Earth systems Flashcards
system
any assemblage or set of correlated members:
a system of currency; a system of shortland characters.
feedback
A reaction or response to a particular process or activity:
He got very little feedback from his speech.
model
worthy to serve as a model; exemplary and atmosphere that supports life.
biosphere
The part of the earth’s crust waters, and atmosphere that supports life.
ecosystem
any system or network of interconnecting and interacting parts as in a business: The success of apple’s ecosystem depends on hardware/software integration.
biome
A complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region especially such a community that has developed to climax.
organism
A form life considered as an entity; an animal, plant, fungus, protistan, or moneran
population
The body of inhabitants of a place: The population of the city opposes the addition of fluorides to the drinking water.
biotic factor
A living thing as an animal or plant that influences or affects an ecosystem: How do humans affect other biotic factors? weather is not a biotic factor because it is not alive.
abiotic factor
nonliving condition or thing as climate or habitat that influences or affects an ecosystem and the organism in it: Abiotic factors can determine which species of organisms will survive in a given environment.
community
A locality inhabited by such a group.
habitat
The place where a person or thing is usually found: paris is a major habitat of artists.
niche
A distinct segment of a market.
biodiversity
biological diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment: coral reefs are not just havens for marine biodiversity they also underpin the economies of many coastal communities
keystone species
A species whose presence and role within an ecosystem has a disproportionate effect on other organisms within the system. A keystone species is often a dominant predator whose removal allows a prey population to explode and often decreases overall diversity.
