Environment
al Science
Chapter 1: Nature of Environmental Science
Learning Objectives
Define Follow Apply
define environmental science and follow the steps in solving apply the values and attitudes
the levels of organization scientific problems of a scientist
Apply Appreciate Analyze
apply the scientific reasoning appreciate the limitations of analyze and interpret specific
Science environmental issue
Table Of Contents
01 02 03
Introduction Major Ecology &
Challenges Ecosystem
Table Of Contents
04 05 06
Levels of Reasoning in Scientific
Organization Science Method
Table Of Contents
07 08 09
Values & Limitations Conclusion
Attitudes of Science
01
Introductio
Environmental Science
n
Environmental Science
● study of the multitude interactions between humans and the
world around them, living and nonliving.
As Earth’s human population continues to grow, as
technology advances and human needs and wants increase, our
impacts on the world become more widespread and severe,
despite improvement is some areas. Environmental impacts, in
turn, affect human health and well-being.
Major
●
Challenges
Global climate change (global warming and all
02
of its consequences)
● Management of Earth’s water resources
● Energy and mineral resource depletion
● Meeting the food, fiber and clothing needs of a
growing world population
Major
●
Challenges
Air pollution and acid rain deposition
02
● Stratospheric ozone depletion
● Water pollution
● Soil erosion, fertility depletion and
contamination
Major
●
Challenges
Deforestation
02
● Habitat destruction on land and in the oceans
● The spread of infectious diseases, including
those caused by organisms that have developed
antibiotic resistance
● Long term sustainability of the global and
national economies
03
Ecology &
Ecosystem
Ecology & Ecosystem
Ecology Ecosystem
● the branch of biological sciences dealing ● the aggregate of all organisms living in a
with the interactions between organisms community and all the nonliving with
and their environment (chemical and which they interact.
physical factors). ● well suited for aquatic communities such
● it is a multidisciplinary science that as pond unities such as ponds, lakes,
appeals to Biology, Climatology, streams and even the ocean.
Chemistry, Engineering, Mechanics, etc.
04
Levels of
Organization
Levels of Organization
0 0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 5
Organism Population Community Ecosystem Biosphere
INDIVIDUAL
ORGANISM
Any biotic (living things)
are included. The
individual organisms act
abiotic (nonliving things)
factors of the environment,
which limit their
distribution.
POPULATION
It is a group of individuals
of the same species, which
inhabit the same geographic
area. It comprises all the
individuals of a given species
in a specific area or region at
a certain time.
COMMUNITY
It is the whole of the
organisms living in a
specific area which
includes organisms of
different species.
ECOSYSTEM
It is dynamic entities composed
of the biological community and
the abiotic environment. An
ecosystem abiotic and biotic
composition and structure is
determined by the state of a
number of interrelated
environmental factors.
BIOSPHERE
It is the total portion of
the planet where inhabit
the living beings. It
includes all the
communities and all the
ecosystems on Earth.
05
REASONING IN
SCIENCE
SCIENTIFIC REASONING
Inductive Reasoning Scientific Deductive Reasoning
reaching a conclusion based Reasoning
defined as the intellectual reaching a conclusion based
upon a number of method to get at the truth; upon a number of
observations that is going observations that is going
from the specific to the from the general to specific.
general.
06
SCIENTIFIC
METHOD
Scientific Method
HYPOTHESI
S
tentative solution or
generalization to a problem
THEORY
general truth about the natural
world but not yet universally
accepted
SCIENTIFIC
theory that is universally
LAW
accepted
Scientific
Method
a combination of the creative
reasoning and testing of hypothesis
which occurs in a step by step
procedures.
Step-by-Step
1. IDENTIFY 3.
specify the problem upon observations
of the natural world. FORMULAT
formulate a hypothesis as a
possible answer or solution to the
problem.
E
2. GATHER 4.
gathering specific data or
information about the specific EXPERIMEN
plan and conduct an experiment
and series of observation to test
problem. and verify the validity of the
T
hypothesis
Step-by-Step
5. 7. APPLY
FORMULA
formulate conclusion/generalization based on
the facts discovered from the
apply the result of the process for
the formulation of theory and/ or
TE
experimentation/laboratory activity. scientific law.
6.
COMMUNIC
communicate the result through
television, radio, magazine, and
science
application.
ATE
journal for future
07
VALUES AND
ATTITUDES
1
A Belief That Problems Have
2
A Respect for Power of
3
A Thirst for Knowledge, an
Theoretical Structure "Intellectual Drive"
Solutions
(theory guides observation; (addicted puzzle-solvers)
(not easy; but possible)
observation modifies theory)
4
Ability to Separate
5
Ability to Suspend Judgment
6
An Appreciation of Probability
and Statistics
Fundamental Concepts from the (tries hard not to form opinion;
(correlations; significant
Irrelevant or Unimportant otherwise proven)
relationship/difference)
(focus on the “big picture”)
7
An Automatic Preference for
8
An Understanding That All
9
Awareness of Assumptions
(very specific of what they know
Scientific Explanation Knowledge Has Tolerance
or will say with certainty)
(rejects non-scientific; prefers Limits
science paradigms) (no absolute certainty)
10
Determinism
11
Empathy for the Human
12
Empiricism
(“look and see”)
(cause and effect) Condition
(bounded by ethical constraints)
13
Loyalty to Reality
14
Parsimony
15
Precision
(very exact)
(accept reality as it is) (simple explanation)
16
Respect for Quantification and
17
Respect for Scientific
18
Scientific Manipulation
Appreciation of Mathematics as (don’t jump into conclusions!)
Paradigms
a Language of Science (framework or structure is at
(reality is counted or measured) work)
19
Skepticism
20
Willingness to Change Opinion
(having doubts or reservations on (throw away old fashion ideas that
assumptions) are no longer applicable)
No amount of experimentation can ever
prove me right; a single experiment can
prove me wrong.
-Einstein-
08
LIMITATIONS OF
SCIENCE
Four Limitations of Science
Science cannot help us with Science cannot answer
questions about the
supernatural.
0 0 questions about value.
4 1
The scientific method is Science cannot answer
limited and in that case, it 0 0 questions of morality.
cannot deal with the 3 2
unique.
CONCLUSION
Our natural environment makes
human life possible, and our
cultural environment helps define
who we are. It is therefore essential
that our population and economic
growth are environmentally
sustainable.
Thanks
Does anyone have any questions?
