Environment Test Flashcards
(17 cards)
Consumerism
Preoccupation of society with the acquisition of consumer goods.
Water Pollution
Human action of taking out too much water and putting the wrong things back in that leads to harm to the environment.
Land Degredation
As humans remove native plants or continuously farm on land, land degradation can occur usually in the form of salinity.
Atmospheric Degradation
When humans emit toxic gases such as factory smog, cigarette smoke and many more, the ozone layer receives change which can ultimately have negative effects on the environment including climate change.
Sources (Provisioning Services)
Natural products that can be used or converted by humans for our use. Eg. Coal into fuel, natural forests into timber.
Sinks (Regulating Services)
Processes in the natural environment that absorb human kind’s waste. Eg. Microorganisms in the ocean that break down oil spills, bacteria in the soil that breaks down human waste.
Services (Supporting Services)
Things that are done for us by the natural environment that don’t produce consumable resources. Eg. Wetlands filter water and slow flood waters, trees absorb CO2 and emit O2.
Spirituality (Cultural Services)
The personal relationships that human beings have with the environment. Eg. Indigenous Australians and ancestral lands, hikers and forests.
Invasive Species
Groups of organisms found in an area that they are not native to that have the potential to disrupt the biodiversity of an environment.
Sustainability
A key geographical concept which refers to the ongoing capacity to maintain all life.
Biodiversity
Term used by geographers and scientists to describe the variety of living organisms present in a particular ecosystem or region.
Human Centred
The belief that humans are the most important creatures on Earth and that everything else is there to support human lifestyles.
Earth Centred
The belief that humans are no more important than other organisms and that humans have the responsibility to use the Earth’s resources sustainably.
Deforestation
The destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses.
Human Settlement
A space or area with permanent housing for a population.
Coastal Land Reclamation
Process of creating new land from the ocean, river beds or lake beds.
Dredging
Removal of sand and sediment from the bottom of water bodies.
