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Earth And Environmental Science > Environment Basics > Flashcards

Environment Basics Flashcards

1
Q

What is the Environment?

A

The surroundings in which an organism lives including both natural and human-made factors.

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2
Q

What is Ecology?

A

The study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment.

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3
Q

What is an Ecosystem?

A

A biological community of interacting organisms and their environment.

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4
Q

What is Biodiversity?

A

The variety of life forms in a habitat or on Earth including species

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5
Q

What is a Habitat?

A

The natural environment in which a species lives.

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6
Q

What is a Niche?

A

The role or function of an organism within an ecosystem.

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7
Q

What is Sustainability?

A

The ability to maintain ecological balance without depleting resources.

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8
Q

What is Environmental Degradation?

A

The decline of the environment through resource depletion pollution

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9
Q

What is Conservation?

A

The protection and preservation of natural resources and ecosystems.

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10
Q

What is Renewable Energy?

A

Energy from sources that are naturally replenished such as wind

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11
Q

What is Non-Renewable Energy?

A

Energy from sources that cannot be replaced once depleted like fossil fuels.

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12
Q

What is Climate Change?

A

Long-term changes in temperature precipitation

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13
Q

What is Global Warming?

A

The increase in Earth’s average temperature due to greenhouse gases.

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14
Q

What are Greenhouse Gases?

A

Gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere such as CO2

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15
Q

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

A

The trapping of heat in Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases.

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16
Q

What is the Carbon Footprint?

A

The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities.

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17
Q

What is Deforestation?

A

The large-scale removal of forests often for agriculture or development.

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18
Q

What is Desertification?

A

The process of fertile land turning into desert due to drought or human activity.

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19
Q

What is Soil Erosion?

A

The removal of topsoil by wind or water reducing soil fertility.

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20
Q

What is Overfishing?

A

Catching fish faster than they can reproduce leading to population decline.

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21
Q

What is Pollution?

A

The introduction of harmful substances into the environment.

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22
Q

What is Air Pollution?

A

Harmful substances in the air such as chemicals and particulate matter.

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23
Q

What is Water Pollution?

A

Contamination of water bodies with harmful substances.

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24
Q

What is Land Pollution?

A

The contamination of land with waste or chemicals.

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25
Q

What is Plastic Pollution?

A

The accumulation of plastic waste in the environment especially oceans.

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26
Q

What is Noise Pollution?

A

Harmful levels of noise from sources like transportation and industry.

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27
Q

What is Light Pollution?

A

Excessive artificial light disrupting ecosystems and human health.

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28
Q

What is Eutrophication?

A

Water body enrichment with nutrients causing excessive algae growth.

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29
Q

What is the Ozone Layer?

A

A layer of ozone that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

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30
Q

What is the Hole in the Ozone Layer?

A

Thinning of the ozone layer mainly caused by human-made chemicals.

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31
Q

What is Biodiversity Loss?

A

The decline or extinction of species and ecosystems.

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32
Q

What is the Endangered Species Act?

A

A law protecting species at risk of extinction in the U.S.

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33
Q

What is Habitat Fragmentation?

A

The breaking up of habitats into smaller isolated patches.

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34
Q

What is an Invasive Species?

A

Non-native species that harm local ecosystems.

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35
Q

What is an Ecological Footprint?

A

A measure of human demand on Earth’s ecosystems.

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36
Q

What is Reforestation?

A

Planting trees in areas that have been deforested.

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37
Q

What is Afforestation?

A

Planting trees in areas that were not previously forested.

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38
Q

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

A

Farming that maintains environmental health and conserves resources.

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39
Q

What is Organic Farming?

A

Farming that avoids synthetic chemicals using natural methods instead.

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40
Q

What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?

A

Using biological mechanical

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41
Q

What is the Precautionary Principle?

A

Taking action to prevent harm when there is uncertainty about environmental risks.

42
Q

What is Greenwashing?

A

False claims by companies about being environmentally friendly to attract consumers.

43
Q

What is the Circular Economy?

A

An economic model focused on reusing recycling

44
Q

What is Sustainability Reporting?

A

Reporting on a company’s environmental social

45
Q

What is the Paris Agreement?

A

A global treaty to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

46
Q

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

A

A treaty committing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

47
Q

What is Carbon Credit?

A

A permit allowing the holder to emit a certain amount of CO2.

48
Q

What is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

A

Evaluating the potential environmental effects of a proposed project.

49
Q

What is a Renewable Resource?

A

A resource that can naturally be replenished such as wind or solar energy.

50
Q

What is a Non-Renewable Resource?

A

A resource that cannot be replenished on a human timescale like fossil fuels.

51
Q

What is Biomass?

A

Organic material used as fuel like plants or animal waste.

52
Q

What is Wind Energy?

A

Energy harnessed from wind using turbines.

53
Q

What is Solar Energy?

A

Energy captured from sunlight typically using solar panels.

54
Q

What is Hydropower?

A

Energy generated from the movement of water usually through dams.

55
Q

What is Geothermal Energy?

A

Energy derived from the heat beneath Earth’s surface.

56
Q

What is Tidal Energy?

A

Energy generated from tidal movements in oceans.

57
Q

What is Nuclear Energy?

A

Energy from splitting atomic nuclei often used for electricity generation.

58
Q

What is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)?

A

A technology to capture CO2 emissions and store them underground.

59
Q

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

A

When individuals overuse shared resources leading to their depletion.

60
Q

What is the Anthropocene?

A

The current geological age viewed as the period when human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.

61
Q

What is Ecotourism?

A

Tourism that focuses on preserving the environment and supporting local communities.

62
Q

What is a Green Building?

A

A building designed to reduce environmental impact and improve sustainability.

63
Q

What is a Carbon Sink?

A

A natural system that absorbs more CO2 than it releases such as forests or oceans.

64
Q

What is Climate Adaptation?

A

Adjusting practices and systems to reduce the impacts of climate change.

65
Q

What is Climate Mitigation?

A

Efforts to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate change.

66
Q

What is the Environmental Kuznets Curve?

A

A theory that suggests environmental degradation rises and then falls as economic development progresses.

67
Q

What is Habitat Restoration?

A

The process of returning degraded ecosystems to a more natural state.

68
Q

What is an Ecological Reserve?

A

A protected area set aside to conserve biodiversity.

69
Q

What is the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)?

A

An international agreement aimed at conserving biodiversity.

70
Q

What is Ocean Acidification?

A

The decrease in ocean pH due to increased CO2 absorption.

71
Q

What is a Sustainable City?

A

A city designed with minimal environmental impact using renewable resources and green infrastructure.

72
Q

What is a Carbon Tax?

A

A tax on fossil fuels based on their carbon content to reduce emissions.

73
Q

What is Cap and Trade?

A

A system where emissions limits are set and companies can trade allowances to meet these limits.

74
Q

What is Ecological Restoration?

A

Restoring degraded ecosystems to their natural state.

75
Q

What is Land Use Planning?

A

Managing land to balance development with environmental conservation.

76
Q

What is Circular Economy?

A

A model where products and resources are reused reduced

77
Q

What is Carbon Neutrality?

A

Balancing the amount of CO2 emitted with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed or offset.

78
Q

What is Environmental Justice?

A

Ensuring fair treatment of all people in environmental decision-making regardless of race or income.

79
Q

What is Environmental Education?

A

Teaching people about environmental issues and how to protect the environment.

80
Q

What is Climate Resilience?

A

The ability to adapt to and recover from the effects of climate change.

81
Q

What is an Environmental Hazard?

A

A potential source of harm to the environment or human health.

82
Q

What is a Greenhouse Gas Inventory?

A

A record of the greenhouse gases emitted by an organization or region.

83
Q

What is Energy Efficiency?

A

Using less energy to accomplish the same task.

84
Q

What is Renewable Resource?

A

A resource that is naturally replenished like sunlight or wind.

85
Q

What is Carbon Trading?

A

A system where companies can buy and sell carbon credits to offset emissions.

86
Q

What is Climate Justice?

A

A concept linking human rights to climate change action.

87
Q

What is the Polluter Pays Principle?

A

The idea that those responsible for pollution should bear the costs of cleaning it up.

88
Q

What is Overconsumption?

A

Using resources faster than they can be replenished leading to environmental harm.

89
Q

What is the Food Chain?

A

A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.

90
Q

What is a Biodegradable Material?

A

A material that can be broken down by natural processes.

91
Q

What is Green Infrastructure?

A

Natural or semi-natural systems used to manage stormwater and improve urban ecosystems.

92
Q

What is Sustainable Transport?

A

Transport methods with minimal environmental impact such as electric vehicles or public transit.

93
Q

What is a Carbon Tax?

A

A tax on carbon emissions to encourage businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint.

94
Q

What is an Environmental Audit?

A

A process to evaluate and assess an organization’s environmental performance.

95
Q

What is Energy Conservation?

A

Reducing energy consumption through more efficient use of resources.

96
Q

What is the Global Footprint Network?

A

An organization that measures humanity’s demand on Earth’s ecosystems.

97
Q

What is a Natural Resource?

A

Materials or substances found in nature that are used by humans like water

98
Q

What is Eco-Friendly?

A

Products or actions that are not harmful to the environment.

99
Q

What is Carbon Offset?

A

A reduction in emissions of CO2 or other greenhouse gases to compensate for emissions produced elsewhere.

100
Q

What is a Pollutant?

A

A substance that contaminates the environment and harms ecosystems or human health.

Earth And Environmental Science (2 decks)

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