Module 2 Vocab Flashcards
Ecosystem services
The processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced.
Environmental indicator
An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system.
Biodiversity
The diversity of life forms in an environment.
Genetic diversity
A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population.
Species
A group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties.
Species diversity
The number of species in a region or in a particular ecosystem.
Speciation
The evolution of new species.
Background extinction rate
The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term.
Greenhouse gases
Gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat near the surface.
Anthropogenic
Derived from human activities.
Per capita
Amount per each person in a country or unit of population.
Development
Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement.
Sustainability
Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources.
Sustainable development
Development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations.
Biophilia
Love of life.
Ecological footprint
A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land.
