Key Words

• Ecosystem


  A community of plants and animals that interact with one another and their physical environment
• Components of an ecosystem

  • Biotic (living things)
  • Abiotic (non-living things)
• Producers


  An organism that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis
• Consumers


  An animal that eats herbivores and/or plant matter
• Decomposers


  An organism such as bacteria or fungi that breaks down dead tissue which is then recycled to the environment
• Food chain


  The connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely on one another as their source of food
• Food web


  A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food
• Biodiversity


  The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat
• Nutrient Cycle


  A process whereby organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain and ultimately back to the soil and water
• Adaptation


  Actions taken to adjust to natural events such as climate change or the natural environment
• Deforestation


  The chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest
• Soil erosion


  Removal of topsoil faster than it can be replaced due to natural (water and wind action), animal and human activity
• Topsoil


  The top layer of soil and is the most fertile because it contains the most organic, nutrient-rich materials
• Subsistence Farming


  A type of agriculture producing food and materials for the benefit only of the farmer and his family
• Forest degradation


  A reduction in the ability of a forest to provide goods and services
• Logging


  The business of cutting down trees and transporting the log to mills
• Selective Logging


  The cutting down of trees which are mature or inferior to encourage the growth of the remaining trees in a forest or wood
• Mineral extraction


  The removal of solid mineral resources from earth (aka mining). These resources include metals (iron), precious stones (diamonds), building materials (granite stones) and fuels (coal and oil)
• Hydroelectric Power


  Electricity generated by turbines that are driven by moving water
• Commercial Farming


  Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers/sellers/companies
• Development


  The progress of a country in terms of economic growth, the use of technology and human welfare
• Conservation


  The prevention of wasteful use of resources. Natural resources like timber (wood) can be used but sustainably
• Debt reduction


  Countries are relieved of some of their debt in return for protecting their rainforests
• Environmental Protection


  The act of protecting the environment by individuals, organisations and governments so ecosystems can remain balanced
• Sustainability


  Actions and forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs
• Ecotourism


  Responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustain the wellbeing of local people and may involve education
• Polar


  The regions of Earth surrounding the North and Sole Poles. These regions are dominated by Earth's polar ice caps
• Tundra


  The flat, treeless Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America, where the ground is permanently frozen. Lichen, moss, grasses and dwarf shrubs can grow here
• Permafrost


  Permanently frozen ground, found in polar and tundra regions
• Active Layer


  The top layer of soil in an area where permafrost is present. Each summer the icy soil briefly melts before refreezing - this is the active layer
• Interdependence


  All organisms/people/business in an ecosystem/environment depend upon each other
• Economic migrants


  Someone who migrates with the main purpose of finding work or escaping poverty
• Geothermal energy


  Energy generated by heat stored deep in the Earth
• Solifluction


  The flow of saturated surface soil down a slope under the influence of gravity
• Thermokarst


  An uneven landscape of bumps and hollows, some of which may be water filled