Environmental Science Key Terms

What is the term for the study of how humans interact with their environment?

What is the key difference between 'preservation' and 'conservation' when it comes to environmental management?

Which worldview values all living organisms and considers their well-being?

What is the name for a simplified representation of a system or phenomenon?

The 'Tragedy of the Commons' illustrates how overgrazing on shared pasture can lead to resource depletion.

Which of the following is NOT an example of an abiotic factor?

What is the name for a large, distinct ecosystem characterized by its climate, flora, and fauna?

Match the following biome types with their dominant characteristics:

What is the term for the study of relationships between organisms and their environment?

What is the name for the layer of gases surrounding Earth?

The stratosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere.

What is the name for the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere?

What is the term for the process where producers convert sunlight into chemical energy (glucose)?

What is the name for the solid parts of Earth, including rocks, soil, and landforms?

What is the name for the circular movement of heat in the mantle that drives plate tectonics?

What is the name for the layer of the mantle that tectonic plates move on?

What is the name for the process where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface?

The Coriolis effect is responsible for the clockwise rotation of major ocean gyres in the Northern Hemisphere.

What is the name for the combined phenomenon of El Niño and La Niña?

What is the term for the complete disappearance of a species from Earth?

What is the name for the process by which organisms with traits that better suit their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce?

What is the term for the process by which two species influence each other's evolution?

What is the term for the variety of life in a given area, including species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity?

What is the name for the role or function of an organism within an ecosystem, including its habitat, diet, and interactions?

What is the term for the process by which a population reaches a stable and mature community?

What is the term for a species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance?

What is the name for the number of individuals per unit area in a population?

What is the term for the maximum population size that an environment can support?

The 'rule of 70' is used to calculate the doubling time for a population.

What is the term for the statistical study of populations, focusing on aspects such as size, structure, distribution, and changes over time?

What is the name for the age range where individuals are most likely to reproduce?

What is the term for the condition where all people have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life?

What is the name for the practice of cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising animals for food and fiber?

What is the term for the agricultural practice of growing a single crop species over a large area?

What is the term for the large-scale removal of forests for agriculture, urban development, and timber harvesting?

What is the term for the practice of planting trees in a forested area to restore ecosystems that have been degraded or deforested?

What is the term for artificial bodies of water where fish or other aquatic organisms are raised for food production?

What is the term for the practice of managing forest resources while meeting the demand for wood and forest products?

What is the term for the capture of non-target species during fishing operations?

What is the term for a measure of the amount of land and resources required to support a population's consumption and waste production?

What is the term for the practice of planting trees and shrubs into agricultural systems to improve biodiversity, soil quality, and water retention?

The IPAT model stands for Impact = Population × Affluence × Technology.

What is the name for structures built to control the flow of water, typically to store water for irrigation, drinking, hydroelectric power, or flood control?

What is the term for a large artificial lake created by dams to store water for various purposes such as irrigation, drinking, and hydroelectric generation?

What is the term for the process of removing salt from seawater to make it suitable for drinking and irrigation?

What is the term for the process by which soil is removed from the land, typically by wind, water, or human activity?

What is the term for the practice of plowing along the contours of a slope to reduce water runoff and soil erosion?

What is the term for the process of decomposing organic matter to create nutrient-rich soil amendments?

What is the term for the upper layer of Earth's surface, composed of mineral particles, organic matter, water, and air?

What is the term for the topmost layer of soil, rich in organic material like decomposed leaves, plants, and animals?

What is the term for land adjacent to a river that is subject to flooding?

What is the term for a man-made embankment constructed to prevent the overflow of water into adjacent land, typically along rivers?

Aqueducts are systems of channels or pipes designed to transport water from one place to another, often over long distances.

What is the term for the process of rerouting water from its natural course for agricultural, municipal, or industrial use?

The term 'bycatch' refers to the capture of unwanted fish or other marine creatures while fishing for a different species.

What is the term for areas in the ocean where human activities, particularly fishing, are restricted or controlled to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity?

The ecological footprint measures the amount of land and resources required to support a population's consumption and waste production.

What is the term for the practice of integrating trees and shrubs into agricultural systems to improve biodiversity, soil quality, and water retention?

What is the term for a large open-air container used to store waste from CAFOs, which can create environmental pollution if not properly managed?

What is the term for the practice of planting different crops in succession on the same land to reduce soil depletion and break pest cycles?

What is the term for crops grown specifically to be turned into the soil to improve its organic matter content?

Agrochemicals, including pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers, can help to increase crop yields but can also lead to environmental damage.

What is the term for a collection of fossils that shows the history of life on Earth?

The term 'endemic species' refers to species that are found only in a specific geographic location.

What is the term for the breaking up of large, contiguous habitats into smaller, isolated patches?

What is the term for the intentional breeding of organisms with desirable traits by humans?

The 'sixth mass extinction' is a period of widespread extinction of species driven mainly by human activities such as habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.

What is the term for the number of births per 1,000 individuals in a population over a specific period of time?

What is the term for the number of infants that die before reaching one year of age per 1,000 live births?

The replacement fertility rate is the level of fertility at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next. It is typically around 2.1 children per woman in industrialized nations.

What is the term for the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime?

A high dependency ratio can strain a country's resources.

What is the term for a simplified representation of a population's age distribution, divided into age groups?

What is the term for the practice of managing forest resources while balancing the economic, environmental, and social needs?

The term 'overgrazing' refers to when livestock graze an area too intensively, preventing plant regeneration and leading to soil degradation.

What is the term for the clearing of forests, which leads to increased erosion, reduced soil fertility, and loss of biodiversity?

What is the term for water from fields carrying soil particles, fertilizers, and pesticides into nearby water bodies, leading to pollution and eutrophication?

What is the term for a farming practice where steep slopes are transformed into level platforms to reduce soil erosion and improve irrigation?

What is the term for a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits at the expense of another organism?

What is the term for the process by which fertile land becomes desert, often due to overgrazing, deforestation, or poor agricultural practices?

What is the term for a severe period of dust storms during the 1930s in the U.S., caused by poor agricultural practices and drought, leading to widespread soil erosion?

What is the term for the practice of minimizing soil disturbance, leaving crop residues on the field to reduce erosion and maintain soil structure?