earth science vocab 9

biotic

living parts of an environment

abiotic

non-living parts of an environment

greenhouse gases

gases that absorb solar energy in earths atmosphere

producers

living things that make their own food to get the energy they need

consumers

living things that eat producers or other consumers to get the energy they need

decomposers

living things that break down dead organic material to get the energy they need

food chain

a model that describes how food energy is passed from one living thing to another

food web

a model of feeding relationships shows a network of interacting and overlapping food chains

energy pyramid

a model that shows the amount of energy available in each level of a food chain

transpiration

process by which water is absorbed by the roots of plants, carried through the plant, and lost as water vapor through small pores in the leaves

water pollution

any physical, biological, or chemical change in water quality that has an adverse effect on organisms or that makes water unsuitable for desired uses.

bioaccumulation

the process by which pollutants collect in the cells and tissues of organisms

biomagnification

the increase in concentration of pollutants in tissues of organisms that are at successively higher levels in a food chain or food web

global warming

an increase in the average temperature of earths surface

global climate change

a long-term change in earths climate

smart growth

strategy focused on concentrating growth in the center of a city, rather than in outlying area

greenhouse effect

process that absorbs outgoing solar energy in earths atmosphere