Ecosystems - Glossary

Abiotic factors	Non-living parts of an ecosystem.
Acacia tree	Trees with a flat canopy found in the savanna.
Baobab tree	Giant trees that can be up to 10 metres wide found in the savanna.
Biomes	A very large ecosystem.
Biotic factors	Living parts of an ecosystem.
Buttress roots	Large roots above the surface to help support large trees in shallow soil.
Canopy	General layer of tree tops below the canopy layer in a Tropical rainforest.
Cattle ranching	Large farms created in the rainforest for the production of meat.
Coniferous forest	The world's largest biome. Made up of evergreen (don't lose leaves in winter). Found between 50ºN and 60ºN
Consumers	Animals that eat producers.
Decomposers	Living beings that recycle the nutrients of dead creatures.
Drip tips	Waxy leaves with a point, shaped to help water run-off.
Ecological footprint	The ammount of land we use to sustain ourselves.
Ecosystem	A unit made of two parts; living things and non-living things.
Elephant grass	Tall grass (up to 5 metres tall, with large blades to preserve moisture found in the savanna.
Emergent trees	Taller trees above the canopy in a Tropical rainforest.
Epiphytes	Plants that grow on branches of trees.
Food chain	The movement of energy in an ecosystem.
Food web	Group of interlocking food chains in an ecosystem.
Ground level	The lowest level of a Tropical rainforst.
Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone	(ITCZ) A band of wet weather conditions linked to low air pressure near the equator.
Lianas	Woody climbing vines. (what Tarzan swings on)
Logging	The extensive cutting down of trees in the rainforest.
Overcultivation	Using land for agriculture too intensely causing desertification.
Overgrazing	Too much cattle (farm animals) feeding on the land causing desertification.
Podzol	Thin soil found in coniferous forests.
Producers	Living things that produce their own food.
Savanna	The temperature all the year is on average 20-35 ºC. Some parts get a lot of rain and others very little. There are two seasons, a short wet season and a long dry season.
Shrub layer	Layer of small plants in a Tropical rainforest.
Sustainable living	Living without harming the environment or other species in a wasteful way.
Timber	Name used to describe trees that have been cut down for their wood.
Tropical rainforest	Found close to the equator, they have high and constant temperatures all year. Rainfall totals are over 2000mm per year.
Under-canopy	Layer of bush tops in a Tropical rainforest.
Xerphytic features	Plants that can resist drought.