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Environment and sustainability vocabulary words

This list suits students studying ecology, Earth Day units, or environmental science, along with anyone learning to talk about sustainability. Use it to preview a chapter on ecosystems or pollution, or to build the vocabulary needed to discuss recycling and conservation confidently.

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Environment and sustainability vocabulary words

32 words
WordMeaningIn a sentenceSave
ecosystemnounThe living things in an area together with their nonliving surroundings and the ways they interact.The pond ecosystem includes insects, plants, water, and sediment.
biodiversitynounThe variety of plant and animal life found in a particular habitat or the world.Rainforests contain an extraordinary level of biodiversity compared to most other ecosystems.
habitatnounThe place and conditions in which an organism normally lives.The hedgerow provides habitat for nesting birds.
sustainabilitynounThe capacity to maintain a process, resource, or system over time without depleting it or causing lasting damage.The company published a report detailing its progress toward greater sustainability in packaging and shipping.
conservationnounThe careful protection and management of natural resources, wildlife, or historic sites to prevent loss or damage.The organization funds conservation projects to protect endangered rainforest habitats.
pollutionnounThe presence of harmful or unwanted substances in the environment, causing damage to air, water, land, or living things.Air pollution in the city worsens noticeably during the hot summer months.
contaminationnounThe presence of a harmful or unwanted substance that makes something impure or dangerous.Inspectors closed the plant after finding evidence of bacterial contamination in the water supply.
emissionsnounSubstances, especially greenhouse gases or pollutants, released into the atmosphere by vehicles, factories, or other sources.The city set a target to cut vehicle emissions by half within ten years.
greenhouse gasnounA gas, such as carbon dioxide or methane, that traps heat in Earth's atmosphere and contributes to warming.Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
climate changenounA long-term shift in global or regional weather patterns and average temperatures, especially the current warming linked to human activity.Scientists point to rising sea levels as clear evidence of climate change.
renewableadjectiveAble to be replaced naturally or continue indefinitely, or capable of being extended or renewed.Solar and wind are renewable sources of energy that will not run out.
nonrenewableadjectiveNot able to be replaced once used up, especially describing a natural resource.Oil and coal are nonrenewable resources that took millions of years to form.
recycleverbTo process used materials so they can be made into new products instead of being thrown away.Our neighborhood requires residents to recycle glass, paper, and plastic separately each week.
reuseverbTo use something again, either for its original purpose or a new one.We wash and reuse glass jars instead of throwing them away.
reduceverbTo make something smaller in size, amount, or degree.The company reduced its workforce by twenty percent to cut costs during the recession.
compostnounDecayed organic material, such as food scraps and leaves, used to enrich and fertilize soil.We added compost to the garden beds before planting the tomatoes in spring.
landfillnounA site where waste is buried in the ground for disposal.The city opened a new landfill after the old one reached full capacity.
deforestationnounThe large-scale clearing of forests, typically for farming, logging, or development.Deforestation in the region has led to significant loss of wildlife habitat.
erosionnounThe gradual wearing away of soil, rock, or land by natural forces such as wind, water, or ice.Years of coastal erosion have caused the cliff to shrink noticeably.
biodegradableadjectiveCapable of being broken down naturally by bacteria or other living organisms.The company switched to biodegradable packaging to reduce plastic waste.
carbon footprintnounThe total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person's or organization's activities.Flying less is one simple way to reduce your carbon footprint.
food chainnounA sequence of organisms in an ecosystem, each dependent on the next as a source of food.In the ocean food chain, small fish eat plankton and are in turn eaten by larger predators.
food webnounA complex network of interconnected food chains showing the feeding relationships among many organisms in an ecosystem.The biology textbook included a diagram of a forest food web linking dozens of species.
predatornounAn animal that hunts and kills other animals for food.The lion is a top predator that hunts across the open savanna.
preynounAn animal that is hunted and killed by another animal for food.The zebra became easy prey once it strayed from the herd.
symbiosisnounA close, long-term relationship between two different organisms, typically benefiting at least one of them.The clownfish and the anemone live in a symbiosis that protects both from predators.
extinctionnounThe complete disappearance of a species or type of thing from existence.Habitat loss is pushing many rainforest species toward extinction.
endangeredadjectiveAt serious risk of extinction or of being harmed, lost, or destroyed.The endangered species list included several types of sea turtles found along the coast.
natural resourcenounA material or substance, such as water, minerals, or timber, that occurs in nature and is used by people.Oil is a natural resource that took millions of years to form underground.
fossil fuelnounA natural fuel such as coal, oil, or gas formed from the remains of ancient organisms.Many countries are trying to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels for electricity.
air qualitynounA measure of how clean or polluted the air is, particularly in relation to human health.Air quality worsened across the city as smoke from wildfires drifted in.
smognounA form of air pollution caused by smoke and other pollutants combining with fog or sunlight.Thick smog hung over the city, making it hard to see distant buildings.

Ecology and interactions

Ecology looks at how living things interact with each other and their surroundings. A habitat is where an organism lives, while an ecosystem includes all the organisms and nonliving parts of an environment working together. Food chains and food webs show how energy moves from one organism to another, and symbiosis describes close relationships between species, such as a predator and its prey.

Recycling and pollution

Pollution enters air, water, and soil in many forms, from vehicle emissions to industrial contamination. Recycling, reducing, and reusing materials are common ways to lower waste sent to a landfill. Renewable resources, like solar and wind power, are naturally replenished, while nonrenewable resources, like fossil fuels, are used up faster than they can form.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between reduce, reuse, and recycle?

Reducing means using less of something in the first place, reusing means using an item again instead of throwing it away, and recycling means processing a used material into something new.

What does biodegradable mean?

Biodegradable describes material that breaks down naturally over time through the action of bacteria or other organisms, unlike materials that persist in a landfill for decades.