Environment Science Review – Flashcards

Ecology is the study of all of the organisms in an environment. Environmental science, however, is the study of the interrelatedness of ALL of the components of an environment

Producers are any organism that does not need another organisms for energy. This would include photosynthetic organisms, usually plants. Consumers must eat other organisms, and are generally animals

Technological advancements have lead to the industrial society, which has greatly increased pollution and habitat destruction. However, today technology is being utilized to reduce human impact on the environment.

As human populations grow and evolve, their impact on the environments has magnified.

Groups of organisms make up species, which make up populations, which form communities, which make up ecosystems. Ecosystems make up biomes, which compose the biosphere.

As humans settled in one location, they found ways to utilize all of the resources in that specific area. They planted specific types of crops for their region, which allowed their population to grow. The larger population took up more space, which led to an increase in pollution.

The loss of a plant, or producer, in an ecosystem can cause a decline in the animals that rely on it for food. In turn, the loss of those animals, the primary consumers, may cause a decline in the secondary consumers that rely on them for food.

Environmental science is a branch of life science and has components of earth science and physical science.

Energy from the sun is used by plants for energy. Plants are eaten by consumers who, in turn, may be eaten by other consumers. Once the plants and animals die, decomposers use up most of the remaining energy

Humans may have a negative impact on the environment by overusing resources and depleting habitat space. Humans may also help save dying species and have made some positive contributions to ecosystems.