Environmental Science Fields of Study

Environmental science is interdisciplinary:

Ecology – How living things interact with each other and their nonliving environment

For example: A ecologist might study the relationship between bees and the plant that bees pollinate

Chemistry – Helps us understand the nature of pollutants

Geology – Helps us model how pollutants travel underground

Botany and Zoology – Provide information to preserve species

Paleontology – Can help us understand how Earth’s climate has changed in the past.

What Are Our Main Environmental

Problems?

Resource Depletion:

- Any natural material that is used by humans is called a natural resource

- These resources can either by renewable or non renewable- Renewable: ones that can be replaced relatively quickly by

natural processes - Examples – water, air, soil, trees and energy from the sun

- Nonrenewable: ones that form at a much slower rate- Examples – minerals and fossil fuels

Pollution:

- An undesired change in air, water, or soil that adversely affects the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms

Loss of Biodiversity

- Biodiversity is the number and variety of species that live in an area- Organisms are considered a natural resource and if they

become extinct they are considered a nonrenewable resource