Key Terms

• Which species controls whitefly pests?

  Encarsia Formosa (Parasitic Wasps)
• What is genetic diversity?

  Genetic diversity refers to the variety of genetic information within a population or species.
• What is an ecosystem?

  An ecosystem is a specific habitat and the organisms that live and interact in that habitat
• What are the categories of ecosystem services (ES)?

  Provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.
• Examples of provisioning services?

  Food, timbre, fuel and medicine
• Examples of regulating services?

  Pollination, food regulation, wildfire regulation and nutrient cycling.
• Examples of supporting services?

  Habitat provision, maintenance of genetic diversity and pollination.
• Examples of cultural services?

  Religious and spiritual values, education, recreation and tourism.
• What does abiotic mean?

  The non-living things in an ecosystem
• What does acidification mean?

  A process in which the pH drops as the conditions become more acidic.
• What does acidophiles mean?

  Organisms that thrive under acidic conditions. Many bacteria and archaea are acidophiles.
• What is acoustic monitoring?

  Monitoring environmental sounds e.g., to detect the presence of dolphins and whales or bats.
• What does aerobic mean?

  A process that takes place in presence of oxygen.
• What is aerodynamics?

  The study of airflow over surfaces to allow the design of surfaces that reduce wind resistance, turbulence, friction and noise generation.
• What is afforestation?

  Planting trees to increase the area of forest.
• What is albedo?

  A measure of the reflectivity of a surface. More reflective surfaces have high albedos. A surface that reflects all light has an albedo of 100%, while one that absorbs all light has an albedo of 0%. The albedo of an area can affect the local climate.
• What is an alternative hypothesis?

  Predicts a significant change, relationship or difference in the data being analysed.
• What does anaerobic mean?

  A process that takes place in the absence of oxygen.
• What is the Antarctic Treaty (1959)?

  International agreement signed by many countries that prohibits military activity, mineral mining, and nuclear testing in Antarctica, and promotes scientific research and environmental protection.
• What does anthropogenic mean?

  Adjective describing outcomes caused by human activities.
• What are archaea?

  Microorganisms similar to bacteria, including the first life-forms to develop on Earth. Archaea are the only organisms that produce methane from the decomposition of organic matter.
• What is artificial insemination?

  A form of selective breeding where semen is collected from a chosen male to be inserted artificially into the chosen female to cause her to become pregnant. It also allows semen to be stored for later use or the transport of semen without having to bring the animals together.
• What is BAS?

  British Antarctic Survey; a UK government organisation responsible for conducting research in Antarctica.
• What is a beating tray?

  A method of sampling invertebrates on the branches of bushes and small trees.
• What is bioaccumulation?

  The increase in concentration of a substance in living tissue as it is absorbed and stored faster than it is broken down and excreted.
• What is biocapacity?

  A measure of the biological productivity of an area.
• What is Biodiversity?

  Biodiversity is the variety and abundance of living things and their habitats. There are three levels of diversity: species, genetic, and ecosystem diversity. A common quantitative method of measuring biodiversity is Simpson’s Diversity Index.
• What is biomass?

  The total mass of living, or recently living material in an area.
• What are biogeochemical cycles?

  A series of linked processes which use and re-use elements such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron and sulphur, as they move between biotic and abiotic reservoirs.
• What is biological control?

  The control of pests using living organisms, usually predators or pathogens.
• What is a biological corridor?

  Habitat that links other habitats; individuals to move between areas.
• What is a biome?

  A large geographical region with particular climatic features, in which a characteristic, unique community of species lives eg Taiga, coral reefs, temperate grasslands, tundra, tropical rainforest. Don’t confuse the terms biome and ecosystem. Biome refers to the total area where the community of species is found, whereas ecosystem refers to a particular community and its interactions. So, there are many tropical rainforest ecosystems but only one biome.
• What is biomimicry?

  Biomimicry is the use of nature and the adaptations of species to inform human design of manufactured and engineered items.
• What is a biosphere?

  The biosphere, also known as the ecosphere, is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems and the living things within them.
• What are biotic factors?

  Biotic factors are living things within an ecosystem.
• What is the biotic index?

  A measure of pollution based on the presence, abundance and state of health of selected living organisms e.g., lichens for acid rain, aquatic invertebrates for water pollution.
• What is birth rate?

  Number of births per 1000 of a population per year.
• What is bycatch?

  The non-target organisms that are caught when fishing.
• What is calcium carbonate?

  The chemical compound coral exoskeletons and the shells of certain species (molluscs, oysters) are made out of.
• What are captive breeding & release programmes?

  A method of boosting wild populations by keeping a breeding population in captivity. Some of the offspring produced may be released to join the wild population