Environment
The sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life
Environmental science
The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature
Ecosystem
A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components
Biotic
Living
Abiotic
Non living
Ecosystem services
The processes by which life supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced.
Environmental indicator
An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system.
Biodiversity
The diversity of life forms in an environment
Genetic diversity
A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population
Species
A group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties
Species diversity
The number of species in a region or in a particular ecosystem.
Speciation
The evolution of new species
Background extinction rate
The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term
Greenhouse gases
Gases in Earths atmosphere that trap heat near the surface
Anthropogenic
Derived from human activities
Per capita
Amount per each person in a country or unit of population
Development
Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement
Sustainability
Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources
Biophilia
Love of life
Ecological footprint
A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land.
Control group
In a scientific investigation, a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the singl variable under study
Accuracy
How close a measured value is to the actual or true vaule
Terrestrial
of, on or relating to Earth; land based