Chapter 4 vocabulary list- AICE Environmental Management

Desert

A hostile, barren landscape where less than 250 mm of precipitation occurs annually, and biodiversity is low.

Tundra

A biome found far north in Asia and Alaska, characterised by long cold, dark winters, and short cool summers. Permanently frozen ground limits vegetation growth to short shrubs and grasses.

Grasslands

A biome with grassy plains and few trees, in the tropics and subtropics, typically referred to as savanna.

Diurnal Temperature range

A variation between high and low air temperatures that occur during the same day (ex: changed between night and daytime temperatures)

Convectional rainfall

Rainfall that occurs when the energy of the sun heats up Earth’s surface and causes water to evaporate and become water vapour. This then condenses to form clouds at higher altitudes.

Stomata

pores in the leaf or stem of the plant. These form a slit which allows the movement of gases in and out of the spaces between the cells; found mainly on the underside of leaves.

Permafrost

Areas of permanently frozen ground

ecological succession

the process by which the structure of a biological community changes over time

primary succession

the gradual process bye which an ecosystem develops and changes in a region that has previously not been colonised, for example new lava flows

secondary succesion

The gradual process by which an ecosystem develops and changes on a region that has been previously colonised, however, it has been disturbed, damaged or removed.

Pioneer Species

A hardy species which is capable of being the first to colonize disturbed or newly formed environments

primary productivity

the rate at which energy is converted into organic material through photosynthesis by plants ( producers)

gross primary productivity

the rate at which producers convert solar energy into biomass

net primary productivity

the rate at which producers convert solar energy into biomass minus the loss of energy through respiration

ecosystem productivity

the rate of production of biomass for an ecosystem

native species

A species that originated and developed in a specific ecosystem or region and has adapted to living in that area

invasive species

a species that is able to outcompete other species, causing changes to an ecosystems balance

indigenous

originating or occurring naturally in a specific area; a species that is native to an ecosystem

flora

the plants of a particular area, region, or environement

fauna

the animal life characteristics of an area, region, or environment

eutrophication

an increase in nutrients in a body of water results in a rapid growth if algae. Algal blooms cover the surface of the water, forming a green layer. When the algae decay and die, a decline in oxygen level occurs, causing significant ecological degradation.

genes

the basic units of heredity (characteristics) passed down from parent to young. For example tall parents are more likely to have tall children as their genes carry characteristic.

DNA

the material in cells that carries information about how a living organism will look and function. Genes make up the portion of the DNA.

evolution

the process by which living organisms have developed and adapted into different forms

Evolutionary tree

a branching diagram or ‘tree’ showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in their physical and genetic characteristics.

rewilding

restoring an area of land to its natural undisturbed state, specifically through the reintroduction of species of wild animals that have been driven out or hunted to extinction in the area.

microhabitat

a habitat that is small or limited in extent and differs from the surrounding habitat

deforestation

the action of clearing forested areas; the cutting down of trees

fragmentation

an ecosystem that has been broken up into patches that are too far apart for species to properly interact and reproduce

marginal

the trees found along the edges of a forest or cleared area

cascading change

a top-down process, where a change made at the top of a food web makes a change through out the food web and the ecosystem.

Ice Shelves

The place where sea ice and ice sheets meet. They are platforms of ice that extend over the edge of the land into the oceans.

Sea Ice

The ice that floats on the surface of the oceans and seas

geyser

a hot spring in which water boils, periodically sending up tall columns of water and steam

Hot Spring

A source of ground water that is heated by underground volcanic activity.