Environmental Unit

VOCABULARY

ABIOTIC FACTORS

NON LIVING FACTORS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

ACID RAIN

POLLUTED WATER COMING FROM THE SKY

AGRICULTURETRADITIONAL – FARMING

RELYING ON HUMAN AND ANIMAL POWER

ALTERNATIVE – HAND TOOLS AND NON-MOTORIZED MACHINES

AIR POLLUTANTS

RELEASE OF DAMAGING MATERIALS IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY WIND SOLAR GEOTHERMAL WAVE NUCLEAR HYDROELECTRIC TIDAL

AQUACULTURETRADITIONAL – BREEDING OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS FOR FOOD

ALTERNATIVE - IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

AQUIFER DEPLETION

OVERUSE OF UNDERGROUND WATER STORAGES

BIODEGRADABLE

DECOMPOSABLE

BIODIVERSITY

VARIETY OF ORGANISMS

BIO FUELSORGANIC SOURCES OF FUEL

BIOME

SIMILAR BIOTIC CONDITIONS - HOMES

BIOSPHERE

ALL LIFE ON EARTH

BIOTIC FACTORS

LIVING ORGANISMS

CARRYING CAPACITY

LARGEST POPULATION A GIVEN ENVIRONMENT CAN SUPPORT

CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)

CHLORINE, FLUORINE AND CARBON COMBINED

CLEAN AIR ACT

STRICT STANDARDS FOR AIR QUALITY BY THE GOVERNMENT

CLEAN WATER ACT

STRICT STANDARDS FOR WATER QUALITY BY THE GOVERNMENT

CLEAR CUTTING (deforestation)

CUT ALL THE TREES AT ONE TIME.

CLIMATE

AVERAGE WEATHER OVER TIME FOR A GIVEN AREA

CONSERVATION

SAVING

PRESERVATION

ECOLOGICAL (carbon) FOOTPRINT

YOUR PERSONAL IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

ECOLOGY

THE STUDY OF HOW ORGANISMS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND THE ENVIRONMENT

ECOSYSTEMALL LIVING THINGS WITHIN AN AREA

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

THE STUDY OF THE NATURAL WORLD

ENVIRONMENTALIST

A PERSON WHO IS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE NATURAL WORLD.

EUTROPHICATION

INTRODUCTION OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS TO PRODUCE ALGAE AND OTHER PRODUCERS.

EXTINCTION

DISAPPEARANCE OF AN ORGANISM

FOOD WEB

PREY VS. PREDATOR

FOOD CHAIN – SERIES OF FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS

FOSSIL FUELS

FORMED FROM FORMER LIVING ORGANISMS. EX: COAL, OIL

GLOBAL WARMING

AN INCREASE IN EARTH’S AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.

GREENHOUSE GASES

GASES THAT TRAP HEAT NEAR EARTH

LAND POLLUTANTS

TRASH

MINING

BREAKING GROUND TO ACCESS FOSSILS AND MINERALS

NATIVE SPECIES

ORIGINAL

INVASIVE SPECIES – FOREIGN, INTRODUCED

NATURAL RESOURCES

EXAMPLES: SUN, WATER, WIND

NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

COMES FROM MANY PLACES

POINT SOURCE POLLUTION – COMES FROM A SPECIFIC (ONE) LOCATION

NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES

TAKES TOO LONG TO GET MORE

RENEWABLE RESOURCES – QUICKLY REPLENISHED.

NON-SUSTAINABLE

Not able to meet the current demand for a resource without depleting the future demand.

SUSTAINABLE – able to meet the current demand

NUCLEAR POWER (FUSION)Conversion of energy within an atom’s nucleus by forcing together.

Opposite is fission (pull apart)

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

INCREASING POLLUTANTS IN THE OCEAN CHANGE IN pH.

POPULATION CRISIS

Overpopulated area More people = More need for

resources

CONSUMPTION CRISIS: too much use

RANCHING

Raising livestock (FARMING)

R4

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, REFUSE

REFORESTATION

PLANT TREES BACK WHEN YOU CUT THEM DOWN

RUNOFF

WATER FLOWING OVER LAND INTO STREAMS OR RIVERS

SMOG

POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR – THICK LAYER OF OZONE

TRADITIONAL ENERGY

FOSSIL FUEL BURNING; CO2 RELEASING

WATER POLLUTANTS

POLLUTIOIN IN THE WATER.