Topic 3- Living World- Key Words Flashcards
Biodiversity.
The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat.
Commercial Farming.
Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers or food processing companies.
Consumer.
Creature that eats herbivores and / or plant matter.
Climate Change.
A long term change in the Earth’s climate, especially a change due to the increase in the average atmospheric temperature.
Debt Reduction.
Countries are relieved of some of their debt in return of the conservation of rainforests.
Decomposer.
An organism such as a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue, which is then recycled into the environment.
Deforestation.
The chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of a rainforest.
Desertification.
The process by which land becomes drier and degraded as a result of climate change, human activities or both.
Ecosystem.
A community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment.
Eco Tourism.
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and may involve education.
Food Chain.
The connection between different organisms that rely upon one another as their source of food.
Food Web.
A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food.
Fragile Environment.
An environment that is both easily disturbed and difficult to restore if disturbed.
Global Atmospheric Circulation.
The worldwide system of winds which transport heat from tropical to polar latitudes. In each hemisphere air also circulates through the entire depth of the troposphere which extends to 15km.
Hot Desert.
Parts of the world that have high average temperatures and very low precipitation.
Infrastructure.
The basic equipment and structures that are needed for a country or region to function properly.
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.
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 metal such as aluminium and iron; precious stones, such as diamonds; solid fuels such as coal.
Nutrient Recycling.
A set of processes organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain- and ultimately back the soil and water.
Over Cultivation.
Exhausting the soil by over cropping the land.
Overgrazing.
Grazing too many livestock for too long on the land, so it’s unable to recover it’s vegetation.
Permafrost.
Permanently frozen ground, found in polar and tundra regions.
Producer.
An organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis.
Polar.
The regions of the Earth surrounding the north and south poles.
Selective Logging.
The cutting out of trees that are mature or inferior to encourage the growth to the remaining trees in a forest or wood.
Soil Erosion.
Removal of top soil faster than it can be replaced, due to natural (water and wind action), animal and human activity.
Subsistence Farming.
A type of agriculture producing food and materials for the benefit of only the farmer and their family.
Sustainability.
Actions and forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of the future generations to meet their needs.
Tundra.
The flat, treeless, artic 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.
