Key Words Flashcards
Place
a particular position, point, or area in space; a location. Places may be natural, or highly modified. They provide us with the services and facilities we need in everyday life. What places are like can effect quality of life and wellbeing
Space
a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied.
Everything has a location on the space that is the surface of the earth.
Interconnection
The interconnection between people and environments in one place can lead to changes in another location. For example, the damming of a river upstream can altar the environment downstream and affect the people who depend on it
Change
Make or become different. Topics studied in geography are changing all the time, either over long or short periods of times.
Environment
the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. There is a strong relationship between humans and the natural and urban environment. People depend on the environment for the source, sink, spiritual, and service functions it provides.
Scale
Scale is a useful tool for examining issues from different perspectives, from the personal, to the local, regional, national and global. Scale is also used to look for explanations or compare outcomes.
Source function
Natural recources, which includes renewable, non-renewable and continuous recources such as food, fuel, fibre, fresh water
Sink function
The safe absorption of wastes and pollutions, humans depend on the environment to breakdown, recycle and store waste safely
Service function
Services that support life without requiring human action. Natural cycles and processes such as nutrient cycling, provision of habitat, soil formation, production of oxygen, water cycling and photosynthesis.
Spiritual function
An ecosystems ability to provide for recreational activities, aesthetic appeal, spiritual value. Spiritual and religious values- these give us sense of place.
Sustainability
Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Spaceship earth
Spaceship earth is a world view term usually expressing concern over the use of limited resources available on earth and encouraging everyone on it to act as a harmonious crew working toward the greater good.
Aesthetic value
The value of a landscape based on its attractiveness or beauty
Emotional value
People often develop a deep emotional attachment to a place or landscape. E.g. Remembering with fondness places where we went for holidays
Spiritual value
Landscapes hold special spiritaual significance for some people. Many aboriginal people recognise that features of the landscape have a spiritual value. Through these features, indigenous Australians connect to the dreaming.
Economic value
Many landscapes also have an economic value. Some such as agricultural or urban landscapes, are the product of economic activity.
Global warming
a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere
Ecological service
Any beneficial natural process arising from healthy ecosystems, such as purification of water and air, pollination of plants and decomposition of waste.
Stewardship
Protecting the environment and benefitting people
Bio capacity
Biocapacity is the capacity of an area to provide resources and absorb wastes. When the area’s ecological footprint exceeds its biocapacity, unsustainability occurs.
Climate change
a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels
Enhanced greenhouse effect
The enhanced greenhouse effect is an enhancement in the natural process, which is brought about by human activities. It also includes greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide which are released into the atmosphere.
What is the carbon cycle?
Carbon is the fourth most abundant element on Earth and is a basic component of all living organisms. Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food and grow. The carbon becomes part of the plant. Plants that die and are buried may turn into fossil fuels made of carbon like coal and oil over millions of years. When humans burn fossil fuels, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
Geological carbon cycle
Long term cycle that results in the bulk of carbon being locked in rocks or in sediments as fossil fuels