Geography - The Living World

Abiotic

Non- living parts of an ecosystem e.g. climate and soil

Adaptation

Actions taken by plants and animals to adjust their bodies to suite a particular environment

Arid

A climate where there is not enough precipitation to support vegetation growth. An arid climate recieve less than 250mm of rain annually (includes hot and cold deserts)

Biodiversity

The amount and range of living things in an ecosystem

Biomass

The volume of living vegetation

Biome

A large plant and animal community covering a large area of the Earth’s surface e.g. tropical rainforest

Biotic

Living parts of an ecosystem e.g. plants, trees & animals

Consumer

Any animal which feeds of another living thing

Primary: plant-eating animals

Secondary: carnivores

Deciduous woodland

Woodland composed of trees that drop their leaves in winter

Decomposer

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

Deforestation

The chopping down and removing of trees ot clear an area of forest

Desertification

A reduction in the biological productivity of the land which becomes drier and degraded and leads to desert-like conditions, as a result of climate change or human activity, or both

Diurnal temperature range

The difference between the highest and lowest temperatures in a 24hr period

Drought

A long period of low rainfall

Ecosystem

A community of plants and animals (biotic) that interact with one another and their physical environment

Ecosystem services

The benefits human beings gain from leaving the world’s ecosystems intact. These benefits can be given a financial value (for example, a forest that soaks up rainwater is worth the same money as flood defences)

Ecotourism

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustain 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

Food Chain

A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food

Food Web

A natural interconnection of different food chains

Fragile environment

An environment that is both easily disturbed and difficult to restore if disturbed. Plant communities in fragile areas have evolved in highly specialised ways to deal with challenging conditions. As a result, they cannot tolerate environmental changes

Hot desert

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

Interrelationship

Where different plants and animals rely upon one another

Litter

Dead plant material e.g. leaves that have fallen from trees or fallen plants

Logging

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

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

Producer

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

Reforestation

The replanting and restocking or existing forest and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation

Slash and burn

An agricultural technique in which existing vegetation or forest is cut down and burned off to clear land before new seeds are sown

Soil erosion

Removal of top soil faster than it can be replaced, due to natural (water & wind action), animal and human activity. Topsoil is the top lay of soil and is the most fertile because it contains the most organic nutrient-rich materials in the humus layer

Subsistence Farming

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

Tap roots

Long roots which extend far down in the soil to find water

Transipiration

The process by which plants lose water vapor through their leaves. Strong winds increase transpiration

Xerophytic

Drought resistant plants. Adaptions are designed to store what little water is made available and to reduce losses due to evapotranspiration.