Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering
POST TEST
5. Which of the following best describes Bicol 3. Which type of water pollution is caused by a
University's quality policy? single identifiable source?
2. What is an ecosystem?
Tundra - Arctic and alpine regions Producers: Form the base of the food web, making
their own food via photosynthesis.
● Low temperatures and short growing season
limit plant growth, characterized by low-lying Consumers: Eat other organisms, classified as
vegetation and permafrost herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.
Coral Reef - Tropical ocean waters Decomposers: Break down dead matter, recycling
nutrients back into the ecosystem.
● Formed by colonies of coral polyps and
characterized by high biodiversity and 2. Trophic levels and energy flow in food webs
complex food webs.
● Organisms are grouped by their position in
Estuary- Coastal areas where rivers meet the ocean the food chain; energy flows from producers
to higher levels but decreases at each step
● Affected by tides, mixing of salt and due to energy loss as heat.
freshwater, and high nutrient input from rivers
3. Food web dynamics and stability
Freshwater Lake - Inland regions
● Changes in species abundance or new
● Classified by nutrient levels and degree of species introduction can disrupt the web,
mixing between the surface and bottom causing cascading effects (trophic cascades)
layers that are top-down or bottom-up.
Wetlands - Low-lying areas with saturated soil Species at higher trophic levels are often more
sensitive to changes in the ecosystem than those at
● Waterlogged soil supports plants adapted to lower trophic levels.
anaerobic conditions and provides habitat for
migratory birds and other wildlife. 4. Applications and conservation of food webs
● It forms the base of the food chain, provides 2. Bottom-Up Trophic Cascades: Triggered by
energy for other organisms, and cycles changes in primary producers (e.g., plants,
nutrients. algae), affecting the abundance or behavior
of species at higher trophic levels.
Net primary productivity
3. Lateral Trophic Cascades: Changes in one
● NPP is the amount of organic matter
species at a particular trophic level affect
produced by autotrophs minus the energy
another species at the same level, often due
they use for respiration.
to competition for resources or prey.
● It represents the energy available to the rest
of the food chain and varies by ecosystem
type.
Trophic cascades - important for maintaining the Impact of human activities to ecosystems
balance and health of ecosystems.
● Habitat destruction and fragmentation
They help to regulate populations of species at ● Introduction of non-native species
different trophic levels and prevent any one species ● Overexploitation
from becoming dominant or causing harm to the ● Pollution
ecosystem. ● Climate change
● Land use change
Trophic Level
Water
● Apex predator
● Mid-level predator
● Herbivore
● Primary producer Water and its sources
key points
Taiga (Boreal forest) - Composed of coniferous trees 2. Groundwater - water present beneath Earth’s
and a layer of snow that covers the ground for most surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of
of the year. rock formations.
● Cold and dry
3. Atmospheric water - Water vapor in the Earth's
Tundra - Low-growing plants, permafrost, and a atmosphere can be a source of precipitation, which
short growing season. replenishes surface and groundwater supplies.
● Cold and dry
4. Glacier and snowpack melt - Meltwater from
Desert - Sparse vegetation and low biodiversity. glaciers and snowpack can contribute to surface and
● Hot and dry groundwater supplies.
Freshwater - Comprises rivers, lakes, ponds, and through reuse & treatment has become a necessity
wetlands. in many parts of the world due to increased water
demand & climate change. Water reuse & treatment
can be an effective way to conserve water resources
and ensure sustainable water management.
Water treatment - the process of purifying water to
make it suitable for consumption, industrial or
agricultural use, or discharge back into the
environment.