Environmental Science
Unit – Living Environment
Glossary of key terms
Term
Meaning
abiotic factor
Non-living factors (temperature, light, pH and moisture)
that can affect biodiversity
adaptation
A special characteristic that allows an organism to survive
and reproduce in a particular environment
Afforestation
Agro-Forestry
biodiversity
The range of living species in an ecosystem
Biotic factor
Living factors (predators, new species or bacteria) that
affect biodiversity
Carbon Cycle
A series of processes by which carbon compounds are
exchanged in the environment, involving the incorporation of
carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its
return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of
dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
carnivore
An organism that eats only meat
Choice Chamber
Climate Change
combustion
community
competition
The process of burning
Made up of all the organisms (plants and animals) in an
ecosystem.
Two or more organisms, of the same or different species,
will compete for resources when they are in short supply.
Conflict
Consumer (Primary,
secondary & Tertiary)
An organism that eats a producer (does not make its own
food)
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Environmental Science
Unit – Living Environment
Decay
The state or process of rotting or decomposition
decomposer
An organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or
invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.
Term
Meaning
Deforestation
Degradation
denitrification
The removal of nitrates or nitrites from (soil, air, or water) by
chemical reduction.
detritivore
Dipping net
A method of sampling fish.
Distribution
ecosystem
Communities of organisms and their physical habitats.
emissions
Eutrophication
Exploitation
Fertilisers
A chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to
increase its fertility.
FCS
Food Chain/Web
A way of showing the energy transfer between producers
and consumers
Fossil Fuel
A natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological
past from the remains of living organisms.
habitat
herbivore
The place where an organisms lives.
An organism that only eats plant materials
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Environmental Science
Unit – Living Environment
Indicator Species
interdependence
The quality or condition of being interdependent, or mutually
reliant on each other
Term
Meaning
Invasive Species (Nonnative)
A species that has disrupted another species
habitat
Invertebrate
An animal without a backbone.
Light Meter
Measures the light intensity of a source (abiotic factor)
Moisture Meter
Measures the moisture of a source (abiotic factor)
National Trust
niche
nitrification
nitrogen cycle
A niche is the role that an organism has within an
ecosystem.
The oxidation of the ammonium compounds in dead organic
material into nitrites and nitrates by soil nitrobacteria,
making nitrogen available to plants
The circulation of nitrogen in nature, consisting of a cycle
of chemical reactions in which atmospheric nitrogen is
compounded, dissolved in rain, and deposited in the soil,
where it is assimilated and metabolized by bacteria and
plants, eventually returning to the atmosphere by bacterial
decomposition of organic matter.
NNR
omnivore
An organism that only eats plants
pH Meter
Measures the pH of a source (abiotic factor)
photosynthesis
The complex process by which carbon dioxide, water, and
certain inorganic salts are converted into carbohydrates by
green plants, algae, and certain bacteria, using energy from
the sun and chlorophyll.
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Environmental Science
Pitfall trap
Unit – Living Environment
A sampling technique that measures the abundance of
organisms on the ground.
Policies & Legislation
pollution
population
Living organisms of one type living in a habitat.
Predator (Predation)
Any organism that exists by preying upon other organisms.
prey
An animal hunted or seized for food, especially by a
carnivorous animal.
Term
Meaning
primary consumer
An organism that eats a producer (herbivore)
producer
Makes its own food using photosynthesis
Protein
The makeup of tissues of organisms. For example, proteins
in humans make up: skin, hair, nails and muscle. In plants,
proteins make up the structure of plants, for example, stem
and leaves.
Quadrat
A sampling technique that measures the abundance of
organisms on grassy areas.
respiration
The sum total of the physical and chemical processes in an
organism by which oxygen is conveyed to tissues and cells,
and the oxidation products, carbon dioxide and water, are
given off.
Sampling Technique
A way of measuring abundance.
secondary consumer
An organism that eats a herbivore (carnivore/omnivore)
Sustainable
Sweep Net
A sampling technique that measures abundance of
invertebrates.
species
Organisms with similar characteristics and the ability to
interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
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Environmental Science
Unit – Living Environment
SEPA
SNH
SSSI
Tree Beating
A sampling technique that measures abundance of
invertebrates.
Tourism
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