convergent plate boundary
Area where earth's lithospheric plates are pushed together. See subduction zone. Compare divergent plate boundary, transform fault.
Subject:
Environmental Science
Forum reference:
Book page:
http://course-notes.org/Environmental_Science
conventional-tillage farming
Crop cultivation method in which a planting surface is made by plowing land, breaking up the exposed soil, and then smoothing the surface. Compare conservation-tillage farming.
Subject:
controlled burning
Deliberately set, carefully controlled surface fires that reduce flammable litter and decrease the chances of damaging crown fires. See ground fire, surface fire.
Subject:
contour strip mining
Form of surface mining used on hilly or mountainous terrain. A power shovel cuts a series of terraces into the side of a hill. An earthmover removes the overburden, and a power shovel extracts the coal, with the overburden from each new terrace dumped onto the one below. Compare area strip mining, dredging, mountaintop removal, open-pit mining, subsurface mining.
Subject:
contour farming
Plowing and planting across the changing slope of land, rather than in straight lines, to help retain water and reduce soil erosion.
Subject:
Consumer
Organism that cannot synthesize the organic nutrients it needs and gets its organic nutrients by feeding on the tissues of producers or of other consumers; generally divided into primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), tertiary (higher-level) consumers, omnivores, and detritivores (decomposers and detritus feeders). Also used heterotroph. In economics, one who uses economic goods.
Subject:
constancy
Ability of a living system, such as a population, to maintain a certain size. See homeostasis. Compare inertia, resilience.
Subject:
conservation-tillage farming
Crop cultivation in which the soil is disturbed little (minimum-tillage farming) or not at all (no-till farming) to reduce soil erosion, lower labor costs, and save energy. Also no-till farming. Compare conventional-tillage farming.
Subject:
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. Compare conservation biologist, ecologist, environmentalist, environmental scientist, preservationist, restorationist.
Subject:
conservation biology
Multidisciplinary science created to deal with the crisis of maintaining the genes, species, communities, and ecosystems that make up earth's biological diversity. Its goals are to investigate human impacts on biodiversity and to develop practical approaches to preserving biodiversity.
Subject:
Pages
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