Topic B7: Ecology - Biodiversity, Cycles, and Global Warming

Vocabulary flashcards covering core ecology topics including biodiversity, pollution, the water cycle, the carbon cycle, decay, and global warming.

Biodiversity

The variety of different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem.

Acid Rain

Rain caused by acidic gases, such as sulfur dioxide, released into the atmosphere from smoke.

Transpiration

The process by which water evaporates from plants into the atmosphere.

Condensation

The cooling and turning of warm water vapour into liquid droplets to form clouds as warm air rises.

Precipitation

Water falling from clouds onto land, usually as rain, but sometimes as snow or hail.

Runoff

Water that is not absorbed by the soil and flows into streams and rivers, eventually draining back into the sea.

Excretion (in the Water Cycle)

Animal processes that eliminate chemical waste products (such as sweating, urination, and breathing out), returning water to the soil and atmosphere.

Decay

The digestion and breakdown of dead organisms and waste materials by microorganisms, which occurs faster in warm, moist, and aerobic conditions.

Detritus Feeders

Animals that feed on the remains of dead plants, algae, and animals, as well as animal waste, helping to cycle carbon back to the atmosphere through respiration.

Combustion (in the Carbon Cycle)

The burning of wood and fossil fuels that releases carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) back into the air.

Fossil Fuels

Carbon-rich fuels formed over time from decayed plant and animal matter.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in the atmosphere, predominantly carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and methane, that absorb energy radiated from the Earth and re-radiate it in all directions.

Global Warming

The gradual heating up of the Earth resulting from increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Habitat

The specific physical place or environment where organisms live.