Environment Flashcards
Abundance
a measure of how common a particular organism is in a given environment
Adaptations
special features organisms have which make it easier to survive in their habitat
Behavioural Adaptations
adaptations to do with behaviour
Functional Adaptations
adaptations to do with how an animal functions
Structural Adaptations
adaptations to do with structure, such as stem and leaf size
Anaerobic Decay
decomposition in the absence of oxygen (commonly occurring in
waterlogged soils) that produces carbon dioxide and methane gas
Apex Predator
predator at the top of the food chain
Biofuel
methane gas
Biogas
type of biofuel produced by anaerobic decay in biogas generators
Biomass
the dry mass in grams of living organisms, shows how much energy can be passed onto the next tropic level
Biomass Transfer
amount of biomass transferred down to the next trophic level
Biotechnology
the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes
Blubber
fat under animals’ skin
Blue Tongue
a disease common amongst European cattle, that spread across the channel to England when the climate warmed up, as it is spread by midges
Breeding Programmes
programmes done in places like zoos to encourage breeding between animals, ensuring there is as much genetic variation as possible, documenting everything
Bycatch
fish accidentally caught by trawlers
Camoulage
structural that prevents predators from seeing prey
Carnivores
get their nutrients by only consuming animals, so need teeth that can rip meat apart
Chemical Defences
releasing a chemical to deter a herbivore
Community
different species living in the same place at the same time
Competition
develops between species when niches overlap
Compost
dead or decaying organic matter, commonly used as a fertiliser
Courtship Display
a way of competing for mates by looking good
Demographic Transition Model
a graph showing the relation between the birth rate and death rate of a species
Distribution
where a particular organism is found within an environment
Ecosystem
the parts of an environment in the same place at the same time
Extremophiles
plants which survive and reproduce in the most difficult conditions
Factory Farming
also known as intensive farming, where the main aim is to have input and output levels as high as possible
Food Production
how food is produced and distributed
Food Security
having reliable access to sufficient amounts of affordable nutritious food
Free-Range Chickens
chickens who can move around as much as they like
Fusarium
a large type of mould that can be used to make mycoproteins
Geographical Changes
how environmental factors vary from place to place
Golden Rice
genetically engineered rice with extra vitamin A
Habitat
a place where an organism
Heathland Restoration
replanted heathland helps encourage biodiversity
Herbivores
get their nutrients by only consuming plants, so need teeth that can grind plants up
Incident Energy
energy from light falling on Earth
Intensive Farming
farming where the main aim is to having input and output levels as high as possible per unit of agricultural land area
Interdependence
the network of relationships between different organisms within a community
Interspecific Competition
competition between species eg red and grey squirrels
Intraspecific Competition
competition between the same species
Limiting Factors
something which limits rate of reaction, for example, in plants
Mark-Release-Recapture
a process for studying creatures like birds, where they are marked, often with a ring, released and later recaptured
Meristem
parts of a plant that grow
Mimicry
plants which make themselves look like other things
Monocrop
one type of crop, not good for biodiversity
Mutualism
where an animal gets a benefit from another animal, with something in return
Mycoprotein
protein genetically grown from fungi, eg Quorn
Natural Selection
how the best adapted organism survives competition and is able to reproduce
Niche
role of an organism
Organic Farming
farming using organic farming, eg no synthetic fertilisers
Parasitism
where an animal gets some kind of benefit from another animal, without giving anything in return
Particulates
tiny solid particles in the air
Peat
a massive carbon store that contains many nutrients, can be fuel or fertilsers
Peatlands
areas of peat soil in wetland habitats formed by the accumulation of partially decayed organic matter
Percentage Cover
way of working out the amount of plants in a specific region using quadrants
Physical Defences
a physical barrier that will stop a micro-organism from getting into a plant, e.g. antibacterial chemicals, poisons
Population
a group of organisms all from the same species all in one place at one time
Population Growth
the change in population over a specific time
Predation
where animals are predators to other animals
Predator
one organism eating another
Predator-Prey Cycles
the relationship between numbers of predators and numbers of prey, eg if one decreases, another increases
Protection of Rare Habitats
opposes destruction of habitats so animals can continue to breed in their natural habitat
Quadrat
a sample area used to measure the abundance and distribution of organisms in a field
Quinoa
a grain traditionally grown in Bolivia that is very nutritious but takes a lot of preparation. Nowadays, it is mainly shipped to America and Europe, whereas it has mainly been replaced with fast-cooking pasta in Bolivia
Random Sampling
a method of choosing a sample of observations from a population to make assumptions about the population by choosing random parts to sample
Reduction of Deforestation
this had to be done by governments introducing bans for deforestation, but helps increase biodiversity
Seasonal Changes
how environmental factors vary at different times of year
Smog
a haze of small particles and acidic gases that can be seen over major cities across the world
Smoke Inhalation
causes an increase in the number of tiny solid particles in the air and can damage the lungs and cardiovascular system
Species Frequency
how many of a species there are compared to other species
Sustainable
the ability to preserve something for future generations
Sustainable Food Production
producing and distributing food without having a negative impact on the environmental or the economy
Thermophiles
bacteria which can survive at extreme temperatures
Transect
a measuring line or area along which ecological measurements are made
