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What is the main difference between an Environmental Scientist and an Environmentalist?

An Environmental Scientist is a professional with an advanced scientific degree who conducts research objectively, while an Environmentalist is primarily an activist advocating for political and social change.

What defines a system in environmental science?

A system is a set of interacting components that influence one another by exchanging energy or materials.

What are the three main types of fossil fuels?

Coal, oil, and natural gas.

What is fracking used for?

Fracking is a method of extracting oil and natural gas by injecting high-pressure fluid into underground rock formations.

What are the six factors that make Earth habitable?

Safe location, stable star (the Sun), Goldilocks zone, liquid water, dynamic core, and ozone layer.

Define sustainability in environmental terms.

Living in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

What distinguishes renewable resources from non-renewable resources?

Renewable resources can replenish naturally within a human lifespan, while non-renewable resources exist in finite quantities and take millions of years to form.

List the four categories of ecosystem services.

Provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services, and supporting services.

What was a significant effect of the Agricultural Revolution on human population growth?

It led to food surpluses and steady population growth due to permanent settlements.

What does Net Primary Productivity (NPP) represent in an ecosystem?

NPP is the amount of energy that remains after producers use energy for their own processes, reflecting the energy available to consumers.

What is the significance of the 10% rule in ecology?

Typically, only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is passed on to the next, limiting the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem.

What are the main processes in the water cycle?

Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, percolation, and runoff.

What role do decomposers play in the carbon cycle?

Decomposers break down dead organisms, releasing CO₂ back into the soil and atmosphere and recycling nutrients.

What is nitrogen fixation?

The process of converting nitrogen gas (N₂) from the atmosphere into forms usable by plants, such as ammonia or nitrates.

What is the primary source of energy in ecosystems?

Nearly all energy within ecosystems comes from the sun.