Living World AQA GCSE key terms

Question 1

Abiotic

Answer 1

Relating to non-living things.

Question 2

Biotic

Answer 2

Relating to living things.

Question 3

Consumer

Answer 3

Creature that eats animals and/or plant matter.

Question 4

Decomposer

Answer 4

An organism such as a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue, which is then recycled to the environment.

Question 5

Ecosystem

Answer 5

A community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment.

Question 6

Food chain

Answer 6

The connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely on one another as their source of food.

Question 7

Food web

Answer 7

A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food.

Question 8

Nutrient cycling

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Global ecosystem / BIOME

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Producer

Answer 10

An organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis.

Question 11

Biodiversity

Answer 11

The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat.

Question 12

Commercial farming

Answer 12

Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers or food processing companies.

Question 13

Debt reduction

Answer 13

Countries are relieved of some of their debt in return for protecting their rainforests.

Question 14

Deforestation

Answer 14

The chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest.

Question 15

Ecotourism

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

Logging

Answer 16

The business of cutting down trees and transporting the logs to sawmills.

Question 17

Mineral extraction

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Selective logging

Answer 18

The cutting out of trees which are mature or inferior, to encourage the growth of the remaining trees in a forest or wood.

Question 19

Soil erosion

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Subsistence farming

Answer 20

A type of agriculture producing food and materials for the benefit only of the farmer and his family.

Question 21

Sustainability

Answer 21

Actions and forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Question 22

Appropriate technology

Answer 22

(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.

Question 23

Biodiversity

Answer 23

The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat.

Question 24

Desertification

Answer 24

The process by which land becomes drier and degraded, as a result of climate change or human activities, or both.

Question 25

Hot desert

Answer 25

Parts of the world that have high average temperatures and very low precipitation.

Question 26

Mineral extraction

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

Over-cultivation

Answer 27

Exhausting the soil by over-cropping the land.

Question 28

Overgrazing

Answer 28

Grazing too many livestock for too long on the land, so it is unable to recover its vegetation.