Overview: Concepts of LCC Flashcards
Environment
The living and non-living elements of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, including human changes and natural processes.
Four Functions of the Environment
- Provisional (source)
- Regulating (sink)
- Supporting (service)
- Cultural (spiritual)
Provisional (source) Function
Provision of the naturally occurring resources needed to sustain life and our material wellbeing (e.g. minerals, wood, food etc.)
Regulating (sink) Function
The ability to break down, recycle, absorb or render harmless waste and pollution (e.g. carbon storage, maintaining air quality)
Supporting (service) Function
Everything done for us by the biophysical environment that supports life (e.g. nutrient cycling, filtering of water)
Cultural (spiritual) Function
It’s cultural and recreational value to people and the ways it enriches the aesthetic experience
Biome
A community of life forms adapted to a large natural area, usually classified by vegetation and temperature systems
Natural Biome
A specific geographic area where similar conditions prevail, resulting in communities of distinctive similar living organisms. They are uninfluenced by direct human activity and are usually named after the dominant vegetation type. Species tend to possess common characteristics due to adaption to the particular environment.
Anthropogenic Biome
Parts of the Earth’s surface that have been reshaped through sustained, direct interactions between humans and ecosystems. Population density and land use are responsible for defining specific anthropogenic biomes (e.g. village, croplands)
Human Landscapes
Areas of the Earth’s surface where direct human alteration of ecological patterns and processes is significant, ongoing and directed at servicing the needs of human populations
Land Cover Change
The changes that have taken place in natural environments due to a variety of natural and human induced causes
Ecosystem
A community of plants and animals and their interactions with their non-living environment
Ecosystem Dynamics
The internal and external factors that control the operation of an ecosystem. They are the relationships between the biotic and abiotic elements (e.g. energy flows through food webs, exchange of matter between biotic and abiotic elements (nutrient cycles))
Ecosystem Structure
All ecosystems have to include both abiotic (e.g. climatic features) and biotic components (e.g. producers, consumers and decomposers), the interactions and a known source of energy. There is an hierarchy of organisms (producers, consumers, decomposers)
Biodiversity
The type, number and variety of living organisms in an environment. It includes genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.
Biodiversity Loss
A reduction in the type, number and variety of living organisms in an environment. This can result from both natural and human causes, but human impacts are having a massive effect on declining biodiversity. Land is cleared for mining, farming and urban development, resulting in loss of biodiversity (e.g. eutrophication in waterways)
Climate Change
The long term, permanent changes in regional or global climate patterns over an extended period of time. It includes warming and cooling periods. It is caused by natural processes or anthropogenic activity, and can be observed on a local, regional or global scale.
Sustainability
The ability to meet the needs of the current population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It involves the protection of the environment while maintaining the economic development needed to satisfy the needs of the people.
Land Use
A mode of use of existent resources by humans
Land Use Change
The man-powered change of a land use type either through another form of land use, or through changes in management practices inside of a land use type
