Environmental Studies Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, concepts, and case studies of Environmental Studies Units 1, 2, and 3.

Environmental Studies

The systematic study of the environment and the interactions between humans and their surroundings.

Biotic components

The living components of an environment, including plants, animals, microorganisms, and humans.

Abiotic components

The non-living components of an environment, such as air, water, soil, temperature, sunlight, and minerals.

Environner

The French word from which 'environment' is derived, meaning to encircle or surround.

Multidisciplinary

The nature of Environmental Studies (EVS) because it combines knowledge from natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and applied sciences.

Environmental Science

A field that focuses strongly on the scientific investigation of the environment using biology, chemistry, physics, and ecology.

Biodiversity

The variety of life at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.

Social issues in EVS

Topics including population, urbanisation, poverty, resource consumption, and sustainable development.

Sustainable Development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Brundtland Commission

The body that provided the standard definition of sustainable development in $1987$.

The Three Pillars of Sustainable Development

Environmental, social, and economic factors that must be balanced for true sustainability.

Environmental Pillar

A pillar of sustainable development focusing on conservation, ecosystem protection, and pollution reduction.

Social Pillar

A pillar of sustainable development focusing on health, education, equity, and quality of life.

Economic Pillar

A pillar of sustainable development focusing on growth, employment, productivity, and long-term stability.

Intergenerational Equity

The concept of fairness between present and future generations regarding resource use.

Intragenerational Equity

The concept of fairness within the same generation, such as between rich and poor or developed and developing nations.

Natural Resources

Materials and components provided by nature that humans use, such as water, forests, and minerals.

Renewable resources

Resources that can naturally regenerate within a human-relevant timescale, such as solar and wind energy.

Non-renewable resources

Resources that exist in finite quantities or regenerate extremely slowly, such as coal and petroleum.

3R Principle

The strategy for waste management consisting of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A set of $17$ goals adopted by the UN in $2015$ to address global challenges.

SDG Target Year

The year $2030$ is the target for achieving the $17$ Sustainable Development Goals.

Atmosphere

The blanket of gases surrounding the Earth, representing the air segment.

Hydrosphere

The segment of the environment comprising various water bodies present on Earth.

Lithosphere

The segment of the environment containing various types of soils and rocks.

Biosphere

The segment composed of all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

Life Sciences

The group of disciplines including biology, biochemistry, and microbiology that contribute to EVS.

Physical Sciences

Disciplines like physics, chemistry, and atmospheric science that provide technical understanding for EVS.

Modeling in EVS

The application of mathematics, statistics, and computer science to analyze environmental data.

Management and Awareness

The contribution of fields like economics, sociology, law, and education to solving environmental issues.

Environmental Processes Sequence

The flow of environmental substances studied as: Sources $\rightarrow$ Reactions $\rightarrow$ Transport $\rightarrow$ Effects $\rightarrow$ Fate.

EVS Objectives Progression

The developmental path for students: Awareness $\rightarrow$ Knowledge $\rightarrow$ Concern $\rightarrow$ Participation $\rightarrow$ Skills.

Ecosystem

A functional unit in which living organisms interact with one another and the non-living components of their environment.

Producers

Organisms capable of producing their own food, generally through photosynthesis at the first trophic level.

Consumers

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and must obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Primary consumers

Herbivores that eat producers, occupying the second trophic level.

Secondary consumers

Organisms that feed on primary consumers, often carnivores or omnivores.

Tertiary consumers

Organisms that feed on secondary consumers.

Decomposers

Organisms like bacteria and fungi that break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients.

Food Chain

A simple sequence showing the transfer of food and energy from one organism to another.

Food Web

A complex network of multiple interconnected food chains representing real feeding relationships.

Trophic Level

An organism's specific position in a food chain.

10% Law

The principle by Raymond Lindeman stating only about $10\%$ of energy is transferred to the next level.

Raymond Lindeman

The scientist associated with the formulation of the $10\%$ law of energy transfer.

Energy Flow

The unidirectional movement of energy from the Sun through producers and consumers.

Nutrient Cycling

The process where matter is recycled within ecosystems, unlike energy which flows one way.

Biomass

The total mass of living biological material present in an ecosystem or trophic level.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of energy produced by producers through photosynthesis.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy remaining after plant respiration, calculated as $NPP = GPP - \text{Respiration}$.

Biome

A large ecological region characterized by specific climate, vegetation, and animals.

Emergent layer

The tallest trees in a forest extending above the main canopy.

Canopy

The dense upper layer of a forest formed by tree crowns that receives the most sunlight.

Understory

The forest layer beneath the canopy containing smaller trees and shrubs.

Forest floor

The lowest forest layer containing dead organic matter and decomposers.

Desert characteristics

A biome primarily defined by low precipitation, which can be either hot or cold.

Lentic ecosystem

Ecosystems of standing or still water, such as lakes and ponds.

Lotic ecosystem

Ecosystems of flowing water, such as rivers and streams.

Estuary

A high-productivity region where freshwater from rivers mixes with seawater.

Plankton

Small organisms that drift with water currents, including phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Phytoplankton

Photosynthetic drifting organisms that function as aquatic producers.

Nekton

Aquatic organisms capable of actively swimming against currents, such as fish and whales.

Benthos

Organisms living on or associated with the bottom of aquatic ecosystems.

Ecological Succession

The gradual change in the composition and structure of an ecological community over time.

Primary Succession

Succession that begins in an area where no established soil exists, such as bare rock.

Secondary Succession

Succession that occurs in an area where soil remains after a disturbance.

Pioneer species

The first organisms to colonize a new or disturbed area, such as lichens or mosses.

Climax community

A relatively stable, mature community that develops in the later stages of succession.

Land Degradation

The deterioration in the quality or productivity of land due to natural processes or human activities.

Soil Erosion

The removal of the fertile upper layer of soil by agents like water and wind.

Desertification

The process of land degradation in dry areas resulting in increasingly desert-like conditions.

Deforestation

The large-scale removal or clearing of forests, leading to habitat loss and carbon emissions.

Water Overexploitation

Extracting water faster than the resource can naturally replenish.

Groundwater

Water stored beneath the Earth's surface in soil and rock formations.

Aquifer

A geological formation capable of storing and transmitting groundwater.

Water Dispute

Conflict arising from competing needs for the access, allocation, and control of shared water resources.

Upstream region

An area closer to the source or headwaters of a river.

Krishna Water Dispute

A major interstate river dispute in India involving Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

Hydroelectricity

Electricity generated using the energy of moving or falling water.

Dams

Structures built across rivers for water storage, which may cause habitat destruction or displacement.

Solar energy

A renewable energy source derived from sunlight.

Wind energy

A renewable energy source derived from moving air.

Geothermal energy

Heat energy derived from inside the Earth.

Biomass energy

Energy derived from organic biological material.

Tidal energy

Energy obtained from the movement of ocean tides.

Alternative energy

Energy sources used as substitutes for conventional fossil fuels.

Global energy demand factors

Growth in population, industrialisation, urbanisation, and rising living standards.

Genetic diversity

Diversity within a single species, such as different varieties of rice.

Species diversity

The variety of different species existing within a specific area.

Ecosystem diversity

The variety of different habitats or ecological complexes like forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

Environmental awareness

Understanding the causes, consequences, and solutions of environmental problems.

Renewable energy types

The seven major types are solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, tidal, and wave energy.

Nuclear energy fuel

Uranium, which is generally classified as a non-renewable resource.

Primary vs. Secondary succession speed

Secondary succession is generally faster because soil and seed banks are already present.

Energy pyramid shape

An energy pyramid is always upright because energy decreases at each successive trophic level.

Pollution

The introduction of harmful substances or energy into the environment.

Thermal pollution

A type of environmental pollution involving the release of excessive heat into water or air.

Interdisciplinary EVS

The approach of bringing together knowledge from different fields to understand a common environmental issue.

Lotic vs. Lentic mnemonic

Lentic refers to Lake (standing); Lotic refers to Running water.

Environmental adaptation

Special features of organisms to survive, such as waxy surfaces or nocturnal behavior in deserts.

Habitat destruction

A major ecological impact of industrialisation, deforestation, and dam construction.