biosphere terms

abiotic

non-living components of ecosystem

biotic

living components of ecosystem

biome

a major terrestrail ecosystem with characteristic plant and animal species maintained under particular climate conditions

extirpation

elimination of a species from a certain area

extinction

death of all members of a species

humus

partly decomposed organic matter found in the top layer of soil

silviculture

the science and practice of caring for forest

leaching

rainwater carries nutrients from A-horizon to deep layers

terracing

cutting into steep hillsides to create flat land for crops

capillary action

the process by which water moves upward through tiny spaces in soil or rock against the pull of gravity

carnivores

an organism that obtains its energy and nutrients primarly from the tissue or flesh of other animals

crop rotation

the agricultural practice of planting different types of crops sequentially in the same fields across multipul seasons

fallow

arable land that is intentionally left uncultivated or unseeded for one or more growing cycles

fertilzers

natural or synthetic substances added to soil or plants to supply nutrients required for plant growth

food chain

a linear sequence that shows of energy and matter transfer between organisms in an ecosystem illustrating who eats whom

herbivores

animals that survive solely by eating plant matter, algae, and photosynthesizing bacteria

permafrost

a permanently frozen layer on or under the earths surface

photosynthesis

the foundational biological process that drives global ecosystems and environmental cycles