Environmental
Science
Definitions of Terms
These definitions are provided as a beginning to understanding a
term's use in projects. Students are expected to go beyond these definitions
in their use of these terms. Examples or further explanations are required
as the terms are used.
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ECOSYSTSEM - A group of plants and animals occuring together plus that
part of the physical environment with which they interact. An ecosystem
is defined to be nearly self contained.
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NICHE - The description of the unique functions and habitats of an organism
in an ecosystem.
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DIVERSITY - A multitude of organisms found together in an ecosystem.
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POPULATION - The number of individuals of a certain species that live in
a particular area at a particular time.
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BIOME - A group of ecosystems characterized by similar vegetation and climate,
and which are collectivly recognizble as a single large community unit.
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HABITAT - The living place or immediate surroundings of an organism.
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ENERGY - The capacity to perform work or to transfer heat.
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POLLUTION - Human produced wastes that lower the quality of the natural
environment.
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RENEWABLE RESOURCES - Biological resources such as trees that regrow
through regrowth or reproduction.
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BIOMASS - The total weight of all living organisms in a given system.
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BIOSHPERE - That part of the Earth and its atmosphere which can support
life.
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SPECIES - A group of organisms that interbreed with other members of the
group, but not with individuals outside the group.
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ENDANGERED SPECIES - A group of animals or plants whose population is declining
to such a low level that extinction may occur.
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INTERACTION - Relationship among biotic and abiotic factors in a natural
environment.
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VERNAL POND - A wetland marked by a lack of year round permanence, speicific
obligate species of animals and plants.
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MIGRATION - The seasonal movements of populations of animals.
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EUTROPHICATION - The enrichment of a body of water with nutrients, with
the consequent deterioration of its quality for human purposes.
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EXTINCTION - The extermination of a whole population of organisms.
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WHALE SPECIES - Specific species of whales.
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ADAPTATION - The process by which the characteristics of an organism become
suited to the environment in which the organism lives.
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ORGANISM - A living thing.
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PHOTOSYNTHESIS - The process by which chlorophyll bearing plants use energy
from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water to sugars.
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RESOURCES DEPLETION - Using resources until there are too few left to make
a difference.
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CYCLE - A natural reoccurance of events or movements within a natural system.
Examples are: water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle.
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WET LAND - Areas that are constantly wet or flooded at regular intervals.
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PRODUCER - An organism which creates nutrients for other organism. Green
plants.
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CONSUMER - An organism which consumes producers or other consumers.
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DECOMPOSER - An organism which breaks down formerly living tissues.
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WILDERNESS - Areas marked by very little human influence.
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STEWARDSHIP - The care of natural areas with an eye toward preservation.
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FOOD WEB - The actual pattern of food consumption in a natural ecosystem.
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BIOTIC - Living factors in an ecosystem i.e. plants, animals...
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ABIOTIC - Non-living factors in an ecysystem i.e. soil, water, rocks...
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ESTUARY - A tidal area where salt water and fresh water come together.
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NON POINT SOURCE POLLUTION - Pollutants the come from many different areas.
Such pollutants are hard to stop because they are hard to locate.
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WATERSHED - The surfaceof the earth that drains through streams and rivers
into a large body of water
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BIO-ACCUMULATION - When pollutants move up the food pyramid. The
consumers at the top of the pyramid concentrate more of the pollutant in
their tissues.
Definitions taken from:
Environmental Science, Second Edition, by Turk,
A., Ph.D., Turk, J., Ph.D.,Wittes, Janet T.,Ph.D.,Wittes, Robert, M.D.,
W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, PA,1978.