| What is Agro-Forestry ? | The growing of trees for the benefit of agriculture: as wind
breaks or as protection against soil erosion |
| Define Alternative Energy | Renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind
power, that offer an alternative to the use of fossil fuels |
| What are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) ? | Chemicals once used in foams,
refrigerators, aerosols and air-conditioning units. Their use is now banned
because they were thought to be responsible for the destruction of the
world’s ozone layer and for part of the greenhouse effect |
| Define Climate Change | long-term changes in the global atmospheric conditions |
| Define Deforestation, give an example | The deliberate clearing of forested land, often causing
serious environmental problems such as soil erosion
Amazon Rainforest |
| What is Desertification, give an example | The spread of desert conditions into what where semiarid areas
Sahel |
| Define Famine | A chronic shortage of food resulting in many people dying from
starvation |
| What are Fossil Fuels ? | Carbon fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas that cannot be
‘remade’ because it will take tens of millions of years for them to form
again (i.e they are finite) |
| Define a Fragile environment | A term used to describe those natural environments that are
sensitive to, and easily abused by human activities |
| Define Global Warming | A process whereby global temperatures rise over time |
| Define Malutrition | A condition resulting when a person is unable to eat what is
needed to maintain good health |
| What is overgrazing and what is one result of it ? | When pasture or grazing is unable to support the number of
animals relying on it for food. The result is the vegetation cover declines
and soil erosion sets in. |
| Define Population Pressure | When the number of people in an area begins to
approach carrying capacity and places a strain on available resources |
| What is a Refugee ? | A person whose reasons for migrating are due to fear of
persecution or death |
| Define Soil Erosion | The washing or blowing away of topsoil so that the fertility of
the remaining soil is greatly reduced |
| Define the term Sustainable | A term used to describe actions that minimize negative
impacts on the environment and promote human well-being |
| Define Well-being | A condition experienced by people and greatly influenced by
the standard of living and quality of life |
| What is Eutrophification ? | Excessive nutrients (nitrates) from fertilisers are flushed from the land into rivers by rainwater |
| Define Biomass | The amount of living matter in an ecosystem (1) is the
correct response. |
| Define the term natural ecosystem? | A natural environment that includes flora (plants) and
fauna (animals) that live and interact within that
environment (1). |
| Identify the meaning of the term Milankovitch cycle. | The amount of energy radiated from the Sun changes over an 11- year cycle. Earth's orbit changes a small amount once every 100 000 years. These are known as Milankovitch cycles. |
