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AP Environmental Sceince chapter 1 vocabulary

Terms in this set (40)

Biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Biodegradable pollutants
Though often used interchangeably with the word "waste," "pollutants" are by definition foreign substances that degrade the quality of an environment. "Biodegradable" means something can be completely broken down into different substances by microorganisms.
Developed country
Developed countries have post-industrial economies, meaning the service sector provides more wealth than the industrial sector. They are contrasted with developing countries, which are in the process of industrialization, or undeveloped countries, which are pre-industrial and almost entirely agrarian.
Developing country
a poor agricultural country that is seeking to become more advanced economically and socially
Ecological Footprint
the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources.
Ecological tipping point
n environmental tipping point is a part of the human-environment system that can lever far-reaching change in the system. A change at the tipping point sets in motion mutually reinforcing feedback loops that propel the system on a completely new course.
Economic development
conomic development is the sustained, concerted actions of policy makers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. Economic development can also be referred to as the quantitative and qualitative changes in the economy.
Economic growth
an increase in the amount of goods and services produced per head of the population over a period of time.
Environment
the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
synonyms: habitat, territory, domain;
Environmental Degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable.
Environmental Ethics
Environmental ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its non-human contents.
Environmental Science
nvironmental science is the science of the interactions between the physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment, including their effects on all types of organisms but more often refers to human impact on the environment.
Environmental sustainable society
An environmentally sustainable society satisfies the basic needs of its people without depleting or degrading its natural resources and thereby preventing current and future generations of humans and other species from meeting their basic needs
Exponential growth
growth whose rate becomes ever more rapid in proportion to the growing total number or size.
GDP
ross Domestic Product (GDP) is the broadest quantitative measure of a nation's total economic activity. More specifically, GDP represents the monetary value of all goods and services produced within a nation's geographic borders over a specified period of time.
Imput pollution contol
in environmental engineering, any of a variety of means employed to limit damage done to the environment by the discharge of harmful substances and energies.
Less developed country
a nonindustrialized or Third World country.
More developed country
A developed country, industrialized country, or "more economically developed country" (MEDC), is a sovereign state that has a highly developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations.
Natural capital
atural capital is the land, air, water, living organisms and all formations of the Earth's biosphere that provide us with ecosystem goods and services imperative for survival and well-being. Furthermore, it is the basis for all human economic activity.
Natural income
Natural Income is the annual yield from such sources of natural capital - timber, ores, fish and plants, respectively, relative to the examples above.
Natural resources
materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain.
Natural services
Services provided by the environment (see examples)
Nondegradable pollutants
ondegradable pollutant. A pollutant that is not broken down by natural processes. Some nondegradable pollutants, like the heavy metals , create problems because they are toxic and persistent in the environment . Others, like synthetic plastics , are a problem because of their sheer volume.
Nonpoint source
a source of pollution that issues from widely distributed or pervasive environmental elements.
"cattle are the leading nonpoint source of pollution in Canada today"
Nonrenewable resources
A resource of economic value that cannot be readily replaced by natural means on a level equal to its consumption. Most fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal are considered nonrenewable resources in that their use is not sustainable because their formation takes billions of years.
Output pollution control
in environmental engineering, any of a variety of means employed to limit damage done to the environment by the discharge of harmful substances and energies.
Per capita ecological footprint
(See #5) this is going to be on a scale measured per capita
Per capital GDP
(See #15) this is Hmong to be on a scale measured per capita
Perpetual resource
Most natural resources are limited. This means they will eventually run out. A perpetual resource has a never-ending supply. Some examples of perpetual resources include solar energy, tidal energy, and wind energy.
Point source
a localized and stationary pollution source.
Pollution
he presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.
Pollution clean up
When great effort is made toward the clean up or restoration of habitat or place damaged by pollution
Pollution prevention
ollution prevention refers to the use of material, processes, or practices that eliminates or reduces the quantity and toxicity of wastes at the source of generation.
Poverty
The state of being extremely poor.
Recycle
return (material) to a previous stage in a cyclic process.
use again.
Renewable resources
A renewable resource is an organic natural resource which can replenish to overcome usage and consumption, either through biological reproduction or other naturally recurring processes. Renewable resources are a part of Earth's natural environment and the largest components of its ecosphere.
Resources
In Biology and Ecology, a resource is a substance or object in the environment required by an organism for normal growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Resources can be consumed by one organism and, as a result, become unavailable to another organism.
Reuse
use again or more than once.
Sustainability
ustainability is the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely. To define what environmental sustainability is we turn to the experts. Herman Daly, one of the early pioneers of ecological sustainability, looked at the problem from a maintenance of natural capital viewpoint.
Sustainable yeild
The sustainable yield of natural capital is the ecological yield that can be extracted without reducing the base of capital itself, i.e. the surplus required to maintain ecosystem services at the same or increasing level over time.
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