Air

a mixture of invisible, odorless and tasteless gases that surround the earth

Algae

simple, free-floating water plants

Ambient air

any unconfined portion of the atmosphere; the outside air

Aquatic

growing or living upon water

Aquifer

sand, gravel or rock formation found below the earth's surface which is saturated with water

Atmosphere

the mass of air surrounding the earth held by the force of gravity

Bacteria

microscopic, single-celled plants

Biodegradable

a material that decomposes in the environment as a result of biological action by microorganisms

Biomass

the amount of living matter (plants and animals) in a given habitat

Canopy

leaf area of a woodland

Carnivores

animals that eat meat (other animals)

Carrying capacity

the maximum number of animals that an area can support

Chlorophyll

green photosynthetic coloring matter in plants

Combustion

the chemical process of burning which releases heat, light and chemical by-products

Degradation

lowering of the quality of a resource

Depletion

using up the total quantity of a resource

Ecologist

a person who studies the relations between organisms and their environment

Ecosystem

a unit of the environment comprising the interactions of all organisms and the physical components within a given area

Emission

pollutant discharged into the air

Endangered species

plants or animals in danger of becoming extinct through all or part of its range; plants or animals whose numbers have been reduced to a critical level or whose habitats have been so drastically reduced that they are deemed to be in immediate danger of extinction

Endemic

plants or animals which are unique to particular locality or place and cannot be found elsewhere, e.g., Philippine Eagle or Mindoro Crocodile

Energy

the capacity to produce motion, heat or light

Energy conservation

planned management of energy resources which conserves, protects and prevents waste

Energy resources

a measure of national wealth by the production of usable power, such as heat and electricity

Environmental impact

changes in the environment caused by some form of management or mismanagement

Erosion

the wearing away of land surface

Exotic

plants or animals which are not native to an area

Extinct

plants and animals which have not been sighted in the wild during the past 50 years

Fauna

animals

Fertilizer

an organic or inorganic material that is added to the soil to supply elements essential to plant growth

Flora

plants

Food chain

an arrangement of predator-prey relationship in an ecosystem

Food web

the interconnected food chains within an ecosystem

Forage

all browse and non-woody food that is available to livestock or game animals

Forest

a complex community of associated trees, shrubs, other plants and animals

Forestry

the art and science of managing forests so as to yield, on a continuous basis, a maximum in quality and quantity of forest lands to satisfy human needs

Fossil fuels

hydrocarbon compounds derived from the remains of organisms (plants and animals) buried millions of years ago

Global

involving the entire world

Ground water

water found below the earth's surface

Ground-water recharge

water which seeps through the earth's surface and into the ground water aquifers

Habitat

the area where an animal or plant naturally lives and grows

Hazardous or toxic waste

waste that poses a serious threat to human health even at extremely low concentrations

Hazardous-waste site

allocation where hazardous waste poses a potential threat to the environment

Heavy metals

metallic elements with high molecular weights; generally toxic to plant and animal life

Herbivores

animals that eat plants

Hydrologic cycle

continuous circulation of water between the oceans, atmosphere and the earth's surface

Industrial waste

waste generated by industries

Irrigated lands

agricultural lands whose water requirements are met by man-made or artificial structures rather than by natural means, such as rain; irrigated lands have water the whole year as against rainfed lands which have water only during the rainy season

Limiting factors

factors that restrict the population potential of a species

Lowland areas

rainfed or irrigated farming land that is flat or gently undulating and that is not very high above sea level

Migrate

to move from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding

Migratory birds

birds which travel from one place to another depending on the season

Mineral

a naturally-occurring inorganic substance in the soil

Mulch

a layer of plant residue on the soil surface

Municipal waste

waste from cities, primarily sewage

Nocturnal

active at night

Nonpoint source pollution

pollution which enters the environment from a wide-area

Nonrenewable energy

resources which cannot be replaced once they are used

Nutrients

mineral elements and compounds (including water and air) which a plant uses for tissue growth and maintenance

Omnivores

animals that eat both animals and plants

Organic compounds

compounds composed of chemicals containing carbon; examples: pesticides, solvents, cleaning compounds, paints

Organic material

plant and animal matter in various stages of decay

Ozone (O₃) layer

layer of the atmosphere that protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiation in sunlight

pH

a scale which represents alkalinity or acidity

Percolation

the downward movement of water into the soil

Permeabilty

the ability of the soil to allow air and water to move through it

Pesticide

a chemical used to kill or control pests

Petroleum

a natural, thick, yellow-to-black, flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture found principally beneath the earth's surface

Photosynthesis

the process of producing carbohydrates from water, carbon dioxide, chlorophyll and sunlight

Plankton

suspended, floating, microscopic plants and animals in the water

Plant nutrients

elements essential for plant growth

Points source pollution

pollution which can be traced to a point of discharge

Pollutant

any introduced gas, liquid or solid that makes a resource unfit for a specific purpose

Pollution

the presence of matter or energy whose nature, location or quantity produces undesirable environmental effects; a reduction in the quality of the environment by the introduction of impurities

Population density

the number of people or animals per unit area; example: people per square kilometer

Predators

animals that hunt, kill and consume other animals

Prey

an animal taken as food by a predator

Rare species

plants and animals with very small populations that are not, at present, endangered but are at risk.

Rainfed farming land

agricultural land which depends solely on rainfall for its water requirements transforming barren mine areas as nearly as possible to their original condition

Recycle

to reuse or process waste for beneficial purposes

Recycling

transforming waste products into new products

Refuge, reserve or wilderness area

an area of land set aside for the protection of wildlife

Renewable energy

energy resources that can be replaced by natural regeneration or human efforts after they are used

Resident

wildlife found in a certain locality but may also be found elsewhere

Slope

the angle of the soil surface expressed as a percent of rise and fall

Soil

the outer portion of the earth's crust that supports plant life

Spawning

the process by which fish deposit eggs

Species

a group of organisms that resemble each other closely and that interbreed freely

Succession

the progressive development of vegetation which replaces one plant community with another in order to reach a climax condition

Surface water

water visible on the earth's surface

Topography

the physical features (natural and man-made) on the land's surface

Transpiration

the release of water vapor by leaves into the air

Upland areas

hilly to mountainous lands, including plateaus and table lands lying at high elevations

Urbanization

growth or expansion of cities

Waste

useless, unwanted or discarded material

Water pollution

water which is made chemically, biologically or physically impure or unfit for use

Watershed

the total drainage area where water flows to a common point

Weathering

the actions that break down rock into soil

Wetlands

swamps or marshes, especially as areas used by wildlife

Wildlife

plants and animals found in their natural habitat undisturbed by man or free from human interference; mammals, birds and fishes which are not domesticated or are free-ranging in their naturally associated habitats

Windbreak

a living barrier of trees and shrubs designed for protection from wind