Acidic rain, snow, or dry particles deposited from the air due to increased acids released by anthropogenic or natural resources.
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acids
Substances that release hydrogen ions (protons) in water.
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active solar system
A mechanical system that actively collects, concentrates, and stores solar energy.
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acute poverty
Insufficient income or access to resources needed to provide the basic necessities for life such as food, shelter, sanitation, clean water, medical care, and education.
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adaptive management
A management plan designed from the outset to "learn by doing," and to actively test hypotheses and adjust treatments as new information becomes available.
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administrative courts
Courts that hear enforcement cases for agencies or consider appeals to agency rules.
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administrative law
Executive orders, administrative rules and regulations, and enforcement decisions by administrative agencies and special administrative courts.
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aerobic
Living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen.
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aerosols
Minute particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air.
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aesthetic degradation
Changes in environmental quality that offend our aesthetic senses.
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albedo
A description of a surface's reflective properties.
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ambient air
The air immediately around us.
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amino acid
An organic compound containing an amino group and a carboxyl group; amino acids are the units or building blocks that make peptide and protein molecules.
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anaerobic respiration
The incomplete intracellular breakdown of sugar or other organic compounds in the absence of oxygen that releases some energy and produces organic acids and/or alcohol.
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anemia
Low levels of hemoglobin due to iron deficiency or lack of red blood cells.
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annual
A plant that lives for a single growing season.
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anthropocentric
The belief that humans hold a special place in nature; being centered primarily on humans and human affairs.
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appropriate technology
Technology that can be made at an affordable price by ordinary people using local materials to do useful work in ways that do the least possible harm to both human society and the environment.
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aquifers
Porous, water-bearing layers of sand, gravel, and rock below the earth's surface; reservoirs for groundwater.
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arbitration
A formal process of dispute resolution in which there are stringent rules of evidence, cross-examination of witnesses, and a legally binding decision made by the arbitrator that all parties must obey.
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arithmetic growth
A pattern of growth that increases at a constant amount per unit time, such as 1, 2, 3, 4 or 1, 3, 5, 7.
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artesian well
The result of a pressurized aquifer intersecting the surface or being penetrated by a pipe or conduit, from which water gushes without being pumped; also called a spring.
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asthma
A distressing disease characterized by shortness of breath, wheezing, and bronchial muscle spasms.
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atmospheric deposition
Sedimentation of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials from the air.
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atom
The smallest unit of matter that has the characteristics of an element; consists of three main types of subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons.
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atomic number
The characteristic number of protons per atom of an element. Used as an identifying attribute.
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autotroph
An organism that synthesizes food molecules from inorganic molecules by using an external energy source, such as light energy.
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barrier islands
Low, narrow, sandy islands that form offshore from a coastline.
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bases
Substances that bond readily with hydrogen ions.
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BAT
See best available, economically achievable technology.
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Batesian mimicry
Evolution by one species to resemble the coloration, body shape, or behavior of another species that is protected from predators by a venomous stinger, bad taste, or some other defensive adaptation.
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benthos
The bottom of a sea or lake.
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best available, economically achievable technology (BAT)
The best pollution control available.
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best practical control technology (BPT)
The best technology for pollution control available at reasonable cost and operable under normal conditions.
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beta particles
High-energy electrons released by radioactive decay.
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bill
A piece of legislation introduced in Congress and intended to become law.
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bioaccumulation
The selective absorption and concentration of molecules by cells.
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biocentric preservation
A philosophy that emphasizes the fundamental right of living organisms to exist and to pursue their own goods.
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biocentrism
The belief that all creatures have rights and values; being centered on nature rather than humans.
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biocide
A broad-spectrum poison that kills a wide range of organisms.
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biodegradable plastics
Plastics that can be decomposed by microorganisms.
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biodiversity
The genetic, species, and ecological diversity of the organisms in a given area.
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biogeochemical cycles
Movement of matter within or between ecosystems; caused by living organisms, geological forces, or chemical reactions. The cycling of nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, oxygen, phosphorus, and water are examples.
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biogeographical area
An entire self-contained natural ecosystem and its associated land, water, air, and wildlife resources.
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biological community
The populations of plants, animals, and microorganisms living and interacting in a certain area at a given time.
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biological controls
Use of natural predators, pathogens, or competitors to regulate pest populations.
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biological or biotic factors
Organisms and products of organisms that are part of the environment and potentially affect the life of other organisms.
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biological oxygen demand (BOD)
A standard test for measuring the amount of dissolved oxygen utilized by aquatic microorganisms.
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biological pests
Organisms that reduce the availability, quality, or value of resources useful to humans.
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biological resources
The earth's organisms.
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biomagnification
Increase in concentration of certain stable chemicals (for example, heavy metals or fat-soluble pesticides) in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or web.
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biomass
The total mass or weight of all the living organisms in a given population or area.
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biomass fuel
Organic material produced by plants, animals, or microorganisms that can be burned directly as a heat source or converted into a gaseous or liquid fuel.
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biomass pyramid
A metaphor or diagram that explains the relationship between the amounts of biomass at different trophic levels.
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biome
A broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions.
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bioremediation
Use of biological organisms to remove or detoxify pollutants from a contaminated area.
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biosphere
The zone of air, land, and water at the surface of the earth that is occupied by organisms.
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biosphere reserves
World heritage sites identified by the IUCN as worthy for national park or wildlife refuge status because of high biological diversity or unique ecological features.
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biota
All organisms in a given area.
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biotic
Pertaining to life; environmental factors created by living organisms.
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biotic potential
The maximum reproductive rate of an organism, given unlimited resources and ideal environmental conditions. Compare with environmental resistance.
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birth control
Any method used to reduce births, including celibacy, delayed marriage, contraception; devices or medication that prevent implantation of fertilized zygotes, and induced abortions.
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black lung disease
Inflammation and fibrosis caused by accumulation of coal dust in the lungs or airways. See respiratory fibrotic agents.
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blue revolution
New techniques of fish farming that may contribute as much to human nutrition as miracle cereal grains but also may create social and environmental problems.
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bog
An area of waterlogged soil that tends to be peaty; fed mainly by precipitation; low productivity; some bogs are acidic.
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boreal forest
A broad band of mixed coniferous and deciduous trees that stretches across northern North America (and also Europe and Asia); its northernmost edge, the taiga, intergrades with the arctic tundra.
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BPT
See best practical control technology.
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breeder reactor
A nuclear reactor that produces fuel by bombarding isotopes of uranium and thorium with high-energy neutrons that convert inert atoms to fissionable ones.
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brownfields
Abandoned or underused urban areas in which redevelopment is blocked by liability or financing issues related to toxic contamination.
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cancer
Invasive, out-of-control cell growth that results in malignant tumors.
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capital
Any form of wealth, resources, or knowledge available for use in the production of more wealth.
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captive breeding
Raising plants or animals in zoos or other controlled conditions to produce stock for subsequent release into the wild.
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carbohydrate
An organic compound consisting of a ring or chain of carbon atoms with hydrogen and oxygen attached; examples are sugars, starches, cellulose, and glycogen.
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carbon cycle
The circulation and reutilization of carbon atoms, especially via the processes of photosynthesis and respiration.
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carbon management
Storing CO2 or using it in ways that prevent its release into the air.
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carbon monoxide (CO)
Colorless, odorless, nonirritating but highly toxic gas produced by incomplete combustion of fuel, incineration of biomass or solid waste, or partially anaerobic decomposition of organic material.
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carbon sink
Places of carbon accumulation, such as in large forests (organic compounds) or ocean sediments (calcium carbonate); carbon is thus removed from the carbon cycle for moderately long to very long periods of time.
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carbon source
Originating point of carbon that reenters the carbon cycle; cellular respiration and combustion.
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carcinogens
Substances that cause cancer.
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carnivores
Organisms that mainly prey upon animals.
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carrying capacity
The maximum number of individuals of any species that can be supported by a particular ecosystem on a long-term basis.
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case law
Precedents from both civil and criminal court cases.
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cash crops
Crops that are sold rather than consumed or bartered.
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catastrophic systems
Dynamic systems that jump abruptly from one seemingly steady state to another without any intermediate stages.
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cell
Minute biological compartments within which the processes of life are carried out.
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cellular respiration
The process in which a cell breaks down sugar or other organic compounds to release energy used for cellular work; may be anaerobic or aerobic, depending on the availability of oxygen.
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chain reaction
A self-sustaining reaction in which the fission of nuclei produces subatomic particles that cause the fission of other nuclei.
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chaotic systems
Systems that exhibit variability, which may not be necessarily random, yet whose complex patterns are not discernible over a normal human time scale.
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chemical bond
The force that holds atoms together in molecules and compounds.
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chemical energy
Potential energy stored in chemical bonds of molecules.
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chlorofluorocarbons
Chemical compounds with a carbon skeleton and one or more attached chlorine and fluorine atoms. Commonly used as refrigerants, solvents, fire retardants, and blowing agents.
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chloroplasts
Chlorophyll-containing organelles in eukaryotic organisms; sites of photosynthesis.
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chronic effects
Long-lasting results of exposure to a toxin; can be a permanent change caused by a single, acute exposure or a continuous, low-level exposure.
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chronic food shortages
Long-term undernutrition and malnutrition; usually caused by people's lack of money to buy food or lack of opportunity to grow it themselves.
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citizen science
Projects in which trained volunteers work with scientific researchers to answer real-world questions.
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city
A differentiated community with a sufficient population and resource base to allow residents to specialize in arts, crafts, services, and professional occupations.
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civil law
A body of laws regulating relations between individuals or between individuals and corporations concerning property rights, personal dignity and freedom, and personal injury.
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classical economics
Modern, western economic theories of the effects of resource scarcity, monetary policy, and competition on supply and demand of goods and services in the marketplace. This is the basis for the capitalist market system.
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clear-cut
Cutting every tree in a given area, regardless of species or size; an appropriate harvest method for some species; can be destructive if not carefully controlled.
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