Chapter 1

Key Terms

• Environmental Science
  • The study of the air, water, and land surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth’s entire biosphere.
• Ecology
  • The study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment.
• Agriculture
  • The raising of crops and livestock for food or for other products that are useful to humans.
• Natural Resource
  • Any natural materials that are used by humans, such as water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and animals.
• Pollution
  • An undesirable change in the natural environment that is caused by the introduction of substances that are harmful to living organisms or by excessive wastes, heat, noise, or radiation.
• Biodiversity
  • The variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem.
• Ecological Footprint
  • Calculations that show the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country.
• Sustainability
  • The condition in which human needs are met in such a way that a human population can survive indefinitely.