Chapter 1: Environmental Science: Studying the State of Our Earth

Question 1

fossil fuel

Answer 1

A fuel derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of yrs ago

Question 2

fracking

Answer 2

Hydraulic fracturing, a method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open cracks in rocks deep underground

Question 3

environment

Answer 3

The sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life

Question 4

environmental science

Answer 4

The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature

Question 5

ecosystem

Answer 5

A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components

Question 6

biotic

Answer 6

living

Question 7

abiotic

Answer 7

nonliving

Question 8

environmentalism

Answer 8

A social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education

Question 9

environmental studies

Answer 9

The field of study that includes environmental science and additional subjects such as environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics

Question 10

ecosystem services

Answer 10

The processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced

Question 11

environmental indicators

Answer 11

Describes the current state of an environmental system

Question 12

biodiversity

Answer 12

The diversity of life forms in an environment

Question 12

genetic diversity

Answer 12

A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population

Question 12

species

Answer 12

A group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties

Question 12

anthropogenic

Answer 12

Derived from human activities

Question 12

species diversity

Answer 12

The number of species in a region or in a particular type of habitat

Question 12

speciation

Answer 12

The evolution of new species – happens slowly

Question 13

background extinction rate

Answer 13

The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term

Question 13

per capita

Answer 13

Amount per each person in a country or unit of population

Question 13

greenhouse gases

Answer 13

Gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat near the surface

Question 14

development

Answer 14

Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement

Question 15

sustainability

Answer 15

Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources

Question 16

sustainable development

Answer 16

Development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations

Question 17

biophilia

Answer 17

Love of life

Question 18

ecological footprint

Answer 18

A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land

Question 19

scientific method

Answer 19

An objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes, or changes

Question 20

hypothesis

Answer 20

A testable conjecture about how something works

Question 21

variable

Answer 21

Any categories, conditions, factors, or traits that differ in the natural world or in experimental situations

Question 22

independent variable

Answer 22

A variable that is not dependent on other factors

Question 23

dependent variable

Answer 23

A variable that is dependent on other factors

Question 24

null hypothesis

Answer 24

A prediction that there is no difference between the groups or conditions that are being compared

Question 25

replication

Answer 25

The data collection procedure of taking repeated measurements

Question 26

sample size

Answer 26

The number of times a measurement is replicated in data collection

Question 27

accuracy

Answer 27

How close a measured value is to the actual or true value

Question 28

precision

Answer 28

How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another

Question 29

uncertainty

Answer 29

An estimate of how much a measured or calculated value differs from a true value

Question 30

theory

Answer 30

A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance

Question 31

control group

Answer 31

In a scientific investigation, a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the single variable under study

Question 32

natural experiment

Answer 32

A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem

Question 33

system

Answer 33

A network of relationships among parts, elements, or components that interact with and influence one another through the exchange of energy, matter, or information