Virtuous English AcademyEnvironment & Nature — C1 English Vocabulary
This C1 vocabulary list gathers 60 advanced English words about environment & nature — ecosystems, climate and conservation. Every word comes with a simple definition, its British-English pronunciation and a natural example sentence, so you learn each one in real context. When you are ready, open the flashcards to practise and remember them for good.
- #C1
- #DailyLife
- #Flashcards
- #Definitions
- #Examples
- #Pronunciation
-
biome/ˈbaɪ.əʊm/
A large natural area with its own plants and animals.
“The desert is a harsh biome.”
-
biosphere/ˈbaɪ.ə.sfɪə/
The part of Earth where living things exist.
“Life fills the biosphere.”
-
food chain/ˈfuːd tʃeɪn/
The order in which living things feed on each other.
“Sharks sit atop the food chain.”
-
apex predator/ˈeɪ.peks ˌpred.ə.tə/
A predator at the top of the food chain.
“The lion is an apex predator.”
-
herbivore/ˈhɜː.bɪ.vɔː/
An animal that eats only plants.
“A cow is a herbivore.”
-
carnivore/ˈkɑː.nɪ.vɔː/
An animal that eats only meat.
“A wolf is a carnivore.”
-
omnivore/ˈɒm.nɪ.vɔː/
An animal that eats both plants and meat.
“A bear is an omnivore.”
-
predator/ˈpred.ə.tə/
An animal that hunts others for food.
“The predator stalked its prey.”
-
prey/preɪ/
An animal hunted by others for food.
“The eagle spotted its prey.”
-
ecology/iˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/
The study of living things and their environment.
“She studies marine ecology.”
-
regenerative/rɪˈdʒen.ər.ə.tɪv/
Able to renew or restore itself.
“They practise regenerative farming.”
-
carbon sink/ˈkɑː.bən sɪŋk/
A natural store that absorbs carbon dioxide.
“Forests act as a carbon sink.”
-
sequestration/ˌsiː.kwesˈtreɪ.ʃən/
The capturing and storing of carbon dioxide.
“Carbon sequestration buries CO2.”
-
permafrost/ˈpɜː.mə.frɒst/
Ground that stays frozen all year round.
“The permafrost is thawing.”
-
tundra/ˈtʌn.drə/
A cold, treeless region with frozen ground.
“Few plants grow on the tundra.”
-
savannah/səˈvæn.ə/
A wide grassy plain with few trees.
“Elephants roam the savannah.”
-
coral reef/ˈkɒr.əl riːf/
A structure of coral in warm, shallow seas.
“The coral reef is dying.”
-
mangrove/ˈmæŋ.ɡrəʊv/
A tree that grows in salty coastal water.
“Mangrove swamps protect the coast.”
-
estuary/ˈes.tʃu.ər.i/
The mouth of a river where it meets the sea.
“Birds feed in the estuary.”
-
catchment/ˈkætʃ.mənt/
An area from which rain drains into a river.
“The river’s catchment is huge.”
-
tributary/ˈtrɪb.jə.tər.i/
A stream that flows into a larger river.
“The stream is a tributary of the Nile.”
-
silt/sɪlt/
Fine sand and soil carried by water.
“The river deposited rich silt.”
-
fertile/ˈfɜː.taɪl/
Able to produce many plants or crops.
“The valley soil is fertile.”
-
arid/ˈær.ɪd/
Very dry, with little rain.
“It is an arid region.”
-
temperate/ˈtem.pər.ət/
Having a mild climate without extremes.
“Britain has a temperate climate.”
-
tropical/ˈtrɒp.ɪ.kəl/
Relating to hot, wet regions near the equator.
“Tropical storms hit the coast.”
-
monsoon/mɒnˈsuːn/
A season of heavy rain in southern Asia.
“The monsoon flooded the fields.”
-
stratosphere/ˈstræt.ə.sfɪə/
A high layer of the atmosphere.
“Ozone sits in the stratosphere.”
-
greenhouse gas/ˈɡriːn.haʊs ɡæs/
A gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.
“Methane is a greenhouse gas.”
-
rewilding/ˌriːˈwaɪl.dɪŋ/
The returning of land to a natural, wild state.
“Rewilding brought back the beavers.”
-
reforestation/riːˌfɒr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/
The replanting of trees where forest was lost.
“Reforestation restores the land.”
-
afforestation/əˌfɒr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/
The planting of trees where there was none.
“Afforestation greens the desert.”
-
overfishing/ˌəʊ.vəˈfɪʃ.ɪŋ/
Catching so many fish that stocks fall too low.
“Overfishing emptied the seas.”
-
poaching/ˈpəʊ.tʃɪŋ/
The illegal hunting of protected animals.
“Poaching threatens the rhino.”
-
imperilled/ɪmˈper.əld/
Put in serious danger.
“The species is imperilled.”
-
invasive/ɪnˈveɪ.sɪv/
Spreading harmfully into a new area, said of species.
“The plant is an invasive species.”
-
endemic/enˈdem.ɪk/
Found naturally only in one particular area.
“The lizard is endemic to the island.”
-
flora/ˈflɔː.rə/
The plants of a particular area.
“The island has unique flora.”
-
fauna/ˈfɔː.nə/
The animals of a particular area.
“The reserve protects local fauna.”
-
pollinate/ˈpɒl.ɪ.neɪt/
To carry pollen so plants can make seeds.
“Bees pollinate the crops.”
-
germinate/ˈdʒɜː.mɪ.neɪt/
To begin to grow from a seed.
“The seeds will germinate in spring.”
-
decompose/ˌdiː.kəmˈpəʊz/
To break down and rot.
“Leaves decompose into soil.”
-
biodegrade/ˌbaɪ.əʊ.dɪˈɡreɪd/
To break down naturally without harm.
“These cups biodegrade quickly.”
-
particulate/pəˈtɪk.jə.lət/
Made of tiny particles in the air.
“Particulate pollution harms lungs.”
-
microclimate/ˈmaɪ.krəʊˌklaɪ.mət/
The climate of a very small area.
“The garden has its own microclimate.”
-
desertification/dɪˌzɜː.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
The turning of land into desert.
“Desertification spreads south.”
-
fertiliser/ˈfɜː.tɪ.laɪ.zə/
A substance added to soil to help plants grow.
“Too much fertiliser pollutes rivers.”
-
pesticide/ˈpes.tɪ.saɪd/
A chemical used to kill harmful insects.
“Pesticide killed the bees.”
-
runoff/ˈrʌn.ɒf/
Water that flows off land into rivers.
“Farm runoff entered the lake.”
-
acidification/əˌsɪd.ɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
The process of becoming more acid, as the seas do.
“Ocean acidification harms shellfish.”
-
decarbonise/diːˈkɑː.bən.aɪz/
To reduce the carbon released into the air.
“Nations pledge to decarbonise.”
-
biomass/ˈbaɪ.əʊ.mæs/
The total amount of living matter in an area.
“They burn biomass for heat.”
-
conservationist/ˌkɒn.səˈveɪ.ʃən.ɪst/
A person who works to protect nature.
“A conservationist led the project.”
-
migratory/ˈmaɪ.ɡrə.tər.i/
Moving from one region to another with the seasons.
“Migratory birds pass through.”
-
burrow/ˈbʌr.əʊ/
A hole in the ground made by an animal.
“The rabbit dug a burrow.”
-
symbiosis/ˌsɪm.baɪˈəʊ.sɪs/
A close relationship between two different species.
“The two species live in symbiosis.”
-
resilient/rɪˈzɪl.i.ənt/
Able to recover quickly from harm.
“The forest is remarkably resilient.”
-
smokestack/ˈsməʊk.stæk/
A tall chimney that releases smoke and gas.
“The smokestack belched fumes.”
-
wilderness/ˈwɪl.də.nəs/
A wild natural area untouched by people.
“They hiked deep into the wilderness.”
-
conservancy/kənˈsɜː.vən.si/
An area or body that protects nature.
“The land is run by a conservancy.”
Using environment & nature words in English
Ecological vocabulary is systematic in a way that rewards learning the pieces rather than the words. The -vore suffix, from the Latin for devour, generates herbivore, carnivore and omnivore and several more besides. The page also covers prey, which is uncountable and surprises people, and separates ecology from environment, which are not synonyms.
What to watch out for
Prey is uncountable; predator is not
Say the wolf hunts its prey and plenty of prey in the valley — no plural and no article in the general sense. Predator is an ordinary countable noun. An apex predator sits at the top of a food chain with no natural predators of its own. The verb prey on is fixed and extends figuratively: preying on the vulnerable.
The -vore and bio- elements are productive
-vore comes from Latin vorare, to devour, giving herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, insectivore and frugivore, with adjectives in -vorous: carnivorous. The Greek bio- gives biome, biosphere, biodiversity and biomass. Recognising these two elements makes most of this page decodable without a dictionary.
Ecology is not a synonym for environment
Ecology is the scientific study of relationships between organisms and their surroundings, and by extension the system of those relationships: the ecology of the reef. The environment is the surroundings themselves. Saying a factory damaged the ecology is possible but means the web of relations, not simply the place. Sequestration here means the long-term capture and storage of carbon.
Words learners mix up
Ecology is a field where near-synonyms describe genuinely different interventions and different landscapes. These clusters cover putting trees back, the parts of a river system, and whether a species belongs where it is.
Putting land back: four different projects
| Word | What it actually means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| reforestation | Replanting trees where forest recently stood. Restores something that was lost. | Reforestation of the cleared hillsides. |
| afforestation | Planting trees where there was no forest before. A different intervention, and it can damage existing grassland habitat. | Afforestation of upland moor is contested. |
| rewilding | Letting an ecosystem restore itself, often by reintroducing missing species. The aim is a process, not a planting target. | A rewilding project that brought back beavers. |
| regenerative | An adjective for practices that improve the land while using it — most often of farming. | Regenerative agriculture rebuilt the topsoil. |
The one-letter difference between reforestation and afforestation carries a whole policy argument: planting trees on land that was never forest can reduce biodiversity rather than restore it, which is why environmental writing keeps the two apart carefully.
How water moves through a landscape
| Word | What it actually means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| catchment | The whole area of land whose rainfall drains into one river or reservoir. The largest unit here. | Pollution anywhere in the catchment reaches the reservoir. |
| tributary | A smaller river flowing into a larger one. Countable, and always defined by what it joins. | The Cam is a tributary of the Great Ouse. |
| estuary | The tidal mouth where a river meets the sea, and fresh water mixes with salt. | Wading birds feed on the estuary mudflats. |
| runoff | Water flowing over land into rivers, carrying whatever it picks up. One word, uncountable. | Agricultural runoff caused the algal bloom. |
| silt | The fine sediment that water carries and deposits. Uncountable, and both noun and verb: the channel silted up. | Centuries of silt had closed the harbour. |
Catchment is the word doing the most work in environmental policy, because it defines the area over which pollution has to be managed. In American English the same idea is a watershed, which in British English usually means a turning point instead.
Does the species belong here?
| Word | What it actually means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| endemic | Found naturally in one place and nowhere else. A statement about restricted range. | The lemur is endemic to Madagascar. |
| invasive | Introduced from elsewhere and spreading at the expense of native species. A judgement about harm. | An invasive weed choking the waterways. |
| migratory | Moving seasonally between regions as a normal part of its life cycle. Belongs in both places. | Migratory geese arrive in October. |
| imperilled | At serious risk of extinction. British English doubles the l. | Several imperilled amphibians were recorded. |
Endemic is the false friend here. In ecology it means native and restricted to one place; in public health it means a disease constantly present in a population. The two senses are unrelated, and only the surrounding words tell you which is meant.
Collocations that sound natural
Ecological writing pairs its nouns tightly, and several of these phrases have become the standard terms of climate policy rather than free descriptions.
carbon sink
act as a carbon sinka major carbon sinkthe ocean carbon sink
Anything absorbing more carbon than it releases. The verb is act as or serve as.
sequestration
carbon sequestrationsequester carbonlong-term sequestration
The verb is sequester. Note the unrelated legal sense of seizing property, and the American budgetary one.
symbiosis
live in symbiosisa symbiotic relationshipsymbiosis between
Uncountable; the adjective symbiotic is far commoner. Strictly it covers any close biological partnership, not only mutually beneficial ones.
poaching
illegal poachinganti-poaching patrolspoaching of elephants
Uncountable. Unrelated to the cooking sense, and to the business sense of recruiting a rival’s staff.
desertification
halt desertificationthe spread of desertificationdesertification of the Sahel
Uncountable, and it names fertile land becoming desert through drought or mismanagement.
arid / fertile / temperate
arid landfertile soila temperate climatesemi-arid regions
The three standard land-and-climate adjectives. Temperate means moderate, not merely mild — it names a climate zone.
Formal, neutral or informal?
Nature writing mixes Latin technical vocabulary with words that vary between British and American English, and a few whose everyday sense has drifted from the scientific one.
- flora and faunaLatin · pluralPlant life and animal life of a region. Both are collective and take plural verbs in careful use: the fauna are well documented. They occur together so often that the phrase is nearly fixed.
- savannahSpelling variesBritish English generally writes savannah, American English savanna. Both are accepted; keep one within a document.
- smokestackAmericanA tall industrial chimney. British English says chimney or flue, though smokestack industries is a fixed phrase for heavy manufacturing everywhere.
- imperilledBritish spelling · formalDoubles the l, as British English does in travelled and labelled. More literary than endangered, which is the technical conservation category.
- fertiliser / pesticideBritish -iseFertiliser takes the British -ise, and so do decarbonise and biodegrade’s relatives. Pesticide is the umbrella term; herbicide and insecticide are its specific kinds.
- wildernessUncountable · value-ladenLand unaltered by human activity. Uncountable, and it carries a value judgement — areas called wilderness have often been inhabited and managed by indigenous peoples for millennia.
- conservancy / conservationistInstitutionalA conservancy is an organisation or a protected area managed for conservation; a conservationist is a person who works to protect nature. Neither is a synonym for environmentalist, which implies campaigning.
- particulateTechnicalMicroscopic solid particles suspended in air, usually plural — particulates — or in the fixed measure particulate matter. A precise air-quality term, not a general word for dust.
Sentences to try
Four frames from ecological writing. Note the uncountable noun in the first.
- The population declined as prey became scarce.
- Wolves function as an apex predator in this biome.
- Peatland is one of the most effective carbon sinks we have.
- Thawing permafrost releases stored methane.
Questions about environment & nature vocabulary
Is "prey" countable?
No — prey is uncountable in its usual sense and takes no article and no plural: The owl returned with its prey, there is little prey at this altitude. Its counterpart predator is fully countable: three predators. The verb form is the fixed phrasal prey on, which works literally in biology and figuratively of exploitation: companies that prey on inexperienced borrowers. Do not confuse it in writing with pray, which is a homophone and an entirely different word.
What does the "-vore" ending mean?
It comes from the Latin verb vorare, meaning to devour, and it forms nouns naming what an organism eats: a herbivore eats plants, a carnivore eats meat, an omnivore eats both, an insectivore eats insects and a frugivore eats fruit. The corresponding adjectives end in -vorous: herbivorous, carnivorous. The same root gives the ordinary English verb devour and the adjective voracious, meaning having a huge appetite, which is now used far more often about reading than about food.
What is the difference between ecology and environment?
The environment is the physical surroundings in which organisms live — air, water, soil, climate. Ecology is the scientific study of how organisms interact with each other and with those surroundings, and by extension the system of relationships itself: the ecology of a coral reef. So pollution damages the environment, while introducing an invasive species disrupts the ecology. Using ecology as a smarter-sounding synonym for environment is common in journalism and imprecise in scientific writing.