Unit 0 Vocab

Adaptation

a change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.

Biodegradable

a substance or object capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.

Biodiversity

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

Biofuel

a fuel derived directly from living matter like corn, which makes ethanol.

Blizzard

a severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility.

Canals

an artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or ships inland or to convey water for irrigation.

Cash Crop

a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower. Some examples are coffee and tobacco.

Climate Change

a change in global or regional climate patterns, attributed largely to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide from fossil fuels.

Cold Wave

a prolonged period of abnormally cold weather.

Cyclone

a system of winds rotating inward to an area of low atmospheric pressure, with a counterclockwise or clockwise circulation.

Deforestation

permanent destruction of forests to make land available for other uses.

Desalination

the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance such as water or soil.

Drought

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

Earthquake

a sudden and violent shaking of the ground due to movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action.

Ecotourism

tourism directed toward exotic, often threatened, natural environments, intended to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.

Famine

extreme scarcity of food, usually due to environmental factors such as drought.

Flooding

the covering or submerging of normally dry land with a large amount of water.

Fossil Fuels

a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed from the remains of living organisms.

Heat Wave

a prolonged period of abnormally hot weather.

Hurricane

a storm with violent wind, particularly a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic.

Hydroelectricity

form of energy that uses the power of water in motion using waterfalls or dams.

Indigenous

originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

Irrigation

the supply of water to land or crops to help growth, typically by means of channels.

Modification

the transformation of a structure or environment from its original form during development or evolution.

Non-renewable Resources

natural substances that are not replenished at the speed they are consumed; finite resources.

Reforestation

the process of replanting an area with trees.

Renewable Resources

resources that can be sustained naturally, the opposite of non-renewable.

Sedimentation

tendency for particles in water or fluid to settle when it reaches a barrier.

Seismic

relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of the earth and its crust.

Slash and Burn

method of cultivation in which forests are burned and cleared for planting.

Sustainable Development

economic development conducted without depletion of natural resources.

Syncretism

the merging of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.

Subsistence Farming

farmers grow food crops to feed themselves and their families.

Terraced Farming

a method of farming that consists of different "steps" or terraces where water and nutrients trickle down to crops.

Tornado

a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud.

Tropical Storm

a localized, intense low-pressure wind system forming over tropical oceans with hurricane-force winds.

Tsunami

a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or volcanic eruption.

Typhoon

a tropical storm in the Indian or western Pacific oceans.

Vertical Climate Zones

tropical regions indicating specific patterns of elevated growth in Latin American countries.