Sustainability
A two-word term meaning materials and products that we get from nature
What are natural resources?
This metal is liquid at room temperature, and is known to be highly toxic if ingested
What is mercury?
Chemicals that are used to kill unwanted animals or plants are called this
What is a pesticide?
This is one of the goals of monitoring an ecosystem
Answers can include: keeping track of the health of an ecosystem, predicting what changes will happen, balancing our needs, minimizing our impact
This is one example of a factor that can cause a species to become endangered
Answers can include: habitat loss, competition, overhunting, pollution, environmental change
A term for resources that are used faster than they can be naturally replenished
What is non-renewable?
Sulfur and nitrogen mixing with water in the atmosphere can lead to this dangerous event
What is acid rain?
A species that is put into an environment where it is not normally found is called this
What is an invasive species?
A species that is sensitive to change, that can tell us important information about the health of an ecosystem, is called this
What is an indicator species?
The gradual process of some species replacing other species in an ecosystem is called this
What is succession?
What is renewable energy?
A substance that causes pollution is called this
What is a pollutant?
Biological control is a way of killing pests without chemicals, by instead introducing this
What is a natural predator?
Testing the quality of the air, soil, or water for things like changes in acidity are all examples of this type of monitoring
What is chemical monitoring?
The growth of organisms in an area that was previously bare, such as rocks, is this type of succession
What is primary succession?
The calculation of the total area of land needed to provide a person with all the natural resources they need is called this
What is the ecological footprint?
This is one example of a substance that occurs naturally, but becomes pollution if levels get too high
Possible answers include: carbon dioxide and methane
Using biological control to control pests is risky for this reason
The introduced species can become an invasive pest itself
Using satellites and maps to show large scale changes over time are examples of this type of monitoring
What is physical monitoring?
The growth of new organisms in an area that previously had life, such as a burned forest, is this type of succession
What is secondary succession?
The definition of sustainability means meeting our own needs, without compromising this
What is the ability of future generations to meet their own needs?
The process of toxins moving through a food chain and building up in higher levels is called this
What is bioaccumulation?
DDT is a pesticide that was used to control insect populations, but its use was banned for this reason
It affected bird eggs, making them brittle
What is baseline data?
This is one example of how the environmental impact of humans obtaining food has increased over time
Wide variety of answers