AICE ENVT MANAGEMENT VOCABULARY

Sustainability

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

Biome

A large ecological zone characterized by soil, climate, vegetation, and wildlife.

Ecosystem

A biological community of organisms interacting with each other and the physical environment.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living within an ecosystem.

Community

The different populations that live together in an ecosystem.

Habitat

The place that an organism makes its home.

Niche

The role and position that a species fill in an ecosystem.

Photosynthesis

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

Producer

The organism within a food chain that produces its own food source through photosynthesis.

Primary Consumer

Only eat primary producers to obtain energy.

Secondary Consumer

Eat organisms from the first two trophic levels, that is plants and animals.

Tertiary Consumer

Eat organisms from the trophic level below them, that is producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down organic material. Do not belong to a specific trophic level.

Trophic Levels

Feeding levels within food chains.

Aerobic Respiration

The chemical reactions in cells that break down glucose molecules and release energy, carbon dioxide and water.

Bias

When a scientist knowingly or unknowingly incorporates systematic errors into a sampling or testing by selecting or encouraging one outcome over the other.

Reliable Data

Data that is reasonably complete and accurate, works towards answering the hypothesis in a clear and transparent manner and has not been inappropriately altered.

Dependency Ratio

The measure of the dependent (non-working) portion of the population compared to the total independent (working) portion of the population.

Gross Primary Productivity

The rate at which producers convert solar energy into biomass.

Net Primary Productivity

The rate at which producers convert solar energy into biomass minus the loss of energy through respiration.

Ecosystem Productivity

The rate of production of biomass for an ecosystem.

Native Species

A species that originated and developed in a specific ecosystem or region and has adapted to living in that area.

Invasive Species

A species that is able to outcompete other species, causing changes to an ecosystem's balance.

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 sources at an affordable price with a consideration of the environmental impacts.

Water Security

The ability to access sufficient quantities of clean water to maintain adequate standards of food and sanitation.

Acid Deposition

A mix of air pollutants that deposit from the atmosphere as acidic wet or dry deposition.

Photochemical Smog

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

Ozone Hole

An area where the average concentration of ozone is below 100 Dobson Units.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation.