glossary

 GLOSSARY

1. Ecosystem:  consists of all the organisms living in one place, as well as the physical environment they live in. Organisms in an ecosystem interrelate with each other. There are two types: terrestrial and aquatic.

2. Terrestrial ecosystem:  are located on land an are surrounded by air. There are different types: forests, mountain grasslands, deserts and steppes.

3. Forests:  are ecosystems with many trees. In forests trees provide shelter and food. Depending on the climate there are: atlantic forests (grow in regions with a humid climate and cold summers. Animals like bullfinches or bears and wolves live there) and mediterranean forests (grow in regions with a dry climate and warm summers. Animals like eagles, lynxes and rabbits live there).

4. Mountain grasslands:  consist of grasses, clovers and wildflowers. They grow in humid regions with cold winters and are home to animals like butterflies, grasshoppers, ladybirds and deer. Here the plants are herbaceous (they have soft, flexible stems). It can be used as pastures for cattle to graze.

5. Deserts and Steppes: deserts and steppes are found in very dry regions with extreme temperatures. Living things in these ecosystems have adapted to severe conditions. Typical plants include herbaceous plants like grasses and small shrubs like thyme. Deserts and steppes are home to animals like hares, mice and lizards.

6. Aquatic ecosystem:  is one of the two types of physical environments, which is located in water environments. Depending on the salinity, which is the amount of salt dissolved in water, there are two types of aquatic ecosystems: marine and freshwater ecosystems.

7. Marine Ecosystems: this ecosystems have high salinity. Water in these ecosystems is in constant movement due to the waves and currents. Some ecosystems are: sandy beaches (are affected by tides and by waves), rocky shores (are shallow areas with sunlight, which allows algae to grow) and open sea (this is the deep sea far from the coast, sunlight reaches depths of about 100m, so algae cannot grow blow this point). 

8. Freshwater ecosystems: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> has very low salinity. Rivers and lagoons are freshwater ecosystems. In rivers the water is always moving so living things need to adapt to the flow. In lagoons the water barely moves so some plants like reeds can grow, also vegetation provides shelter for birds like herons and ducks.

<span style="color: #f29106; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">9. Living things: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the living things in an ecosystem are all the animals, plants and other living things, such as algae, fungi and bacteria. Every ecosystem has a particular fauna, which are all the animals, and flora, which are all its plants. All living things are grouped into species. They only can successfully reproduce with members of the same species, that make up a population. All the populations in a ecosystem make up a community.

<span style="color: #e2970c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10. Environment: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the environment of a living thing is everything that affects it. The human activity changes the environment. Today our activities has a greater impact on the environment due to the population growth and technological development.

<span style="color: #e09203; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">11. Pollution: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">this is the accumulation of rubbish and harmful substances in air, water and soil. As a consequence of air pollution the temperature of our planet is increasing. This is known as global warming. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #e07415; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">12. Deforestation: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">this refers to the disappearance of forests. It can happen due to forest fires or because people cut down too many trees. Deforestation leaves the soil unprotected against erosion. It also threatens the animals that depend on trees.

13. Desertification: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">this is the slow transformation of fertile land into desert. It usually happens as a consequence of deforestation. Soil with no vegetation can be easily eroded. This means that water and wind carry away the fertile layer of soil. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

14. Endangered species: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> these are living things at risk of becoming extinct. Pollution, global warming, deforestation and overexploitation are threats to many species of animals and plants. Overexplotation occurs when we use up plant or animals faster than thet reproduce.



<span style="color: #e56f08; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">15. Producers: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">living things that make their own food. They can belong to any ecosystem. Plants or algae are an example of producers in different ecosystems. <span style="color: #e87b01; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">16. Consumers: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> living things that obtain their food from other living things. All animal are consumers and exists several types. The first one is the primary consumers, which feed on producers so they are herbivores. The second type is the secondary consumers, which feed on primary consumers and are carivores, and the last one is the tertiary consumers, which feed on secondary consumers so they are also carnivores.

<span style="color: #e57c06; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">17. Scavengers and descomposers: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> are microorganisms and fungi that break down dead animal and plant materials, feeding on them. They descompose them into minerals, which return to the soil and are then used by producers.

18. Food chains and food webs: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> food chains show how living things feed on other living things in a ecosystem. The chain starts with the producers continue with the consumers. The arrows in a food chain always point from the food to the consumer. Food webs are made up of many food chains joined and give a more complete picture of how an ecosystem works.



<span style="color: #ea8b04; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">19. Mutualism: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> is the relationship between two species when both benefit. For example, the relation between bees and flowers.



<span style="color: #f29004; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">20. Commensalism: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> is the relationship between two species when one benefits and other remains unaffected. For example, sharks and remoras. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

21. Parasitism: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">is the relationship between two species when one benefits while the other suffers. The species that benefits is called a parasite. For example fleas live on the skin of dogs and suck their blood.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #e88b06; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">22. Competition: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> type of relationship between different species that have the same needs. One example of competiton is the relation between squirrels and dormice.