Unit 6 - Human Impact

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Renewable Resources

Back

A resource that can be used indefinitely without causing a reduction in the available supply.

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Non-Renewable Resources

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Resources that take thousands of years to replenish themselves and exist in a fixed amount.

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Desertification

Back

Process by which productive land becomes desert; in arid areas, it can occur through the loss of topsoil.

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Fossil Fuels

Back

Nonrenewable energy source formed over geologic time from the compression and partial decomposition of organisms that lived millions of years ago.

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Sustainable Energy

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Involves global management of Earth's natural resources to ensure that current and future energy needs will be met without harming the environment.

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Reclamation

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Process in which a mining company restores land used during mining operations to its original contours and replants vegetation.

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Biodiversity

Back

The number and variety of organisms found in a specific area or ecosystem.

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Bioremediation

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Use of organisms to break down environmental pollutants.

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Monoculture

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Planting of a single plant species, such as corn or wheat, in a field.

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Global Warming

Back

A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth's atmosphere, generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.