1. Ch.1: Studying the State of Our Earth
Case study: Pfiesteria and the Neuse River in North Carolina. A complex system involving human impacts on water quality, fish, and the dinoflagellate known as Pfiesteria

2. Key ideas:
Ecosystem services – benefits derived from healthy ecosystems
Environmental indicators – variables we monitor to determine the state of the environment
Biodiversity – the variety of life forms at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels
Sustainability – using resources without jeopardizing future generations
Ecological footprint – a measure of an individual’s impact on the environment
Scientific method – understand the process of science, including hypotheses and data collection

3. Ecosystem services Some examples:
Water purification by forests and wetlands
Crop pollination by insects
Fish production in coastal wetlands
Flood control/storm surge protection – wetlands
Timber production
Soil building and nutrient cycling
Carbon sequestration/climate control
Air purification

5. leveling off
support

7. Short wavelength solar radiation is absorbed by earth and reradiated at a longer wavelength (heat or infrared) which is trapped by greenhouse gases

8. Two views of Los Angeles, the first in 1880 and the second in 2009, illustrate population growth and resource use – and the altering of natural systems by people