Environmental Science Crossword Puzzle

This puzzle contains 19 words and definitions related to environmental science. This vocabulary is specifically needed for the Environmental Science merit badge, but it is also appropriate for any topic related to conservation.

These are the words and definitions used in the puzzle:

• Population – The number of organisms of the same species that live in a particular geographic area at the same time, with the capability of interbreeding
• Community – The organisms that interact with one another in a similar location.
• Ecosystem- Everything that exists in a particular environment
• Biosphere – The part of the Earth in which life can exist, whether on land, in the air, or in water
• Symbiosis – The relationship between two different kinds of living things that live together and depend on each other
• Niche – An environment that has all the things that a particular plant or animal needs in order to live
• Habitat – The place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows
• Conservation – The protection of animals, plants, and natural resources
• Threatened species – A plant or animal species generally perceived as likely, in the near future, to become endangered within all or much of its range
• Endangered species – A species at risk of extinction because of human activity, changes in climate, changes in predator-prey ratios, etc.
• Extinction – The state or situation that results when something (such as a plant or animal species) has died out completely
• Pollution prevention – Any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source
• Brownfield – An industrial or commercial site that is idle or underused because of real or perceived environmental pollution.
• Ozone – A form of oxygen that is found in a layer high in the earth’s atmosphere
• Watershed – The area of land that includes a particular river or lake and all the rivers, streams, etc., that flow into it
• Airshed – A geographical area within which the air frequently is confined or channeled, with all parts of the area thus being subject to similar conditions of air pollution
• Nonpoint source – A source of pollution that issues from widely distributed or pervasive environmental elements
• Hybrid vehicle – A vehicle which uses two or more distinct types of power
• Fuel cell – A device that produces a continuous electric current directly from the oxidation of a fuel, as that of hydrogen by oxygen