MATSEC SEC Environmental Studies key terms

The variety of living things in a place, measured as the number of different species, the genetic differences within each species, and the range of habitats and ecosystems present.

A community of living organisms interacting with each other and with the non-living surroundings such as soil, water and climate, functioning together as a unit.

The particular place or type of environment where a species normally lives and finds the food, water, shelter and space it needs to survive and reproduce.

The specific role a species plays in its ecosystem, including what it eats, what eats it, when it is active and how it uses resources, reducing competition with other species.

A plant or animal found naturally in one restricted area and nowhere else in the world, making it especially vulnerable to habitat loss and extinction.

The sequence of organisms through which energy and matter pass, starting with a producer and moving through herbivores to carnivores and decomposers.

An organism, usually a green plant or alga, that makes its own food from sunlight through photosynthesis and so forms the base of every food chain.

A feeding position in a food chain, such as producer, primary consumer or secondary consumer, through which energy is transferred and progressively lost as heat.

A diagram showing that only a small fraction of the energy at one feeding level is passed to the next, so higher levels support far fewer organisms.

An organism such as a fungus or bacterium that breaks down dead plants and animals, releasing nutrients back into the soil for producers to use again.

The process by which green plants use sunlight to combine carbon dioxide and water into sugar, releasing oxygen and storing energy in chemical bonds.

The process in living cells that releases energy from food, usually by combining sugar with oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide and water.

The largest population of a species that a given habitat can support over time without damaging the resources on which that population depends.

All the individuals of one species living in the same area at the same time, whose size changes through births, deaths, immigration and emigration.

The struggle between organisms for limited resources such as food, water, light or nesting space, which shapes which species survive in a habitat.

An inherited feature or behaviour that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its particular environment, such as thick fur, camouflage or drought-resistant leaves.

The process by which individuals with helpful inherited features tend to survive and breed more, so those features become more common in later generations.

The gradual change in the inherited characteristics of populations over many generations, which can eventually produce new species.

The permanent loss of a species when its last individual dies, usually caused by habitat loss, hunting, pollution, invasive species or climate change.

A species at serious risk of becoming extinct in the near future unless the threats it faces are reduced or removed.

A non-native plant or animal introduced to a new area where it spreads rapidly, outcompetes local species and disrupts the natural ecosystem.

The protection and careful management of natural resources and wildlife so that species, habitats and ecosystems are maintained for present and future generations.

Land or sea set aside by law and managed to conserve wildlife and natural features, where activities such as building or hunting are restricted.

The continuous movement of elements such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus between living things, soil, water and the atmosphere as organisms grow and decompose.

The circulation of carbon between the atmosphere, living organisms, soil, oceans and fossil fuels through processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition and combustion.

The natural warming of the Earth as gases in the atmosphere trap heat radiated from the surface, a process intensified by human emissions of greenhouse gases.

A gas such as carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous oxide that absorbs and re-emits heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Long-term shifts in temperature, rainfall and weather patterns, mainly driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels and land-use change.

A fuel such as coal, oil or natural gas formed over millions of years from buried organic matter, which releases carbon dioxide when burned.

Energy from sources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, moving water, tides and biomass, producing little or no greenhouse gas while operating.

Action taken to reduce the causes of environmental harm, for example cutting greenhouse gas emissions or restoring habitats, so the problem becomes less severe.

Meeting the needs of people today without preventing future generations from meeting their own needs, by balancing economic, social and environmental considerations.

The release into air, water or land of substances or energy at levels that harm living things, damage materials or reduce the quality of the environment.

Excess nutrients, often from fertilisers or sewage, entering water and causing rapid algal growth that later decays, removing oxygen and killing fish.

Rainfall made acidic by sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels, which damages trees, soils, buildings and freshwater life.

The continuous movement of water by evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation and runoff between oceans, atmosphere and land.

The collection, sorting, treatment and disposal of waste, with the aim of reducing harm and recovering useful materials through recycling and composting.

Processing used materials such as paper, glass, metal or plastic into new products, saving raw materials and energy and reducing the amount sent to landfill.

A measure of the land and water area needed to supply a person or population with the resources it uses and to absorb the waste it produces.