Sustainable practices, conservation strategies, and resource management concepts on AP Environmental Science. Front: the term or concept. Back: a plain-language definition.
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- sustainability
- the ability to meet present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs
- conservation
- protection and preservation of natural resources and ecosystems to maintain their health and productivity
- renewable resources
- natural resources that can be replenished or regenerated within a human lifetime, such as solar energy or timber from managed forests
- non-renewable resources
- natural resources that cannot be replenished on human timescales, including fossil fuels and minerals
- biodiversity
- the variety of different species, genetic material, and ecosystems present in a given area or across the entire planet
- ecosystem services
- benefits that ecosystems provide to humans, including pollination, water purification, climate regulation, and nutrient cycling
- carrying capacity
- the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely given available resources
- sustainable agriculture
- farming practices that maintain or improve soil fertility, protect water quality, and minimize environmental damage while producing food
- crop rotation
- the practice of alternating different crops on the same land over successive growing seasons to maintain soil health and fertility
- integrated pest management
- a pest control strategy that combines multiple methods, such as beneficial insects, habitat modification, and targeted pesticide use, to minimize environmental impact
- agroforestry
- an agricultural practice that integrates trees with crops or livestock on the same land to improve productivity and environmental quality
- afforestation
- the planting of trees on land that has not been forested recently to create new forests and increase carbon storage
- reforestation
- the replanting of trees in an area that was recently deforested to restore forest cover and ecosystem function
- deforestation
- large-scale removal of forests, typically to convert land for agriculture, development, or extraction of forest products
- habitat fragmentation
- the breaking up of continuous natural habitats into smaller, isolated patches, reducing biodiversity and species movement