisms
• Keystone Species
• Population Dynamics
• Population Growth
• Boom and Bust Population Cycles
• Growth to a Stable Population
• Limiting Factors
• K-adapted and r-adapted Species
• Community Properties
• Productivity
• What Can You Do? Developing a Sense for Where You Live
• Abundance and Diversity
• Complexity, Resilience, and Stability
• Case Study Biodiversity and Stability
• Community Structure
• Edges and Boundaries
• Communities in Transition
• Ecological Succession
• Climax Communities or Individualistic Succession?
• Introduced Species and Community Change

Chapter 4   Human Populations

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• A Billion People and Growing
• Population Growth
• Human Population History
• Population Doubling Times
• Limits to Growth: Some Opposing Views
• Malthusian Checks on Population
• Malthus and Marx Today
• Can Technology Make the World More Habitable?
• Could More People Be Beneficial?
• Human Demography
• How Many of Us Are There?
• Investigating Our Environment Interpreting Graphs
• Investigating Our Environment Getting to Know the Neighbors
• Fertility and Birth Rates
• Mortality and Death Rates
• Life Span and Life Expectancy
• Living Longer: Demographic Implications
• Population Growth: Opposing Factors
• Pronatalist Pressures
• Birth Reduction Pressures
• Demographic Transition
• Development and Population
• An Optimistic View
• A Pessimistic View
• Case Study Family Planning in Iran
• A Social Justice View
• Infant Mortality and Women's Rights
• Family Planning and Fertility Control
• Current Birth Control Methods
• New Developments in Birth Control
• The Future of Human Populations

Chapter 5   Biomes and Biodiversity

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Using GIS to Protect Biodiversity
• Biomes
• Climates and Biomes
• Deserts
• Grasslands: Prairies and Savannas
• Tundra
• Conifer Forests
• Broad-Leaved Deciduous and Evergreen Forests
• Mediterranean/Chaparral/Thorn Scrub
• Tropical Moist Forests
• Tropical Seasonal Forests
• Freshwater Ecosystems
• Wetlands
• Estuaries
• Marine Ecosystems
• Biodiversity
• How Many Species Are There?
• Biodiversity Hot Spots
• How Do We Benefit from Biodiversity?
• Food
• Drugs and Medicines
• Ecological Benefits
• Aesthetic and Cultural Benefits
• What Threatens Biodiversity?
• Natural Causes of Extinction
• Human-Caused Reductions in Biodiversity
• Habitat Destruction
• Fragmentation
• Hunting and Fishing
• What Can You Do? Don't Buy Endangered Species Products
• Commercial Products and Live Specimens
• Predator and Pest Control
• Exotic Species Introductions
• Diseases
• Pollution
• Genetic Assimilation
• Protecting Biodiversity
• Hunting and Fishing Laws
• The Endangered Species Act
• Recovery Plans
• Reintroductions
• Minimum Viable Populations
• Private Land and Critical Habitat
• Reauthorizing the Endangered Species Act
• International Wildlife Treaties

Chapter 6   Environmental Conservation: Forests, Grasslands, Parks, and Nature Preserves

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Protecting Forests to Preserve Rain
• World Forests
• Forest Distribution
• Forest Products
• Tropical Forests
• Temperate Forests
• Investigating Our Environment Rapid Forest Assessment
• Rangelands
• What Can You Do? Lowering Your Forest Impacts
• Range Management
• Rangelands in the United States
• New Approaches to Ranching
• Parks and Nature Preserves
• North American Parks
• Park Problems
• Wildlife Issues
• Parks As Ecosystems
• Case Study Reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone
• World Parks And Preserves
• Marine Preserves
• Protecting Natural Heritage
• Size and Design of Nature Preserves
• Conservation and Economic Development
• Indigenous Communities and Biosphere Reserves
• What Can You Do? Being a Responsible Ecotourist
• Wilderness Areas
• Wildlife Refuges
• International Wildlife Preserves

Chapter 7   Food and Agriculture

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Golden Rice
• Nutrition and Food Supplies
• Chronic Hunger and Food Security
• Famines and Acute Food Shortages
• Malnutrition and Obesity
• Eating a Balanced Diet
• Major Food Sources
• Major Crops
• Meat, Milk, and Seafood
• Soil: A Renewable Resource
• Soil Organisms
• Soil Profiles
• Soil Types
• Ways We Use and Abuse Soil
• Land Resources
• Land Degradation
• Erosion: The Nature of the Problem
• Mechanisms of Erosion
• Erosion Hot Spots
• Other Agricultural Resources
• Water
• Fertilizer
• Energy
• Pest Control
• New Crops and Genetic Engineering
• The Green Revolution
• What Can You Do? Reducing the Pesticides in Your Food
• Genetic Engineering
• Pest Resistance and Weed Control
• Is Genetic Engineering Safe?
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Soil Conservation
• Managing Topography
• Providing Ground Cover
• Reduced Tillage
• Case Study Shade-Grown Coffee and Cocoa
• Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture

Chapter 8   Environmental Health and Toxicology

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Terrorism and Biological Warfare
• Types of Environmental Health Hazards
• Infectious Organisms
• Morbidity and Quality of Life
• Emergent Diseases and Environmental Change
• Emerging Ecological Diseases
• Antibiotic and Pesticide Resistance
• Toxic Chemicals
• Endocrine Hormone Disrupters
• Diet
• What Can You Do? National Health Recommendations and Diet Goals
• Movement, Distribution, and Fate of Toxins
• Solubility
• Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
• Sensitivity and Developmental Stage
• Persistence
• Chemical Interactions
• Investigating Our Environment When Are Disease Clusters Significant?
• Mechanisms for Minimizing Toxic Effects
• Metabolic Degradation and Excretion
• Repair Mechanisms
• Measuring Toxicity
• Animal Testing
• Toxicity Ratings
• Acute Versus Chronic Doses and Effects
• Detection Limits
• Risk Assessment and Acceptance
• Assessing Risks
• Accepting Risks
• Establishing Public Policy

Chapter 9   Air: Climate and Pollution

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• What's Happening to Our Weather?
• The Atmosphere and Climate
• Energy and the "Greenhouse Effect"
• Convection and Atmospheric Pressure
• Why Does It Rain?
• The Coriolis Effect and Jet Streams
• Ocean Currents
• Seasonal Winds and Monsoons
• Climate Change
• El Niño/Southern Oscillation
• Human-Caused Global Climate Change
• Investigating Our Environment Satellite Images
• Climate Skeptics
• Sources of Greenhouse Gases
• Current Evidence of Climate Change
• What Do You Think? Science and Uncertainty in Climate Change
• Winners and Losers
• International Climate Negotiations
• Controlling Greenhouse Emissions
• Climate and Air Pollution
• Major Kinds of Pollutants
• Sources and Problems of Major Pollutants
• Indoor Air Pollution
• Interactions Between Climate Processes and Air Pollution
• Long-Range Transport
• Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
• Signs of Progress
• Urban Climates
• Effects of Air Pollution
• Human Health
• Plant Pathology
• Visibility Reduction
• Acid Deposition
• Air Pollution Control
• Reducing Production
• Clean Air Legislation
• Current Conditions and Future Prospects
• Air Pollution in Developing Countries
• Signs of Hope

Chapter 10   Water: Resources and Pollution

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• The Three Gorges Dam
• Water Resources
• Where Does Our Water Come From?
• Major Water Compartments
• Groundwater
• Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands
• The Atmosphere
• Water Availability and Use
• Water-Rich and Water-Poor Countries
• Water Use
• Quantities of Water Used
• Freshwater Shortages
• A Precious Resource
• Depleting Groundwater
• Can We Increase Water Supplies?
• Dams, Reservoirs, and Canals
• Dams and Justice
• Case Study Water Wars on the Klamath
• Price Mechanisms and Water Policy
• Water Management and Conservation
• You Can Make a Difference: Domestic Conservation
• What Can You Do? Saving Water and Preventing Pollution
• Signs of Progress
• Water Pollution
• Point and Nonpoint Source Pollution
• Biological Pollution
• Infectious Agents
• Inorganic Pollutants
• Investigating Our Environment How Do We Test Water?
• Organic Chemicals
• Sediment and Thermal Pollution
• Water Quality Today
• Progress in the United States and Canada
• Watershed Approaches
• Remaining Problems in the United States and Canada
• Problems and Progress in Other Countries
• Groundwater Pollution
• Ocean Pollution
• Pollution Control
• Nonpoint Sources and Land Management
• Sewage Treatment
• Remediation
• Water Legislation
• The Clean Water Act

Chapter 11   Environmental Geology and Earth Resources

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Radioactive Waste Disposal at Yucca Mountain
• A Dynamic Planet
• A Layered Sphere
• Tectonic Processes and Shifting Continents
• Minerals and Rocks
• Rock Types and How They Are Formed
• Weathering and Sedimentation
• Economic Geology and Mineralogy
• Metals
• Nonmetal Mineral Resources
• Fuels: Oil, Coal, and Uranium
• Strategic Metals and Minerals
• Environmental Effects of Resource Extraction
• Mining
• Processing
• Conserving Geologic Resources
• Recycling
• Steel and Iron Recycling: Minimills
• Substituting New Materials for Old
• Geologic Hazards
• Earthquakes
• Volcanoes
• Floods
• Erosion

Chapter 12   Energy

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Oil Drilling in the Arctic
• Energy Sources and Uses
• Current Energy Sources
• Per Capita Consumption
• How We Use Energy
• Fossil Fuels
• Coal
• Oil
• Oil Shales and Tar Sands
• Natural Gas
• Nuclear Power
• How Do Nuclear Reactors Work?
• Nuclear Reactor Design
• Nuclear Wastes
• Energy Conservation
• Using Energy More Efficiently
• Case Study Hybrid Automobile Engines
• What Can You Do? Some Things You Can Do to Save Energy
• Solar Energy
• Passive Solar Heat
• Active Solar Heat
• High-Temperature Solar Energy
• Photovoltaic Energy
• Transporting and Storing Electrical Energy
• Promoting Renewable Energy
• Fuel Cells
• Biomass
• Fuelwood Crisis in Less-Developed Countries
• Dung and Methane As Fuels
• Alcohol from Biomass
• Energy from the Earth's Forces
• Hydropower
• Wind Energy
• Geothermal, Tidal, and Wave Energy
• What's Our Energy Future?

Chapter 13   Solid and Hazardous Waste

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Garbology: The Science of Trash
• Waste
• The Waste Stream
• Waste-Disposal Methods
• Open Dumps
• Ocean Dumping
• Landfills
• Exporting Waste
• Investigating Our Environment Environmental Justice
• Incineration and Resource Recovery
• Shrinking the Waste Stream
• Recycling
• Composting
• Energy from Waste
• Demanufacturing
• Reuse
• Producing Less Waste
• What Can You Do? Reducing Waste
• Hazardous and Toxic Wastes
• What Is Hazardous Waste?
• Hazardous-Waste Disposal
• Options for Hazardous-Waste Management
• Investigating Our Environment Bioremediation

Chapter 14   Sustainability and Human Development

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Curitiba: An Environmental Showcase
• Sustainability and Resources
• Sustainable Development
• Can Development Be Sustainable?
• Resources in Classical Economics
• Neoclassical Economics
• Ecological Economics
• Scarcity and Limits to Growth
• Communal Property and the Tragedy of the Commons
• Cost-Benefit Analysis and Natural Resource Accounting
• Accounting for Nonmonetary Resources
• Discount Rates
• Internal and External Costs
• Trade and Development
• International Trade
• International Development and the World Bank
• Microlending
• Green Business and Green Design
• Design for the Environment
• Jobs and the Environment
• Urban Development and Sustainable Cities
• What Can You Do? Personally Responsible Consumerism
• Urban Growth
• Cities in Developing Countries
• Causes of Urban Growth
• Urban Problems in Developing Countries
• Air and Water Pollution
• Investigating Our Environment Urban Ecology
• Housing
• Urban Sprawl
• Smart Growth
• Urban Sustainability in the Developed World
• Case Study A Model Sustainable City
• Sustainable Development in the Third World

Chapter 15   Environmental Science and Policy

• Objectives
• Learning Online
• Citizen Science and the Christmas Bird Count
• Making Decisions in an Uncertain World
• Adaptive Management
• "Wicked" Problems
• The Precautionary Principle
• Environmental Education
• Environmental Literacy
• Environmental Careers
• Citizen Science
• Environmental Policy
• The Policy Cycle
• Political Decision Making
• NEPA and EIS
• Environmental Law
• Statutory Law: The Legislative Branch
• Case Law: The Judicial Branch
• Administrative Law: The Executive Branch
• International Treaties and Conventions
• Dispute Resolution and Community-Based Planning
• Arbitration and Mediation
• Collaborative Approaches to Community-Based Planning
• Investigating Our Environment Reasoned Judgment and Scientific Uncertainty
• Citizen Participation
• Collective Action
• Student Environmental Groups
• Mainline Environmental Organizations
• Radical Environmental Groups
• International Nongovernmental Organizations

Appendix 1   Political Map

Appendix 2   Vegetation Map

Appendix 3   World Population Density Map

Appendix 4   Temperature Regions and Ocean Currents Map

Glossary

Credits

Index