Forces of Nature: Introduction to Natural Resources and the Environment

Fuel your vocabulary by reviewing these words related to natural resources and the environment. Learn about sources of energy, renewable and nonrenewable resources, pollution, and much more. This list is a great resource!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. acid rain
    precipitation with toxic gas emissions combined with water
  2. agriculture
    the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
  3. air pollution
    pollution of the atmosphere
  4. alternative energy
    energy derived from sources that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment
  5. aquifer
    underground layer of rock or sand that yields groundwater
  6. atmosphere
    the mass of air surrounding the Earth
  7. biodegradable
    capable of being decomposed
  8. biodiversity
    the variety of plant and animal life in a habitat
  9. biomass
    the total amount of living matter in a given unit area
  10. biosphere
    the regions of the Earth where living organisms exist
  11. carbon cycle
    the organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again
  12. carbon dioxide
    a colorless, odorless greenhouse gas essential for photosynthesis
  13. coal
    fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter
  14. conservation
    careful management of the environment and natural resources
  15. consumption
    the act of using something up
  16. deforestation
    the removal of trees
  17. depletion
    the state of being used up
  18. distribution
    the property of being scattered about over a range or area
  19. ecosystem
    organisms interacting with their physical environment
  20. energy
    any source of usable power
  21. environment
    the area in which something exists or lives
  22. extraction
    taking out something
  23. fertilizer
    any substance used to improve the quality of soil
  24. fossil fuel
    energy-producing substance derived from preserved organisms
  25. fresh water
    water that is not salty
  26. geothermal energy
    energy derived from the heat in the interior of the earth
  27. greenhouse effect
    warming due to solar radiation trapped by the atmosphere
  28. habitat
    the type of environment in which an organism normally lives
  29. hydroelectricity
    electricity produced by water power
  30. landfill
    an area where waste is disposed of by burying it underground
  31. metal
    a chemical element or alloy that is usually a shiny solid
  32. mine
    get from the earth by excavation
  33. mineral
    a solid inorganic substance occurring in nature
  34. mining
    the act of extracting ores or coal from the earth
  35. natural resource
    material in the environment that can be used by people
  36. nuclear energy
    the energy released by a nuclear reaction
  37. ore
    a mineral that contains metal valuable enough to be mined
  38. ozone layer
    a region of the stratosphere that blocks UV radiation from the sun
  39. petroleum
    a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons
  40. pollution
    contamination of the natural environment
  41. population
    a group of organisms of the same species inhabiting an area
  42. preserve
    keep in safety and protect from harm, loss, or destruction
  43. reclamation
    the conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use
  44. recycle
    use again after processing
  45. renewable
    capable of being replaced
  46. reservoir
    lake used to store water for community use
  47. resource
    a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
  48. smelt
    extract by heating, as a metal
  49. soil
    the part of the earth's surface in which plants grow
  50. solar power
    energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy
  51. sustainability
    the capacity of being prolonged
  52. topsoil
    the layer of soil on the surface
  53. uranium
    a heavy, silvery-white, radioactive, metallic element
  54. vein
    a layer of ore between layers of rock
  55. waste
    any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
  56. water pollution
    pollution of the water in rivers and lakes
  57. wind farm
    a power plant that uses wind turbines to generate electricity
  58. wind power
    power derived from the wind (as by windmills)
  59. wind turbine
    a turbine that is driven by the wind
Created on Sat Feb 11 09:20:11 EST 2017 (updated Wed Apr 12 14:37:53 EDT 2017)

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