Ch. 1 Key Terms

Question 1

environmental science

Answer 1

environmental science is an interdisciplinary study of the environment. A goal of many environmental scientists is to understand and solve environmental problems. One important foundation of environmental science is the science of ecology.

Question 2

ecology

Answer 2

Environmental change has occurred throughout Earth’s history.

Question 3

agriculture

Answer 3

hunter-gatherer societies cleared grassland by setting fires and contributed to the extinction of some large mammals.

Question 4

natural resource

Answer 4

The agricultural revolution caused human population growth, habitat loss, soil erosion, and the domestication of plants and animals.

Question 5

pollution

Answer 5

The Industrial Revolution caused rapid human population growth and the increased use of fossil fuels. Most modern environmental problems began during the Industrial Revolution.

Question 6

biodiversity

Answer 6

The major environmental problems we face today include resource depletion, pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

Question 7

law of supply and demand

Answer 7

The law of supply and demand states that when the demand for a product increases while the supply remains fixed, the cost of the product will increase.

Question 8

ecological foot-print

Answer 8

Environmental problems in developed countries tend to be related to consumption. In developing nations, the major environmental problems are related to population growth.

Question 9

sustainability

Answer 9

Sustainability is the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely at a standard of living similar to the current one.