AICE Environmental Management Vocabulary List Units 1-3

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from Units 1-3 of AICE Environmental Management.

environment

The surroundings or habitat in which an organism lives.

species

A group of living organisms made up of individuals that can produce fertile offspring when they reproduce.

carrying capacity

The number of a species which a region can support without environmental degradation.

sustainability

The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

ecosystem

A biological community of organisms interacting with each other and the physical environment.

pollution

The presence or introduction into the environment of a harmful substance.

biodiversity

The number of different living organisms found within an ecosystem or region.

water cycle

The process in which water moves from the sea, into the atmosphere, onto and into land and back into the sea.

evaporation

The process by which liquid turns to gas.

precipitation

Water that falls to the ground as rain, snow, hail and sleet.

transpiration

Water lost through the leaves of plants.

humidity

The percentage of water vapour in the air.

infiltration

The movement of water into the soil from the surface.

groundwater

The water found underground in cracks and spaces in the soil, sand and rocks.

atmosphere

The envelope of gases, vapour and dust that surround Earth.

greenhouse gas

Gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation.

photosynthesis

The process by which plants synthesise glucose using carbon dioxide, water and energy from sunlight.

food chain

The feeding sequence of organisms indicating the flow of energy as one species is consumed by the next.

trophic level

A group of organisms within an ecosystem that fill the same level within a food chain.

decomposer

An organism that breaks down organic material.

biomass

The total quantity or weight of organic material in an ecosystem.

population

A group of organisms of the same species living within an ecosystem.

community

The different populations that live together in an ecosystem.

abiotic factors

Non-living things that influence the structure of an ecosystem.

limiting factor

Anything that may slow population growth, or constrain population size.

scientific method

A procedure that involves systematic observation, measurement and experiment to test hypotheses.

hypothesis

A precise, testable statement predicting the outcome of a study.

data

A set of information used for analysis.

variable

A factor that can change in quality, quantity or size in an experiment.

independent variable

A variable that stands alone and is not changed by other variables.

dependent variable

A variable that depends on other factors; it is the variable being measured.

control group

The group of test subjects left untreated or unexposed to the independent variable.

reliable data

Data that is reasonably complete and accurate, works towards answering the hypothesis.

population dynamics

The study of how and why populations change in size.