APES Ch 10 vovab

Tragedy of the commons

the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain

Externality

an economic side effect of a good or service that generates benefits or costs to someone other than the person deciding how much to produce or consume

maximum sustainable yield

the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource

National Parks

public lands protected from resource extraction and development

managed resource protected areas

managed for the sustained use of biological, mineral, and recreational resources

Habitat/Species Management Areas

actively managed to maintain biological communities

Strict Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas

areas established to protect species and ecosystems

Protected Landscapes and Seascapes

permit nondestructive use of natural resources while allowing for tourism and recreation

National Monuments

areas set aside to protect unique sites of special natural or cultural interest

resource conservation ethic

People should maximize resource use based on the greatest good

multiple-use lands

A U.S. classification used to designate lands that may be used for recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, and mineral extraction.

Bureau of Land Management

A federal bureau within the Department of the Interior which manages and controls certain lands owned by the United States.

US Forest Service

Roosevelt set aside millions of acres of national forests and created the nation's first wildlife sanctuaries

National Parks Service

Created in 1916 as a new federal bureau in the Department of Interior. Given the responsibility to administer the national parks and monuments. Currently administers 385 sites.

Fish and Wildlife Service

(FWS) used for wildlife conservation, hunting, and recreation

Rangelands

unfenced grasslands in temperate and tropical climates that supply forage or vegetation for grazing and browsing animals

Overgrazing

Destruction of vegetation caused by too many grazing animals consuming the plants in a particular area so they cannot recover

clear-cutting

The process of cutting down all the trees in an area at once

selective cutting

cutting down only some trees in a forest and leaving a mix of tree sizes and species behind

Taylor Grazing Act

1934 United States federal law that regulates grazing on federal public land(140 million acres). The Secretary of the Interior has the authority to handle all of the regulations, and he became responsible for establishing grazing districts. Before these districts are created there must be a hearing held by the state.

Sustainable Forestry

The use and management of forest ecosystems in an environmentally balanced and enduring way

tree plantation

a large area typically planted with a single rapidly growing tree species

Reforestation

planting young trees or seeds on lands where trees have been cut or destroyed

prescribed burn

A fire deliberately set under controlled conditions in order to reduce the accumulation of dead biomass on a forest floor

wildlife refuge

an area designated for the protection of wild animals, within which hunting and fishing are either prohibited or strictly regulated

Wilderness Areas

federal land that is designated off-limits to development of any kind but is open to public recreation, such as hiking, nature study, and other activities that have minimal impact on the land

NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act)

Draft year: 1969

Requires federal agencies to intergrade environmental values into their decisions by considering their impacts and alternatives to their actions if they are harmful

Environmental Impact Study

A document outlining the scope and purpose of a development project, describing the environmental context, suggesting alternative approaches to the project, and analyzing the environmental impact of each alternative.

Suburban lands

An area surrounding a metropolitan center, with a comparatively low population density.

Exurban lands

an area similar to a suburb, but unconnected to any central city or densely populated area

urban sprawl

The process of urban areas expanding outwards, usually in the form of suburbs, and developing over fertile agricultural land.

urban blight

The degradation of the built and social environments of the city that often accompanies and accelerates migration to the suburbs

induced demand

The phenomenon in which increase in the supply of a good causes demand to grow.

Zoning

A planning tool used to separate industry and business from residential neighborhoods.

transit-oriented development

Development that attempts to focus dense residential and retail development around stops for public transportation, a component of smart growth.

Infill

the process of filling in empty or run-down parts of a city with new development

Urban growth boundary

Geographical boundaries placed around a city to limit suburban growth within that city.

Eminent Domain

Power of a government to take private property for public use.

Buffer Zone

A strip of land, usually used as a park or designated for a similar use, separating land dedicated to one use from land dedicated to another use (e.g., residential from commercial).

Crown fires

an extremely hot fire that leaps from treetop to treetop, burning whole trees, usually occurs in areas that haven't had small fires in a long time

Decibel-a (dba)

A commonly used measurement of sound. (6)

ground fires

a forest fire that burns the humus and usually does not appear at the surface

habitat corridors

establishing protected habitat corridors between isolated reserves helps to support more species and allows migration

Healthy Forest Initiative

primary goal is to reduce the fire danger and return out forests and rangelands to a healthier state; done by clearing underbrush and setting controlled burns.

light pollution

brightening of the night sky caused by street lights and other man-made sources, which has a disruptive effect on natural cycles and inhibits the observation of stars and planets.

Microclimate

Climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area

Mixed-Use Development

development that combines housing and businesses in one area

noise pollution

any noise that causes stress or has the potential to damage human health.

Smart Growth

Legislation and regulations to limit suburban sprawl and preserve farmland.

surface fires

fires that typically burn only the forest's underbrush and do little damage to mature trees. Surface fires actually serve to protect the forest from more harmful fires by removing underbrush and dead materials that would burn quickly and at high temperatures.

urban heat island

Local heat buildup in an area of high population density