part 1

• Large scale maps are maps that show small areas with more detail while small scale maps show large areas with less detail.
• Large scale maps have smaller scale ratios while small scale maps have larger scale ratios.

  The bigger the ratio number, the smaller the scale is. The smaller the ratio number, the bigger the scale is.
• Physical features are natural features of a landscape.
• Cultural features are human made features.
• Contour lines can be used to determine slope, aspect, drainage patterns, height above sea level and relief.
• Slope refers to how steep an area is.
• Aspect refers to the direction that a hill faces.
• Site refers to a location in relation to the physical features it is on. It refers to what the location “sits on”.
• Situation refers to how close something is in relation to major cultural features which would help identify its location.
• A slope that progressively gets steeper uphill is a convex slope.
• A slope that progressively gets steeper downhill is a concave slope.
• Environment refers to living and non-living elements of the earth's surface and atmosphere.
• Ecosystem is a community of living organisms and their interactions with the non-living features of an environment. 
• Environments refer to the physical surroundings, whereas ecosystem is the interactions occurring between living and nonliving components.
• Abiotic: non-living components (e.g. climate features such as sunlight and humidity and water). Abiotic elements strongly influence the biotic elements (living species).
• Producers: autotrophic organisms (organisms capable of self-nourishment), convert solar energy into chemical energy and can store energy for later. E.g. Plants.
• Consumers: heterotrophic organisms (organisms that cannot produce their own food), reliant on other organisms for nutrients and can be categorised into herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, E.g. animals 
• Decomposers: organisms which break down dead organic matter and waste matter. E.g. fungi
• An ecosystem is dynamic because of the continuous interactions that occur, such as the flow of energy and matter which are capable of sustaining life

  Energy flows in a one-way direction which creates a hierarchy of organisms which can be shown in a food chain.
• A natural biome is a community of life forms adapted to a large natural area. Made up of a number of ecosystems and biotic components that have adapted to a particular environment.
• Anthropogenic biomes have been created as a result of sustained direct human interactions with ecosystems. 
• Land cover refers to the biophysical (abiotic and biotic) cover on earth's surface. 

  This includes vegetation, soils, water and anthropogenic elements

  Land cover is what is occupying the land, while land use is how people are using it.
• Land cover change refers to the changes that have taken place to natural environments due to a variety of natural and/or human induced causes. 
• The 3 main categories of land cover types are agriculture, urban and natural vegetation/global forests.
• Biodiversity refers to the number, type and variety of biotic (living) organisms found within an environment or ecosystem. Any negative changes in the biodiversity of an area is known as biodiversity loss.​

  This is when there is a decrease in the number, type or variety of living organisms within an environment or ecosystem.
• Climate change is the long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years.
• Sustainability is meeting the needs of the current and future generations through simultaneous environmental, social, economic adaptations and improvements.
• “Processes of LCC” refers to the actions by humans that, over time, alter the natural environment and cause a variety of ongoing issues.
• Deforestation is the removal or clearing of forests generally for uses such as agriculture and urban development.
• Forests cover 30% of the earth's surface and provide habitat for up to 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity.
• Causes of Deforestation:

  World population growth

  Most common reasons are for agriculture, grazing, firewood and to make room for urban areas.