The Living World - key words Flashcards
Abiotic
Relating to non-living things
Biotic
Relating to living things
Consumer
Creature that eats animals or plants
Decomposer
An organism such as bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue, which is the 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
The complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other as their source of 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
Very large ecological area on the earths surface (or biomes) with animal and plants adapting to their environment.
E.g. Tropical rainforest & 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 rainforest
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 local people and may involve education. It’s 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
Selective logging
The cutting out of trees which are mature or inferior, to encourage the growth of the remaining trees in a forest
Mineral extraction
The removal of solid mineral resources from the earth. These resources include ores that contain commercially valuable amounts of metals such as iron, granite, aluminium, coal and diamonds
Soil erosion
Removal of topsoil faster than it can be replaced, due to natural (wind & water 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 to 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
Fragile environment
An environment that is easily disturbed and difficult to restore if disturbed.
Permafrost
Permanently frozen ground, found in polar and tundra regions
Polar
Regions of the earth that surround the north and south poles. These regions are dominated by earths polar ice caps
Tundra
The flat treeless arctic regions of Europe,Asia and North America - where the ground is permanently frozen
Wilderness area
A natural environment that has not been significantly modified by human activity. These areas are the most intact, undisturbed areas left on earth - places that humans don’t control and have not developed
Biomass
Total of all living components in a ecosystem
