Forest under threat Flashcards

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1
Q

Define abiotic components

A

Non-living environmental factors that have influence over the ecosystem (e.g climate, light exposure, soil type)

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2
Q

Define acid rain

A

Rain with a pH of around 4, formed when chemicals from industrial processes react with water in clouds to form acids

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3
Q

Define adaptation

A

An evolved trait of an animal or plant that helps them to cope with environmental stresses

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4
Q

Define biodiversity

A

A large variety of animal and plant life living in the same ecosystem

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5
Q

Define biofuels

A

Fuels produced from biomass ( i.e organic matter)

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6
Q

Define biomass

A

Total mass organisms in a set area

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7
Q

Define biome

A

Also known as global-scale ecosystem; a large, distinct region of the Earth with similar climate, soil, plants and animals

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8
Q

Define biotic components

A

Living organisms that interact with the environment and other organisms within an ecosystem

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9
Q

Define buttress roots

A

Large, thick tree roots that grow above the ground in tropical rainforest

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10
Q

Define camouflage

A

An animal adaptation where animals purposefully look like their surroundings to hide from predators

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11
Q

Define canopy

A

The layer of tropical rainforest where the tops of trees touch, forming a dense area of vegitation

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12
Q

Define carbon sink

A

Something that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits, causing a net loss of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

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13
Q

Define cattle ranching

A

The rearing of cows on large areas of land, usually to produce meat to sell for a profit

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14
Q

Define CITIES

A

(The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) an international agreement that works to protect threatened wildlife from exploration)

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15
Q

Define Clear Felling

A

A form of logging where all trees in an area are cut down

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16
Q

Define Climate change

A

A distinct change in global or regional patterns of climate, such as changes in temperature or precipitation patterns

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17
Q

Define commercial farming

A

Agriculture that is intended to create surplus produce to sell for a profit

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18
Q

Define Conifers

A

Cone-bearing trees that are usually evergreen and have needle-shaped leaves, native to colder environments

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19
Q

Define Conservation

A

Taking action to ensure a resource or environment is not depleted and over-exploited

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20
Q

Define consumers

A

Organisms that receive energy from consuming (i.e. eating) living organisms

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21
Q

Define Debt-for-nature swaps

A

Agreements where one country reduces the amount of debt owned by another country in return for the owning country putting efforts into environmental conservation

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22
Q

Define Decomposers

A

Organisms that break down organic material and release the nutrients back into the ecosystem

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23
Q

Define Deforestation

A

The permanent (and usually large-scale) removal of trees

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24
Q

Define Drip-tip

A

An adaptation of a leaf where the end of the leaf is tapered, allowing rainwater to drip off

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25
Q

Define Drought

A

A sustained period of abnormally dry weather

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26
Q

Define ecosystem

A

A natural system in which a community of plants and animals interact with each other and their physical environment

27
Q

Define ecosystem

A

A natural system in which a community of plants and animals interact with each other and their physical environment

28
Q

Define Ecotourism

A

Tourism that aims to have reduced environmental impact and supports conservation efforts, making it sustainable

29
Q

Define Epiphytes

A

Plants that live on the surface of other plants, receiving nutrients from these plants

30
Q

Define Food Web

A

A representation of interactions between multiple producers and consumers within a specific ecosystem, show through a series of different food webs

31
Q

Define forest fire

A

An uncontrolled fire that burns woodland and vegetation (also wildfire)

32
Q

Define fossil fuels

A

Fuels made up of the remains of organic material, such as oil, coal and gas

33
Q

Define Fuel Wood

A

Wood that is burnt to provide energy

34
Q

Define Growing Season

A

The time of the year when temperatures and perception levels are high enough that plants can grow

35
Q

Define Hibernation

A

An adaptation where animals sleep through the entire winter by entering a state of extremely reduced activity to conserve energy

36
Q

Define Hydro Electric Power (HEP)

A

Energy harnessed from the movement of water

37
Q

Define Indigenous Peoples

A

The earliest known settlers in an area

38
Q

Define Interdependence

A

The concept of multiple things depending on each other for survival

39
Q

Define Leaching

A

A process in soils where minerals are washed away by water (usually rainfall)

40
Q

Define Lianas

A

Woody vines found in tropical rainforest; their roots grow on the forest floor, but vines stretch high into the canopy

41
Q

Define Litter

A

Organic matter that falls onto a forest floor

42
Q

Define Logging

A

The process of cutting down trees for wood

43
Q

Define Migration

A

The seasonal movement of animals

44
Q

Define nutrient cycling

A

The transfer of nutrients through an ecosystem, from the decay of organic material into the production and energy of living organisms

45
Q

Define Nutrients

A

Elements or compounds that support the growth of plants and animals, such as phosphates, potassium, magnesium, and nitrogen

46
Q

Define Open-cast mining

A

A mining technique where an area is cleared and resources are mined close to the surface, rather than underground (also called strip mining)

47
Q

Define Plantations

A

Farms where crops are grown in large amounts with the intention to sell for a profit

48
Q

Define Producers

A

Organisms that convert energy from environment (mainly sunlight) into sugars (glucose)

49
Q

Define productivity

A

A measure of new plant and animal growth in a given time, usually measured in grams per square meter per year

50
Q

Define Pulp and Paper Production

A

The process of making paper from soft wood

51
Q

Define REDD

A

(Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) a group of United Nations-run schemes with the aim to reduce the environmental impact of poorly managed forests

52
Q

Define replanting

A

Planting a tree after cutting down a tree, so that theoretically the environmental impact of deforestation is reduced

53
Q

Define Runoff

A

Rainwater that flows over the Earth’s surface

54
Q

Define Selective Logging

A

A form of logging where only certain trees are cut down to reduce the environmental effects of logging

55
Q

What is slash-and-burn

A

A farming practice where plants and trees are cut down and then purposefully burnt to clear the area

56
Q

Define subsistence farming

A

Agriculture that is intended to produce only enough food for the farmer and their family to eat

57
Q

Define sustainability

A

Meeting to the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future

58
Q

Define Sustainable forestry

A

Management strategies that work to reduce the environmental impacts of commercial forest use, allowing forestry to continue into the future at the same rate

59
Q

Define Taiga biome

A

A biome located at high latitudes, characterised by conifer trees and a cold climate

60
Q

Define Tar sands

A

An area with natural deposits of oil mixed with sediments and water

61
Q

Define Tropical rainforest biome

A

A biome located near the equator, characterised by very high precipitation and sustained warm temperatures

62
Q

Define Understory

A

The layer of a tropical rainforest that lies beneath the canopy but above the forest floor

63
Q

Define weathering

A

The breakdown of soil and rock through chemical or physical processes

64
Q

Define wilderness

A

An area that is untouched by humans, and therefore remains unaffected by human activity