AICE Environmental Management Vocabulary Flashcards

A collection of key vocabulary terms and definitions from the AICE Environmental Management course material.

Sustainability

The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Through-flow

Sporadic horizontal flow of water within the soil layer.

Interception

Water coming from precipitation that is trapped by trees, canopies, and buildings.

Infiltration

Water moving from the surface to the subsurface.

Run-off

Water coming from precipitation that moves on the surface, downslope.

Low-income economies (LICs)

Countries with a gross national income (GNI) per capita of $1,086 or less.

Middle-income economies (MICs)

Countries with a GNI per capita between $1,086 and $13,205.

High-income economies (HICs)

Countries with a GNI per capita of more than $13,205.

Greenhouse effect

The process by which certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat.

Hydrological cycle

The continuous circulation of water within the Earth and atmosphere.

Ecosystem

Interaction between living organisms and abiotic factors in an area.

Trophic levels

Feeding levels within a food chain, including producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and apex predators.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants synthesize glucose using carbon dioxide, water, and energy from sunlight.

Cellular respiration

The set of metabolic reactions that convert glucose into ATP (energy) and release waste products.

Biomagnification

The increase in concentration of substances, such as pesticides, in the tissues of organisms at each trophic level.

Acid deposition

Acidic pollutants that fall to the surface as precipitation.

Photochemical smog

A mixture of air pollutants formed when oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of sunlight.

Ozone layer

A region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spread widely in a new habitat and can disrupt the local ecosystem.

Renewable resources

Resources that can be replenished naturally over time, such as solar energy and timber.

Nonrenewable resources

Resources that exist in finite amounts and will not be replenished within a human lifetime, such as fossil fuels.

Food security

When all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Energy security

The reliable availability of energy resources at an affordable price.

Water table

The uppermost level of an underground surface in which the soil or rocks are permanently saturated with water.

Aquifer

Underground layers of water-bearing permeable rock that can yield significant amounts of water.

Geo-engineering

Deliberate interventions in the Earth's natural systems to counteract climate change.

Climate feedback mechanisms

Processes that can either amplify or diminish the effects of climate change.