Chapter 1 Ecology-Understanding our environment

Any natural materials that are used by humans, such as water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and animals.

• natural resources

• ecological footprint

• pollution

• biodegradable

a calculation that shows the productive area of Earth needed to support one person in a particular country

• pollution

• biodegradable

• ecological footprint

• nonrenewable resource

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

• biodegradable

• pollution

• nonrenewable resource

• Ecology

a material that can be broken down by biological processes

• biodegradable

• ecology

• law of supply and demand

• Sustainability

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

• pollution

• Ecology

• ecological footprint

• natural resources

A law of economics which states that when supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop. When supplies become scarcer, prices tend to rise.

• Sustainability

• law of supply and demand

• agriculture

• renewable resource

The condition in which human population needs are met in such a way that human population can survive indefinitely

• agriculture

• renewable resource

• Environmental Science

• Sustainability

The raising of crops and livestock for food or for other products that are useful to humans

• Ecology

• agriculture

• renewable resource

• Biodiversity

A natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed

• agriculture

• Sustainability

• renewable resource

• law of supply and demand

The study of air, water and land surrounding an organism or a community, which ranges from a small area to earth's entire biosphere; it includes the study of the impact of humans on the environment

• Environmental Science

• Sustainability

• Ecology

• Earth Science