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What is Environmental Science?
The study of the impacts of human activities on environmental systems, including large-scale actions and individual behaviors.
What are Environmental Indicators?
Measures that reflect the environmental health of a system, including biological diversity, human population growth, and pollution levels.
Biological Diversity
The variety of genes, species, habitats, and ecosystems on Earth, currently threatened by human activities leading to extinction.
Human Population Growth
The increase in the global population, which reached eight billion in November 2022, affecting demand for resources and environmental health.
Food Production as an Environmental Indicator
Food grain production relates to environmental health, influenced by agricultural practices and land quality.
Resource Consumption
The use of resources in a way that can either preserve or deplete them, reflecting sustainability practices.
Global Temperatures and Greenhouse Gases
Earth's temperature influenced by greenhouse gas concentrations which are significantly affected by human activities.
Pollution Levels: Lead
The presence of lead in the environment serves as an indicator of pollution resulting from human activity.
Scientific Method
An objective approach to exploring the natural world, drawing inferences, and predicting outcomes.
Mean Residence Time (MRT)
The average time a portion of a system remains within that system, essential for understanding pollutant dynamics.
Open and Closed Systems
Open systems allow for the exchange of matter and energy, whereas closed systems do not exchange matter.
Feedback Loops
Interactions within systems, where changes in one component affect others; crucial for understanding environmental dynamics.
Overshoot
When a system exceeds its stable set point due to delays in response to signals, leading to potential crashes.
Net Population Change Formula
Net Population Change = Input (Births + Immigration) – Output (Deaths + Emigration), used to understand population dynamics.
What is a keystone species?
A species whose extinction would lead to significant changes in the structure of an ecosystem.
What does anthropogenic mean?
Referring to effects, processes, or substances that are a result of human activity.
What is meant by sustainable use of resources?
Using resources in a manner that meets present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs.
Habitat loss
The primary driver of species decline and accelerated extinction rates due to human activities.
