Living World Key Terms Flashcards
Ecosystem
A natural system made up of plants, animals and the environment.
Producer
Converts energy from the environment (usually the sun) into sugars, e.g. plants
Consumer
Consumers get energy from the sugars produced by the producers, e.g. a snail
Decomposer
Break down plant and animal material and return nutrients to the soil
Food Chain
Shows the direct links between producers and consumers in the form of a simple line.
Food Web
Shows all the connections between producers and consumers in a more complex way
Nutrient Cycling
When plants and animals die, the decomposers help to recycle the nutrients back into the soil for animals and plants to use again
Biome
Large scale ecosystem e.g. desert or rainforest
Biodiversity
The variety and range of living things in an ecosystem
Adaptation
The changes made by plants and animals in order to cope with certain envirnmental conditions
Deforestation
The cutting down of trees, usually on a very large scale
Selective Logging
Tree felling which only removes fully grown trees, young trees and those with important eclogoical value are left
Subsistence Farming
Farming on a small scale that allows people to produce food to feed their families and maybe generate a small income
Commercial Farming
Farming undertaken on a large scale by businesses with the sole purpose of making money
Soil Erosion
Removal of soil by wind and rain.
Infrastructure
Basic equipment and structures (roads,rail, water supply etc.) that are needed for a region to function properly
Sustainable
Actions that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Clear Felling
All trees in an area are chopped down and cleared leading to total destruction of habitats.
Ecotourism
Tourism which aims to educate people about the natural environment and protect it for the future.
International Agreements
Agreements made between groups of countries to help solve an issue e.g. protecting rainforests
Hot Desert
An area that recieves low rainfall, less than 250mm per year, and also has high average temperatures
Desertification
The process by which land becomes drier and degraded as a result of climate change, human actions or both
Overgrazing
Where land has been grazed too much by livestock leaving it bare.
Over cultivation
Using the land too much for farming crops leads to the soil becoming exhausted.
