Ch. 1 Key Terms

Question 1

environmental science

Answer 1

the study of the air, water, and land surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere; it includes the study of the impact of humans on the environment

Question 2

ecology

Answer 2

the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment

Question 3

agriculture

Answer 3

the raising of crops and livestock for food or for other products that are useful to humans

Question 4

natural resource

Answer 4

any natural material that is used by humans, such as water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and animals

Question 5

pollution

Answer 5

an undesirable change in the natural environment that is caused by the introduction of substances that are harmful to living organisms orby excessive wastes, heat, noise, or radiation

Question 6

biodiversity

Answer 6

the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem

Question 7

law of supply and demand

Answer 7

a law of economics that states that as the demand for a good or service increases, the value of the good or service also increases

Question 8

ecological footprint

Answer 8

a calculation that shows the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country

Question 9

sustainability

Answer 9

the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely