Unit Terms: Population growth Habitat alteration Invasive species Pollution Overharvesting Biosphere Biodiversity Biomes Ecosystem Genetic variation Alternative energy Sustainable agriculture Geothermal power Solar power Wind power Biofuels Fuel cells Aquaculture Carrying capacity Limiting factors Ocean acidification Abiotic Biotic Ecology Ecological footprint Temperature Rainfall Latitude Soil Population Nuclear fusion Wave power

Increase in the number of individuals of a species that inhabit a given area Population growth

change in the particular environment or place where organisms or species tend to live Habitat alteration

a plant, fungus or animal species that is not native to a specific location and which has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health. Invasive species

To make foul, unclean, dirty; any physical, chemical, or biological change that adversely affects the health, survival, or activities of living organisms or that alters the environment in undesirable ways Pollution

(Over explotation) refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns Overharvesting

The zone of air, land, and water at the surface of the earth that is occupied by organisms Biosphere

The genetic, species, and ecological diversity of the organisms in a given area Biodiversity

A broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions Biomes

A specific biological community and its physical environment interacting in an exchange of matter and energy Ecosystem

Variation in genomes of members of a given species Genetic variation

energy generated in ways that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment, especially by avoiding the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power Alternative energy

An ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, and humane agricultural system. Stewardship, soil conservation, and integrated pest management are essential for sustainability Sustainable agriculture

Energy drawn from the internal heat of the earth, either through geysers, fumaroles, hot springs, or other natural geothermal features, or through deep wells that pump heated groundwater Geothermal power

power obtained by harnessing the energy of the sun's rays Solar power

Large numbers of windmills concentrated in a single area; usually owned by a utility or large- scale energy producer. Wind power

a fuel derived directly from living matter Biofuels

a cell producing an electric current directly from a chemical reaction Fuel cells

the rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plants for food Aquaculture

The maximum number of individuals of any species that can be supported by a particular ecosystem on a long-term basis Carrying capacity

Chemical or physical factors that limit the existence, growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism Limiting factors

reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere Ocean acidification

Not derived from living matter Abiotic

Living organisms Biotic

The scientific study of relationships between organisms and their environment. It is concerned with the life histories, distribution, and behavior of individual species as well as the structure and function of natural systems at the level of populations, communities, and ecosystems Ecology

the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources Ecological footprint

A measure of the speed of motion of a typical atom or molecule in a substance Temperature

the quantity of rain falling within a given area in a given time Rainfall

the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's equator, or of a celestial object north or south of the celestial equator, usually expressed in degrees and minutes Latitude

A complex mixture of weathered mineral materials from rocks, partially decomposed organic molecules, and a host of living organisms Soil

A group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area Population

A process in which two smaller atomic nuclei fuse into one larger nucleus and release energy; the source of power in a hydrogen bomb Nuclear fusion

power obtained by harnessing the energy produced by waves at sea Wave power