Environmental Science Basics
This term refers to the interdisciplinary study of human interaction with the environment.
What is environmental science?
A worldview that supports responsible management of Earth for future generations while focusing on human needs.
What is the stewardship worldview?
The primary role of producers in an ecosystem.
What is to convert sunlight into chemical energy?
The Earth's layer that includes all living organisms.
What is the biosphere?
The process by which plants convert sunlight into glucose for energy storage.
What is photosynthesis?
The model represented by "Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology."
What is the IPAT model?
The concept where shared resources are depleted by individuals acting in their self-interest.
What is the tragedy of the commons?
Organisms that break down dead material and return nutrients to the ecosystem.
What are decomposers?
This sphere consists of gases surrounding Earth, like oxygen and nitrogen.
What is the atmosphere?
A human activity that significantly increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
What is fossil fuel combustion?
This term describes the impact of human activities measured by the land and water needed to support their resource use.
What is an ecological footprint?
This worldview prioritizes the well-being of all species, not just humans.
What is the life-centered worldview?
The sphere encompassing all the water on Earth.
What is the hydrosphere?
This term describes all solid land and geological formations on Earth.
What is the geosphere?
One consequence of excessive nitrogen from fertilizers entering waterways.
What is eutrophication?
The primary goal of this concept is to maintain natural systems for future generations.
What is environmental sustainability?
The worldview that sees Earth as a resource to be managed for human benefit, with some responsibility to steward resources.
What is the planetary management worldview?
Organisms that feed on both plants and animals.
What are omnivores?
The effect that traps heat in Earth's atmosphere, making the planet warm enough to support life.
What is the greenhouse effect?
Bacteria play a crucial role in this process, which is essential for converting atmospheric nitrogen for plant use.
What is nitrogen fixation?
This is the study of organisms' interactions with each other and their environment.
What is ecology?
A model contrasting renewable and nonrenewable resource impacts on sustainability.
What is the IPAT model?
This cycle is unique for lacking a gaseous component and primarily moves through rock and soil.
What is the phosphorus cycle?
This part of the nitrogen cycle converts nitrogen gas to ammonia, making it usable for plants.
What is nitrogen fixation?
The process by which water moves from Earth's surface into the atmosphere, primarily through evaporation and transpiration.
What is the water cycle?