Modules 24, 31, 32 Vocab

Tragedy of the Commons

Tragedy of the Commons

The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted if it is not regulated in some way

Externality

The cost or benefit of a good or service that is not included in the purchase price of that good or service, or otherwise accounted for

Rangelands

Dry, open grasslands primarily used for grazing cattle

Forest

Land dominated by trees and other woody vegetation and sometimes used for commercial logging

Clear Cutting

A method of harvesting trees that involves removing all or almost all of the trees within an area

Selective Cutting

The method of harvesting trees that involves the removal of single trees or a relatively small number of trees from the larger forest

Tree Plantation

A large area typically planted with a single fast-growing tree species

Endangered Species Act

A 1973 U.S. law designed to protect plant and animal species that are threatened with extinction and the habitat that supports those species

Ecological Footprint

A measure of the area of land and water an individual, population, or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to process the waste it generates

Carbon Footprint

A measure of the total carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from the activities, both direct and indirect, of a person, country, or other entity

IPAT Equation

Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology

Sustainability

Being able to use a resource or engage in an activity now without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to engage in similar activities later

Sustainable Development

Development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations

Maximum Sustainable Yield

The largest quantity of a renewable resource that can be harvested indefinitely

Anthropogenic

Derived from human activities