Living World

Question 1

Ecosystem

Answer 1

The living and non-living parts of an environment and the interrelationships that exist between them

Question 2

Biomes

Answer 2

Global-scale ecosystems

Question 3

Adaptations

Answer 3

The way that plants evolve to cope with certain environmental conditions such as excessive rainfall.

Question 4

Producers

Answer 4

Organisms that obtain their energy from a primary source such as the sun.

Question 5

Consumers

Answer 5

Organisms that obtain their energy by eating other organisms.

Question 6

Food chain

Answer 6

A line of linkages between producers and consumers.

Question 7

Food web

Answer 7

A diagram that shows all the linkages between producers and consumers in an ecosystem.

Question 8

Scavengers

Answer 8

Organisms that consume dead animals or plants.

Question 9

Decomposers

Answer 9

Organisms such as bacteria that break down plant and animal matter.

Question 10

Nutrient cycling

Answer 10

The recycling of nutrients between living organisms and the environment.

Question 11

Temperature deciduous forest

Answer 11

Forests made up of broad-leaved trees such as oak that drop their leaves in the autumn.

Question 12

Stratification

Answer 12

Layering of forests, seen particularly in temperate deciduous forests and tropical rainforests.

Question 13

Tropical Rainforests

Answer 13

The natural vegetation found in the tropics, well suited to the high temperatures and heavy rainfall of these latitudes.

Question 14

Leaching

Answer 14

The dissolving and removal of nutrients from the soil, often in tropical rainforests because of the heavy rainfall.

Question 15

Arid

Answer 15

Dry conditions typically associated with deserts.

Question 16

Hot deserts

Answer 16

Deserts have a rainfall of less than 250mm per year. Hot deserts are generally found between 30°N and 30°S of the equator.

Question 17

Pollarding

Answer 17

Cutting of trees at about shoulder height to encourage new growth.

Question 18

Sustainable management

Answer 18

A form of management that ensures that developments are long lasting and non-harmful to the environment.

Question 19

Primary (virgin) rainforest

Answer 19

Rainforest that represents the natural vegetation in the region unaffected by the actions of people.

Question 20

Deforestation

Answer 20

The cutting down and removal of trees.

Question 21

Clear felling

Answer 21

Absolute clearance of all trees from an area.

Question 22

Selective logging

Answer 22

The cutting down of selected trees, leaving most of the trees intact.

Question 23

Transmigration

Answer 23

A population policy that aims to move people from densely populated areas to sparsely populated areas and provide them with opportunities to improve the quality of their lives.

Question 24

Slash and burn

Answer 24

A form of subsistence farming in tropical rainforests where some trees are felled and land is cleared by burning before being replanted.

Question 25

Selective Management System

Answer 25

A form of sustainable forestry management adopted in Malaysia.

Question 26

Conservation

Answer 26

The thoughtful use of resources; managing the landscape in order to protect ecosystems and cultural features.

Question 27

Ecotourism

Answer 27

Tourism that focuses on protecting the environment and local way of life. Also known as green tourism.

Question 28

Debt Relief

Answer 28

Many poorer countries are in debt, having borrowed money from richer countries to support their economic development. There is strong international pressure for the developed countries to clear these debts – this is debt relief.

Question 29

Debt

Answer 29

Money owed to others, to a bank or to a global organisation such as the World Bank.

Question 30

Carbon Sink

Answer 30

Forests are carbon sinks because threes absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They help to address the problem of global carbon emissions.

Question 31

Non-governmental organisation (NGO)

Answer 31

An organisation that collects money and distributes it to needy causes , e.g. Oxfam, ActionAid and WaterAid.

Question 32

Subsistence farming

Answer 32

Farming to produce food for the farmer and his/her family.

Question 33

Hunter-gatherers

Answer 33

People who carry out a basic form of subsistence farming by hunting animals and gathering fruit and nuts.

Question 34

Commercial farming

Answer 34

A type of farming where crops and/or livestock are sold to make a profit.

Question 35

Salinisation

Answer 35

The deposition od solid salts on the ground surface following the evaporation of water. Also an increase in the concentration of salts in the soil reducing fertility.

Question 36

Retirement migration

Answer 36

Migration to an area for retirement.