ES Ch 1.1 Key Terms Quiz

All external conditions, factor, matter, and energy, living and nonliving, that affect any living organism or other specified system.

• Environment

• Ecology

• Ecosystem

• Environmentalism

Biological science that studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment

• Ecology

• Natural Capital

• Natural Resource

• Inexhaustible resource

One or more communities of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up their nonliving environment.

• ecosystem

• sustainability

• natural capital

• renewable resource

A social movement dedicated to protecting the earth's life support systems for us and other species.

• environmentalism

• sustainability

• natural resource

• ecosystem service

Capacity of the earth's natural systems and human cultural systems to survive, flourish, and adapt to changing environmental conditions into the very long-term future

• sustainability

• natural capital

• natural resource

• renewable resource

Natural resources and natural services that keep us and other species alive and support our economies.

• natural capital

• natural resource

• inexhaustible resource

• renewable resource

Material or energy source in nature that is essential or useful to humans.

• natural resource

• ecology

• ecosystem

• nonrenewable resource

Resource available in continuous supply for the conceivable future. Examples include sunlight and the wind and flowing waters that sunlight powers

• inexhaustible resource

• ecosystem service

• natural capital

• environmentalism

Resource that can be replenished rapidly (hours to several decades) through natural processes as long as it is not used up faster than it is replaced. Examples include, forests, grasslands, wildlife, fertile topsoil, clean air, and fresh water.

• renewable resource

• ecology

• environmental science

• nonrenewable resource

Resource that exists in a fixed amount and takes millions to billions of years to form, so it will be used more quickly than it can be replaced. Examples include copper, coal, oil, salt, and sand.

• nonrenewable resource

• ecosystem service

• ecology

• renewable resource