Chapter 2 glossary
Glossary
Chapter 2
agricultural
revolution
Gradual shift from small, mobile hunting and gathering bands to settled agricultural communities
in which people survived by learning how to breed and raise wild animals and to cultivate wild
plants near where they lived. It began 10,000&endash;12,000 years ago. Compare environmental
revolution, hunter&endash;gatherers, industrial&endash;medical revolution, information and
globalization revolution.
conservation
Sensible and careful use of natural resources by humans. People with this view are
called conservationists.
conservation
biologist
Biologist who investigates human impacts on the diversity of life found on the earth (biodiversity)
and develops practical plans for preserving such biodiversity. Compare conservationist, ecologist,
environmentalist, environmental scientist, preservationist, restorationist.
conservationist
Person concerned with using natural areas and wildlife in ways that sustain them for current and
future generations of humans and other forms of life. Compareconservation biologist, ecologist,
environmentalist, environmental scientist, preservationist, restorationist.
ecologist
Biological scientist who studies relationships between living organisms and their environment.
Compare conservation biologist, conservationist, environmentalist, environmental scientist,
preservationist, restorationist.
environmental
movement
Efforts by citizens at the grassroots level to demand that political leaders enact laws and develop
policies to curtail pollution, clean up polluted environments, and protect pristine areas and species
from environmental degradation.
environmental
scientist
Scientist who uses information from the physical sciences and social sciences to understand how
the earth works, learn how humans interact with the earth, and develop solutions to environmental
problems. Compare conservation biologist, conservationist, ecologist, preservationist,
restorationist.
environmentalist Person who is concerned about the impact of people on environmental quality and believe that
some human actions are degrading parts of the earth's life-support systems for humans and many
other forms of life. Compare conservation biologist, conservationist, ecologist, environmental
scientist, preservationist, restorationist.
EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; responsible for managing federal efforts to control air and
water pollution, radiation and pesticide hazards, environmental research, hazardous waste, and
solid-solid waste disposal.
frontier
environmental
worldview
Viewing undeveloped land as a hostile wilderness to be conquered (cleared, planted) and
exploited for its resources as quickly as possible. Compareenvironmental wisdom worldview,
planetary management worldview, spaceship-earth worldview.
hunter-gatherers People who get their food by gathering edible wild plants and other materials and by hunting wild
animals and fish. Compare agricultural revolution, environmental revolution, industrial-medical
revolution, information and globalization revolution.
industrialmedical
revolution
Use of new sources of energy from fossil fuels and later from nuclear fuels, and use of new
technologies, to grow food and manufacture products. Compareagricultural revolution,
environmental revolution, hunter-gatherers, information and globalization revolution.
information and
globalization
revolution
Use of new technologies such as the telephone, radio, television, computers, the Internet,
automated databases, and remote sensing satellites to enable people to have increasingly rapid
access to much more information on a global scale. Compare agricultural revolution,
environmental revolution, hunter-gatherers, industrial-medical revolution.
preservationist
Person concerned primarily with setting aside or protecting undisturbed natural areas from
harmful human activities. Compare conservation biologist, conservationist, ecologist,
environmentalist, environmental scientist, restorationist.
restorationist
Scientist or other person devoted to the partial or complete restoration of natural areas that have
been degraded by human activities. Compare conservation biologist, conservationist, ecologist,
environmental scientist, preservationist.
Chapter 2 glossary
shifting
cultivation
Clearing a plot of ground in a forest, especially in tropical areas, and planting crops on it for a few
years (typically 2-5 years) until the soil is depleted of nutrients or the plot has been invaded by a
dense growth of vegetation from the surrounding forest. Then a new plot is cleared and the
process is repeated. The abandoned plot cannot successfully grow crops for 10-30 years. See
also slash-and-burn cultivation.
slash-and-burn
cultivation
Cutting down trees and other vegetation in a patch of forest, leaving the cut vegetation on the
ground to dry, and then burning it. The ashes that are left add nutrients to the nutrient-poor soils
found in most tropical forest areas. Crops are planted between tree stumps. Plots must be
abandoned after a few years (typically 2&endash;5 years) because of loss of soil fertility or
invasion of vegetation from the surrounding forest. See also shifting cultivation.