Forests Under Threat Glossary

Question 1

What is abiotic?

Answer 1

Non-living part of a biome, includes the atmosphere, water, rock and soil

Question 2

What is acid rain?

Answer 2

Rain with a pH lower than 5.7

Question 3

What is afforestation?

Answer 3

The planting of trees

Question 4

What is agroforestry?

Answer 4

Growing trees and crops together to maintain biodiversity of agricultural land

Question 5

What is biodiversity?

Answer 5

The number of different plant and animal species in an area

Question 6

What is biofuels?

Answer 6

Any kind of fuel made from living things, or from the waste they produce

Question 7

What is biomass?

Answer 7

Renewable organic materials such as wood, agricultural crops or wastes, when used as a source of fuel or energy

Question 8

What is biotic?

Answer 8

Living part of a biome, made up of plant (flora) and animal (fauna) life

Question 9

What is a boreal forest?

Answer 9

The Taiga - the world’s largest land biome

Question 10

What is clear-cutting?

Answer 10

The logging of all trees in a wide area of forest

Question 11

What is climate?

Answer 11

The average weather conditions over a 30 year period

Question 12

What is a confierous tree?

Answer 12

Type of tree which includes pine, spruce and fir, which grow tall and narrow to form a dense canopy

Question 13

What is conservation?

Answer 13

Protecting threatened biomes, e.g. setting up national parks or banning trade in endangered species

Question 14

What is deforestation?

Answer 14

The deliberate cutting down of forests to exploit forest resources (timber, land or materials)

Question 15

What is detritivores?

Answer 15

Animals which feeds on dead or decaying plant and animal matter

Question 16

What is drought?

Answer 16

A long, continuous period of dry weather

Question 17

What is ecotourism?

Answer 17

Small-scale tourism that attracts visitors that are interested in wildlife and culture

Question 18

What is epiphytes?

Answer 18

Plants that live in the canopy on trees and have evolved to get all their nutrients from water and air rather than the soil

Question 19

What is geographical conflict?

Answer 19

Disagreement and differences of opinion linked to the use of places and resources

Question 20

What is Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Answer 20

A form of electronic mapping that builds up maps layer by layer

Question 21

What is global warming?

Answer 21

The increase of Earth’s temperatures, also known as the greenhouse effect

Question 22

What is Hydroelectric power (HEP)?

Answer 22

Electricity generated by turbines that are driven by moving water

Question 23

What is invasive species?

Answer 23

(Or alien species) - a plant, animals or disease introduced from one are to another which caused ecosystem damage

Question 24

What is leaching?

Answer 24

When nutrients are washed out of the soil by water moving through it

Question 25

What is lianas?

Answer 25

Climbing plants which cling to trees and climb up to the sunlight in the canopy, while getting water and nutrients from the soil below

Question 26

What is litter?

Answer 26

Decaying leaves and twigs

Question 27

What is magration?

Answer 27

Movement from one place to another

Question 28

What are National parks?

Answer 28

Natural landscapes that are protected by the government for the conservation of wildlife or enjoyment of the general public

Question 29

What is Net Primary Productivity (NPP) ?

Answer 29

A measure of how much new plant and animal growth is added to a biome each year

Question 30

What is Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)?

Answer 30

NGOs work to make life better, especially for the poor. Oxfam, the Red Cross adn Greenpeace are all NGOs.

Question 31

What is the nutrient cycle?

Answer 31

The circulation of nutrients between abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) parts of ecosystems

Question 32

What is a primary forest?

Answer 32

The original forest

Question 33

What is RAMSAR wetland?

Answer 33

International treaty dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands with global importance

Question 34

What is a secondary forest?

Answer 34

Regenerated or replanted forest

Question 35

What is selective logging?

Answer 35

The removal f large, valuable trees leaving some of the forest intact

Question 36

What is a strip mining?

Answer 36

The digging of large holes in the ground to extract ores and minerals that are close to the surface

Question 37

What is sustainable management?

Answer 37

Meeting the needs of people now and in the future, and limiting harm to the environment

Question 38

What is tar sands?

Answer 38

Sediment that is mixed with oil, can be mines to extract oil to be used as fuel

Question 39

What are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Answer 39

A natural or man- made site that is protected because of their global importance

Question 40

What is Wilderness?

Answer 40

Isolated, hard-to-reach places with little human interference or settlement

Question 41

What is a wildfire?

Answer 41

Uncontrolled burning through forest, grassland or scrub. Such fires can 'jump' roads and rivers and travel at high speeds