Studied by 7 people
Conservation
Management or regulation of a resource so that its use does not exceed the capacity of the resource to regenerate itself
Preservation
The maintenance of a species or ecosystem in order to ensure their perpetuation with no concern to their potential monetary value
Ecosystem Capital
Natural resources with an economic value
Renewable Resources
Resources that can be regenerated quickly
Nonrenewable Resources
Resources that do not regenerate quickly
Consumption
The day-to-day use of environmental resources
Production
The use of environmental resources for profit
Traditional Subsistence Agriculture
The reliance on animal and human labour to plant and harvest crops by families
Slash-and-Burn
An area of vegetations is cut down and burned before being planted with crops
Green Revolution
1950-1960; Farming became mechanized and crop yields in industrialized nations boomed
Integrated Pest Management
A combination of several methods to combat pests and is a environmentally sensitive approach than chemical methods
Salinization
An accumulation of soluble salts in soil layers
Furrow Irrigation
Water lost: 33%
Flood Irrigation
Water lost: 20%
Spray Irrigation
Water lost: 25%
Drip Irrigation
Allots an area only as much water as is necessary and delivers the water directly to the roots
Water lost: 5%
Con: Expensive
Photosynthate
Photosynthetic products
Monoculture
One type of plant is planted in a large area
Plantation Farming
Industrialized agriculture in which a monoculture cash crop is grown and then exported to developed nations
Arable
Suitable for plant growth
Loamy
A balanced mixture of clay, silt, and sand
Aggregates
Clumps
Crop Rotation
Different crops are planted in the area in each growing season
Polyculture
Planting several crops on the same plot of land simultaneously, increasing biodiversity
Dust Bowl
Resulted from droughts in the Great Plains in the 1930s
Contour Plowing
Rows of crops are plowed across a hillside
Terracing
Farming on flat platforms cut into the hillside, reducing soil runoff
Perennial Crops
Crops that grow back without replanting each year
Windbreak
Comprised of one or more tows of trees or shrubs planted near crops in such a way as to provide shelter from eroding winds
Intercropping / Strip Cropping
Practice of planting bands of different crops in a field
Green Manure
Made by leaving plants to wither and then serve as mulch
Free-range Grazing
Animals are able to move about outdoors and eat the foods they are adapted to eat
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs / Feedlots)
Animals are confined and concentrated into smaller spaces in order to keep costs down and quickly get livestock ready for slaughter
Overgrazed
Overconsumption by animals, resulting in erosion and compaction and desertification
Rotational Grazing
Regular rotation of livestock between different pastures in order to avoid overgrazing in a particular area
Deforestation
The removal of trees for agricultural purposes or purposes of exportation
Old Growth Forest
A forest that has never been cut
Second Growth Forests
Forests were cutting has occurred and a new, younger forest has arisen naturally
Plantations / Tree Farms
Planted and managed tracts of trees by humans that are harvested for commercial use
Silviculture
Management of forest plantations for the purpose of harvesting timber
Clear-cutting
Removal of all of the trees in an area
Selective Cutting
Removal of select trees in an area which leads to uneven-aged management
Shelter-wood Cutting
Mature trees are cut over a period of time, leaving some mature trees in place to reseed the forest
Agroforestry
Trees and crops are planted together
Greenbelts
Open or forested areas built at the outer edges of cities
Surface Fires
Burning of only the forests’ underbrush and does little damage to mature trees
Crown Fires
Starts on the ground or in the canopies of forests that have not experienced recent surface fires
Ground Fires
Smoldering fires that take place in bogs or swamps and can burn underground for days or weeks
Controlled / Prescribed Burns
Burning of fuel to combat against fuel buildup
Interbasin Transfer
The transport of water over very long distances from its source through aqueducts or pipelines
Groundwater
Any water that comes from below the ground
Aquifer
Underground beds or layers of earth, gravel, or porous stone that hold water
Confined Aquifer
Aquifer that has boundaries that don’t readily transport water
Unconfined Aquifer
Aquifer that free to flow both vertically and horizontally
Compacted
Mineral grains making up the aquifer collapse on each other and the material is unable to hold as much water
Water-stressed
Renewable water supply of 1,000-2,000 cubed meters per person
Water-scarce
Renewable water supply of less than 1,000 cubed meters per person and lacks sufficient freshwater resources to meet demand
Riparian
Of, on, or relating to the banks of a natural course of flowing water
Riparian Right
The right of people who have legal rights to use that area
Prior Appropriation
Water rights are given to those who have historically used the water in a certain area
Fishery
The industry or occupation devoted to the catching, processing, or selling of fish, shellfish, or other aquatic animals
Tragedy of Free Access
The depletion of marine fisheries worldwide
Capture Fisheries
Caught in the wild and not raised in captivity for consumption
By-catch
Species of fish, mammals, and birds that are caught during fishing operations but are not the target fish
Drift Nets
Nets that float through the water and indiscriminately catch everything in its path
Long Lining
Use of long lines that have baited hooks and will be taken by numerous aquatic organisms
Bottom Trawling
The ocean floor is literally scraped by heavy nets that scrape away or smash everything in its path
Aquaculture / Fish Farming
Raising of fish and other aquatic species in captivity for harvest
Mining
Excavation of earth for the purpose of extracting ore or minerals
Metallic Minerals
Mined for their metals and can be extracted through smelting and used for various purposes
Nonmetallic Minerals
Mined to be used in their natural state and nothing is extracted
Mineral Deposit
An area in which a particular mineral is concentrated
Ore
Rock or mineral from which a valuable substance can be extracted at a profit
Gangue
Waste material from mining
Tailings
Piles of gangues
Overburden
Layer of soil and rock
Strip Mining
Removal of the vegetation from an area, making it susceptible to erosion
Shaft Mining
Vertical tunnels are built to access and then excavate minerals that are underground and otherwise unreachable
Suburbs
Satellite communities
Urban Sprawl
The emigration of people out of the city and into the suburbs
Brownfields
Urban areas that contain abandoned factories or former residential sites
Megacities
Cities that have grown in excess of 10 million people
Ecological Footprint
Environmental impact of a population or individual person
IPAT Model
Mathematical model to describe the impact that humans have on the environment
I = P (A)(T)
I = Total Impact
P = Population Size
A = Affluence
T = Level of Technology
Cost-benefit Analysis
Weighing of benefits against costs
Marginal Costs
Additional costs
Marginal Benefits
Additional benefits
Externalities
Unwanted or unanticipated consequences of our using of resources
Sustainability
Humans using resources in such a way as to not deplete those resources for future generations
Sustainable Yield
Amount of a renewable resource that can be taken without reducing the available supply
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