Ecological Processes and Environmental Issues

The video tutorial covers key ecological processes affected by environmental issues, focusing on the water cycle, nutrient cycling, energy flow, and community dynamics. It emphasizes the importance of understanding these processes for a milestone assignment, highlighting how pollution, climate change, and invasive species impact ecosystems. The tutorial provides guidance on selecting relevant processes for analysis and encourages using multiple sources to support claims.

Why is it important to understand ecological processes for the milestone assignment?

• To avoid using any sources

• To focus solely on water pollution

• To ensure a comprehensive analysis of local environmental problems

• To identify the most popular environmental issues

Which environmental issue is most likely to affect the water cycle?

• Plastic pollution

• Invasive species

• Air pollution

• Deforestation

What is a major consequence of nutrient runoff into water bodies?

• Increased biodiversity

• Decreased carbon emissions

• Eutrophication

• Improved water quality

Which cycle is directly affected by deforestation?

• Phosphorus cycle

• Nitrogen cycle

• Carbon cycle

• Water cycle

What role do plants play in the energy flow of an ecosystem?

• They store energy as heat

• They decompose organic matter

• They produce energy through photosynthesis

• They consume energy from herbivores

What is a trophic cascade?

• An increase in biodiversity

• A chain reaction caused by the removal of a species

• A balanced ecosystem

• A stable food pyramid

Which ecological process is most likely to be affected by climate change?

• Water cycle

• Community dynamics

• Energy flow

• Carbon cycle

How can invasive species impact community dynamics?

• By reducing pollution levels

• By overwhelming and altering the ecosystem

• By stabilizing the ecosystem

• By increasing the number of native species

What is a potential effect of a lack of biodiversity in an ecosystem?

• Vulnerability to environmental disturbances

• Increased ecosystem stability

• Enhanced community dynamics

• Greater resilience to environmental changes

What should be considered when choosing ecological processes to discuss in the milestone assignment?

• The most complex processes

• Processes that are easiest to research

• Processes least affected by human activity

• Processes most relevant to the chosen environmental issue