APES vocab

all?

environment

the circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or group of organisms as well as the complex of social or cultural conditions that affect an individual or community

environmental science

the systematic, scientific study of our environment as well as our role in it

utilitarian conservation

a philosophy that resources should be used for the greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time

biocentric preservation

a philosophy that emphasizes the fundamental right of living organisms to exist and to pursue their own goods

environmentalism

active participation in attempt to solve environmental pollution and resource problems

global environmentalism

a concern for, and action to help solve, global environmental problems

human developement index (HDI)

a measure of quality of life expectancy, child survival, adult literacy, childhood education, gender equality, and access to clean water and sanitation as well as income

sustainable development

a real increase in well-being and standard of life for the average person that can be maintained over the long-term without degrading teh environment or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

stewardship

a philosophy that holds that humans have a unique responsibility to manage, care for, and improve nature

ecological footprint

a measure that computes the demands placed on nature by individuals and nations

environmental justice

a recognition that access to a clean, healthy environment is a fundamental right of all human beings

environmental realism

the idea that we can understand 'nature' objectively, 'as it really is' and imposing restrictions on development out of respect for the boundaries and limits of ecological sustainability

conservation

consideration of landscape, human culture, topography, and ecological values

preservation

to keep safe from harm or injury, protect or spare

ecology

the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment

extreme poverty

living on less than $1(U.S.) per day

environmental ethics

a search for moral values and ethical principles in human relations with the natural world

controlled studies

those in which comparisons are made between experimental and control populations that are identical in every factor except the one factor being studied

deductive reasoning

deriving testable predictions about specific cases from general principles

inductive reasoning

inferring general principles from specific examples

independent variable

a variable whose value determines the value of other variables

dependent variable

a variable whose value is determined by the value of an independent variable

carbon sink

places of carbon accumulation, causes carbon to be removed from the carbon cycle for a long time

cellular respiration

the process in which a cell breaks down sugar or other organic compounds to release energy used for cellular work

conservation of matter

matter changes form in a chemical reaction, but is never created nor destroyed

first law of thermodynamics

the fundamental principle of physics that the total energy of an isolated system is constant despite internal changes, energy is conserved and is neither created nor destroyed under normal conditions

photosynthesis

the biochemical process by which green plants and some bacteria capture light energy and use it to produce chemical bonds, carbon dioxide and water are consumed while oxygen and simple sugars are produced

second law of thermodynamics

a law stating that mechanical work can be derived from a body only when that body interacts with another at a lower temperature, with each successive energy transfer or transformation in a system, less energy is available to do work

trophic level

step in the movement of energy through an ecosystem; an organism's feeding level

commensalism

a symbiotic relationship in which one member is benefited and the second is neither harmed nor benefited

diversity

the number of species present in a community as well as the relative abundance of each species

abundance

the number or amount of something

ecological niche

the functional role and position of a species within a community or ecosystem including what resources it uses, how and when it uses the resources, and how it interacts with other populations

edge effects

a change in species composition, physical conditions, or other ecological factors at the boundary between two ecosystems

environmental indicators

organisms or physical factors that serve as a gauge for environmental changes

interspecific competition

competition for resources among members of different species in a community

intraspecific competition

competition for resources among members of the same species in a community

keystone species

a species whose impact on its community or ecosystem are much larger and more influential than would be expected from mere abundance

mutualism

a symbiotic relationship between individuals of two different species in which both species benefit from the association

natural selection

the mechanism for evolutionary change in which environmental pressures cause certain genetic combinations in a population to become more abundant; genetic combinations best adapted fix present environmental conditions tend to become predominant

pioneer

in primary successin on a terrestrial site, the plants, lichens, and microbes that first colonize the site

primary productivity

synthesis of organic materials (biomass) by green plants using the energy captured in photosynthesis

primary succession

an ecological succession that begins in a an area where no biotic community previously existed

secondary succession

succession on a site where an existing community has been disrupted

resource partitioning

in a biological community, various populations sharing environmental resources through specialization, thereby reducing direct competition

symbiosis

the intimate living together of members of two different species; includes mutualism commensalisms and in some classification parasitism

tolerance limits

chemical or physical factors that limit the existence, growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism

barrier islands

low, narrow, sandy islands that form offshore from a coastline

biomes

a broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions

mangroves

Trees from a number of genera that live in salt water; serve as nursery for many fish

marshes

wetlands without trees but with grasses

thermocline

In water, a distinctive temperature transition zone that separates an upper layer that is mixed by wind (the epilimnion) and a colder, deep layer that is not mixed (the hypolimnion)

wetlands

ecosystems of several types in which rooted vegetation is surrounded by standing water during part of the year

entropy

a thermodynamic quantity representing the amount of energy in a system that is no longer available for doing mechanical work

reefs

Consist of colonies of minute, colonial animals that live symbiotically with photosynthetic algae

benthic

the bottom of a sea or lake

pelagic

zones in the vertical water column of a water body

phytoplankton

Microscopic, free-floating, autotrophic organisms that function as producers in aquatic ecosystems

swamps

wetlands with trees

biotic potential

the maximum reproductive rate of an organism, given unlimited resources and ideal environmental conditions

carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals of any species that can be supported by a particular ecosystem on a long-term basis

emigration

The movement of members out of a population

exponential growth

Growth at a constant rate of increase per unit of time; can be expressed as a constant fraction or exponent

fecundity

the physical ability to reproduce

fertility

measurement of actual number of offspring produced through sexual reproduction: usually described in terms of number of offspring of females, since parternity can be difficult to determine

genetic drift

The gradual changes in gene frequencies in a population due to random events

island biogeography

the study of rates of colonization and extinction of species on islands or other isolated areas based on size, shape, and distance from other inhabited regions

J curve

a growth curve that depicts exponential growth

life expectancy

the average age that a newborn infant can expect to attain in a particular time and place

life span

the longest period of life reached by a type of organism

logistic growth

growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth, constantly changes rate

mortality

death rate in a population; the probability of dying

natality

production of new individuals by birth, hatching, germination or cloning

S curve

a curve that depicts logistic growth

survivorship

the percentage of a population reaching a given age or the proportion of the maximum life span of the species reached by an individual

crude birth rates

The number of births in a year divided by the midyear population

crude death rates

The number of deaths per thousand persons in a given year; also called crude mortality rate

demographic transition

A pattern of falling death rates and birthrates in response to improved living conditions; could be reversed in deteriorating conditions

demography

Vital statistics about people; irths, marriages, deaths, etc.; the statistical study of human populations relating to growth rate, age structure, geographic distribution, etc., and their effects on social, economic, and environmental conditions

total growth rate

The net rate of population growth resulting from births, deaths, immigration, and emigration

zero population growth (ZPG)

the number of births at which people are just replacing themselves, also called replacement level of fertility

disease

a deleterious change in the body's condition in response to destabilizing factors, such as nutrition, chemicals, or biological agents

emergent disease

a new disease or one that has been absent for at least 20 years

endocrine disrupters

chemicals that disrupt normal hormone functions

environmental health

the scince of external factors that cause disease, including elements of the natural, social, cultural, and technological worlds in which we live

LD50

a chemical dose lethal to 50% of a test population

morbidity

illness or disease, the quality of being unhealthful and generally bad for you

mutagens

agents, such as chemicals or radiation, that damage or alter genetic material (DNA) in cells

neurotoxins

toxic substances, such as lead or mercury, that specifically poison nerve cells

pathogens

an organism that produces disease in a host organism disease being alteration of one or more metabolic functions in response to the presence of the organism

persistent organic pollutants (POPS)

chemical compounds that persist in the environment and retain biological activity for long times

risk

probability that something undesirable will happen as a consequence of exposure to a hazard

risk assessment

evaluation of the short-term and long-term risks associated with a particular activity or hazard; usually compared to benefits in a cost-benefit analysis

sick building syndrome

headaches, allergies, chronic fatigue and other symptoms caused by poorly vented indoor air contaminated by pathogens or toxins

synergism

An interaction in which one substance exacerbates the effects of another. The sum of the interaction is greater than the parts

teratogens

Chemicals or other factors that specifically cause abnormalities during embryonic growth and development

toxins

poisonous chemicals that react with specific cellular components to kill cells or to alter growth or development in undesirable ways; often harmful, even in dilute concentrations

heap-leach extraction

a technique for separating gold from extremely low-grade ores, crushed ore is piled in huge heaps and sprayed with a dilute alkaline-ayanide solution, which is separated from the effluent in a processing plant, this process has high potential for water pollution

igneous rock

crystalline materials solidified from molten magma from deep in the earth's interior; basalt, rhyollite, andesite, lava, and granite for example

metamorphic rock

igneous and sedimentary rocks modified by heat, pressure, and chemical reactions