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Ecosystems & Deserts Key terms and definitions

Terms in this set (27)

Adaptation
How something changes its behaviour or characteristics to fit surroundings
Arid / Semi-arid
Arid means 'dry'. Less than 250mm of rain per year. Semi-arid climate is found on the outer edge of Arid climate areas. Can be hot or cold dry areas.
Arid Soils
Soils found in very dry areas that have very low organic content
Atmosphere
The protective layer of gases surrounding the earth
Autonomous
(of a country or region) having the freedom to govern itself or control its own affairs.
Biodiversity
The total 'variety' of living things in an area
Biome
A large naturally occuring community characterised by certain climate conditions and associated flora (plants) and fauna (animals).
Biosphere
All the living things on the planet (plants, animals, microbes)
Consumer
Living things that either eat green plants or animals that have eaten plants
Decomposers
Bacteria that breakdown living matter.
Desertification
The process of fertile land becoming infertile and degraded so it is unable to support growth of vegetation.
Ecosystem
A community of living things and the interactions between them and the non-living environment
Ethnic Groups
People of the same race or nationality that share a distinctive culture
GDP / USD per capita
(Gross Domestic Product) a measure of the income of a country. This is usually given in American (US) Dollars and given as a figure divided by the population.
Global Atmospheric Circulation
The world-wide system of air movement and winds that distribute heat
Gulf
A type of bay, a body of water mostly enclosed by land with a strait connecting it to a larger body of water such as a sea or ocean.
Hydrosphere
All the water on the planet, ice, water vapor or liquid salt and fresh water)
Interrelationships
The way in which two or more things are connected or linked
Latosols
Deeply weathered, infertile soils found under the tropical rainforests
Lithosphere
The rocks, soil and mineral component of the Earth's land and ocean floor
Middle East
A geographical region comprising much of southwest Asia and north Africa
Parent Rock
The original rock type in the area influence how and what soil forms
Peninsula
An area of land that juts out into the sea.
Producer
Green plants which can photosynthesise and produce their own food
Soil Horizons
The different horizontal layers in a soil profile
Solar Energy
The sunlight (short and longwave radiation) that heats the Earth
Weathering
The breaking down of rock by wind, rain, sun, and chemical actions
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