GLOSSARY - BIOSPHERE to ECOSYSTEMS
TERMS (Alphabetical)
EXPLANATION of the terms
Biosphere
All parts of the earth where organisms live
Hydrosphere
The layer of water which supports a lot of life
Lithosphere
Abiotic factors
The layer of land (soil and rocks) that forms the outer layer of the earth
The layer of air that surrounds the earth and consists of a mixture of
various gases
Any region with a particular climate with all the organisms that live in
that region
The sum total of the biological, physical and chemical conditions
surrounding an organism
Responsible travel to natural areas where the environment is
conserved and where the well-being of the local people is improved
The study of relationships and interactions between living organisms,
and between the organisms and the natural environment in which they
occur
A particular area in which living (biotic) components interact with each
other and non-living (abiotic) components
Non-living factors
Biotic factors
Living organisms that occur in the ecosystem
Climatic factors
Light, temperature, water, atmospheric gases and wind collectively
Physiographic factors
Include aspect, slope and altitude
Aspect
The position of an area in relation to the sun
Slope
It determines the rate of water run-off
Altitude
Humus
Height above sea level
Type of soil (texture), soil air, water-holding capacity, humus content,
pH
Refers to how fine or coarse the soil is e.g. clay, loam and sand
Some spaces between the soil particles are filled with water and the
other spaces with air
The ability of soil to retain water depending on the size of the particles
and the amount of spaces between the particles
Water that filters rapidly through sandy soil, taking along valuable
nutrients
Decayed plant and animal matter
pH
The acidity or alkalinity of soil
Photoperiodism
Ectothermic animal
The effect of day length on growth of a plant
A winter sleep, spanning cold winter periods and conditions, during
which the metabolism and heart rate of the animal decrease
Body temperature depends on the environmental temperature
Endothermic animal
Body temperature is constant regardless of environmental temperature
Atmosphere
Biome
Environment
Ecotourism
Ecology
Ecosystem
Edaphic (soil) factors
Soil texture
Soil air
Water-holding capacity
Leaching
Hibernation
Acknowledgement to EXAM FEVER Grade 10
Hydrophytes
Plants that are adapted to grow in water
Mesophytes
Plants that grow in areas with moderate water supply
Xerophytes
Heterotrophs
Plants that are adapted to grow in extremely dry conditions
The continuous movement of water between the earth and the
atmosphere
Water moves from the atmosphere to the earth in the form of rain,
snow, fog, hail, dew and frost
The layer of water that adheres tightly around the soil particles and
cannot easily be absorbed by plant roots
Water that is found between soil particles and can easily be absorbed
by plant roots
The water that filters through the upper layers of soil to the water table
All green plants that can photosynthesise and produce their own
organic food (carbohydrates)
Organisms that cannot produce their own food (known as consumers)
Consumers
Primary, secondary, tertiary and decomposers
Primary consumers
They feed directly on the producers (herbivores and omnivores)
They feed on primary consumers (carnivores, scavengers and
omnivores)
They feed on secondary consumers (carnivores)
They break down organic compounds into simple inorganic substances
that are released back into the environment
The transfer of energy from the sun, through green plants and the
various
A food chain never occurs in isolation, but is usually linked to other
food chains
Living organisms occur at different feeding levels of the ecosystem
Water cycle
Precipitation
Hygroscopic water
Capillary water
Gravitational water
Autotrophs
Secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers
Decomposers
Food chain
Food web
Trophic levels
Acknowledgement to EXAM FEVER Grade 10
ATMOSPHERE
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Terrestrial
LITHOSPHERE
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Gases
Rainfall
Humidity
Sunlight
Temperature
Nutrients
Water content
pH
texture
composition
temperature
gradient/slope
HYDROSPHERE
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Nutrients
pH
oxygen content
water temperature
light penetration
BIOSPHERE
Aquatic
BIOMES
ECOSYSTEMS
ECOLOGY
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Desert
Nama-Karoo
Savanna
Grassland
Forest
Fynbos
Succulent
NUTRIENT CYCLES
BIOTIC FACTORS
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Producers
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers
Decomposers
Acknowledgement to EXAM FEVER Grade 10
ABIOTIC FACTORS
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Physiographic factors
(Topography)
Edaphic (soil) factors
Physical factors (climate)
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Water cycle
Oxygen cycle
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle
BIOTIC FACTORS
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Primary consumers
Producers
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Autotrophs – produce
their own food
(photosynthesis)
All green plants are
producers
Producers
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers
Decomposers
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Heterotrophs – cannot
make their own food
Consume green plants
Also known as
herbivores
Decomposers
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Acknowledgement to EXAM FEVER Grade 10
Organisms that feed on
dead and decaying
material
Return nutrients to the
soil
Secondary consumers
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Heterotrophs – cannot
make their own food
Eat organisms that feed
on green plants
Also known as
carnivores
ABIOTIC FACTORS
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Physiographic factors
(Topography)
Edaphic (soil) factors
Physical factors
(climate)
1. Physiographic factors
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North-facing slope receives
more sunlight; hotter and drier.
Suited to hardy vegetation.
South-facing slope cooler,
retains more moisture; lush
vegetation e.g. forests.
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Refers to gradient of the land
– level, gentle, steep.
Gentle slope retains water
and topsoil – lush vegetation.
Steep slope retains less
topsoil and moisture –
sparse vegetation.
steep slope – less
topsoil,
less water, sparse
vegetation
hot, dry
S
Altitude
Slope
Aspect
N
Acknowledgement to EXAM FEVER Grade 10
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Height above sea level.
Temperature generally
decreases with altitude.
Higher altitudes means less
air pressure and lower
oxygen content.
Affects plant and animal life
and their distribution.
higher altitude – colder,
less oxygen
ABIOTIC FACTORS
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Physiographic factors
(Topography)
Edaphic (soil) factors
Physical factors
(climate)
Soil texture
 Particle size varies
from fine (clay) to
large (gravel).
 Particle size affects
aeration and water
retention.
 Clay, sand, loam
Soil temperature
 Seasonal variations
 Affects seed
dormancy and
germination.
 Affects bacterial
growth and acidity.
Soil acidity
Soil water
 Plants thrive in soil with
optimum pH.
 Plants prefer either acidic
or alkaline (brackish) soil.
 Bacteria like alkaline
soils; fungi prefer acid
soils.
 Bacteria play an
important role in the
nitrogen cycle.
 Hygroscopic water (around
particles) not available to
plants.
 Capillary water found in
spaces between particles,
is available.
 Sandy soil retains little
water – large spaces.
 Clay – tiny spaces, easily
water-logged.
2. Edaphic Factors
Soil air
 Air found in spaces
between soil particles.
 Oxygen in soil air used
by roots.
 Amount depends on
particle size and
quantity of water
present.
Acknowledgement to EXAM FEVER Grade 10
Soil humus
 Humus is dead and
decaying matter in the
soil.
 Contains important
nutrients esp. nitrates.
 Increases water
retention, aeration and
fertility.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
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Physiographic factors
(Topography)
Edaphic (soil) factors
Physical factors
(climate)
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3. Physical factors
Light
 Photosynthesis
 High light intensity
(sun-loving plants)
 Low light intensity
(shade-loving plants)
 Stratification in forests
and lakes
Acknowledgement to EXAM FEVER Grade 10
Latitude
Water
 Day/night variations
 Seasonal changes
 Water cycle
To avoid
 Mesophytes
 Migration
unfavorable
 Hibernation conditions
 Hydrophytes
 Xerophytes
Atmospheric gases
 Nitrogen and the Nitrogen
cycle
 Carbon dioxide and the
Carbon cycle
 Oxygen
 Water vapour