Environmental Science Unit 2 Vocab

Elevation

the height above or below a fixed point, most commonly sea-level

Latitude

the angular distance of a place north or south of the equator

Longitude

the angular distance east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England

Topography

the arrangement of physical features of an area

Terrestrial biome

communities of animals and plants in a region of land with similar climate

Weather

the state of the atmosphere in regard to temperature, wind direction, air pressure, and precipitation

Biogeography

the study of the global distribution and diversity of organisms

Ecological disruption

an event or force that brings death to a species or drastic changes to an ecosystem

Ecological tolerance

the ability of an organism to endure unfavorable environmental conditions

Endemic

being native or limited to one area or region

Island biogeography

the study of the ecological and community relationships and species distribution on islands

Island biogeography model

a model to explain what happens to the diversity of an island before, during, and after immigration

Island gigantism

a phenomenon in which an isolated organism on an island increases dramatically in size compared to its mainland relatives

Species-area effect

the larger the area, the more resources there are and the more species it can support

Target effect

the idea that larger islands have higher immigration rates because they are a bigger target

Time-stability hypothesis

states that diversity is directly related to the length of time that a region has existed

Conservation

the saving of a resource by managing how it is used

Degradation

the process of wearing down, becoming weaker, or getting worse

Ecosystem services

benefits and resources provided to humans by the environment

Environmental activism

addressing environmental concerns through the cooperation and collaboration of individuals, governments, and various social, scientific, political, and conservation organizations

Exploitation

the unfair and unequal treatment of people or use of resources

Laws

a system of rules that regulate the behavior of a particular country or community

Legislation

a collection of laws

Lobbyists

people who take part in an organized attempt to influence legislators

Overfishing

the removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate that the species cannot replenish

Overgrazing

when livestock and wildlife eat vegetation at a rate faster than it can grow back

Regulation

a definition, law, or rule ordered by some authority to control behaviors or activities

Politics

the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area

Tragedy of the Commons

a problem in which every individual has an incentive to consume a shared resource, but at the expense of every other individual, depleting or spoiling the shared resource by their collective actions

Carbon drawdown

withdrawal of carbon from a reservoir or repository, such as the atmosphere

Carbon sequestering

the carbon capture and the long-term storage of atmospheric carbon or other forms of carbon to control global warming

Clearcutting

cutting down and removing every tree from an area

Deforestation

removal of trees from forests by logging or burning

Drought

a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water

Habitat fragmentation

a process by which large habitats get divided into smaller, isolated patches of habitat

Livestock

domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool

Logger

a person who harvests trees for lumber

Wildfire

an uncontrolled fire in a forest, grassland, brushland, or land used for crops

Hydraulic fracturing

the forcing open of cracks in deep rock and introducing high pressure liquid to extract oil and gas, also known as fracking

Mineral

a solid chemical compound, often in crystalized form, that occurs naturally

Mining

the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth

Ore

type of rock that contains minerals that can be extracted from the rock

Reclamation

the process of restoring or retaking an ecosystem for cultivation or other use

Strip mining

a surface mining technique that involves the removal of strips of soil and rock to expose the underlying ore

Subsurface mining

underground mining that removes minerals from deep in the earth

Surface mining

any mining technique that involves removing minerals near the surface of the earth

Combustion

the process of burning something

E-waste

the collective word used to describe discarded technology and electronic devices; the abbreviation for electronic waste

Hazardous waste

solid waste that is toxic, carcinogenic, or mutagen

Incinerator

devices that burn or combust garbage

Landfill

a place that holds solid waste material by burying it and covering it over soil

Leachate

fluid that leaches from the decomposition of trash

Microbes

microorganisms that are too small to see but found in every habitat

Municipal solid waste

garbage generated by residences and businesses