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AP Environmental Science Vocabulary Backup > 9th Chapter Vocab > Flashcards

9th Chapter Vocab Flashcards

1
Q

precautionary principle

A

the idea that one should not undertake a new action until the ramifications of that action are well understood

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2
Q

biotechnology

A

the material application of biological science to create products derived from organisms. the creation of transgenic organisms is on type of biotechnology

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3
Q

community-supported agriculture (CSA)

A

a system in which consumers pay farmers in advance for a share of their yield, usually in the form of weekly deliveries of produce

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4
Q

farmers market

A

a market at which local farmers and food producers sell fresh locally grown iteams

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5
Q

life-cycle analysis

A

a quantitative analysis of inputs across the entire life cycle of a product-from its origins, through its production, transportation, sale, and use, and finally its disposal-in an attempt to judge the sustainability of the process and make it more ecologically efficient

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6
Q

poaching

A

the illegal killing of wildlife, usually for meat or body parts

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7
Q

genetic diversity

A

a measurement of differences in DNA composition among individuals within a given species

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8
Q

ecosystem diversity

A

the number and variety of ecosystems in a particular area. on way to express biodiversity. related concepts consider the geographic arrangements of habitats, communities, or ecosystems at the landscape level, including sizes, shapes, and interconnectedness of patches of these entities

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9
Q

species diversity

A

the number and variety of species in the world or in a particular region

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10
Q

red list

A

an updated list of species facing unusually high risks of extinction. This list in maintained by the World Conservation Union

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11
Q

species

A

a population or group of populations of organisms were member share certain characteristics and can breed freely with one another and produce fertile offspring. different biologists may have different approaches to diagnosing a species boundaries

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12
Q

biodiversity (biological diversity)

A

the variety of life across all levels of biological organization, including the diversity of species, their genes, their populations, and their communities

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13
Q

recombinant DNA

A

DNA that has been patched together from the DNA of multiple organisms in an attempt to produce desirable traits such as rapid growth, disease and pest resistance or higher nutrient content in organisms lacking those trairs

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14
Q

habitat fragmentation

A

the process by which an expanse of natural habitat becomes broken up into discontinuous fragments, often as a result of farming, road building, and other types of human development and land use

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15
Q

biophilia

A

an inherent love for and fascination with nature and an instinctive desire people have to affiliate with other living things defined by biologist E.O. wilson as “the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.”

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16
Q

conservation biology

A

a scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biodiversity within and among ecosystems

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17
Q

Endangered species act (ESA)

A

the primary legislation, enacted in 1973, for protecting biodiversity in the u.s. it forbids the government and private citizens from taking actions (such as developing land) that would destroy endangered species or their habitats and it prohibits trade in products made from endangered species

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18
Q

species at risk act

A

Canada’s Endangered specie protection law,enacted in 2002

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19
Q

convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and fiora (cites)

A

a 1973 treaty facilitated by the in that protects endangered species so that their young can be bred and raised in controlled areas and subsequently reintroduced into the wild

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20
Q

captive breeding

A

the practice of capturing members of a threatened species so that their young can be bred and raised controlled areas and subsequently reintroduced into the wild

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21
Q

foresnsic science

A

the scientific analysis of evidence to make an identifyicationor answer a question relating to a crime or a accident

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22
Q

biodiversity hotspot

A

an area that supports an especially great diversity of species, particulary species that are endemic to the area

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23
Q

ecological restoration

A

efforts to reverse the effects of human disruption of ecological systems and to restore communities to their condition before the disruption. The practice that applies principles of restoration ecology

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24
Q

community-based conservation

A

the practice of engaging local people to protect land and wildlife in their own region

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25
Q

forest type

A

a category of forest defined by its predominant tree species

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26
Q

canopy

A

the upper level of tree leaves and branches in a forest

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27
Q

subcanopy

A

the middle and lower levels of trees in a forest, beneath the canopy

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28
Q

understory

A

the layer of a forest consisting of small shrubs and trees above the forest floor and below the subcanopy

29
Q

deforestation

A

the clearing and loss of forests

30
Q

secondary forest

A

forest that has grown back after primary forest has been cut. consists of second-growth trees

31
Q

wildand-urban interface

A

a region where urban or suburban development meets forested or undeveloped lands

32
Q

salvage logging

A

the removal of dead trees following a natural disturbance. although it may be economically beneficial, salvage logging can be environmentally destructive, because snags provide food and shelter for wildlife and because removing timber from recently burned land can cause erosion and damage to soil

33
Q

sustainable forest certifilcation

A

a form of ecolabeling that identifies timber products that have been produced using sustainable methods. the forest stewardship council and several other organizations issue such certification

34
Q

national park

A

a scenic area set aside for recreation and enjoyment by the public and managed by the national park service. the U.S. national park system today numbers 397 sites totaling 84 million acres and includes national historic sits, national receation areas, national wild and scenic rivers, and other areas

35
Q

national wildlife refuge

A

an area of public land set aside to serve as a haven for wildlife and also sometimes encourage hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photograpthy, environmental education, and other uses, the system of 550 sites is managed by the U.S. fish and wildlife service

36
Q

prescribed (controlled) burns

A

the practice of burning areas of forest of grassland under carefully controlled conditions to improve the health of ecosystems, return them to a more natural state, reduce fuel loads, and help precent uncontrolled catastrophic fires

37
Q

resource managment

A

strategic decision making about how to extract resources, so that resources are used wisely and conserved for the future

38
Q

maximum sustainable yield

A

the maximal harvest of a particular renewable natural resource that can be accomplished whole still keeping the resource avaiable for the future

39
Q

ecosystem based managment

A

the attempt to manage the harvesting of resources inn ways that minimize impact on the ecosystems and ecological processes that provide the resources.

40
Q

adaptive management

A

the systematic testing of different management approaches to improve methods over time

41
Q

uneven-aged

A

term describing stands consisting of trees of different ages. Uneven-aged stands more closely approximate a natural forest than do even-aged stands

42
Q

selection system

A

method of timber harvesting whereby single trees or groups of trees are selectively cut while others are left, creating an uneven-aged stand

43
Q

multiple use

A

a principle guiding management policy for national forests specifying that forests be managed for recreation, wildlife habitat, mineral extraction, water quality, and other uses, as well as for timber extraction

44
Q

national forest management act

A

legislation passed by the U.S. congress in 1976, mandating that plans for renewable resource management be drawn up for every national forest. these plans were to be explicitly based on the concepts of multiple use and maximum sustainable yield and be open to broad public participation

45
Q

new forestry

A

a set of ecosystem-based management approaches for harvesting timber that explicitly mimic natural disturbances. for instance, “sloppy cleat-cuts” that leave a variety of trees standing mimic the changes a forest might experience if hit by a severe windstorm

46
Q

wilderness area

A

federal land that id designated off-limits to development of any kind but is open to public recreation, such as hiking, nature study, and other activities that have minimal impact on the land

47
Q

biosphere reserve

A

a tract of land with exeptional biodiversity taht couples preservation with sustainable development to benefit local people. Biosphere reserves are designated by UNESCO (the UN educational, scientific, and cultural organization) following application by local stakeholders

48
Q

world heritage site

A

a location internationally designated by the UN for its cultural or natural value. there are over 900 such sites worldwide

49
Q

edge effect

A

an impact on organisms, populations, or communities that results because conditions along the edge of a habitat fragment differ from conditions in the interior

50
Q

island biogeography theory

A

theory initially applied to oceanic islands to explain how species come to be distributed among them. researchers have increasingly applied the theory to island habitat (patches of one type of habitat isolated within “seas” of others). aspects of the theory include immigration and extinction rates, the effect of island size (area effect), and the effect of distance from the mainland (distance effect). full name is the equilibrium theory of island biogeography.

51
Q

species-area curve

A

a graph showing how number of species varies with the geographic area of a landmass or water body. species richness commonly doubles as area increases tenfold

52
Q

SLOSS (single late several small) dilemma

A

the debate over whether it is better to make reserves large in size and few in number or manny in number but small in size

53
Q

corridor

A

a passageway of protected land established to allow animals to travel between islands of protected habitat

54
Q

urbanization

A

a populations shift from rural living to city and suburban living

55
Q

sprawl

A

the unrestrained spread of urban or suburban development outward from a city center and across the landscape. Often specified as growth in which the area of development outpaces population growth

56
Q

city planning

A

the professional pursuit that attempts to design cities in such a way as to maximize their efficiency, functionality, and beauty. also known as urban planning

57
Q

regional planning

A

planning similar to city planning but conducted across broader geographic scales, generally involving multiple municipal governments

58
Q

zoning

A

the practice of classifying areas for different types of development and land use

59
Q

smart growth

A

a city planning concept in which a community’s growth is managed in ways intended to limit sprawl and maintain or improve residents quality of life

60
Q

new urbanization

A

an approach among architects, planners, and developers that seek to design neighborhoods in which homes, businesses, schools, and other amenities are within walking distance of one another. proponents of new urbanism aim to combat sprawl by creating functional neighborhoods in which families can meet most of their needs close to home without the use of a car

61
Q

transit oriented development

A

a development approach in which compact communities in the new urbanism style are arrayed around stops on a major rail transit line

62
Q

mass transit

A

a public transportation system for a metropolitan area that moves large numbers of people at once. Buses, trains, subways, streetcars, trolleys, and light rail are types of mass transit

63
Q

greenway

A

a strip of park land that connects parks or neighborhoods; often located along rivers, streams, or canals.

64
Q

greenbelt

A

a long and wide corridor of parkland, often encircling an entire urban area

65
Q

green building

A

(1) a structure that minimizes the ecological foot print of its construction and operation by using sustainable materials, using minimal energy and water, reducing health impacts, limiting population and recycling waste. (2) the pursuit of constructing or renovating such buildings

66
Q

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

A

the leading set of standards for sustainable building

67
Q

noise pollution

A

undesired ambient sound

68
Q

urban heat island effect

A

the phenomenon whereby a city becomes warmer that outlying areas because of the concentration of heat-generating buildings, vehicles, and people, and because buildings and dark pavement that absorb heat and release it during the night

69
Q

urban ecology

A

a scientific field of study that views cities explicitly as ecosystems. Researchers in this field apply the fundamentals of ecosystem ecology and system science to urban areas

AP Environmental Science Vocabulary Backup (9 decks)

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