Enviro Science

Systems

Networks made up of interconnected parts

System Drivers

factors or processes that cause systems to persist or to change

anthropogenic forces

human-made

transformational change

a shift in fundamental aspects or processes

themes in environmental science

environmental quality, human population, natural resources

ecosystem services

services or resources provided by environmental systems

empiricism

studying real observable phenomena

uniformitarianism

basic patterns and processes are uniform across time and space

parsimony

when two plausible explanations are reasonable, the simpler one is preferred

uncertainty

knowledge changes as new evidence appears

inductive reasoning

specific observation used to make broader generalization

deductive reasoning

use general statement to come to specific conclusion

biotic

living factors of a system

abiotic

nonliving factors

dynamic equalibrium

constant change that evens itself out/two opposing systems that balance each other, stability

law of conservation of matter

matter cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformeda

atoms

smallest particles that exhibit the characteristics of an element