Environmental Science Concepts Review

A set of flashcards designed to help review key concepts in environmental science, including biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate change.

What is biodiversity?

The variety of life across all levels of biological organization.

What is an ecosystem?

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

What is an ecosystem service?

Natural process that benefits humans, such as pollination or water purification.

What is the law of conservation of matter?

Matter cannot be created or destroyed.

What is exponential growth?

Rapid population increase where growth rate remains constant.

What is a population?

A group of individuals of one species living in an area.

What is evolution?

Genetic change in populations over time.

What is an invasive species?

A non-native organism that disrupts ecosystems and harms native species.

What is primary succession?

Ecological development starting from bare rock or new land, such as volcanic islands.

What is mutualism?

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

What is carrying capacity?

The maximum population size an environment can sustain.

What is an ecosystem service example?

Mangroves protecting coastal cities from storms.

What is denitrification?

Process where bacteria convert nitrates back to nitrogen gas (N2).

What is the Haber-Bosch process?

A method of producing synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

What is Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)?

Total energy captured by producers in an ecosystem.

What is Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?

Energy available to consumers after producer respiration.

What is the Industrial Revolution?

A period that increased population growth through technological and industrial advances.

What is an energy subsidy?

Government financial support for energy industries.

Which branch of government makes laws?

Legislative branch.

What is greenwashing?

Misleading marketing that exaggerates environmental benefits.

What is GDP?

Total value of goods and services produced in a country per year.

What is GPI?

Genuine Progress Indicator; includes nonmarket values and subtracts harmful activities.

What is ecocentrism?

A philosophy valuing ecosystems and natural processes above human needs.

What is an ecosystem example?

A leafcutter ant colony with its fungus garden and soil environment.

What is trophic efficiency?

Only about 10% of energy transfers to the next trophic level.

What is a convergent boundary?

Where tectonic plates collide or subduct.

What is the hydrologic cycle?

The continuous movement of water through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

What is nitrogen fixation?

Conversion of nitrogen gas into usable forms by bacteria or lightning.

What is a limiting nutrient in oceans?

Nitrogen.

Where is most of Earth’s freshwater found?

In glaciers and ice caps.

What process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Photosynthesis.

What process releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

Respiration.

What is a negative feedback loop?

A process that stabilizes a system or ecosystem.

What is a positive feedback loop?

A process that amplifies change or instability.

What are ecosystem goods?

Tangible products like food, timber, and medicine from ecosystems.

What is the difference between GPI and GDP?

GPI includes environmental and social factors; GDP only measures economic activity.

What is environmental policy?

Government rules and actions to manage human impacts on the environment.

What is a subsidy?

A government payment to support specific industries or activities.

What is a tax incentive?

A policy tool that encourages or discourages certain behaviors via taxes.

What are fossil fuels?

Energy sources formed from ancient organic matter, like coal and oil.

What is renewable energy?

Energy from sources that replenish naturally, like wind or solar.

What is urban sprawl?

The expansion of cities into rural or natural areas.

What is sustainable agriculture?

Farming that preserves environmental quality for future generations.

What is a monoculture?

A farming practice growing only one crop type.

What is organic farming?

A method avoiding synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and GMOs.

What is soil texture?

The proportion of sand, silt, and clay in soil.

What are mineral materials in soil?

Inorganic particles like sand, silt, and clay.

What is biological pest control?

Using natural predators to manage pests.

What is evolution by natural selection?

Process by which traits improving survival become more common.

What is species diversity?

Variety of species within a region.

What is ecosystem diversity?

Variety of habitats and ecosystems within a region.

What is genetic diversity?

Variation in DNA among individuals of a species.

What is extirpation?

Local extinction of a species from one area, though it exists elsewhere.

What is extinction?

Complete disappearance of a species globally.

What is deforestation?

Clearing forests for agriculture or development.

Who grants forest sustainability certification?

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

What is a biosphere reserve?

A protected area balancing conservation, research, and sustainable use.

What is secondary forest?

Forest regrown after logging or disturbance.

What is prescribed fire?

A controlled burn used to maintain forest health.

What is an ecosystem service of forests?

Purifying air, storing carbon, and regulating climate.

What is desertification?

Degradation of land into desert-like conditions due to overuse or drought.

What is erosion?

The movement of soil by wind, water, or human activity.

What is terracing?

A soil conservation method that reduces runoff on slopes.

What is intercropping?

Planting multiple crops together to reduce pests and improve yield.

What is crop rotation?

Alternating crops to maintain soil fertility.

What is urbanization?

The growth of cities and migration of people to urban areas.

What is ecological footprint?

The area of land needed to support one person’s lifestyle.

What is population density?

Number of individuals per unit area.

What is infant mortality rate?

Number of infant deaths per thousand live births.

What is TFR?

Total Fertility Rate; average number of children per woman.

What is the demographic transition model?

A theory explaining population change from high birth/death rates to low ones.

What is a confined aquifer?

Groundwater trapped between impermeable rock layers.

What is an unconfined aquifer?

Water-bearing layer open to the surface.

What is an estuary?

Where freshwater meets saltwater, such as a river mouth.

What is a salt marsh?

A coastal wetland flooded and drained by tides.

What is a mangrove forest?

A coastal forest with salt-tolerant trees and complex root systems.

What is ocean stratification?

Layering of ocean water by temperature and density.

What are ocean currents?

Horizontal movements of seawater driven by wind and density.

What is the main dissolved ion in seawater?

Chloride.

What is an oligotrophic lake?

Water body with low nutrients and high oxygen levels.

What is eutrophication?

Nutrient enrichment leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

What is a watershed?

Land area draining into a river or waterbody.

What is the water table?

Upper surface of groundwater saturation.

What is the Paris Agreement?

International accord to limit global warming below 2°C.

What is the greenhouse effect?

Gases trapping heat by absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation.

What are greenhouse gases?

CO2, CH4, N2O, and water vapor.

What is the main GHG driving climate change?

Carbon dioxide.

What is mitigation?

Actions reducing causes of climate change, like cutting emissions.

What is adaptation?

Actions adjusting to climate change impacts, like building flood defenses.

What is a carbon tax?

A fee charged for each ton of carbon dioxide emitted.

What is the fee-and-dividend system?

Carbon tax revenue returned to citizens as payments.

What is the polluter-pays principle?

Those who cause pollution must pay for cleanup or prevention.

What is an example of climate mitigation?

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy.

What is an example of climate adaptation?

Installing flood pumps in coastal cities.

What is global warming?

The rise in Earth’s average surface temperature.

What is climate change?

Long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns.

What is a proxy indicator?

Indirect evidence (like tree rings or ice cores) used to study past climates.

What is the ozone layer?

Stratospheric region that absorbs harmful UV radiation.

What are CFCs?

Chlorofluorocarbons; chemicals that deplete ozone.

Where is the ozone hole located?

Over Antarctica.