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PCS Liv Env
Vocabulary for Topic 7 - Human Impact on Ecosystems
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Carrying Capacity | the largest population of any single species that survives by eating animals |
Deforestation | forest destruction that results from human activity |
Direct Harvesting | the destruction of an organism, or the removal of an organism from its habitat |
Energy Flow | the movement of energy through an ecosystem |
Fossil Fuel | a fuel, such as coal and gas, that comes form the remains of organisms that lived millions of years ago |
Global Warming | an increase in Earth's average surface temperature caused by an increase in greenhouse gases |
Industrialization | the process of converting an economy into one in which large-scale manufacturing is the primary economic base |
Nonrenewable Resource | any resource, such as fossil fuels and minerals, that cannot be replaced |
Nuclear Fuel | an energy source that results form splitting atoms |
Ozone Shield | the layer of ozone gas in the upper atmosphere that protects Earth from some of the sun's radiation |
Pollution | a harmful change in the chemical make-up of the soil, water, or air |
Renewable Resource | Earth's resources, such as our food supply and solar energy, which can be replaced |
Technology | all of the practical scientific knowledge that has been used to meet human needs |
Trade-Off | an exchange or agreement made to reach a compromise |
Water Cycle | the process by which water continuously moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back |