Unit 9 Vocabulary

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Across
  1. 2. The physical wearing away or removal of the Earth's topsoil by natural forces like water and wind, or by human activities such as poor farming.
  2. 7. The gradual process by which fertile, productive land degrades into arid or semi-arid desert landscapes.
  3. 8. The process where a large, continuous expanse of natural habitat is broken down into smaller, isolated patches.
  4. 11. An organism that is introduced to an ecosystem where it does not naturally occur and causes harm.
  5. 13. A type of natural resource that cannot be readily replaced or regenerated by natural processes at a pace that keeps up with their consumption.
  6. 15. Any atmospheric gas that absorbs and re-radiates infrared radiation (heat) from the Earth’s surface.
  7. 16. A type of natural resource that replenishes itself continuously or over a short period.
  8. 17. Any single, identifiable, and confined source of pollution.
  9. 18. Any organism that is brought into an area outside of its natural, historic range as a result of human activity; either intentionally or unintentionally.
Down
  1. 1. The introduction of harmful materials or energy into the natural environment at a rate faster than it can be naturally processed, dispersed, diluted, or safely stored.
  2. 3. Any water that has been adversely affected in quality by human activity.
  3. 4. A harmful type of air pollution formed when emissions from human activities react with sunlight.
  4. 5. Water pollution that does not originate from a single, identifiable outlet like a pipe.
  5. 6. The practice of improving our current quality of life and meeting present human needs while ensuring that natural resources and ecosystems are protected so that future generations can meet their own needs.
  6. 9. Any form of precipitation (like rain, snow, or fog) with high levels of sulfuric and nitric acids, resulting in a low pH.
  7. 10. The unsustainable removal or extraction of renewable natural resources—like fish, timber, or medicinal plants—faster than those populations can naturally reproduce and recover.
  8. 12. The natural process where atmospheric gases trap heat radiating from Earth's surface.
  9. 14. The permanent removal or clearing of forested land to be repurposed for non-forest uses.