C1 - Understanding Our Environment & C2 - Principles of Science and Systems Test Study Guide - Mr. Knowles

Science

A process for producing knowledge methodically and logically.

Observation

Precise noticing or measurement of natural phenomena.

Accuracy

The closeness of measurements to the true value.

Reproducibility

The repeatability of results.

Replication

Repeating a study or experiment.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation.

Photosynthesis

The process plants use to make food using light.

Independent variable

The variable that is changed or controlled by the researcher.

Dependent variable

The response variable affected by the independent variable.

Control group

The group used for comparison in a controlled study.

Treatment group

The group that receives the experimental treatment.

Experimental bias

A systematic influence that can affect experimental results.

Double-blind experiment

An experiment in which neither the subjects nor the researcher knows who is in the treatment group.

Deductive reasoning

Reasoning from general to specific; if the starting principle is true, the conclusion must be true.

Inductive reasoning

Reasoning from specific observations to a general conclusion; the conclusion is likely but not certain.

Memory trick for deductive reasoning

Top down.

Memory trick for inductive reasoning

Bottom up.

Scientific theory

An explanation supported by a large number of observations and considered reliable by experts.

Probability

A measure of how likely something is to occur.

Statistical significance in ecological tests

Results are usually significant when the probability of occurring by chance is less than 5%.

Sample size

The number of observations or subjects in a study.

Observational experiment

An experiment that looks for patterns and relationships in natural systems.

Manipulative experiment

An experiment in which variables are controlled or changed.

Model

A simple representation of a phenomenon.

System

A network of interconnected components and processes through which materials and energy flow.

State variable

A variable that stores resources such as matter or energy.

Open system

A system that exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings.

Closed system

A system that exchanges energy but not matter with its surroundings.

Throughput

Energy and matter flowing into, through, and out of a system.

Feedback loop

A process that can increase or decrease the effects of a change.

Positive feedback

Feedback that increases or amplifies change.

Negative feedback

Feedback that suppresses change and helps maintain stability.

Permafrost thaw feedback

Thawing permafrost can release methane and other greenhouse gases, creating positive feedback.

Equilibrium

A dynamic stable state, also called homeostasis.

Disturbance

A destructive event such as fire or a hurricane.

Resilience

The ability to recover from a disturbance.

State shift

A change in a system in which underlying variables change significantly and the system does not return to normal.

Emergent property

A characteristic of a whole system that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Scientific consensus

General agreement among informed scientists.

Paradigm shift

A major change in an explanatory model.

Peer review

Evaluation of scientific work by other experts in the field.

Sustainable development

Reducing severe poverty while maintaining or improving the environment.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 goals established by the United Nations in 2016.

Kibera

A large informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, along the Nairobi River.

Environmental science

The systematic study of our environment and our proper place in it.

Environment

The circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or group of organisms.

Ecological footprint

A measure of the demands placed on nature by individuals or nations.

Global hectare

The global area needed to support one person.

Fossil fuels

Nonrenewable fuels on which the world remains highly dependent.

Biodiversity loss

The reduction of biological variety, often caused by habitat destruction, overexploitation, pollution, and invasive species.

Pragmatic resource conservation

Conservation emphasizing development and use of natural resources for the benefit of people living now.

Moral and aesthetic nature preservation

The view that nature deserves to exist for its own value.

Biocentric preservation

The belief that other organisms have a fundamental right to exist and pursue their own interests.

A Sand County Almanac

The work written by Aldo Leopold about stewardship of the land.

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson's 1962 book that raised concerns about pollution and toxic chemicals such as DDT.

Green-collar jobs

Jobs connected to environmental work and sustainability.

Green Belt Movement

The movement founded by Wangari Maathai in 1977.

Our Common Future

The 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, also called the Brundtland Report.

Brundtland definition of sustainable development

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

Environmental degradation

Damage to the environment.

Affluence

Wealth; it can be a benefit and a liability because wealthy societies generally consume more resources.

Sustainable resource use

Using resources without increasing resource consumption in ways that harm future generations.

Millennium Development Goals

The goals that preceded the 2016 Sustainable Development Goals and represented a 15-year effort from 2000 to 2015.

Development assistance target

Jeffrey Sachs argued that wealthy countries should allocate about 0.7% of national income to development assistance.

Ecosystem services

Services or resources provided by natural systems.

Provisioning services

Resources provided by ecosystems, such as fuels we burn.

Supporting services

Services such as water purification, food, oxygen, and soil formation.

Regulating services

Services such as stable temperatures and carbon capture.

Cultural services

Recreational or aesthetic value provided by ecosystems.

Tragedy of the Commons

The idea that population growth and individual use can lead to overuse and destruction of common resources.

Garrett Hardin

The person who described the Tragedy of the Commons in 1968.

Elinor Ostrom

The scholar who studied effective management of the commons and received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

Environmental ethics

The branch of philosophy concerned with our moral responsibility to the world around us.

Worldview

A set of basic beliefs, images, and understandings that shape how we see the world.

Moral extensionism

The question of whether moral value should be extended to animals, plants, and ecosystems.

Inherent value

Intrinsic worth or the right to exist.

Instrumental value

Worth because something is useful to or valued by another person.

Stewardship

Taking care of the resources or world we are given.

Ahimsa

The principle of not harming living creatures, associated with Hinduism and Buddhism.

Environmental justice

Combining civil rights with environmental protection to demand a safe and clean environment for everyone.

Environmental racism

The inequitable distribution of environmental hazards based on race.

Toxic colonialism

Targeting poor communities or communities of color in developing nations as waste-dumping areas.