Essential Glossary of Environmental and Earth Science Terms

Essential Environmental and Geographical Terminology

A collection of fundamental definitions covering ecology, hydrology, and resource management.

Deciduous

Refers to trees or shrubs that lose their foliage during part of the year.

Watershed (Drainage Basin)

The area of land, including slopes and drainage systems, that collects and channels water discharging into a specific sea or body of water.

Evergreen

Used to designate trees or shrubs that retain living leaves throughout the year.

Insolation (Solar Radiation)

The amount of energy, in the form of solar radiation, reaching a specific place on Earth during a particular period (e.g., daily sunshine or annual insolation). (Note: This term replaces the incorrect 'Heat stroke'.)

Raw Material

Materials extracted directly from nature that are subsequently processed into consumer goods.

Power Source (Energy Source)

Systems or materials, often complex in nature, from which humans can extract energy to perform work or achieve a specific utility.

Water Balance (Hydrologic Balance)

The accounting of all water entering and leaving a defined system over a specific interval of time.

Blanket Irrigation (Flood Irrigation)

A method of irrigation where the entire surface of the land is flooded with water.

Reservoir

An accumulation of water, typically artificial, caused by a dam or blockage in the bed of a river or stream, partially or fully closing its path.

Water Diversion

Waterworks designed to increase the availability of water in a neighboring basin or area.

Aquifer

A geological stratum or formation that allows the movement and storage of water through its pores or cracks.

Acid Rain

Formed when atmospheric moisture combines with nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, typically emitted by factories, power plants, and vehicles burning coal or oil products.

Ozone Layer

The region of the stratosphere containing relatively high concentrations of ozone gas.

Greenhouse Effect

The phenomenon where certain atmospheric gases trap energy emitted by the Earth's surface, subsequently re-emitting part of that energy back toward the surface.

Deforestation

A process, usually caused by human action, that results in the destruction of forest areas.

Biodegradable

A product or substance capable of decomposing into natural chemical elements through the action of biological agents, such as sunlight, water, bacteria, plants, or animals.

Ecosystem

A natural system consisting of a set of living organisms (biocenosis) and the physical environment (biotope) in which they interact.

Biosphere

The global ecological system formed by all living beings on planet Earth, along with the physical environment that surrounds them and which they help shape.