ESS

Sustainability

Sustainability

Using global resources at a rate that allows regeneration without depleting the natural capital

Natural Capital

Planet’s natural resources including renewable or non-renewable resources, e.g., trees, minerals, animal species

Natural Income

Value or goods/services derived from natural capital, growth per year, extraction of natural resources, e.g., timber, carbon sequestration

Replenishment

Restoration of a stock or supply to a former level or condition

Three Pillars of Sustainability

Integrated approach focusing on economic sufficiency, environmental protection, and social well-being

Biodiversity

Different kinds of life within an ecosystem, including organisms, plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms

Pollution

Addition of a substance or agent to an environment to an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected

Point Source Pollution

Discrete sources of contamination that can be represented by a single point on a map and tracked back to the source

Non-Point Source Pollution

More dispersed sources from which pollutants originate and enter the environment

Primary Pollutant

Air pollutant emitted directly from a source

Secondary Pollutant

Arises from primary pollutants undergoing physical and chemical changes in the atmosphere

Acute Pollution Effects

Occur after short, intense exposure, with symptoms experienced within a few hours

Chronic Pollution Effects

Occur after low-level, long-term exposure, with disease symptoms developing over time

Persistent Pollutants

Cannot be broken down by living organisms and accumulate in the food chain

Biodegradable Pollutants

Capable of being broken down by natural biological processes

Availability of Mates

Refers to the presence of potential partners for reproduction within a population.

S Population Curves (Sigmoid Growth Curves)

Graphical representation showing initial rapid growth followed by a slowdown as the carrying capacity is reached.

Lag Phase

Initial stage of population growth with low birth rates due to low population numbers.

Exponential Growth Phase

Phase where the population grows rapidly without limiting factors, favorably abiotic components, and lack of predators or disease.

Transitional Phase

Population growth slows down considerably but continues to grow.

Stationary Phase

Population growth stabilizes around the carrying capacity, leading to fluctuations.

Producers

Organisms that convert abiotic components into living matter, also known as autotrophs.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy and matter by consuming other organisms, known as heterotrophs.

Decomposers

Organisms that obtain nutrients from breaking down dead organic matter, improving soil nutrient capacity.

Trophic Level

Position occupied by an organism in a food chain.

Pyramids of Numbers

Representation of the number of individuals at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Pyramids of Biomass

Representation of biological mass at each trophic level in an ecosystem at a specific time.

Pyramids of Productivity

Representation of energy flow through trophic levels in a food chain over time.

Primary Productivity

Gain in energy or biomass by producers per unit area per unit time.

Secondary Productivity

Biomass gained by heterotrophic organisms through feeding and absorption.

Maximum Sustainable Yield

Maximum flow of a resource that allows the stock to remain stable over time.

Nutrient Cycles

Processes that involve the movement and transformation of nutrients within ecosystems.

Biomes

Collections of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions, categorized into aquatic, forest, grassland, desert, and tundra biomes.

Convectional Rain

Precipitation resulting from the upward movement of warm, moist air in the atmosphere.

Zonation

Arrangement of communities in bands in response to environmental changes over a distance.

Succession

Long-term change in the composition of a community from pioneer to climax community.

R-strategist

Species with fast reproduction, producing many small offspring with little parental care.

K-strategist

Species with slow growth, producing few large offspring with extensive parental care.

R and K selection theory

Natural selection favoring species based on reproductive strategies and survival rates.

Dichotomous key

Stepwise tool for identification with binary choices based on characteristics.

Abiotic factors

Non-living components of ecosystems like temperature, pH, and salinity.

Simpson’s diversity index

Measure of species diversity in an area based on total organisms and individuals of a species.

Lincoln index

Method to estimate population size of motile animals using marking and recapture.

Quadrat sampling

Method to measure population size of non-motile organisms in specific areas.

Soil profile

Vertical section through soil with distinct layers (horizons) showing soil formation processes.