Minimizing Human Impact on the Environment

Overpopulation

More organisms in an area than an ecosystem can support

Pollution

A harmful substance that contaminates a natural environment

Climate Change

A long-term change in the temperature range and related environmental variables for regions of Earth

Deforestation

Removal of a forest or stand of trees, which are then used for non forest purposes

Agriculture

The science, art, and business of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock

Biodiversity

The sum of the different forms of living things in a given area or population

Consumption

The use of resources, such as fuel and food, by specific populations

Reuse

To find ways to use containers and products multiple times

Reduce

To make smart purchasing decisions that result in less waste and packaging

Recycle

To properly dispose of used resources so they can be reprocessed into new products

Overexploitation

Use of a natural resource at a level that results in the unwanted depletion or destruction of the resource

Anthropogenic Changes

changes in the environment caused by humans

Sustainable farming and fishing

A type of farming and fishing that produces food in a way that does not harm the environment

Ecosystem

All of the biotic and abiotic factors and the interactions among them in a given area

Population

All of the organisms of one species within a particular ecosystem

Invasive species

An alien (or non-native to the ecosystem) species, usually brought to an area by humans, that competes for resources and causes problems for the native specie within an ecosystem

Energy usage

The amount of energy utilized

Environmental impact

The impact on the environment created by the Industrial Revolution

Environment

the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.