Ch 1+2 APES

Ecosystems

A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their nonliving (abiotic) environment as a system.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A state where a system's overall properties remain stable over time despite ongoing changes and flows within it.

Ecological Footprint

The amount of land and water area required to supply a population's resource use and absorb its waste.

Anthropogenic

Caused or produced by human activity.

Ecofeminism

A movement linking the domination of women and the degradation of nature to shared patriarchal power structures.

Per Capita

A measurement divided by population size, translating to 'per person'.

Misinformation

False or inaccurate information spread regardless of intent to deceive.

Disinformation

False information deliberately spread to deceive.

Hypothesis

A testable, educated guess or proposed explanation for an observation.

Theory

A well-substantiated, broadly accepted explanation of natural phenomena supported by extensive evidence.

Scientific Law

A descriptive statement of a consistent pattern in nature, describing what happens rather than why.

Precision

How close repeated measurements are to each other in terms of consistency and reproducibility.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true or accepted value.

Environmental Justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or income in environmental laws and policies.

Pseudoscience

Claims presented as scientific but lacking supporting evidence or adherence to the scientific method.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Principle stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Principle stating that energy transformations are not 100% efficient, losing some energy as heat while increasing entropy.

Conservationist

An individual who supports the regulated, sustainable use of natural resources for both human benefit and environmental protection.

Preservationist

An individual who advocates protecting nature in its pristine state, largely free from human use or exploitation.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits humans obtain from natural ecosystems, such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation.

Genetic Diversity

The variety of genes or alleles within a species or population.

Speciation

The evolutionary process by which new species form, often due to reproductive isolation.

NIMBY

'Not In My Back Yard' — opposition by residents to a proposed development near their own location.

Biophilia

The innate human tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.

Sustainability

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