| A | B |
|---|
| Natural Resources | raw materials biotic/abiotic |
| Renewable Resources | Resources that can be regrown or replenished |
| Deforestation | clearing of vast regions of forested land |
| Reforestation | Process of nurturing new growths on sites that we cut |
| Wildlife | all plants/animals indigenous to a community |
| Endangered Species | species that are in danger of becoming extinct in their natural environment |
| Threatened Species | Plant/Animals that are likely to become endangered in the near future |
| Soil | formed by broken down rocks and dead organisms |
| Humus | The organic component of the soil that helps to retain most of its moisture/nutrients (mostly plant remains) |
| Topsoil | The uppermost layer of soil |
| Erosion | loss of soil resulting from the effects of abiotic factors such as wind/water (2.7billion tons a year) |
| Contour Plowing | plowing that follows the contour of a slope rather than going up and down |
| Terracing | carving a series of steps along a hillside |
| Non-Renewable Resources | those resources that cannot be replaced or replenished such as fresh water, fossil fuels and minerals |
| Watershed | Area of land that drains that drains into a river |
| Fossil Fuels | result of the incomplete decay of prehistoric plants/animals that lived during the Carboniferous period |
| Geothermal Energy | using heat from beneath the earth to generate power |
| Minerals | inorganic solid formed in the earth |
| Strip Mining | mining in which layers of the earth are removed to gain access to minerals below |
| Pollution | undesirable change in a physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of an ecosystem |
| Biodregradable | subject to decay by microorganisms |
| Nonbiodegrable | Items that cannot be broken down by microorganisms |
| Primary Pollutants | pollutants put directly into the atmosphere |
| Particulates | the tiny solid particles found in smoke |
| Secondary Pollutants | result from some effect acting on a primary pollutant |
| Photochemical Smog | sunlight acting on smog which can damage plants |
| Ozone | a secondary pollutant |
| Acid Rain | Rain with a low level of pH |
| Hazardous wastes | industrially produced products that are radioactive, explosive, toxic, or otherwise dangerous |
| Pesticides | manufactured chemicals used to control insects |
| Biological Magnification | the process in which hazardous wastes become more concentrated in the food chain |
| biotic potential | The rate at which a population will grow if all suvive and reproduce at maximum capicity |
| carrying capacity | The maximum # of individuals that the ecosystem is capable of supporting |
| Populatin density | the # of individuals in a population in a given area at a given time |
