geography key words fragile planet

age structure

How the population is distributed across different age groups.

aquifer

An underground water-bearing layer.

atmosphere

The air around us.

biofuels

Fuels made from biomass.

carbon dioxide/ CO2

Greenhouse gas that traps heat from the sun.

carying capacity

The Earth’s ability to meet human needs without upsetting the balance of nature.

circular agriculture

Sustainable form of agriculture that does not require external inputs.

demographic transition model

Moddel that shows the transition from a society with high birth rate and high death rate to a society with low birth rate and low death rate.

developing coutry

Relatively poor country with a low level of development.

ecological footprint

Number that shows how many global hectares of surface area a person or country uses on average.

economic water scarcity

When there is enough water in an area, but not enough money or technical expertise to pump it out of the ground, purify it and,or store it.

Economies of scale

The process of maximizing products while lowering the cost per unit by increasing the scale of production (in agriculture: crops).

emerging country

country that is not yet fully developed, but that has a rapidly growing economy.

factory farming/ intensive livestock farming

Farming where the animals are treated like machines and the stable like factory.

family planning

birth control

fertility rate

The average number of children born per woman.

food footprint

The amount of land needed to grow enough food per inhabitnt or per country.

fossil fuel

Fuel (natural gas, oil and coal) formed over milions of years from plant or animal remains.

Geographic Information System/ GIS

Computer system that can store and display information about a particular location.

geothermal energy

Sustainable energy drawn from the natural heat deep inside the Earth.

Green Revolution

The introduction of better, faster-growing varieties of agricultural crops, compind with the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.

(natural) greenhouse effect

when gases in the atmosphere trap the sun’s heat.

greenhouse gas

gasses in the atmosphere (water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone) that can absorb and gradually release heat, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

groundwater

Water found under the surface of the Earth.

hydroelectricity

Electricity generated by water power.

intensification

Boosting agricultural production per hectare or per animal through the use of machinery, fertilizers, pesticides and higher-quality seed.

intensive agriculture

Agricultural systems that require a lot of capital and resources per hectare or per animal in order to achieve high yields.

intensive crop farming

Type of crop farming that requires a lot of money and resources per hectare in order to achieve high amount of products.

intensive livestock farming/ factory farming

Type of livestock farming that requires a lot of capital and resouces per animal in order to achieve high yiels.

irrigation

Artificial methods for watering crops.

level of prosperity

Having enough resources to meet your needs. It’s about people’s incomes.

mixed farm

Farm with both crops and livestock.

monoculture

Growing only one type of crop.

natural resources

Materials found in nature that are useful to humans.

overpopulation

When there are more people living in an area than there are resources to support them.

ozone layer

Part of the atmosphere that filters out harmful ultraviolete radiation from the sun.

population ageing

Increase in the percentage of the population aged 65 or older.

population explosion

sharp increase in population due to natural population growth.

population projection

Estimation of the future size of a population.

precision agriculture

From of agriculture that is tailored to the specific needs and growing conditionsof each crop in order to maximize yields while minimizing the enviormentl impact.

remote sensing

Techiniques for observing the Earth from a distance.

sea-level rise

Higher sea levels coused by the melting of claciers and land ice and the thermal expansion of sea water.

solar energy

Electricity generating by useing solar panels.

specialization

when a company or economic sector becomes increasingly focused on a single product or market. In the agricultural sectory, this means choosing to grow only one crop or raise only one type of livestock.

surface water

Water on the surface on the Earth.

sustainable/ sustainability

Managing natural resources reponsibly so that there is enough left for future generations.

sustainable agriculture

Form of agriculture that seeks to grow enough crops for food while maintaining the fertility of the soil.

temperature gradient

The temperature change in the Earth’s atmosphere for every 100m of elevation, measred in dregrees Celsius.

water balance

The difference between precipitation and evaporation.

water footprint

The number of litres of water used per person or per country.

water scarcity

Shortage of water in an area.

wind energy

Energy generated using wind turbines.