Unit 1 living with the physical environment: section B the living world key terms

ecosystem

natural systems that link the living and the non-living components of the environment

biotic

living component

abiotic

non-living component

biodiversity

variety of plant and animal life in a habitat

soil erosion

wearing away of the upper layer of soil, a form of soil degredation

biome

area of the planet with similar climates, landscapes, animals and plants e.g rainforest, desert etc

sustainability

doing little or no harm to the environment and being able to carry on with it

conservation

prevention of wasteful use of a resource

nutrient cycle

movement + exchange of inorganic and organic matter back into the production of matter

subsistence farming

growing of crops just to meet the farmer and their families needs

ecotourism

introduce people to the natural world through direct experience, to benefit local communities

food chain

series of organisms dependant on the next source of food

salinisation

accumulation of salt in soil

adaptation

changes to suit a specific requirement/ environment

desertification

land degradation in arid, semi-arid, sub-humid areas resulting from various factors e.g climatic variations and human activities

management

using resources wisely

deforestation

loss of forest areas

small scale ecosystem

community of plants and animals that interact with each other in a limited environment e.g tree trunk, pond, puddle, under rocks