1. Environmental Choices

2. Resources
Renewable resources
Can be replaced
Unlimited amount
Food, solar energy, wind, trees
Nonrenewable resources
Can not be replaced
Limited amount
Fossil fuels, minerals

3. Sustainability
Natural resources are being renewed at least as quickly as they are being used
Have a continual supply
We can help sustain our supply of renewable and nonrenewable resources by
Reducing
Reusing
Recycling

4. Ecological Footprint A way to measure how much of an impact you have
Can be individual, national, or global
Calculation of
Total area of land, water and energy needed to supply all of the materials you use
Total area of land, water and energy needed to absorb all of the wastes you produce

5. Example Car – EF = 1530m2 Bus – EF = 303m2 Bike – EF = 122m2
Another way to think about it…
National footprints
Footprint Calculator

6. Species in Danger

7. Threatened Extirpated Species whose numbers are decreasing
Are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future
Extirpated
Extinction of a species in a specific region

8. Endangered
Organism can still be found, but numbers are very low
Extinct
Organism no longer exists anywhere in the world
Main reason – loss of habitat

9. Ecosystem Monitoring
In order to know whether or not an ecosystem is healthy, scientists need to check the conditions of the ecosystem and the organisms that live in it
They compare results from different areas and different time points
Helps scientists understand the impacts of disturbances in order to try to reverse or reduce them

10. What can we monitor?
Both biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem can be monitored
4 main types of monitoring
Physical
Changes in the landscape
Environmental
Changes in the climate and weather patterns

11. Chemical
Changes in the air, water and soil
Biological
Changes in the populations of organisms

12. When should we monitor an ecosystem...
After a disturbance has occurred
Before a disturbance has occurred
Most helpful because it gives us baseline data
Can tell us what organisms live in an area
Can help people make decisions about how to disturb an area