Environmental Studies and Sustainability Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering environmental science, sustainability, ecosystems, and conservation based on the lecture material.

Brundtland Commission

A special team of experts established by the United Nations in $1983$ to study the relationship between the environment and development.

Gro Harlem Brundtland

The Prime Minister of Norway who served as the head of the Brundtland Commission.

Our Common Future

The specific title of the report published by the Brundtland Commission in $1987$.

United Nations (UN)

An international organization currently consisting of $193$ member countries working for global peace and environmental protection.

Sustainable Development

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

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A set of $17$ goals established by the United Nations in $2015$ to be achieved by the year $2030$.

Determinism Theory

A theory suggesting that nature and environment decide how humans live, what they wear, and how they develop.

Friedrich Ratzel

A German geographer associated with the coining and support of the Determinism theory.

Biosphere

The part of the Earth's surface and atmosphere where life exists, including plants, animals, and humans.

Ecosphere

An alternative name used to describe the Biosphere.

Lithosphere

The solid land component of the biosphere, including rocks, soil, and mountains.

Hydrosphere

The water-based part of the biosphere, encompassing oceans, rivers, lakes, and groundwater.

Atmosphere

The layers of air surrounding the Earth containing gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

Chemosynthetic Bacteria

Bacteria that produce food using chemical energy from substances like ammonia, sulfur, or iron through oxidation.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food using chemical reactions or sunlight, including plants and chemosynthetic bacteria.

Saprotropbs

Organisms like fungi and certain bacteria that decompose dead organic matter to return nutrients to the soil.

Phagotrophs

Organisms such as Amoeba that engulf food particles to obtain energy and grow.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot make their own food and depend on other organisms, like humans and animals.

Ecological Succession

The natural process of gradual change in a community's species composition over hundreds of years.

Pioneer Stage

The first stage of ecological succession where organisms like lichens and algae begin to grow on bare rock.

Sere

The intermediate stage in ecological succession characterized by mosses, grasses, and shrubs.

Climax Community

The final, stable stage of ecological succession, typically resulting in a developed forest.

Primary Succession

Ecological progression starting from a bare area where no life previously existed.

Secondary Succession

Ecological progression occurring in an area where a previous community was destroyed by events like fire or volcanoes.

Sulfur Cycle Reservoir

The main storage place for sulfur, which is primarily held in soil and rocks as sulfate compounds.

Hydrogen Sulfide

A gas produced by bacteria in sewage and marshy areas as part of the sulfur cycle.

Coniferous Forest

Forests in cold areas with cone-shaped trees and needle-like leaves, such as Pine and Fir.

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Forests where trees like Maple, Beech, and Oak drop their leaves during the winter season.

Temperate Evergreen Forest

Forests with trees like Eucalyptus and Laurel that remain green throughout the year in mild climates.

Temperate Rain Forest

Dense, cold forests requiring high rainfall, featuring species like Douglas Fir and Red Cedar.

Tropical Rain Forest

Hot, tall, and dense forests with high diversity, featuring species like Mahogany and Ebony.

Neuston

Unattached organisms that live at the air-water interface of an aquatic ecosystem, such as duckweed or mosquito larvae.

Plankton

Microscopic organisms that float in upper water layers and move with the water current.

Nekton

Active swimmers in the middle water layer that can move against currents, such as fish, sharks, and dolphins.

Periphyton

Organisms that remain attached to underwater surfaces like rocks or the stems of rooted plants.

Benthos

Organisms that live at the very bottom of a water body, such as starfish and crabs.

Biomass

The total weight or mass of living organisms within a specific area or ecosystem.

Banni Grassland

A significant grassland ecosystem located in the Gujarat region of India.

Peak Biomass Month (India)

The period between September and October when grass weight is highest in Indian grassland ecosystems.

Lentic Ecosystem

A freshwater ecosystem consisting of still or standing water, such as ponds, lakes, and swamps.

Lotic Ecosystem

A freshwater ecosystem consisting of running or flowing water, such as rivers and streams.

Red Soil

Soil with low natural nutrients that can be improved for agriculture using fertilizers.

Desert Soil

Infertile soil characterized by extremely low organic matter and low moisture retention.

Soil Erosion

The removal or destruction of the top layer of soil due to flood, wind, deforestation, or overgrazing.

Mulching

A conservation practice involving covering soil with dry leaves, straw, or plastic sheets to retain moisture.

Bunding

Creating boundaries around fields to prevent soil and water from flowing away during floods.

Kul

A traditional irrigation system in Himachal Pradesh where water is carried from glaciers to fields via small canals.

Coastic Soda

A strong base used in wastewater treatment to adjust pH levels when water acidity is too high.

Chlorine Tablets

Chemical agents used to disinfect water by killing bacteria and germs.

Carbonic Acid

An acid formed when $CO_2$ dissolves in water, helping finer particles settle by changing the pH.

Manure

Natural fertilizer made from plant and animal waste that improves soil cohesiveness and water retention.

Soil Salinity

The accumulation of salt in soil, often occurring when irrigation water evaporates, which hinders plant growth.

Crown Fire

A dangerous type of forest fire that spreads through the tops of trees in dense forests.

Forest Soil Formation

The process where falling leaves decompose to create humus, making the soil fertile.

Regeneration of $CO_2$

A process not performed by forests, as plants actually absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.

Economic Significance

The importance of forest resources for generating income, such as timber for furniture and rubber for tires.

Ecological Significance

The role of forests in cleaning air, producing oxygen, and providing natural habitats for wildlife.

Social Significance

The cultural and lifestyle reliance on forests by society, including tribal communities and recreational use.

Insects

The group of organisms possessing the highest number of specific species on Earth.

Biogeographical Region

A large area grouped by similar climate, geography, and distinct species of plants and animals.

Ecological Adaptation

When plants or animals change and develop specific traits to survive in their specific environment.

Indian Desert Adaptation

Extraordinary ecological adjustments such as camels storing water and nocturnal activity of animals.

Platacanthomys

A mammal found in the Western Ghats of India, also known as the Malabar Spiny Dormouse.

Hotspot

Regions with rich species diversity and high endemism that are under constant threat from human activity.

Endemism

Species that are found only in one specific geographical location and nowhere else in the world.

Global Hotspot Count

There are approximately $36$ identified biodiversity hotspots worldwide.

India Hotspot Count

India contains $4$ major identified biodiversity hotspots.

Non-Conventional Energy

Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and tidal energy that can be replenished naturally.

Conventional Energy

Non-renewable energy sources that take millions of years to form, such as coal, petroleum, and atomic energy.

Atomic Energy

Energy produced using Uranium by hitting it with neutrons to release heat for electricity generation.

Fuel Cell

A device that converts chemical energy from fuels like hydrogen directly into electricity.

Hydrogen

The most suitable and commonly used fuel in a fuel cell device.

Tidal Energy Plant

A renewable energy facility that generates electricity using the movement of sea tides.

Vizhinjam, Kerala

The location where India's first tidal or wave energy plant was established in $1990$-$1991$.

Sludge

The thick, gaudy waste material that remains after the primary treatment of sewage water.

Sludge Gas

A flammable gas produced by bacteria breaking down waste, primarily composed of Methane ($CH_4$).

Invasive Species

Foreign species that enter an ecosystem and harm local species by growing rapidly.

Congress Weed

An invasive species known as Gajar Ghas that causes skin allergies and asthma in humans.

Selective Destruction

When humans purposefully destroy a specific species for profit, leading to its extinction.

Passenger Pigeon

An American bird that became extinct due to overhunting and selective destruction by humans.

Commercial Hunting

Hunting animals on a large scale for profit to obtain skin, oil, meat, or horns.

Wild Ass

A protected species in India that is not typically subject to commercial hunting for meat.

In-situ Conservation

Conserving species within their natural habitat, such as in National Parks.

Ex-situ Conservation

Conserving species outside their natural habitat in controlled locations like Zoos or Seed Banks.

Indoor Pollutant

Harmful gases or particles inside buildings, such as Radon, that degrade air quality.

Radon

A radioactive gas that enters buildings from soil and rocks, especially in poorly ventilated basements.

Primary Pollutant

Pollutants released directly into the air, such as Carbon Monoxide ($CO$) and Sulfur Dioxide ($SO_2$).

Secondary Pollutant

Pollutants formed in the atmosphere through chemical reactions between primary pollutants and other substances.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy

A massive industrial disaster occurring on the night of December $2$-$3$, $1984$, in Bhopal, India.

Methyl Isocyanate (MIC)

The toxic gas responsible for thousands of deaths during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

MPN Test

The Most Probable Number test, used to detect the concentration of E. coli bacteria in water.

E. coli

A bacterium whose presence in drinking water indicates fecal contamination.

Physical Treatment

Managing waste by changing its physical properties, such as through sedimentation or conditioning.

Incineration

An excellent waste disposal method where trash is burned at high temperatures to minimize volume and toxicity.

Solidification

A technology where hazardous chemical waste is bound with cement into solid blocks to prevent soil leakage.

IPCC

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international organization analyzing climate data.

WMO and UNEP

The two organizations that jointly established the IPCC in $1988$.

NAPCC

The National Action Plan on Climate Change, a policy launched by the Indian government in $2008$ with $8$ missions.

Ozone Day

Observed annually on September $16$ to raise awareness about protecting the ozone layer.

Article 48A

The constitutional provision making it the government's duty to protect and improve the environment.