Chap 1 Test Flashcards
Environment
The living things (plants/animals) and nonliving things (air/water/sunlight) that surround us
Environmental Science
Study of connections in nature; how the earth (nature) works and has survived/thrived; how humans interact w/ environment; how we can live more sustainably
Ecology
Branch of biology that focuses on how living organisms interact w/ the living & nonliving parts of their environment
Species
Group of organisms that have unique set of characteristics that set it apart from other groups
Ecosystem
Set of organisms w/in a defined area of land or volume of water that interact w/ one another & w/ their environment of nonliving matter & energy
Biosphere
Parts of earth’s air, water, & soil where life is found
Environmentalism
Environmental activism: social movement dedicated to protecting earth’s life and resources; practiced in ethics and politics; supported by science
Biodiversity
Biological diversity: variety of genes, species, ecosystems, & ecosystem processes; allows for species to adapt to changing environmental conditions
Chemical/nutrient cycling
Scientific principle of sustainability Circulation of chemicals/nutrients needed to sustain life from the environment (from soil/water) through various organisms & back to the environment
Natural capital
Natural resources & ecosystem services that keep humans/other species alive & support human economics
Natural Resources
Materials/energy provided by nature that are essential or useful to humans
Perpetual/ inexhaustible resource
Natural resource that is expected to last forever (solar power since sun is should last for @ least 5 billions years)
Renewable Resource
Any resource that can be replenished by natural processes w/in hours to decades as long as ppl don’t use the resource faster than natural processes can replace it (forests, grasslands, fertile topsoil, fishes, clear air, fresh water)
Sustainable Yield
Highest rate @ which people can use a renewable resource indefinitely w/out reducing its available supply
Nonrenewable/exhaustible resources
Resources that exist in a fixed amount (stock) in the earth’s crust; take millions/billions of years to form through geological process (fossil fuels)
Ecosystem Services
Natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life & human economies @ no $$ cost
Environmental Degredation
Human activities that use renewable resources faster than nature can restore them
Private Lands
Land that is owned by individuals/business (often for purposes of growing crops, harvesting timber, mining, housing, etc)
Public Lands
Land that is owned jointly by citizens of a country but managed by the government (in US: National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges, etc)