{"id":295,"date":"2026-05-27T09:51:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routledgelearning.com\/sustainabilityprinciplesandpractice\/?page_id=295"},"modified":"2026-05-27T11:22:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T11:22:49","slug":"biosphere","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/routledgelearning.com\/sustainabilityprinciplesandpractice\/biosphere\/","title":{"rendered":"Biosphere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-69934ac2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-base-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/routledgelearning.com\/sustainabilityprinciplesandpractice\/flashcards\/\" style=\"background-color:#409750;font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">Back to all Flashcards<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<!-- Swiper -->\n<div class=\"swiper mySwiper\">\n    <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>aerobic<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>Living systems or processes that occur in the presence of oxygen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>albedo<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A measure of a surface\u2019s ability to reflect sunlight, often expressed as a decimal fraction on a scale of 0 to 1.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>anaerobic<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>Living systems or processes that occur in the absence of oxygen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>biogeochemical cycle<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The movement of matter in cycles through the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Examples include the carbon cycle and the hydrologic cycle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>biome<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A major regional habitat type characterized by particular climate and soil conditions and particular biological communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>biosphere<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The part of the Earth system on land, in the oceans, and in the atmosphere inhabited by living organisms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>community<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A group of interacting species living in a particular area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>disturbance<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A natural or human-caused event such as fire, flood, or urban development that changes the structure and function of an ecosystem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>Earth system<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The total complex of atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere that influence conditions at the Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>emergence  <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The spontaneous appearance of novel properties at the level of a system that cannot be predicted by knowledge of the system\u2019s parts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>energy<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The ability to do work<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>food web<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A network of feeding relationships in an ecosystem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>habitat<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The physical environment where an organism lives and finds food, water, cover, and space to grow and reproduce.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>matter<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>Any physical substance; something which occupies space and has mass.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>mitigation<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A mechanism in which a damaged habitat is rehabilitated or an intact habitat area is set aside to compensate for habitat that is destroyed elsewhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>niche<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The role an organism plays in its ecosystem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>population<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A group of individuals of one species living within a particular area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>reservoir<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A location where energy or matter are stored in systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>resilience<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>The capacity of a system to accommodate change and still retain the same function and structure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>sink<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A reservoir where matter is stored and removed from system interactions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>source<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A storage compartment in the environment that releases matter to another location.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>succession<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>Progressive change in species composition, structure, and ecosystem characteristics in a community, often in response to a disturbance,<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>symbiosis<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A relationship between two organisms from different species who live with and interact with each other, benefiting both of them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <!-- Swiper Slide -->\n        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n          <!-- Flashcard -->\n           <button class=\"flip-card\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n            <div class=\"flip-card-inner\">\n              <div class=\"flip-card-front\"><p><p>thermodynamics<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n              <div class=\"flip-card-back\"><p>A branch of physics that deals with the transformation of energy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n        <div id=\"flashcard-instruction\" class=\"sr-only\">Press Enter or Space to flip the card<\/div><div id=\"flip-announcement\" class=\"sr-only\" role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><\/div>\n    <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><\/div>\n    <div 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