| A | B |
|---|
| made up of nonliving or inorganic matter | abiotic |
| the thin layer of gasses that surround Earth | atmosphere |
| all living organisms on Earth, including plants, animals, as well as microorganisms | biosphere |
| composed of living organisms | biotic |
| the long term average weather condition at a particular location | climate |
| the sustainable management of a natural resource | conservation |
| when plants draw more minerals from the soil than can be replaced through a natural process | depletion of nutrients |
| the science and study of groups of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact | ecology |
| a group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact | ecosystem |
| the study of geography that argued the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in the physical sciences- physical environment caused human activities | environmental determinism |
| when soil washes away in the rain or is blown away by the wind | erosion |
| all of the water on the near Earth's surface | hydrosphere |
| Earth's crust and a portion of upper mantle directly below the crust | lithosphere |
| something produced in nature more slowly than it is consumed by humans | nonrenewable resource |
| land created by the Dutch by draining water from an area | polder |
| the theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives | possibilism |
| the maintenance of resources in their present condition, with as little human impact as possible | preservation |
| something produced in nature more rapidly than it is consumed by humans | renewable resource |
| the use of Earth's renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that do not constrain resource use in the future | sustainability |
