♻️AP Environmental Science
2 min read•Last Updated on June 18, 2024
Jenni MacLean
Mark Little
Jenni MacLean
Mark Little
Specifically, environmental sustainability refers to ways in which we simultaneously use our environment while conserving its resources for future generations. The factors that are important to sustainability are biological diversity, human population levels, resource consumption, CO2, CH4 and other greenhouse gas concentrations, and food production.
An important concept related to food production is a sustainable yield. Sustainable yield is the amount of resource that can be harvested without decreasing the food supply. This concept applies to timber harvesting, freshwater, fish populations as well as all crops.
Determining the sustainable yield of a resource can be complex and requires taking into account a variety of factors, including the resource's rate of replenishment or regeneration, the impact of extraction on the environment, and the demand for the resource. Maintaining a resource at its sustainable yield can help to ensure that the resource is available for future generations and that the ecosystem in which the resource is found is not damaged.
Areas that have historically not been able to manage a sustainable yield are resources that are considered a commons. Fishers worldwide are being fished at a rate faster than they can reproduce causing their populations to crash. This crash often results in one of two outcomes, extinction of the species or a regulation that stops harvesting. Either option results in humans losing access to that resource. If the fishers are managed at a sustainable yield then they should be able to have a consistent population and be able to provide that resource to humans.
🎥 Watch: AP Environmental Science - Sustainability
Biological diversity, also known as biodiversity, refers to the variety of life forms found in an ecosystem or on Earth as a whole. It encompasses genetic diversity within species, species diversity within communities, and ecosystem diversity across landscapes.
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Biological diversity, also known as biodiversity, refers to the variety of life forms found in an ecosystem or on Earth as a whole. It encompasses genetic diversity within species, species diversity within communities, and ecosystem diversity across landscapes.
Term 1 of 11
Biological diversity, also known as biodiversity, refers to the variety of life forms found in an ecosystem or on Earth as a whole. It encompasses genetic diversity within species, species diversity within communities, and ecosystem diversity across landscapes.
Term 1 of 11
Environmental sustainability refers to the practice of using resources in a way that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Renewable Energy: Renewable energy refers to energy sources that can be replenished naturally, such as solar power, wind power, and hydropower.
Biodiversity: Biodiversity is the variety and variability of living organisms in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Carbon Footprint: A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, or product.
Biological diversity, also known as biodiversity, refers to the variety of life forms found in an ecosystem or on Earth as a whole. It encompasses genetic diversity within species, species diversity within communities, and ecosystem diversity across landscapes.
Species Richness: Species richness is a measure that quantifies how many different species are present in a given area or community.
Endangered Species: Endangered species are those that face a high risk of extinction in the near future if their populations continue to decline.
Ecosystem Services: Ecosystem services are benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to human well-being. These include things like clean air and water, pollination of crops by insects, and regulation of climate.
Human population levels refer to the total number of individuals living in a specific area or on Earth as a whole. It includes factors such as birth rates, death rates, immigration, and emigration.
Population Growth Rate: Population growth rate is the rate at which a population increases or decreases over time. It is influenced by birth rates, death rates, and migration.
Carrying Capacity: Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals that an environment can sustainably support without causing resource depletion or environmental degradation.
Demographics: Demographics are statistical data relating to human populations, including information about age distribution, gender ratio, education level, and income level.
Resource consumption refers to the utilization of natural resources by humans for various purposes, such as energy production, manufacturing, and agriculture. It involves the extraction, processing, and use of resources from the environment.
Sustainable Consumption: Sustainable consumption refers to using resources in a way that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Overconsumption: Overconsumption occurs when individuals or societies use more resources than necessary or sustainable.
Ecological Footprint: Ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on nature's ecosystems based on the amount of land and water required to sustainably provide all the resources consumed and absorb all waste generated.
Greenhouse gas concentrations refer to the amount of greenhouse gases present in Earth's atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun and contribute to global warming and climate change.
Carbon Footprint: Carbon footprint measures the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, or product. It helps quantify our contribution to greenhouse gas concentrations and encourages efforts to reduce emissions.
Climate Change: Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature patterns and weather conditions across the globe. Greenhouse gas concentrations play a significant role in driving climate change by altering Earth's energy balance.
Mitigation: Mitigation involves actions taken to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on climate change. It includes strategies like transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and implementing carbon capture technologies.
Food production refers to the process of growing, harvesting, and processing food to meet the needs of a population.
Crop Yield: The amount of agricultural product harvested per unit area.
Irrigation: The artificial application of water to crops to help them grow.
Sustainable Agriculture: A farming practice that aims to meet present-day needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs.
Sustainable yield refers to the maximum amount of natural resources that can be harvested or used without depleting or damaging the resource base over the long term.
Carrying Capacity: Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals an environment can sustainably support without causing long-term damage or depletion of resources. It is related to sustainable yield because both concepts involve determining limits for resource use.
Overexploitation: Overexploitation occurs when a resource is harvested or used at an unsustainable rate, leading to depletion or irreversible damage. It is the opposite of sustainable yield and highlights the importance of managing resources responsibly.
Ecosystem Services: Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans receive from ecosystems, such as clean water, air purification, and pollination. Sustainable yield ensures that these services can be maintained for future generations by avoiding excessive resource extraction.
Rate of replenishment refers to how quickly a resource is naturally restored or replaced after it has been used or depleted.
Renewable Resource: A natural resource that can be replenished within a human lifetime.
Non-renewable Resource: A natural resource that cannot be easily replenished once it is depleted.
Overexploitation: The excessive use or extraction of resources beyond their sustainable limits.
Impact of extraction refers to the environmental consequences resulting from removing natural resources from Earth's crust or other sources.
Deforestation: The clearing or removal of trees and vegetation from a forested area.
Mining: The process of extracting minerals or other geological materials from the Earth.
Ecosystem Disruption: The disturbance or alteration of an ecosystem's structure and function due to human activities.