Term
|
Definition
A protected area of land in which no human development is permitted. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Ecological simplification in which only one type of plant is cultivated over a large area. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The use and management of forest ecosystems in a way that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to use the forests. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A protected zone that connects isolated unlogged or undeveloped areas. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The temporary or permanent clearance of large expanses of forest for agriculture or other uses. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A logging practice in which all the trees in a strand of forest are cut, leaving just the stumps. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Traditional agricultural methods that are dependent on labor and a large amount of land to produce enough food to feed oneself and one's family, with little left over to sell or reserve for hard times. Uses humans and draft animals as its main soure of energy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Land that is not intensively managed and is used for grazing livestock. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Destruction of vegetation caused by too many grazing animals consuming the plants in a particular area so they cannot recover. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The natural or human-induced process that decreases the future ability of the land to support crops or livestock. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Lands that are usually covered by shallow water for at least part of the year and have the characteristic soils and water-tolerant vegetation. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Undernourished/Undernutrition |
|
Definition
Malnutrition caused when a person receives too few calories in the diet that are needed to maintain a healthy body. |
|
|
Term
| Malnourished/Malnutrition |
|
Definition
Poor nutritional status; results from dietary intake either below or above required needs. --Too few trace essentials.-- |
|
|
Term
| Overnourished/Overnutrition |
|
Definition
| Malnutrition caused by eating food in excess of that required to maintain a healthy body. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Widespread starvation caused by drastic shortage of food. Caused by crop failures that are brought on by drought, war, flood, or some other catastrophic event. |
|
|
Term
| World Grain Carryover Stock |
|
Definition
The amounts of rice, wheat, corn and other grains remaining from previous harvests, as estimated at the start of a new harvest. Provides a measure of world food security. |
|
|
Term
| Industrialized agriculture |
|
Definition
| Modern agricultural methods, which require a large capital input and less land and labor than traditional methods. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Agricultural methods that maintain soil productivity and a healthy ecological balance while having minimal long-term impacts. Also called alternative or low-input agriculture. |
|
|
Term
| Integrated pest management |
|
Definition
| A combination of pest control methods (biological, chemical, and cultivation) that, if used in the proper order and at the proper times, keep the size of a pest population low enough that it does not cause substantial economic loss. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The growing of aquatic organisms (fish, shellfish, and seaweeds) for human consumption. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Various chemicals added to the atmosphere by natural events or human activites in high enough concentrations to be harmful. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the atmosphere. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A harmful substance, such as soot or carbon monoxide, that is emitted directly into the atmosphere. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A harmful substance formed in the atmosphere when a primary air polluntant reacts with substances normally found in the atmosphere or with other air pollutants. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The traditional, London-type smoke pollution, which consists principally of sulfur oxides and particulate matter. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A brownish-orange haze formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A deviation from the normal temperature distribution in the atmosphere, resulting in a layer of cold air temporarily trapped near the ground by a warmer, upper layer. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Sulfure dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions react with water vapor in the atmosphere to form acids that return to the surface as either dry or wet deposition. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A gas that absorbs infrared radiation. Includes carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chloroflurorcarbons, and tropospheric ozone, all of which are acccumulating in the atmosphere as a result of human activities, therby increasing Earth's temperature. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A situation in which a change in some condition triggers a response that intensifies the changing condition. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The increase of heat in a system where energy enters (often as light), is absorbed as heat, and release some time later; because the heat has a residence time within the system, the overally tmperature of the system will be higher than its surroundings. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Atmospheric cooling that occurs where and when areosol pollution is the greatest. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Any physical or chemical change in water that adversely affects the heatlh of humans and other organisms. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Wastewater from drains or sewers (from toliets, washing machines, and showers); includes human wastes, soaps, and detergents. |
|
|
Term
| Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) |
|
Definition
| The amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose biological wastes into carbon dioxide, water, and minerals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The fertilization of a body of water, caused by the presence of high levels of plant and algal nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A red, orange, or brown coloration of water caused by a bloom, or population explosion, of algae; many red tides cause serious environmental harm and threaten the health of humans and animals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A deep, clear lake that has minimal nutrients. Water contains a high level of dissolved oxygen. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A lake enriched with nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates and consequently overgrown with plants or algae. Water contains little dissolved oxygen. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Water pollution that occurs when heated water produced during many industrial processes is released into waterways. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A subdiscipline of chemistry in whcih commercially important chemical processes are redesigned to significantly reduce the environmental harm. |
|
|
Term
| Primary waste water treatment |
|
Definition
| Treating wastwater by removing suspended and floating particles by mechanical processes. |
|
|
Term
| Secondary waste water treatment |
|
Definition
Treating wastewater biologically to decompose suspended organic material. Reduces the water's biochemical oxygen demand. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Solid materials discarded by homes, office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, prisons, libraries, and other commercial and institutional facilities. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Solid waste generated by industry, agriculture, and mining. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
The most common method of disposal of solid waste, by compactin it and burying it under a shallow layer of soil. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Breaking down upon exposure to sunlight. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Referring to a chemical pollutant capable of being decomposed (broken down) by organisms or by other natural processes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A large furnace that burns all solid waste except for unburnable items such as refrigerators. |
|
|
Term
| Integrated waste management |
|
Definition
A combination of the best waste management techniques into a consolidated, systems-based program to deal effectively with solid waste. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Any discarded material that threatens human health or the environment. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
The decrease in size and weight of a product as a result of technological improvements that occur over time. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A method employed to clean up a hasardous waste site that uses microorganisms to break down the toxic pollutants. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A method employed to clean up a hazardous waste site that uses plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The right of every citizen, regardless of age, race, gender, social class, or other factor, to adequate protection from environmental hazards. |
|
|
