Terms Chapter 3
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Complexity
The number of storages and flows and the number and strength of feedback loops in a system.
Dependent Variable
Variable dependent on the change in the independent variable
Economic System
The collection of firms and households that produce and consume the goods and services people associate with material well-being.
Equilibrium
The state of a system in which there is no net change.
Experiment
A set of actions and observations to verify or falsify a hypothesis or research a causal relationship between phenomena.
Falsified
Rejection of a hypothesis because observations or experimental results are inconsistent with expectations.
Feedback loop*
Linkages in a system that eventually connect to themself
Fitness
The number of offspring an individual leaves in the next generation.
Flows*
Movements of energy or materials between storages in a system.
Function
A mathematical formula that relates one variable to another
General Systems Theory*
The study of relationships, structures, and interdependence of storages and flows.
Gradient*
A change in the entropy of energy or matter over a specific distance.
Homeostasis*
The ability of a system to maintain its behavior or set point when disturbed.
Indepedant Variable
A variable that sets the precedent for the behavior of a defendant variable
Integrated Systems Approach*
The use of information from many disciplines that is needed to understand and solve specific environmental problems and generate general policy that moves society toward sustainability.
Invalidated
Rejection of a hypothesis because observations or experimental results are inconsistent with expectations.
Natural Selection
The differential survival and reproduction of organisms with genetic characteristics that enable them to better utilize environmental resources.
Negative Feedback Loop*
Creating homeostasis by changing the effect of a disturbance after one complete loop so that the system is moved back toward its original state.
Positive Feedback Loop*
Destabilizes a system by reinforcing the effect of a disturbance so that the system is moved further away from its original state.
Positive Relationship
Correlation between parts of a system such that an increase in one part of a system causes an increase in another part of the system.
Reductionist Approach
Approach to learning that requires the breaking up of parts of something and studying those parts separately
Resistance
The ability of a system to withstand a disturbance.
Resiliance
The ability of a system to return to its set point following a disturbance.
Risk Management
The process of making decisions without complete information due to the presence of a stochastic element.