Environmental Sciences and Sustainability

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to ecosystems, sustainability, management principles, and threats to environmental health as outlined in the Environmental Sciences and Sustainability lecture.

Ecosystem

Dynamic complexes of plant, animal, and microorganism communities interacting with each other and their non-living environment.

Sustainable Ecosystem

An ecosystem that maintains its essential structure, processes, and functions over time while providing goods and services for present and future generations.

Producers

Organisms, primarily green plants, that capture solar energy through photosynthesis and form the base of the ecosystem's energy pyramid.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms; includes herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.

Decomposers

Organisms like bacteria and fungi that break down dead matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem, essential for ecosystem resilience.

Ecosystem degradation

The deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water, and soil, often caused by human activities.

Invasive species

Species that are introduced to an ecosystem and can outcompete native species, disrupting ecosystem dynamics.

Policy & Stewardship

Government policies and community involvement that foster sustainable ecosystems through regulations, land-use planning, and conservation efforts.

Adaptive management

A flexible, learning-based approach to managing ecosystems that integrates modern science and the wisdom of local or Indigenous communities.