GEE FLASHCARD

Sustainability

Ability of ecosystems and human systems to adapt and thrive in changing environments.

Environment

Surroundings or conditions in which an organism operates.

Ecosystem

Community of living organisms and their habitat.

Environmentalism

Movement advocating for the preservation and improvement of the environment.

Solar Energy

Provides nutrients and is a component of sustainability.

Biodiversity

Provides ecosystem services and adaptability.

Nutrient Cycling/Biogeochemical Cycling

Process of turning waste into useful resources.

Natural Capital

Resources and services essential for sustainability.

Renewable Resources

Replenished by natural processes within their sustainable yields.

Inexhaustible Resources

Perpetually available resources expected to last indefinitely.

Non-Renewable Resources

Available in fixed quantities; renewed only through long-term geological processes.

Pollution

Contamination of the environment.

Point Pollution

Pollution from a single identifiable source.

Non-Point Pollution

Pollution from dispersed sources difficult to identify.

Ecological Footprint

Measure of human pressure on natural resources.

Atmosphere

Composed of the troposphere and stratosphere.

Hydrosphere

Water at or near the Earth’s surface.

Geosphere

Composed of a hot core, rocky mantle, and outer crust.

Biosphere

Regions where life exists within the other spheres.

Ecology

Study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Producers (Autotrophs)

Use photosynthesis to make nutrients.

Consumers (Heterotrophs)

Feed on other organisms or their remains.

Food Chain

Sequence of organisms each feeding on the next.

Food Web

Network of interconnected food chains.

Pyramid of Energy Flow

Energy flow through various trophic levels.

Atom

Smallest unit of a chemical element.

Molecule

Chemical combination of two or more atoms.

Cell

Fundamental structural and functional unit of life.

Organism

An individual living being.

Population

Group of individuals of the same species.

Community

Populations of different species living in a particular place.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

Rate at which producers convert energy into biomass.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Rate at which producers convert energy into biomass minus energy used for respiration.

Hydrologic Cycle

Connects, purifies, and distributes the Earth's water supply.

Condensation

Process that creates precipitation in the atmosphere.

Species Diversity

Number and variety of species in a community.

Genetic Diversity

Variety of genes within a population or species.

Biomes

Major habitats with distinct climates and species.

Niche

Role and impact of a species in an ecosystem.

Habitat

Geographic location where a species lives.

Generalist Species

Can live in a wide range of environments.

Specialist Species

Live in a few types of habitats; more prone to extinction.

Native Species

Thrive in a specific ecosystem.

Nonnative Species

Introduced into a new ecosystem, either accidentally or deliberately.

Indicator Species

Sensitive to changes in an ecosystem.

Keystone Species

Affect the type and abundance of other species in an ecosystem.

Population Evolution

Changes in a population's genes over time.

Theory of Evolution

Explains how life changes over time due to genetic changes.

Genetic Resistance

Ability of organisms to tolerate chemicals designed to kill them.

Survival of the Fittest

Those most reproductively successful leave the most descendants.

Extinction

Occurs when a species ceases to exist.

Background Extinction

Normal rate of extinction before human influence.

Mass Extinction

Significant increase in extinction rates beyond the background level.

Competition

Interaction where species vie for limited resources.

Predation

Interaction where one species feeds directly on another.

Parasitism

Interaction where one species feeds on another's body or energy.

Mutualism

Interaction where both species benefit.

Commensalism

Interaction where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.

Ecological Succession

Gradual change in species composition in an area.

Secondary Ecological Succession

Occurs in disturbed ecosystems that retain some soil or sediments.

Inertia

Ability of an ecosystem to resist disturbances.

Resilience

Ability of an ecosystem to recover from disturbances.

Environmental Resistance

Factors that limit population growth.

Carrying Capacity

Maximum population size that a habitat can sustain indefinitely.

Fertility Rate

Average number of children born to women, key factor in population size.

Age Structure

Distribution of people in different age categories.

Urban Sprawl

Expansion of