Introduction to Ecology and Environmental Science

• Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, (including but not limited to Ecology, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Soil Science, Geology, Atmospheric Science and Geography) to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems.
• Environmental science provides an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental systems.

The goals of environmental science are to learn:

– How nature works.

– How the environment affects us.

– How we effect the environment.

– How we can live more sustainably without degrading our life-support system.

Eight Key Concepts of Environmental Science

I) WAYS OF KNOWING (Scientific Method, Observations, Technology, Informatics, Habits of Mind, Faith) “Reflection on how we know what we believe will help our understanding”

II) HUMAN INTERACTIONS (Sustainability, Policy and Management, Human Health) “Currently, the human species is significantly affecting and is affected by earth systems, but has the ability to choose its relationship with the environment”.

III.) ECOSYSTEMS (Biological Communities, Population Ecology, Habitats) “The survival and health of individuals and groups of organisms are intimately coupled to their  ”

IV.) EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE (System Properties, Oceanography, Atmospheric Science, Earth Science) “The Earth as a whole acts as a complex set of interacting systems with emergent properties”

V.) EVOLUTION-BIODIVERSITY (Species Diversity, Natural Selection, Biogeography) “Evolution explains both the unity and diversity of life”.

VI.) ENERGY FLOW AND TRANSFORMATION (Forms of Energy, Thermodynamics, Conservation of Energy, Energy Use, Motion) “Energy transformations drive physical, chemical, and biological processes. Total energy is conserved and flows to more diffuse forms”

VII.) CONSERVATION OF MASS (Input/Output Models, Elemental Cycles, Hydrological Cycle, Stoichiometry, Equilibrium) “Mass is conserved as it is transferred from one pool to another”

VIII.) SPATIO-TEMPORAL RELATIONSHIPS (Geospatial Position, Mapping, Historical Trends, Coordinate Systems) “Choosing the appropriate reference frame is the key to understanding one’s environment.”

In general terms;

• Environmental science is a study of connections in nature
• Environment includes all living and nonliving things with which an organism interacts.
• Environmental science studies how the earth works, our interaction with the earth, and ways to deal with environment problems and live more sustainably.
• Ecology studies relationships between living organisms, and their interaction with the environment.
• Environmentalism is a social movement dedicated to protecting life support systems for all species.