ecosystems: keywords

• litter

  decomposing lead & other organic debris found on forest floors
• ecosystems

  community of plants, animals & their non-living environment
• distribution

  where something is located
• altitude

  height above sea level
• resource


  supply of something useful
• biosphere

  part of Earth & its atmosphere in which living organisms exist that’s capable of supporting life
• exploitation

  overusing natural resources
• finite resource

  a resource that will eventually run out
• water cycle

  closed system in which water moves between the atmosphere & land
• moorland

  land which is not intensively farmed; found in UPLAND areas & tends to have acidic, peaty soils with shrubs and few trees
• heathland

  open countryside in LOWLAND areas; small shrubs & silver BIRCH TREES
• deciduous

  broad-leaved trees (eg oak) which lose leaves in autumn & regrow in spring
• coniferous

  trees which stay in leaf all year round (EVER GREENS)
• whats an example of a deciduous tree?

  oak
• where can you find silver birch trees

  heathlands
• wetlands

  low lying land that's wet & boggy; also refers to small ponds
• aquaculture

  breeding fish in pens under controlled conditions
• colonise


  become established in an area
• abiotic factors

  physical, non-living factories
• examples of abiotic features

  water, wind, oxygen
• biotic factors

  living organisms
• detritivore

  animal that feeds on dead plants
• organic material

  something that was once living matter
• inorganic matter

  something that was never living
• soil

  top layer of earth where plants grow; containing organic & inorganic matter
• biomass

  amt living organisms in an area
• nutrient cycle

  movement & exchange of organic & inorganic material into moving matter
• food chain

  steps by which energy is obtained & used by living organisms
• food web

  network of food chains of how energy are passed from species
• biodiversity

  number of species present in an area
• limiting factors

  factors that limit biodiversity eg: temperature moisture, light & nutrients- these factors are abundant in TROPICAL RAINFORESTS so they have high biodiversity
• structure

  structure of a tropical rainforest r layers of plants & animals found in the forest
• function

  the ecosystem & how it works
• transpiration

  evaporation of moisture from the leaves of a plant
• eutrophication

  growth of large algae on water courses due to increase in chemical fertilisers used on land
• monoculture

  growing of one crop on large areas of land
• overpopulation

  too many people living in an area for the area to be able to support
• favela

  homes for the poor in brazil; made from waste material & have no water supply, electricity_ aka SHANTY TOWNS
• NGO

  NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS; set up by private individuals & can be funded by donations or government_ non-profit organisation
• carbon credits

  permit which allows the holder to emit one ton of carbon