Chapter 1: Sustainability & Science

Question 1

What is Sustainability?

Answer 1

Meeting the needs of the present in an equitable and fair fashion without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Question 2

Triple Bottom Line

Answer 2

Planet, People, and Profit

Question 3

Ecosystem

Answer 3

Integrated system of living and nonliving parts and processes

Question 4

Inflow

Answer 4

Sunlight and materials like carbon, nitrogen,
and water

Question 5

Outflow

Answer 5

Heat and materials like carbon,nitrogen ,
and water

Question 6

Biotic

Answer 6

Living things

Question 7

Abiotic

Answer 7

Non living things

Question 8

Challenges to Sustainable Development

Answer 8

-Improved ability to monitor and forecast long-term trends
*Ecosystem–social system connections
*Thresholds of change
*Incentives for sustainable behavior
*Integration of learning and action

Question 9

Principles of Ecosystem Functions

Answer 9

-Ecosystems are open Ecosystem change is inevitable and essential to gains and losses of energy and matter
-Matter or energy is neither created nor destroyed
-Ecosystem change is inevitable and essential

Question 10

ecosystem integrity

Answer 10

the completeness and functionality of an ecosystem, new life taking place.

Question 11

provisioning ecosystem Services

Answer 11

any type of benefit to people that can be extracted from nature.

Question 12

negative feedback

Answer 12

when the product of a reaction leads to a decrease in that reaction

Question 13

Homeostasis

Answer 13

a self-regulating process by which a living organism can maintain internal stability while adjusting to changing external conditions