Sustainability
Ecology
Biome and Food webs
Water and Carbon Cycle
Innovation
100
What is sustainability?
Sustainability is meeting the needs of today without harming the needs of the future.
100
What is the definition of ecology?
Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment, including both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
100
What is a biome?
A biome is a large geographic area characterized by specific climate conditions, plant and animal communities, and ecological features.
100
How do plants absorb carbon in the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
100
What is the Engineering Design Process?
The Engineering Design Process is a structured approach used by engineers to solve problems.
200
What are possible consequences of not practicing sustainability?
We could damage ecosystems which can lead to food shortages, water scarcity, and natural disasters.
200
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of life in an ecosystem.
200
There are 3 types of organisms found in food chains and food webs. What are they?
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
200
What is the water cycle?
The water cycle is the movement of water into the air as water vapor and back to Earth’s surface as precipitation.
200
What is the first step of the Engineering Design Process?
Defining the problem and answering “why is it important to solve?”
300
How does deforestation impact sustainability?
Deforestation reduces biodiversity and impacts climate
300
Why is biodiversity important for ecosystems?
High biodiversity means healthier ecosystems because there are more species that contribute to balance.
300
What organisms on the food web is a SECONDARY CONSUMER?
Frog
Bird
(snake)
300
What's the difference between a reservoir and a sink in the carbon cycle?
A sink absorbs the carbon for a short period of time and a reservoir holds carbon for a long period of time.
300
What is innovation?
Innovation is introducing something new-whether its a product, method, or concept-that significantly improves upon what came before.
400
What are the three pillars of sustainability.
Social sustainability
Environmental sustainability
Economic sustainability
400
What are some ways that humans impact ecosystems?
Human activities like deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion harm water, air, and soil quality, affecting all organisms.
400
Compare the tundra and desert biomes. What characteristics make them both challenging environments for life.
They both have extreme conditions. The tundra is cold and has short growing seasons. The desert is hot and has a lack of water.
400
How does temperature play a role in the water cycle?
When the temperature rises, it can turn into a gas and when it decreases it could turn into a solid.
400
What is the difference between designing an innovative solution vs. designing just a solution?
Designing a solution means finding a way to fix a problem, but designing an innovative solution means creating a new or creative way to fix it that hasn’t been tried before. An innovative solution usually brings extra benefits or solves the problem in a better, more effective way.
500
How does using water responsibly help keep ecosystems healthy and support the water cycle?
Sustainable practices, like rainwater harvesting or drip irrigation, conserve water and help ecosystems by reducing waste and returning water to the cycle responsibly
500
What is the difference between an ecosystem and an environment?
An ecosystem is how living and nonliving interact with one another and an environment refers to the surrounding conditions.
500
How does removing a keystone species impact a food web?
Removing a keystone species destabilizes the food web, which could collapse an ecosystem, because it disrupts the balance among other species.
500
How do the water and carbon cycles interact within an ecosystem?
Plants use water to photosynthesize, which moves carbon from the atmosphere to the biosphere, connecting both cycles and supporting life within ecosystems.
500
How does innovation in transportation, (like the shift from gas-powered to electric cars), support sustainability goals.
Innovation in transportation, such as electric vehicles, reduces emission, decreases reliance on non-renewable resources and supports cleaner energy sources, which aligns with sustainability.