All Chapters

environment

the sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life

environmental science

the field that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature; it is different from other natural sciences because it also included politics, law and economics

ecosystem

a particular location on Earth whose interacting components include living or nonliving components

biotic

living

abiotic

nonliving

environmentalist

a person who participates in environmentalism

environmental studies

a broader field that environmental science is a subset of which it also includes, environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics

ecosystem services

the processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced

environmental indicators

describe the current state of an environmental system

sustainability

living on Earth in a way that allows us to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources

biodiversity

the diversity of life forms in an environment; evidence of this \= \# of ecosystems and habitats; genetic variation in plants/animals/human populations; \# of species in a region

speciation

the evolution of new species

background extinction rate

the average rate at which species go extinct over the long term

greenhouse gases

heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere

anthropogenic

effects derived from human activities

development

improvement in human well-being through economic advancement

sustainable development

development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations

ecological footprint

a measure of how much that person consumes, expressed in area of land

scientific method

an objective way to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes, or changes

hypothesis

a testable conjecture about how something works

null hypothesis

a statement or idea that can falsified, or proved wrong

replication

the process of taking several sets of measurements

sample size

number of times a measurement is replicated or the number of sets of measurements

uncertainty

an estimate of how much a measured or calculated value differs from a true value

theory

a hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance

control group

a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the single variable under study

natural experiment

occurs when a natural event acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem

fracking

short for hydraulic fracturing; a method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open existing cracks in rocks deep under the ground.

genetic diversity

a measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population

species

a group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties

species diversity

the number of species in a region or in a particular type of habitat.

biophilia

love of life

accuracy

How close a measured value is to the actual or true value.

precision

How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another

human population (\#)

7+ billion

renewable resources

timber, sun, water, wind

non renewable resources

aluminum, oil, copper, coal

sustainable practice

replanting log forrest; developing substitutes for non-renewable resources

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter in an object

Atom

The smallest particle that can contain the chemical properties of the element

Element

A substance composed of atoms that can not be broken down into smaller, simpler components

Periodic Table

Lists all the currently known elements

Molecules

Particles containing more than one atom

Compounds

Molecules that contain more than one element

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus of a particular element

Mass Number

Total number of protons and neutrons in a element

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons

Half-life

The period of time in which half of a radioactive substance decays

Covalent Bonds

A type of strong chemical bond in which two atoms share one pair of valence electrons

Ionic Bond

Weak bond formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another

Hydrogen Bonds

Very weak bonds; occurs when a hydrogen atom in one molecule is attracted to the electrostatic atom in another molecule

Polar Molecule

A molecule in which the charges are unevenly distributed

Surface Tension

Results form the cohesion of water molecules at the surface of a body of water

Capillary Action

Adhesion of water molecules to a surface is stronger than cohesion between the molecules

Acid

A substance that contributes hydrogen ions to a solution

Base

Substance that contributes hydroxide ions to a solution

pH

Way to indicate a Acid or Base

Chemical Reaction

Occurs when atoms separate for the molecules they are a part of or recombine with other molecules

Law of Conservation of Matter

States that matter is neither created nor destroyed, only changed in form

Inorganic compounds

Compounds that either (a) do not contain carbon or (b) do contain carbon, but only carbon bounded to elements other than hydrogen

Organic Compound

Compounds that have carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds

Carbohydrates

Compounds composed of carbon hydrogen and oxygen atoms

Proteins

Made of long chains of nitrogen-containing organic molecules called amino acids

Nucleic Acids

Organic compounds found in all living cells

Lipids

small biological molecules that do not mix with water (ex. fat, wax,and steroids)

Cell

The basic structural and functional unit of all organisms

Energy

The ability to do work or transfer heat

Electromagnetic Radiation

Radiation consisting of waves of energy associated with electric and magnetic fields resulting from the acceleration of an electric charge

Joule

Amount of energy used when 1-watt light bulb in turned on for 1 second

Power

Rate at which work is done

Potential Energy

energy stored but has not yet been released

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion

Chemical Energy

Potential energy stored in a chemical bond

Temperature

Measure of kinetic energy in an object

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed

Second Law of Thermodynamics

When energy is transformed, the quality of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes

Energy Efficiency

The percentage of energy put into a system that does useful work

Energy Quality

The ease with which and energy source can be used for work

Entropy

All systems move toward randomness rather than toward order

Open System

exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries

Closed System

Matter and energy exchanges across system boundaries do not occur

Inputs

Additions given to a system

Outputs

Losses from a system

System Analysis

Determining inputs, outputs, and changes in the system under various conditions

Steady State

Whether inputs equal outputs, so that the system is not changing over time

Feedback

Adjustments in input or output rates caused by changes to a system

Negative Feedback Loops

A system responds to a change by returning to its original state, or at least by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring

Positive Feedback Loops

self-amplifying change, normal way of producing rapid changes

Adaptive Management Plan

Strategy that provides flexibility to that managers can modify it as future changes occur

Ecosystem

A particular location on earth distinguished by its mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components.

Producer

An organism that uses the energy of the sun to produce usable forms of energy.

Autotroph

Producer.

Photosynthesis

The process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide and water.

Consumer

An organism that must obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Heterotrophs

Consumer.

Primary Consumer

An individual incapable of photosynthesis, must obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Secondary Consumer

Carnivore that eats primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumer

Carnivore that eats secondary consumer.