Environmental Science Glossary R - Y

Key Environmental Science Terms

• Radiation: Energy transferred as electromagnetic waves, including visible light and infrared.

• Recharge Zone: Area where water infiltrates downwards to replenish an aquifer.

• Reclamation: Process of restoring land to its original state post-mining activities.

• Recycling: Recovering valuable materials from waste; involves reusing items.

• Reforestation: Renewing and developing forest land with trees.

• Renewable Energy: Energy derived from sources that continuously regenerate.

• Reproductive Potential: Maximum offspring an organism can produce.

• Reservoir: Artificial water body typically formed behind a dam.

• Resistance: Ability of an organism to endure chemicals or pathogens.

• Risk: Likelihood of an undesirable outcome occurring.

• Risk Assessment: Scientific evaluation of potential negative impacts from hazards.

• River System: Network of rivers and streams draining a particular basin.

• Ruminant: Herbivorous mammals like sheep and cattle with specialized stomachs for digesting fibrous plants.

• Rural: Areas characterized by open space, often used for agriculture.

• Salinity: Measurement of dissolved salts in a liquid.

• Salinization: Process by which salts accumulate in soil, affecting fertility.

• Salt Marsh: Coastal habitats dominated by salt-tolerant plants, often submerged periodically.

• Sample: Selected group representing a larger statistical population.

• Savanna: Grassland ecosystem with scattered trees, found in tropical and subtropical regions.

• Secondary Pollutant: Pollutant formed through reactions of primary pollutants in the atmosphere.

• Secondary Succession: Process by which one community replaces another that has been partially or fully destroyed.

• Sick-Building Syndrome: Symptoms experienced by occupants of modern, sealed buildings due to indoor pollutants.

• Smelting: Process for extracting metal from ore by melting.

• Smog: Mixture of smoke and fog creating urban air pollution.

• Solid Waste: Discarded material, including trash, refuse, or sludge.

• Source Reduction: Strategies to minimize waste generation and toxicity before disposal.

• Species: Closely related organisms capable of interbreeding to yield fertile offspring.

• Statistics: Collection and analysis of numerical data.

• Stratosphere: Atmospheric layer above the troposphere containing the ozone layer.

• Subsidence: Ground surface sinking with minimal horizontal movement.

• Subsurface Mining: Ore extraction from beneath the ground.

• Surface Impoundment: Waste disposal facility holding accumulated wastes.

• Surface Mining: Method where soil and rocks are removed to access coal or minerals.

• Surface Water: Bodies of water present above ground, including lakes and rivers.

• Survivorship: Expected percentage of newborns in a population that survive to a certain age.

• Sustainability: Meeting human needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs.

• Symbiosis: Close living association between two different organisms.

• Taiga: Evergreen coniferous forest biome located below arctic regions.

• Tectonic Plate: Lithosphere block comprising oceanic and continental crust.

• Temperate Deciduous Forest: Forest biome where trees shed leaves seasonally.

• Temperate Grassland: Biome dominated by grasses, experiencing cold winters and moderate rainfall.

• Temperate Rain Forest: Humid forest biome with abundant rainfall and rich biodiversity.

• Temperature Inversion: Atmospheric condition trapping warm air near the ground.

• Thermal Pollution: Increase in water temperature due to human activities harming aquatic life.

• Threatened Species: Species likely to reach endangered status soon.

• Topsoil: Richest soil layer in organic matter, critical for plant growth.

• Toxicology: Study of toxic substances and their effects on living organisms.

• Trophic Level: Position in a food chain, such as producers or various consumer levels.

• Tropical Rain Forest: Biodiverse forest near the equator, characterized by high rainfall and stable temperatures.

• Troposphere: Ground-level layer of the atmosphere where weather occurs, with decreasing temperatures at higher altitudes.

• Tundra: Treeless biome in polar regions with extreme winter conditions and specific plant types.

• Understory: Layer of foliage beneath the main canopy in a forest.

• Urban: Areas with concentrated population centers, typically cities.

• Urbanization: Shift towards increased population density in urban locales.

• Urban Sprawl: Rapid expansion of cities into surrounding suburbs and rural areas.

• Value: Personal principles regarded as significant.

• Variable: Factor that can change in experimentation.

• Vector: Agent transferring pathogens; can include biological agents that facilitate DNA transfer.

• Vertebrate: Animals possessing a backbone, encompassing numerous species.

• Wastewater: Water containing domestic or industrial waste substances.

• Water Cycle: Continuous circulation of water between the earth's surface and the atmosphere.

• Water Pollution: Contamination of water sources, harmful to organisms.

• Watershed: Land area draining into a water body, influencing water quality.

• Weather: Short-term atmospheric conditions, including temperature and precipitation.

• Wetland: Areas with significant moisture or periodic flooding, important for biodiversity.

• Wilderness: Untouched natural regions, free from human habitation.

• Yield: Crop production measured per unit area.

Explore key terms from R to Y in Environmental Science. This glossary includes important definitions that cover various concepts such as radiation, recharge zones, and reclamation. Enhance your understanding of environmental terminology with these flashcards.