Unit 4 Human Impact of Earth Vocabulary

Natural resources

• a natural resource that humans use to make objects or to consume as food and drink
• a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which it is consumed
• a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed
• any natural resource that is used by humans

nonrenewable resource

• any natural resource that is used by humans
• a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which it is consumed
• a natural resource that humans use to make objects or to consume as food and drink
• a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed

renewable resource

• any natural resource that is used by humans
• a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed
• a natural resource that humans use to make objects or to consume as food and drink
• a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which it is consumed

Material resource

• any natural resource that is used by humans
• a natural resource that humans use to make objects or to consume as food and drink
• a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which it is consumed
• a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed

Energy resource

• A nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains or organisms that lived long ago.
• a natural resource that humans use to generate energy
• a measure of the pollutants in the air that is used to express how clean or polluted the air is
• a tiny particle of solid that is suspended in air or water

Fossil Fuel

• a natural resource that humans use to generate energy
• a measure of the pollutants in the air that is used to express how clean or polluted the air is
• a tiny particle of solid that is suspended in air or water
• A nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains or organisms that lived long ago.

Urbanization

• The process by which human activity and natural processes damage land to the point that it can no longer support the local ecosystem
• The process by which human activities or climatic changes make areas more desert-like
• the growth of urban areas caused by people moving into cities
• The removal of trees and other vegetation from an area

Land Degradation

• the growth of urban areas caused by people moving into cities
• The process by which human activities or climatic changes make areas more desert-like
• The process by which human activity and natural processes damage land to the point that it can no longer support the local ecosystem
• The removal of trees and other vegetation from an area

Desertification

• the growth of urban areas caused by people moving into cities
• The process by which human activity and natural processes damage land to the point that it can no longer support the local ecosystem
• The process by which human activities or climatic changes make areas more desert-like
• The removal of trees and other vegetation from an area

Deforestation

• the growth of urban areas caused by people moving into cities
• The process by which human activity and natural processes damage land to the point that it can no longer support the local ecosystem
• The removal of trees and other vegetation from an area
• The process by which human activities or climatic changes make areas more desert-like