ENVS 24=25 Fall Final

Food shortages occur when the demand for food exceeds the supply. Causes include misuse of land resources, overpopulation, and environmental factors.

Energy flows from one organism to another in a food chain, while chemical compounds are recycled within the ecosystem.

Biodiversity is crucial because all species depend on each other for survival; the extinction of one species can lead to the extinction of others that rely on it.

Renewable resources are natural resources that can be replenished naturally over short periods of time, such as solar energy, wind energy, and biomass.

A habitat with the greatest variety of living things supports the most sustainable ecosystem due to the interdependence of species.

Nonrenewable resources are natural resources that cannot be replenished within a human timescale, such as fossil fuels and minerals.

Environmental science is the study of the interactions between the physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment and the effects of human activity.

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment, including both biotic and abiotic factors.

Producers, such as plants, convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.

Ecological balance refers to the equilibrium between living organisms and their environment, which is essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health.