Unit 1 Flashcards
Environment
Everything around you, including all living and non-living things
Environmental science
The study of life systems and connect in the natural environment
Ecology`
The study of how living organisms interact with the living and non-living parts of their environment
Species
A group of organisms who have unique characteristics that set it apart from other groups
Ecosystem
A biological community of organisms within a defined area of land or volume of water that interacts with their environment
Biodiversity
The variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes; provides a way for species to adapt to changing environments and for new species to arise
Chemical cycling
the circulation of chemicals or nutrients needed to sustain life from the environment through various organisms and back into the environment
Natural capital
Natural resources and ecosystem services that keep humans and other species alive and support human economies
Inexhaustable resource
A resource that can be used indefinitely and doesn’t need to be renewed because it is in infinite supply
Renewable resource
A resource that can be used indefinitely because it can be replenished through natural processes; it is available as long as it is not used faster than it can be renewed
Nonrenewable resource
Resources that exist in a fixed amount on earth’s crust
Ecosystem services
Natural services provided by healthy ecosystems that support life and human economies at no monetary cost to us
Environmental degradation
Destruction of the environment through depletion of earth’s life-sustaining natural capital; also called natural capital degradation
Tragedy of the commons
Depletion or degradation of a potentially renewable resource to which people have free and unmanaged access
Ecological footprint
A rough measure of the total environmental impacts of individuals on the environment; measured in land
Per capita ecological footprint
The average ecological footprint of an individual in a given population or defined area
Biocapicty
The ability of an ecosystem to regenerate the renewable resources used by a population and to absorb the resulting wastes or pollution
Affluence
Resource consumption per person, A, within the IPAT equation (Impact
= Population x Affluence x
Technology)
Accuracy
How close or far off a set of measurements are to their true value
Precision
How close or dispersed a set of measurements are to each other
Scientific model
An approximate representation or simulation of a system being studied
pH
A measure of acidity
Acidity
A chemical characteristic that helps determine how a substance dissolved in water will interact with the earth’s surface
Isotope
A form of an element that has the same atomic number (protons) but different mass numbers
Kinetic Energy
Energy that matter has because of its mass and speed, or velocity
Electromagnetic radiation
Forms of kinetic energy traveling as electromagnetic waves
Radiation
Fast-moving particles (particulate radiation) or waves of energy (electromagnetic radiation)
Conduction
The transfer of heat from solid substance to another cooler one when they are in physical contact
Convection
Movement of fluid matter caused when the warmer or less dense part of a body that matter rises while the cooler, denser part of the fluid sinks due to gravity
Potential energy
Energy store in an object because of its position or the position of its parts
Positive feedback mechanism
• Feedback loop that causes a system to change further in the same direction
• Also called a positive feedback loop
Negative feedback mechanism
• Feedback loop that causes a system to change in the opposite direction
• Also called a negative feedback loop
Atmosphere
Air surrounding the earth
Lithosphere
Outer shell of the earth
Hydrosphere
Earth’s liquid, frozen, or gaseous water
Biosphere
The zone of the earth where life is found
Greenhouse effect
Natural effect that releases heat in the atmosphere near the earth’s surface
Weather
Short-term changes in the temperature, precipitation, and other conditions in the troposphere at a given place and time
Climate
The long-term pattern of weather conditions in a region, consisting of average precipitation and temperature
Global climate change
The changes in weather patterns, ocean cycling, and temperature
Global warming
The overall net increases in temperature worldwide
Greenhouse warming potential
A gas’s ability to warm the atmosphere, scaled against other gases in the atmosphere
Anthropogenic
Human-centered
Carbon sinks
Immobilized carbon not contributing to global temperatures (forests, fossil fuels, etc.)
Tolerance
The ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in biotic and abiotic environmental factors
Coriolis effect
Wind deflection and currents caused by the rotation of the earth
Global climate zones
• Caused by the rising and falling of cool or warm, dry or moist air
• Three main: Polar cell, Temperate/Mid-latitude cell, Tropical/Hadley cell
Abiotic factors
• Temperature
• Pressure and gravity
• Water (97.5% salt water, 2.5 fresh water)
• Biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles)
Biotic factors
• The living components of an ecosystem that affect the ecosystem and all organisms within it
• Predators/prey, plants as habitats, soils, microorganisms populations
Deciduous
• Leaves drop due to some cue
• Temperature cue or drought cue
Brackish
Water with a salt concentration of 1-3%
Photic
Sunlight penetrates
Aphotic
Without light
