Untitled Flashcards Set

Adaptation

A helpful trait that makes an organism better at surviving and having babies.

Natural Selection

The process by which nature 'chooses' traits that help populations survive over time.

Evolution

The change in a group of living things (a population) over time.

Sustainability

Using natural resources wisely so they last for future generations.

Social Justice

The concept of making sure everyone is treated fairly and has equal rights.

Precautionary Principle

The idea that we should be careful about activities that might harm people or the environment, even without full proof.

Natural Resources

Things from nature that humans use, which can be renewable or non-renewable.

Worldviews

How people see and understand the world, influencing their views on nature and resources.

Scientific Methods

A systematic process for inquiry involving questioning, research, hypothesis, testing, results evaluation, and sharing findings.

Energy Flow

The movement of energy through an ecosystem.

Mass

The amount of matter that does not change, as matter cannot be created or destroyed.

Atoms

The smallest part of matter that makes up everything.

Elements

Pure substances that consist of only one type of atom, such as Oxygen, Carbon, or Hydrogen.

Compounds

Substances made of two or more elements combined together, like Water (H₂O).

Producers

Organisms that make their own food, primarily plants.

Primary Consumers

Organisms that eat producers, typically herbivores.

Secondary Consumers

Carnivores that eat primary consumers, or herbivores.

Tertiary Consumers

Large carnivores that eat secondary consumers.

Quaternary Consumers

Top predators in the food chain, such as humans or hawks.

Matter Cycles

Natural processes like the Carbon, Water, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus cycles that recycle matter in ecosystems.