Key Environmental Terms and Ecological Principles

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variability among all living organisms from all sources (including marine, terrestrial, and aquatic) and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is development that occurs and meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Food Chain

The food chain is an orderly sequence of organisms through which energy is transmitted in the form of food. At its base are self-sufficient organisms that produce their own food, and at the top are carnivores.

Trophic Web

A trophic web is the interplay of food chains that exist in a given environment.

Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is the process of evolution of an ecosystem, from the arrival of the first organisms in an empty space to a more stable or defined state.

Climate Change

Climate change refers to the climate alteration of ecosystems. Changes can occur due to natural action or by the direct or indirect intervention of man.

Ecology

Ecology is a term derived from two Greek words, oikos (house) and logos (study or treaty), that designates a specific science of biology studying the relationships between organisms and the environment in which they live.

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a community of living things whose life processes are interrelated and developed based on the physical factors of their environment.

Overexploitation

Overexploitation is the excessive use of the resources of a given medium, which prevents sustainable development.

Biomass

Biomass is organic matter originated in a biological process or waste, usable as an energy source. Its most controversial source is wood, since some sectors consider it a sustainable alternative to oil, while others believe it contributes to the overexploitation of forests.

Deforestation

Deforestation is the action and effect of stripping an area of forest plants. It is motivated by changes in land use, fires, and excessive felling of trees, causing loss of species, changes in biodiversity, erosion, and degradation of crops.

Biogeochemical Cycles

Biogeochemical cycles are a series of phases substantiating the activity of chemicals in a given field.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy from renewable sources. These are divided into electrical energy sources (biomass, wind, mini-hydro, solar photovoltaic) and thermal energy sources (biofuels and solar thermal).