MATSEC IM Environmental Science flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Albedo

Fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected by a surface; high for snow and ice, low for dark ocean and vegetation, influencing Earth's energy balance.

Net radiation

Balance between incoming shortwave solar radiation absorbed by Earth and outgoing longwave radiation; positive values warm the surface and drive evaporation and atmospheric circulation.

Coriolis effect

Apparent deflection of moving air or water caused by Earth's rotation; deflects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Tropospheric lapse rate

Average decrease of about 6.5 degrees Celsius per kilometre in the troposphere; rising air cools, promoting condensation and cloud formation.

Hydrological cycle

Continuous movement of water through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff and groundwater storage, linking atmosphere, land and oceans.

Carbon sink

Reservoir that absorbs more carbon than it releases, such as oceans, forests and soils; sinks slow the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Nitrification

Microbial conversion of ammonium to nitrite and then nitrate in soil; nitrate is available to plants and may be lost by leaching or denitrification.

Weathering

Physical, chemical or biological breakdown of rocks at Earth's surface; it releases nutrients and forms soil, and chemical weathering consumes carbon dioxide.

Gross primary productivity

Total energy or carbon fixed by autotrophs through photosynthesis per unit time; some is used in respiration, leaving net primary productivity.

Ecological pyramid

Diagram showing energy, biomass or numbers at successive trophic levels; energy pyramids are always upright because about 90 percent of energy is lost at each transfer.

Carrying capacity

Maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely given available food, water, space and other limiting resources.

Logistic growth

Population growth that slows as density approaches carrying capacity, described by dN/dt = rN(1 - N/K), producing an S-shaped curve.

Ecological niche

Full role and position of a species in an ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, interactions and tolerance ranges; no two species occupy identical niches indefinitely.

Biomagnification

Increase in concentration of a persistent pollutant at higher trophic levels because contaminated organisms are eaten by predators; affects top predators and humans.

Primary succession

Colonisation of bare substrate such as new volcanic rock or sand dunes by pioneer species, followed by gradual soil formation and community replacement.

Garigue

Open Maltese scrubland on thin, rocky limestone soils, with low shrubs and annual herbs adapted to drought, grazing and strong coastal winds.

IPAT equation

Environmental impact (I) is modelled as population (P) multiplied by affluence or consumption per person (A) multiplied by technology or impact per unit consumption (T).

Demographic transition

Model of population change from high birth and death rates to low ones; rapid growth occurs in the intermediate stage when death rates fall before birth rates.

Water footprint

Total volume of freshwater used directly and indirectly to produce goods and services consumed by a person, business or country.

Waste hierarchy

Priority order for waste management: prevent, reuse, recycle, recover energy, then dispose; prevention has the highest environmental priority and landfill the lowest.

Point-source pollution

Pollution entering the environment from a single identifiable location such as a pipe or factory outfall, making monitoring and regulation easier than for diffuse sources.

Non-point-source pollution

Diffuse pollution with no single identifiable outlet, such as agricultural runoff or urban stormwater, difficult to measure and control.

Bioaccumulation

Build-up of a substance in an organism over its lifetime because uptake exceeds excretion; persistent fat-soluble pollutants can accumulate in body tissues.

Urban sprawl

Low-density outward expansion of built-up areas into surrounding land, increasing car dependence, infrastructure costs and loss of agricultural or natural land.

Sustainable development

Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, integrating environmental, social and economic goals.

Precautionary principle

Decision rule that lack of full scientific certainty should not delay cost-effective measures to prevent serious or irreversible environmental harm.

Polluter pays principle

Principle that those who cause pollution should bear the costs of preventing, controlling and remediating it, so environmental costs are included in prices.

Environmental impact assessment

Structured process that predicts environmental effects of a proposed project, evaluates alternatives and informs approval conditions and monitoring before major decisions.

Scoping in EIA

Early stage of environmental impact assessment that decides which impacts, alternatives and stakeholders are relevant, so the assessment focuses on significant issues.

Natura 2000

European Union network of protected areas designated under the Birds and Habitats Directives to conserve habitats and species of European importance.

Circular economy

Economic model that keeps materials in use through reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling, reducing waste and dependence on virgin resources.

Environmental externality

Cost or benefit of an activity borne by third parties rather than the producer or consumer, such as pollution damage from electricity generation.