Living World AQA GCSE key terms Flashcards
Abiotic
Relating to non-living things.
Biotic
Relating to living things.
Consumer
Creature that eats animals and/or plant matter.
Decomposer
An organism such as a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue, which is then recycled to the environment.
Ecosystem
A community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment.
Food chain
The connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely on one another as their source of food.
Food web
A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food.
Nutrient cycling
A set of processes whereby organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain - and ultimately back to the soil and water.
Global ecosystem / BIOME
Very large ecological areas on the earth’s surface (or biomes), with fauna and flora (animals and plants) adapting to their environment. Examples include tropical rainforest and hot desert.
Producer
An organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis.
Biodiversity
The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat.
Commercial farming
Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers or food processing companies.
Debt reduction
Countries are relieved of some of their debt in return for protecting their rainforests.
Deforestation
The chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest.
Ecotourism
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the wellbeing of the local people, and may involve education. It is usually carried out in small groups and has minimal impact on the local ecosystem.
Logging
The business of cutting down trees and transporting the logs to sawmills.
Mineral extraction
The removal of solid mineral resources from the earth. These resources include ores, which contain commercially valuable amounts of metals, such as iron and aluminium; precious stones, such as diamonds; building stones, such as granite; and solid fuels, such as coal and oil shale.
Selective logging
The cutting out of trees which are mature or inferior, to encourage the growth of the remaining trees in a forest or wood.
Soil erosion
Removal of topsoil faster than it can be replaced, due to natural (water and wind action), animal, and human activity. Topsoil is the top layer of soil and is the most fertile because it contains the most organic, nutrient-rich materials.
Subsistence farming
A type of agriculture producing food and materials for the benefit only of the farmer and his family.
Sustainability
Actions and forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Appropriate technology
(Also called Intermediate technology) Technology that is suited to the needs, skills, knowledge and wealth of local people in the environment in which they live. It usually combines simple ideas with cheap and readily available materials, especially for use in poorer countries, and is environmentally friendly.
Biodiversity
The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat.
Desertification
The process by which land becomes drier and degraded, as a result of climate change or human activities, or both.
Hot desert
Parts of the world that have high average temperatures and very low precipitation.
Mineral extraction
The removal of solid mineral resources from the earth. These resources include ores, which contain commercially valuable amounts of metals, such as iron and aluminium; precious stones, such as diamonds; building stones, such as granite; and solid fuels, such as coal and oil shale.
Over-cultivation
Exhausting the soil by over-cropping the land.
Overgrazing
Grazing too many livestock for too long on the land, so it is unable to recover its vegetation.
