Chapter 1 Studying the State of our Earth Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering Modules 1, 2, and 3 from the lecture notes on Environmental Science and the Scientific Method.

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.

Ecosystem

A particular location on Earth with interaction biotic and abiotic components.

Biotic

Living

Abiotic

Nonliving

Environmentalism

A social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education.

Environmental Studies

The field of study that includes environmental science and additional subjects such as 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 Indicator

An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system.

Five Indicators of Environmental Stress

Biological diversity, Food production, Average global surface temperature and CO2 concentrations, Human population, and Resource depletion.

Biological diversity (Biodiversity)

The diversity of life forms in an environment, which exists on three scales: Genetic, Species, and Ecosystem.

Ecosystem diversity

The variety of ecosystems within a region.

Species diversity

The variety of species within an ecosystem.

Genetic diversity

The variety of genes among individuals of a species; 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, behavior, or biochemical properties.

Speciation

Evolution of a new species

Background extinction rate

Average rate at which species become extinct over the long term.

Food Production

The ability to grow food to nourish the human population, often using science and technology to increase yields on a given area of land.

Greenhouse gasses

Gasses in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat near the surface.

Carbon dioxide

The most abundant greenhouse gas.

Anthropogenic

Derived from human activities

Current Human Population

Currently $7.6$ billion.

Human Population Projection (2050)

Projected to reach $8-10$ billion.

Human Population Projection (2100)

Projected to stabilize between $7-11$ billion.

Resource Depletion (Finite)

Resources like coal, oil, and uranium that cannot be reused.

Sustainability

Living in a way that does not deprive future generations of earth’s resources

Sustainable development

Balances current human well being and economic advancement with resource management.

Biophilia

Love of life

Ecological Footprint

Measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in an area of land.

Scientific Method

Objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences, and predict outcomes through steps like observation, hypothesis testing, and data collection.

Hypothesis

Testable conjecture about how something works

Variable

Any categories, conditions, factors or traits that differ in natural world or experimental situations

Independent variable

Variable that is not dependent on other factors.

Dependent variable

Variable that is dependent on other factors.

Null hypothesis

A prediction that there is no difference between groups or conditions that are being compared.

Replication

Taking repeated measurements.

Sample Size

The number of times a measurement is replicated in a data collection.

Accuracy

How close a measured value is to the true value.

Precision

How close repeated measured values are to each other.

Inductive reasoning

The process of making general statements from specific facts or examples.

Deductive reasoning

The process of applying a general statement to specific facts or situations.

Theory

A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups and reached wide acceptance.

Natural Experiments

A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem.