Environmental Science: Chapters 1, 3, and Ecosystem Dynamics

Vocabulary review covering the scientific method, environmental ethics, trophic levels, productivity, biogeochemical cycles, and biome characteristics.

Science

The study of the natural world through observation and experiments.

Basic science

Research done to increase knowledge.

Applied science

Using scientific knowledge to solve problems.

Inductive reasoning

Using observations to make a general conclusion.

Deductive reasoning

Using a general rule to make a specific prediction.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction.

Independent variable

The factor being changed.

Dependent variable

The factor being measured.

Peer review

Scientists check research for accuracy and errors.

Sustainable development

Meeting current needs without harming future generations' ability to meet their needs.

Ecological footprint

The amount of resources a person uses and waste they produce.

Frontier ethic

The belief that nature has unlimited resources for humans to use.

Sustainable ethic

Using resources responsibly so they last.

Land ethic

The belief that humans should respect and protect the land.

Environmental racism

When minority or low-income communities face more environmental hazards.

Photoautotroph

An organism that uses sunlight to make food.

Chemoautotroph

An organism that uses chemical energy to make food.

Producers

Organisms that make their own food.

Consumers

Organisms that eat other organisms.

Primary consumer

An organism that eats producers.

Secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers.

Tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers.

Apex

The top predator in a food chain.

Carnivore

An animal that eats other animals.

Herbivore

An animal that eats plants.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead matter.

Detritivore

An organism that eats dead organic material.

Gross primary productivity

The total energy producers capture.

Net primary productivity

Energy left after producers use some for respiration.

Biomagnification

The increase of toxins in organisms higher in a food chain.

Biogeochemical cycles

The movement of matter through living things and the environment.

Hydrosphere

All the water on Earth.

Drinkable water concerns

Most of Earth's water is saltwater or frozen, and freshwater can be polluted or difficult to access.

Water cycle

Driven mainly by the Sun and gravity.

Sublimation

Ice changes directly into water vapor.

Evapotranspiration

Water evaporates from land and is released by plants.

Nitrification

Bacteria change ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates.

Denitrification

Bacteria change nitrates into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere.

Phosphorus cycle

A biogeochemical cycle with almost no air part, differing from the nitrogen and carbon cycles which both have big air parts.

Atmospheric sulfur dioxide concern

It makes acid rain that hurts plants, water, and buildings.

Terrestrial biomes distribution pattern

The general sequence beginning at the equator and moving north and south: Rainforest $\rightarrow$ grassland $\rightarrow$ temperate forest $\rightarrow$ taiga $\rightarrow$ tundra.

Coral reef concerns

They are dying from warming water, pollution, and acid oceans, which is significant because they hold tons of ocean life.

Tropical Rain Forests

Biomes that are being cut down despite making lots of oxygen, storing carbon, and having the most species; they are unique for their crazy high biodiversity and constant warm rain.