Ch.1: Foundations Of Environmental Science

Question 0

What are Natural Resources?

Answer 0

-substances and energy sources needed for survival

Question 1

What is Environmental Science?

Answer 1

-the study of how the natural world works and our interactions with it.

Question 2

What are Renewable Natural Resources?

Answer 2

-can be replenished

Question 3

What are Non-Renewable Natural Resources?

Answer 3

• unavailable after depletion

- oil, coal and minerals

Question 4

What is Ecosystem Services?

Answer 4

-services that arise from the normal functioning of natural resources

Question 5

How are Ecosystem Services degraded?

Answer 5

-degraded by: depleting resources, destroying habitat and generating pollution

Question 6

What is the Agricultural Revolution?

Answer 6

• crops and livestock

- stable food supplies

Question 7

What is the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 7

• urbanized society powered by fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal)
• sanitation and medicine
• pesticides and fertilizers

Question 8

What is an Ecological Footprint?

Answer 8

-the environmental impact of a person or population.

Question 9

What does Overshoot mean?

Answer 9

-humans have surpassed the Earth’s capacity to support us

Question 10

What are Natural Sciences?

Answer 10

• disciplines that examine the natural world

- environmental science programs

Question 11

What are Social Sciences?

Answer 11

• disciplines that examine the values and human behavior

- environmental studies program

Question 12

What is Environmentalism?

Answer 12

• a social movement

- tries to protect the natural world from human caused changes

Question 13

Define Science.

Answer 13

-a systematic process for learning about the world and testing our understanding of it

Question 14

What is Observational (descriptive) Science?

Answer 14

• information is gathered about organisms, systems, processes, etc.
• can’t be manipulated by experiments
• phenomena are observed and measured

Question 15

What is Hypothesis-driven Science?

Answer 15

• targeted research

- experiments test hypotheses using the scientific method

Question 16

What is a Hypothesis?

Answer 16

-a statement that tries to explain a question

Question 17

What is a Prediction?

Answer 17

-specific statements that can be directly tested

Question 18

What is a Variable?

Answer 18

-a condition that can change

Question 19

What is an Independent Variable?

Answer 19

-a variable that can be manipulated

Question 20

What is a Dependent Variable?

Answer 20

-a variable that depends on the independent variable

Question 21

What is a Controlled Experiment?

Answer 21

• one in which the effects of all the variables are controlled
• except the independent variable

Question 22

What is a control?

Answer 22

-an un-manipulated point of comparison

Question 23

What is Quantitative Data?

Answer 23

-information that uses numbers (scientists like more)

Question 24

What is Qualitative Data?

Answer 24

-information that doesn't use numbers

Question 25

What are Manipulative Experiments?

Answer 25

- yield the strongest evidence - controlled independent variable - reveal casual relationships - many things can't be manipulated

Question 26

What is a Natural Experiment?

Answer 26

- show real-world complexity - use existing conditions to test predictions; little control over variables - answers not clean and neat

Question 27

What is a Theory?

Answer 27

- a well tested and widely accepted explanation | - consolidates widely supported, related hypotheses

Question 28

What is a Paradigm Shift?

Answer 28

-a dramatic upheaval in thought; changes the dominant viewpoint

Question 29

What is a Wicked Problem?

Answer 29

- problems that are complex, with no simple solutions | - environmental problems

Question 30

What is Sustainability?

Answer 30

-the idea that we must live within our planet's means so the Earth and it's resources can sustain us and all life for the future

Question 31

What are 3 examples of Sustainability?

Answer 31

- conserving resources - developing long-term solutions - keeping fully functional ecosystems

Question 32

What is Natural Capital?

Answer 32

-earth's total wealth of resources