Across
- 4. relating to or derived from living matter.
- 8. the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions.
- 9. a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource.
- 10. any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull.
- 14. protect (something, especially an environmentally or culturally important place or thing) from harm or destruction.
- 15. the seasonal movement of animals from one habitat to another in search of food, better conditions, or reproductive needs.
- 16. no longer in existence; lost or especially having died out leaving no living representatives.
- 19. refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas) which produces heat-trapping gases.
- 21. a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently for years or decades or seasonally for a shorter periods.
- 23. the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features.
- 24. trash, such as paper, cans, and bottles, that is left lying in an open or public place.
- 25. a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
- 27. one of our planet's most dynamic and important natural resources,a mixture of minerals, dead and living organisms (organic materials), air, and water.
- 29. examples include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
- 31. a substance that is used up more quickly than it can replace itself.
- 32. the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms, from genes and bacteria to entire ecosystems such as forests or coral reefs.
- 34. seriously at risk of extinction.
- 35. a colorless gas having a faint sharp odor and a sour taste. It is one of the most important greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
- 36. a geographical term describing the area from which water sources drain into a single river or a ridge.
- 37. the introduction of harmful materials into the environment.
- 38. found in Earth's crust and contain carbon and hydrogen, which can be burned for energy. Coal, oil, and natural gas are examples.
Down
- 1. a high-latitude region of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite that is covered in ice.
- 2. include such substances as toxic chemicals, fuels, nuclear waste products, and biological, chemical, and radiological agents (abbr).
- 3. refers to the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species.
- 5. the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity.
- 6. prevention of wasteful use of a resource.
- 7. containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation.
- 11. occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere, where it forms a protective layer that shields us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
- 12. these ecosystems are the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems and exist in waters that have a high salt content.
- 13. the long-term heating of Earth's surface observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere.
- 17. to give new life or vigor to.
- 18. a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings.
- 20. the ability for a material to be broken down naturally by the organisms in an ecosystem
- 22. the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
- 26. resources that are renewable and can be replenished at the same rate, or faster than they are being consumed.
- 28. Although widely distributed in nature, carbon is not particularly plentiful—it makes up only about 0.025 percent of Earth's crust—yet it forms more compounds than all the other elements combined.
- 30. a source of energy that is not depleted by use, such as water, wind, or solar power.
- 33. a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas essential to living organisms, being taken up by animals, which convert it to carbon dioxide.