Ecology, pollution and conservation: the words of environmental reports and the news.
Environmental Japanese is built from a small set of kanji that combine freely, so learning the pieces pays off: 排, to let out, in 排水 and 排気ガス; 化, to become, in 砂漠化 and 緑化. Many of these words are about living things and the systems they depend on — 生息, 繁殖, 食物連鎖 — and English often uses an everyday word where Japanese uses a technical one: in a report or on the news, animals in the wild 生息する rather than 住む.
The words
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Noun (37)
生息living; inhabiting (of wildlife)NounN2
この川には、珍しい魚が生息している。Rare fish live in this river.
Also a verb: 生息する. Used of animals in the wild; 生息地 is a habitat.
繁殖breeding; reproductionNounN2
暖かくて湿った場所では、カビが繁殖しやすい。Mould spreads easily in warm, damp places.
Also a verb: 繁殖する. Of animals, plants and bacteria.
伐採felling; loggingNounN2
道路を作るために、多くの木が伐採された。Many trees were cut down to build the road.
Also a verb: 伐採する.
砂漠化desertificationNounN2
雨が減り、その地域では砂漠化が進んでいる。Rainfall has fallen, and desertification is advancing in that region.
土壌soilNounN2
この畑の土壌は、野菜作りに向いている。The soil in this field is well suited to growing vegetables.
The technical word; in everyday speech, 土.
水質water qualityNounN2
工場が閉鎖されてから、湖の水質はかなり良くなった。Since the factory closed, the water quality in the lake has improved a great deal.
Compare 水質汚染, water pollution.
循環circulation; cycleNounN2
森の落ち葉は土に還り、栄養が循環する。Fallen leaves in the forest return to the soil, and the nutrients go round in a cycle.
Also a verb: 循環する. Also of blood: 血液循環.
保全conservation; preservationNounN2
地元の団体が、干潟の保全に取り組んでいる。A local group is working to conserve the tidal flats.
Keeping something in its present state; 保護 is protecting it from harm.
外来種non-native speciesNounN2
外来種が増えて、昔からいる生き物が減っている。Non-native species have spread, and the creatures that have always lived here are declining.
The opposite is 在来種, a native species.
酸性雨acid rainNounN2
酸性雨によって、森の木が枯れる被害が出た。Trees in the forest died as a result of acid rain.
水源source of water; headwatersNounN2
森は川の水源を守る大切な役割を果たしている。Forests play an important part in protecting the sources of rivers.
Compare 水源地, the area a water supply comes from.
食物連鎖food chainNounN2
小さな虫がいなくなれば、食物連鎖全体に影響が出る。If small insects disappear, the whole food chain is affected.
化学物質chemical substanceNounN2
工場から有害な化学物質が流れ出した。Harmful chemicals leaked out of the factory.
排気ガスexhaust fumesNounN2
電気自動車は、走っているときに排気ガスを出さない。Electric cars give off no exhaust fumes while they are running.
樹木trees; woody plantsNounN2
この公園には、百種類以上の樹木が植えられている。More than a hundred kinds of tree have been planted in this park.
Trees as a category, in writing; a single tree is 木.
天敵natural enemy; predatorNounN2
この島には天敵がいないため、鳥が安心して卵を産める。There are no predators on this island, so the birds can lay their eggs in safety.
Also used jokingly of a person’s nemesis.
獲物prey; catchNounN2
ワシは空の高いところから獲物を探す。Eagles search for prey from high in the sky.
節水saving waterNounN2
雨が少ない夏は、市が住民に節水を呼びかける。In summers with little rain, the city asks residents to save water.
Also a verb: 節水する. Compare 節電, saving electricity.
共存coexistenceNounN2
人間と野生動物がどう共存していくかが問われている。The question is how people and wild animals can live side by side.
Also a verb: 共存する. Also read きょうそん.
生物多様性biodiversityNounN2
湿地は生物多様性を守るうえで重要な場所だ。Wetlands are important places for protecting biodiversity.
絶滅危惧種endangered speciesNounN2
この鳥は絶滅危惧種に指定されている。This bird is listed as an endangered species.
Literally “species feared to die out”; compare 絶滅, extinction.
植林tree planting; afforestationNounN2
山火事の後、多くのボランティアが植林に参加した。After the forest fire, many volunteers took part in replanting trees.
Also a verb: 植林する.
緑化greening; planting vegetationNounN2
街の緑化のために、ビルの屋上に庭が作られた。Gardens were laid out on building roofs to bring more green into the city.
Note the reading りょっか, not みどりか.
腐敗decay; rotting; corruptionNounN2
気温が高いと生ごみの腐敗が進み、嫌なにおいがする。When it is hot, kitchen waste rots faster and gives off a nasty smell.
Also a verb: 腐敗する. Also political corruption.
分解decomposition; breaking downNounN2
プラスチックは、自然の中ではほとんど分解されない。Plastic hardly breaks down at all in nature.
Also a verb: 分解する. Also taking a machine apart.
浄化purification; cleaning upNounN2
湿地の植物には、水を浄化する働きがある。Wetland plants have the effect of purifying water.
Also a verb: 浄化する.
排水drainage; waste waterNounN2
家庭から出る排水も、川の汚れの原因になる。Waste water from households also contributes to dirty rivers.
Also a verb: 排水する, to drain.
温室効果greenhouse effectNounN2
二酸化炭素は温室効果をもたらすガスの一つだ。Carbon dioxide is one of the gases that cause the greenhouse effect.
Often in 温室効果ガス, greenhouse gases.
負荷load; burden; strainNounN2
環境への負荷が少ない商品を選ぶようにしている。I try to choose products that put less strain on the environment.
Common in 環境負荷; also the load on a body or a machine.
不法投棄illegal dumping; fly-tippingNounN2
山の中への不法投棄が問題になっている。Illegal dumping in the mountains has become a problem.
焼却incinerationNounN2
燃えるごみは、市の清掃工場で焼却される。Burnable rubbish is incinerated at the city’s waste plant.
Also a verb: 焼却する. A waste incinerator is a 焼却炉.
野鳥wild birdNounN2
朝早く公園を歩くと、いろいろな野鳥が見られる。If you walk in the park early in the morning, you can see all kinds of wild birds.
Birdwatching is 野鳥観察.
渡り鳥migratory birdNounN2
毎年冬になると、渡り鳥がこの湖にやって来る。Every winter, migratory birds come to this lake.
自然界the natural worldNounN2
自然界では、弱い生き物ほど多くの子を産む傾向がある。In the natural world, the more vulnerable a creature is, the more young it tends to produce.
恵みblessing; bountyNounN2
この村の人々は、海の恵みに感謝しながら暮らしている。The people of this village live grateful for the bounty of the sea.
Often of nature: 自然の恵み, 恵みの雨, welcome rain.
動植物plants and animals; flora and faunaNounN2
その島には、ほかでは見られない動植物が多い。That island has many plants and animals that cannot be seen anywhere else.
大気汚染air pollutionNounN2
車の数が増え、都市の大気汚染が深刻になった。As the number of cars grew, air pollution in the cities became serious.
na-adjective (3)
無害harmlessna-adjectiveN2
この洗剤は自然の中で分解され、魚にも無害だという。This detergent is said to break down in nature and to be harmless to fish too.
Opposite: 有害.
持続可能sustainablena-adjectiveN2
持続可能な社会を作るには、一人ひとりの行動が欠かせない。Building a sustainable society depends on what each of us does.
Usually before a noun: 持続可能な.
有毒toxic; poisonousna-adjectiveN2
このキノコは有毒なので、絶対に食べないでください。This mushroom is poisonous, so on no account eat it.
