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Science

Environmental Science

Ecosystems, biodiversity, resources, pollution and climate change, and the choices that shape them.

  • 10 chapters
  • 30 lessons
  • 30 visual guides
  • All free
Start hereSystems and feedbackEnvironmental Systems (Free preview) · An environmental system is a set of connected parts. Drawing its boundary helps you notice what enters, what leaves, and what responds.Start lesson

Chapters

1

Environmental Systems (Free preview)

Explore environmental systems through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 1.1Systems and feedbackAn environmental system is a set of connected parts. Drawing its boundary helps you notice what enters, what leaves, and what responds.Visual guide
  2. 1.2Matter and energyMatter moves between storage places, while energy powers processes and becomes less available for work as it disperses. Follow both paths separately.Visual guide
  3. 1.3Reading environmental dataA strong environmental claim starts with well-described observations. A large spreadsheet still needs fair comparisons and honest treatment of uncertainty.Visual guide
2

Ecosystems

Explore ecosystems through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 2.1Food websA food web is a map of feeding connections. Its arrows trace transfers, and one organism can have more than one place in that map.Visual guide
  2. 2.2Energy transferEnergy budgets explain why a field supports more plant production than predator production. Transfer efficiency varies, so a convenient percentage is an estimate, not a law.Visual guide
  3. 2.3Ecological relationshipsSpecies relationships affect who can survive and reproduce. The labels describe effects on participants, and the effects may change with conditions.Visual guide
3

Biodiversity

Explore biodiversity through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 3.1Genetic, species, and ecosystem diversityBiodiversity has several layers. Counting species is useful, but variation within species and the variety of ecosystems matter too.Visual guide
  2. 3.2Ecosystem servicesEcosystems support people through both products and processes. Some benefits are hard to price, but that does not make them absent.Visual guide
  3. 3.3Threats to biodiversityBiodiversity threats often interact. Protecting one species may require understanding habitat, movement, climate, and human activities together.Visual guide
4

Populations

Explore populations through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 4.1Population growthA population changes when individuals are born, die, arrive, or leave. A growth model is a simplified description with assumptions you must check.Visual guide
  2. 4.2Carrying capacityCarrying capacity is not a permanent number engraved on a habitat. It depends on resources, conditions, and the organisms involved.Visual guide
  3. 4.3Human population patternsHuman environmental demand depends on more than the number of people. Consumption, technology, distribution, and institutions affect the overall result.Visual guide
5

Earth Resources

Explore earth resources through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 5.1SoilSoil is a living, layered resource that develops slowly. Managing water, vegetation, and disturbance helps protect its ability to support growth.Visual guide
  2. 5.2FreshwaterFreshwater management must consider quantity, quality, timing, and access. A place can have enough total water but still face seasonal shortages or contamination.Visual guide
  3. 5.3Minerals and resource useMineral resources support modern products, but the useful material is only part of the material moved. Follow extraction, processing, use, and disposal.Visual guide
6

Energy Choices

Explore energy choices through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 6.1Fossil fuelsFossil fuels are concentrated chemical energy formed over geological time. Burning them transfers energy while producing emissions that depend on fuel and controls.Visual guide
  2. 6.2Renewable energyRenewable describes replenishment, not freedom from every impact. Different energy sources fit different places, seasons, and electricity-system needs.Visual guide
  3. 6.3Comparing tradeoffsCompare energy choices by the service they deliver. Include reliability, emissions, costs, local effects, and the full chain of production.Visual guide
7

Pollution

Explore pollution through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 7.1Air pollutionAir pollution depends on what is emitted, what forms afterward, and where people breathe. The same concentration can create different risks for different exposures.Visual guide
  2. 7.2Water pollutionWater pollution can arrive from a visible pipe or from many spread-out places. Follow the contaminant, its pathway, and its effects.Visual guide
  3. 7.3Waste and exposure pathwaysA hazardous substance is not the same thing as a measured personal risk. Risk depends on exposure, dose, and the circumstances of contact.Visual guide
8

Climate Change

Explore climate change through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 8.1Greenhouse gasesGreenhouse gases interact with infrared radiation. Concentration, persistence, and physical effects all matter when comparing their climate influence.Visual guide
  2. 8.2Evidence and modelsA climate conclusion is stronger when measurements and mechanisms agree. Models explore mechanisms and futures; they do not replace observations.Visual guide
  3. 8.3Mitigation and adaptationMitigation changes the causes of climate change. Adaptation reduces harm from its effects. Communities often need both, designed for local conditions.Visual guide
9

Land and Water Management

Explore land and water management through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 9.1AgricultureAgriculture supplies food while changing soil, water, and habitats. Practices should be judged by measured outcomes and local conditions rather than a single label.Visual guide
  2. 9.2ForestsA forest is more than a supply of trees. Its management changes habitat, water, carbon, livelihoods, and future regeneration.Visual guide
  3. 9.3Fisheries and water managementFishery and water decisions connect biology with human use. A harvest rule is useful only if monitoring and environmental conditions support it.Visual guide
10

Environmental Decisions

Explore environmental decisions through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.

3 lessons

Flashcards Practice test
  1. 10.1Risk and uncertaintyUncertainty should guide questions and safeguards. It does not mean every possibility is equally likely or that action must wait for perfect knowledge.Visual guide
  2. 10.2Evaluating proposed solutionsA fair comparison starts with a goal and criteria, then examines alternatives, including doing nothing. Benefits need to be weighed alongside costs and affected groups.Visual guide
  3. 10.3Communicating evidenceCommunicating evidence means letting readers inspect how you reached your conclusion. Clear labels, sources, and limits are part of the explanation.Visual guide