Terms & Definitions Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is sustainability?
Meeting current needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet theirs.
What is an ecological footprint?
A measure of human demand on Earth’s resources, expressed as the area needed to sustain their resource use and waste.
What are Environmental Value Systems (EVS)?
A worldview shaping how individuals or societies perceive and address environmental issues.
What is a negative feedback loop?
A response that counteracts change, stabilizing a system.
What is a positive feedback loop?
A response amplifying change, driving the system toward an extreme.
What are abiotic factors?
Non-living components of an ecosystem (e.g., temperature, water).
What are biotic factors?
Living components of an ecosystem (e.g., animals, plants).
What is carrying capacity?
Maximum population size an environment can sustainably support.
What is Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)?
Total energy or biomass produced by producers (plants) per unit area per unit time.
What is Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?
Energy remaining after plant respiration; NPP = GPP - respiration.
What is biodiversity?
The variety and variability of life on Earth.
What is species richness?
The total number of different species in a given area.
What is habitat fragmentation?
Breaking habitats into smaller, isolated pieces, reducing biodiversity.
What is conservation?
Active management of natural resources to ensure sustainability.
What is in situ conservation?
Protecting species in their natural habitat.
What is ex situ conservation?
Protecting species outside their natural habitats (zoos, seed banks).
What is an aquifer?
An underground layer of rock or soil storing groundwater.
What is eutrophication?
Excess nutrients in water leading to rapid algae growth and oxygen depletion.
What is sustainable yield?
The rate at which a resource can be used without reducing its availability for future generations.
What is soil erosion?
Loss of soil due to wind or water, affecting soil fertility.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
Increased greenhouse gases trapping more heat, warming Earth’s climate.
What is the albedo effect?
Reflectivity of Earth’s surfaces; high albedo surfaces reflect more sunlight.
What is ozone depletion?
Reduction in the stratospheric ozone layer, primarily caused by CFCs.
What is photochemical smog?
Air pollution formed from sunlight reacting with pollutants from vehicles.
