Download Environmental Science Terms and Concepts and more Quizzes Biology in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Environment DEFINITION 1 All living & non-living things around usExamples: animals, plants, forests, living spaces, social relationships TERM 2 Fundamental Insight of Environmental Science DEFINITION 2 Humans are part of the natural world, but we can also change it TERM 3 Environmental Science is the study of... DEFINITION 3 How the natural world worksHow the environment affects humans and vice versa TERM 4 Natural Resource DEFINITION 4 Any substance or energy source needed for survival TERM 5 Perpetually renewed resources DEFINITION 5 sunlightwindwave energy TERM 6 Resources that renew themselves over time (can be destroyed) DEFINITION 6 timberwatersoil TERM 7 Nonrenewable Natural Resources DEFINITION 7 Oilcoalminerals TERM 8 Agricultural Revolution DEFINITION 8 occurred about 10,000 years agoallowed people to grow more foodincreased populationcrops & livestockstable food supples TERM 9 Industrial Revolution DEFINITION 9 Occurred about 200 years agourbanized society powered by fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal)sanitation & medicinespesticides &fertilizers TERM 10 Garret Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons DEFINITION 10 unregulated exploitation of public resources leads to depletion & damage of soil, air, and water TERM 21 Dependent Variable DEFINITION 21 depends on the independent variable TERM 22 Controlled Experiment DEFINITION 22 the effects of all variables are controlled except the independent variable whose effect is being tested TERM 23 Control DEFINITION 23 an un-manipulated point of comparison TERM 24 Manipulative Experiments DEFINITION 24 yield the strongest resultsreveals casual relationshipslots of things can't be manipulated TERM 25 Natural Tests DEFINITION 25 show real-world complexityresults are not neat & cleananswers aren't black & white TERM 26 Theory DEFINITION 26 a well-tested and widely accepted explanationconsolidates widely-supported, related hypotheses TERM 27 Paradigm Shift DEFINITION 27 a dramatic upheaval in thought TERM 28 Wicked Problems DEFINITION 28 complex with no simple solution TERM 29 Sustainable Development DEFINITION 29 using resources to satisfy current needs without compromising futureavailability TERM 30 Natural Capital DEFINITION 30 earth's total wealth of resources TERM 31 Natural Interest DEFINITION 31 earth's replenishable resources TERM 32 Biodiversity DEFINITION 32 the cumulative number and diversity of living things TERM 33 Cornucopians DEFINITION 33 those who believe that environmental conditions are getting better and that human ingenuity will solve any problem TERM 34 Cassandras DEFINITION 34 those who believe that the environment is not good--predict doom & disaster TERM 35 Scientific Method DEFINITION 35 observationhypothesispredictionstestingresults
