Chapter 6- Human Impact On The Environment

Question 1

Conservation

Answer 1

The protection, preservation, management and restoration of natural habitats and their ecological communities, to enhance biodiversity while allowing for suitable human activity

Question 2

Ecotourism

Answer 2

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people

Question 3

Monoculture

Answer 3

The growth of large numbers of genetically identical crop plants in a defined area

Question 4

Soil erosion

Answer 4

The removal of topsoil, which contains valuable nutrients

Question 5

Coppicing

Answer 5

Cutting down of trees close to the ground and and leaving them for several years to regrow

Question 6

Selective cutting

Answer 6

Felling only some trees, leaving the others in place

Question 7

Overfishing

Answer 7

The rate at which fish are harvested exceeds the rate at which they reproduce

Question 8

Planetary boundary

Answer 8

Limits between which global systems must operate to prevent abrupt and irreversible environmental change

Question 9

Core boundary

Answer 9

Crossing this planetary boundary would drive the earth into a new and unpredictable state with severe consequences for the biosphere

Question 10

Biofuel

Answer 10

A fuel made by a biological process such as anaerobic digestion, rather than by geological processes such as long term heat and compression, that formed fossil fuels

Question 11

Freshwater

Answer 11

Fresh water has a low concentration of dissolved salts, i.e. <0.5% (w/v). It is sometimes called sweet water, to contrast with seawater, which is salty

Question 12

Desalination

Answer 12

The removal of minerals from saline water