Clik here to view.
Afterword
Congratulations, you made it to the end of the text! This work is in the Public Domain, CC0
View ArticleClik here to view.
Introduction
Environmental Biology is a free and open textbook that enables students to develop a nuanced understanding of today’s most pressing environmental issues. This text helps students grasp the scientific...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2.1 Matter
Atoms, Molecules, & Compounds At its most fundamental level, life is made of matter. Matter is something that occupies space and has mass. All matter is composed of elements, substances that cannot...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1.1 The Earth, Humans, & the Environment
What is Environmental Science? Environmental science is the dynamic, interdisciplinary study of the interaction of living and non-living parts of the environment, with special focus on the impact of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1.2 The Process of Science
Figure 1. (a) The cyanobacteria seen through a light microscope are some of Earth’s oldest life forms. These (b) stromatolites along the shores of Lake Thetis in Western Australia are ancient...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1.3 Environment & Sustainability
Introduction to Sustainability This section introduces the concept of sustainability, which refers to the sociopolitical, scientific, and cultural challenges of living within the means of the earth...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1.4 Environmental Ethics
Frontier Ethic The ways in which humans interact with the land and its natural resources are determined by ethical attitudes and behaviors. Early European settlers in North America rapidly consumed the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1.5 Environmental Justice & Indigenous Struggles
Environmental Justice Environmental Justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the...
View Article1.6 Chapter Resources
Summary Science attempts to describe and understand the nature of the universe in whole or in part. Science has many fields; those fields related to the physical world and its phenomena are considered...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2.2 Energy
Virtually every task performed by living organisms requires energy. Nutrients and other molecules are imported into the cell to meet these energy demands. For example, energy is required for the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2.3 A Cell is the Smallest Unit of Life
Levels of Biological Organization Living things are highly organized and structured, following a hierarchy of scale from small to large (Figure 1). The atom is the smallest and most fundamental unit of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2.4 Energy Enters Ecosystems Through Photosynthesis
Cells run on the chemical energy found mainly in carbohydrate molecules, and the majority of these molecules are produced by one process: photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, certain organisms...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2.5 Chapter Resources
Summary Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. It is made up of atoms of different elements. Elements that occur naturally have unique qualities that allow them to combine in various ways...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3.1 Energy Flow through Ecosystems
Figure 1. A (a) tidal pool ecosystem in Matinicus Island, Maine, is a small ecosystem, while the (b) Amazon rainforest in Brazil is a large ecosystem. (credit a: modification of work by Jim Kuhn;...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3.2 Biogeochemical Cycles
Energy flows directionally through ecosystems, entering as sunlight (or inorganic molecules for chemoautotrophs) and leaving as heat during energy transformation between trophic levels. Rather than...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3.3 Terrestrial Biomes
Figure 1. Each of the world’s eight major biomes is distinguished by characteristic temperatures and amount of precipitation. Polar ice caps and mountains are also shown. There are eight major...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3.4 Aquatic Biomes
Abiotic Factors Influencing Aquatic Biomes Like terrestrial biomes, aquatic biomes are influenced by a series of abiotic factors. The aquatic medium—water— has different physical and chemical...
View Article3.5 Chapter Resources
Summary Ecosystems exist underground, on land, at sea, and in the air. Organisms in an ecosystem acquire energy in a variety of ways, which is transferred between trophic levels as the energy flows...
View ArticleClik here to view.
4.1 Population Demographics & Dynamics
Imagine sailing down a river in a small motorboat on a weekend afternoon; the water is smooth, and you are enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze when suddenly you are hit in the head by a 20-pound...
View ArticleClik here to view.
4.2 Population Growth and Regulation
Population ecologists make use of a variety of methods to model population dynamics. An accurate model should be able to describe the changes occurring in a population and predict future changes....
View Article
