Biodiversity
The variety of life in an ecosystem.
Biological key
Used to identify species.
Community
All the living organisms in an ecosystem.
Ecosystem
the community and the habitat
Habitat
The place an organism lives.
Organism
A living thing
Pitfall trap
Used to sample insects on the ground.
Population
The number of individuals of a single species.
Sampling
Used to find species so they can be studied, and population sizes estimated.
Species
A group of organisms which can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Quadrat
Used to sample low lying plants and stationary animals on the ground
Adaptation
A trait or characteristic which helps an organism survive in its environment.
Biome
A large region of the planet characterised by its climate and the animals and plants that live there.
Carnivore
An animal which eats animal matter only.
Consumer
An organism that eats other organisms.
Food chain
Shows energy flow between organisms in an ecosystem.
Food web
Made up of many food chains.
Herbivore
An animal which eats plant matter only.
Omnivore
An animal which eats animal and plant matter.
Pollinator
An animal that carry out pollination.
Pollination
The transfer of pollen from the male to the female part of a flower
Producer
An organism that creates (produces) its own energy - always a plant.
Carbon dioxide
A raw material required for photosynthesis.
Cellulose
Used to make plant cell walls.
Glucose
The sugar produced during photosynthesis
Iodine solution
Used to test for the presence of starch.
Oxygen
product of photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis
The process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy to make food
Respiration
A chemical reaction that takes place in cell to release the energy stored in glucose.
Starch
glucose produced during photosynthesis is stored as starch.
Sugar
Product of photosynthesis
Water
A raw material required for photosynthesis.
Artificial propagation
method of growing plants, includes cuttings, grafting
Asexual reproduction
Reproduction involving one parent - offspring are genetically identical to the parent.
Bulb
Form of asexual reproduction e.g. onion
Germinate
When a seed starts to grow and produces a root.
Runner
Form of asexual reproduction e.g. strawberry
Sexual reproduction
Reproduction involving two parents. Offspring are genetically different to the parents.
Tuber
Form of asexual reproduction e.g. potato.
Agriculture
Describes farming and methods used to look after crops and animals.
Biological control
when an organism us introduced to control a pest species. Biological control is an alternative to pesticides.
Crop yield
Describes how much of a crop is produced.
Fertiliser
A chemical used to increase plant growth.
Fungicide
A chemical used to kill fungi and moulds that cause disease.
Herbicide
A chemical used to kill weed that compete with the crop for space, light, water and nutrients.
Food security
ability for all people to access nutritious food in a sustainable way that does not degrade the land.
Genetically modified
Describes an organism which has had its genes altered.
G.M. Crop
A crop that has been genetically modified to give it new traits.
sustainability
Improving human life whilst supporting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity.
Organic farming
farming which does not use G.M crops or synthetic chemicals
pesticide
a chemical used to kill pests