Unit 1 Terms: Interactions with Ecosystems – Grade 7
TERMS (Learning Goal 1)
ecosystem interactions and relationships between living and non-living things (16)
Indigenous knowledge used to describe the knowledge systems developed by First Nations,
Metis and Inuit as opposed to scientific knowledge
oral tradition a community's cultural and historical traditions passed down by word of mouth
or example from one generation to another without written instruction
Indigenous peoples the original inhabitants of a land
First Nations Aboriginal people who are descendants of the original inhabitants of North
America; the term First Nations does not include the Inuit or Métis
Métis Aboriginal people who have First Nations and European ancestry and are distinct from
other Aboriginal peoples
Inuit the Aboriginal peoples indigenous to the Arctic, in northern Canada, living mainly in
Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, northern Quebec, and Labrador
steward a person who cares for the land or for other people
environmental stewardship careful management of resources to ensure that they are
sustainable for future generations
conservation working to preserve, protect, or restore the natural environment and wildlife
TERMS (Learning Goal 2)
producer creates food and oxygen that all food consumers need to survive i.e. a plant (28)
consumer has to seek out and eat, or consume, other living things for food i.e. a fox (25)
decomposer breaks down dead plants and animals i.e. mushroom
scavenger feeds off remains of living things that are killed by other consumers i.e. Common
Raven
carnivore consumes other animals for food i.e. Timber Wolf
omnivore consumes animals and plants for food i.e. Black Bear
herbivore consumes mainly plants for food i.e. Deer Mouse
biome A large area with a definite climate that supports vegetation (67)
habitat provides oxygen, water, food, shelter, and anything else needed for survival (6)
abiotic Non-living
biotic living
food chain shows how living things are connected to each other by the food they eat
food web the result of connecting all food chains in an ecosystem
TERMS (Learning Goal 3)
species group of living things that are able to mate and produce more of the same kind of living
things (6)
cellular respiration process that nearly all living things use to release energy stored in their
food
photosynthesis Plants and plant-like things create their food through a process called
photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses the Sun’s energy, carbon dioxide and water.
chlorophyll a green pigment in plants that absorbs sunlight
carbon cycle a cycle in which carbon based substances (e.g. plants) change to become fossil
fuels (e.g. coal, oil, natural gas). When these fuels are burned, the carbon in them is released in
the form of carbon dioxide gas
water cycle a cycle made up of 3 main processes: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
condensation part of the water cycle when water vapor converts to a liquid
precipitation part of the water cycle when water returns to the earth in the form of rain and
snow
evaporation part of the water cycle when heat from the sun causes water to evaporate (change
from liquid water to water vapor)
transpiration part of the water cycle when water evaporates from plants
infiltration part of the water cycle when water enters the soil
TERMS (Learning Goal 4)
sustainable development meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs
clearcutting the removal of all the trees in an area of forest leaving little behind except wood
debris and a deforested landscape.
selective logging the practice of cutting down one or two species of trees while leaving the rest
intact. Selective logging is often considered a better alternative to clear cutting in which a large
area of a forest is cut down.
reforestation the replanting and regrowth of a forest
pesticides a substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated
plants or to animals.
renewable resource a resource that replaces itself if carefully managed; examples are forests,
fish, and water
non-renewable resource a resource, such as oil, gas, natural gas, gold, and potash that cannot
be replaced once it is used up
fossil fuel a non-renewable resource, such as oil, natural gas, and coal formed from plant and
animal remains over millions of years
climate the average weather conditions of a region over many years
climate change a long-term, significant change in the average weather patterns of a given
region as a result of natural changes, human activities, or both
global warming the increase in Earth's average annual temperatures that may be caused by
natural changes in the atmosphere, by the greenhouse effect resulting from burning of fossil
fuels and deforestation, or by both
carbon footprint the total amount of carbon dioxide (C02) and other greenhouse gases emitted
over the full life cycle of a product or service
natural disaster a severe event in the natural environment, including a flood, storm,
earthquake, or landslide, that leads to human, economic, and environmental losses
drought a long period of extremely dry weather
alternative energy energy sources, such as wind power, solar power or hydroelectricity, that do
not come from fossil fuels