Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

APES > Chap 1 Test > Flashcards

Chap 1 Test Flashcards

1
Q

Environment

A

The living things (plants/animals) and nonliving things (air/water/sunlight) that surround us

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Environmental Science

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Ecology

A

Branch of biology that focuses on how living organisms interact w/ the living & nonliving parts of their environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Species

A

Group of organisms that have unique set of characteristics that set it apart from other groups

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Ecosystem

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Biosphere

A

Parts of earth’s air, water, & soil where life is found

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Environmentalism

A

Environmental activism: social movement dedicated to protecting earth’s life and resources; practiced in ethics and politics; supported by science

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Biodiversity

A

Biological diversity: variety of genes, species, ecosystems, & ecosystem processes; allows for species to adapt to changing environmental conditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Chemical/nutrient cycling

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Natural capital

A

Natural resources & ecosystem services that keep humans/other species alive & support human economics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Natural Resources

A

Materials/energy provided by nature that are essential or useful to humans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Perpetual/ inexhaustible resource

A

Natural resource that is expected to last forever (solar power since sun is should last for @ least 5 billions years)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Renewable Resource

A

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)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Sustainable Yield

A

Highest rate @ which people can use a renewable resource indefinitely w/out reducing its available supply

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Nonrenewable/exhaustible resources

A

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)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Ecosystem Services

A

Natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life & human economies @ no $$ cost

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Environmental Degredation

A

Human activities that use renewable resources faster than nature can restore them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Private Lands

A

Land that is owned by individuals/business (often for purposes of growing crops, harvesting timber, mining, housing, etc)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Public Lands

A

Land that is owned jointly by citizens of a country but managed by the government (in US: National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges, etc)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Biocapacity

A

Ability of the earth’s productive ecosystems to regenerate the renewable resources used by a population, city, country, or the world in a given year

21
Q

Ecological Footprint

A

The amount of biologically productive land/water needed to supply a population in an area w/ renewable resources & to absorb/recycle the wastes & pollution such resource use produces

22
Q

IPAT

A

Environmental impact model developled in 1970s by scientists Paul Ehrlich & John Holdren: Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology

23
Q

Exponential Growth

A

Occurs when a quantity increases @ a fixed percentage per unit of time (ex: 0.5% per year)

24
Q

Poverty

A

Condition in which people lack enough $ to fulfill basic needs for food, water, shelter, health care, & education

25
Extreme Poverty
1 billion ppl live on equivalent of less than $1.90 a day
26
Malnutrition
A lack of protein & other nutrients needed for good health
27
Affluence
The state of having wealth that allows for access to better resources but also associated w/ more environmental degradation
28
Doubling Time
Amount of time it takes for a population to double in size
29
Rule of 70
Doubling time in years = 70 . % annual natural increase
30
Environmental Worldview
Assumptions & beliefs that you hold about how the natural world works & how you think you should interact w/ the environment
31
Environmental Ethics
What you believe about what is right/what is wrong in your behavior toward the environment
32
Manufactured Capital
Includes the machinery, materials, & factories that people create using natural resources
33
Human Capital
Includes the physical & mental talents of people who provide labor, organizational/management skills, & innovation
34
Economics/ Economic Growth
An increase in the capacity of a nation, state, city, or company to provide goods & services to people
35
High-throughput Economy
Attempts to boost economic growth by increasing the flow of matter & energy resources thru the economic system to produce more goods and services
36
Biosphere based model
Ecological economists view human economic systems as subsystems of the biosphere that depend heavily on the earth's irreplaceable natural resources & ecosystem services
37
Low-throughput model
More sustainable economy that works w/ nature by reusing & recycling most nonrenewable matter resources, using renewable resources no faster than natural processes can replenish the, reducing resource waste by using matter & energy resources more efficiently, reducing environmentally harmful forms of consumption, and promoting pollution prevention & waste reduction
38
Full Cost Pricing
*Principle of Sustainability* Including the harmful environmental & health costs of the goods & services into market prices & placing a monetary value on the natural capital that supports all economies
39
Subsidies
Tax breaks/payments given to companies by governments to assist them w/ using resources to run their businesses; helps create jobs/stimulate economics but can encourage depletion/degradation of natural capital
40
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
The annual market value of all goods and services produced by all firms and organizations, foreign & domestic, operating w/in a country
41
Green Taxes
Lower taxes on labor, income, & wealth, and raise taxes on environmental activities that produce pollution, wastes, & environmental degradation
42
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency: independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters
43
DOE
Department of Energy: executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy
44
USFWS
US Fish and Wildlife Service: agency w/in the U.S. Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats
45
NMFS
National Marine Fisheries Service: U.S. federal agency w/in the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration that is responsible for the stewardship of U.S. national marine resources
46
OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: a large regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces
47
Natural Income
Renewable resources (plants, animals, soil, clean air, clean water, etc) provided by earth’s natural capital
48
Nature Deficit Disorder
Human costs of alienation from nature: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness

APES (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions