Question | Answer |
renewable resources | natural resources that can be replaced in a relatively short time |
nonrenewable resources | natural resources that are not replaced as they are used |
examples of renewable resources | sunlight, wind, trees |
examples of nonrenewable resources | coal and oil |
pollution | any change to the environment that has a negative effect on living things |
environmental science | the study of the natural processes that occur in the environment and how humans can affect them |
development viewpoint | the belief that humans should be able to freely use and benefit from all Earth's resources |
preservation viewpoint | the belief resources should be a source of beauty, comfort, and recreation; living things should not be disturbed for the benefit of people |
conservation viewpoint | the belief that people should use resources for the environment as long as they don't destroy those resources; this view is the balance between development and preservation |
clear-cutting | the process of cutting down all trees in an area at once |
selective cutting | cutting down only some trees in a forest and leaving a mix of tree sizes and species |
sustainable yield | a regular amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without reducing the future supply |
fishery | an area with a large population of valuable ocean resources |
aquaculture | the practice of raising fish and other water-dwelling organisms for food |
biodiversity | the number of different species in an area |
keystone species | a species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem |
genes | structures in an organism's cells that carry its hereditary information |
niche | an organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes it living |
extinction | the disappearance of all members of a species from Earth |
endangered species | species in danger of becoming extinct in the near future |
threatened species | species that could become endangered in the near future |
habitat destruction | the loss of a natural habitat |
habitat fragmentation | breaking larger habitats into smaller, isolated pieces or fragments |
poaching | the illegal killing or removal of wildlife species |
captive breeding | the mating of animals in zoos or wildlife preserves to increase their number and chance for survival |
taxol | the substance that protects the Pacific Yew tree and can be used as a medicine treatment for cancer |