Bc Science 10 - Chapter 3

Front 1

adaptive radiation

Back 1

The development of a number of new species from a common ancestor; the new species are adapted to inhabit different niches.

Front 2

climax community

Back 2

A mature community, such as a boreal forest, tropical rainforest, grassland, or desert, that

continues to change over time.

Front 3

ecological succession

Back 3

Changes that take place over time in the types

of organisms that live in an area.

Front 4

natural selection

Back 4

The process in which, over time, the best-adapted members of a species will survive and reproduce. This process makes change in living things possible.

Front 5

pioneer species

Back 5

Organisms such as lichens and other plants that are the first to survive and reproduce in an area;

these organisms change the abiotic and biotic conditions of an area so that other organisms can survive there.

Front 6

secondary succession

Back 6

The reintroduction of life after a disturbance to an area that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms.

Front 7

contamination

Back 7

The introduction of chemicals, toxins, wastes, or micro-organisms into the environment in concentrations that are harmful to living things.

Front 8

deforestation

Back 8

The clearing or logging of forests without replanting.

Front 9

extinction

Back 9

The dying out of a species; species become extinct when their numbers are reduced to zero.

Front 10

habitat loss

Back 10

The destruction of habitats that usually results from human activities.

Front 11

soil degradation

Back 11

Damage to soil - for example, as a result of deforestation or the removal of topsoil from bare land by water and wind erosion.

Front 12

resource exploitation

Back 12

Using resources

Front 13

sustainability

Back 13

The ability of an ecosystem to sustain ecological processes and maintain biodiversity over time.

Front 14

traditional ecological knowledge

Back 14

Ecological information, passed down from generation to generation, that reflects human experience with nature gained over centuries.

Front 15

land use

Back 15

Ways that we use the land such as for mining,

industry, etc.

Front 16

resource use

Back 16

The ways in which we obtain and use naturally occurring materials such as soil, wood, water,

etc.

Front 17

habitat loss

Back 17

The destruction of habitats that usually results from human activities.

Front 18

habitat fragmentation

Back 18

The division of habitats into smaller, isolated fragments.

Front 19

deforestation

Back 19

The clearing or logging of forests without

replanting.

Front 20

overexploitation

Back 20

The use or extraction of a resource until it is

depleted.

Front 21

soil compaction

Back 21

The squeezing together of soil particles so that the air spaces between them are reduced.

Front 22

aeration

Back 22

Mixing with air; one method used to reduce

run-off is to mechanically remove small plugs

of soil to improve air and water flow through

the soil.

Front 23

introduced species

Back 23

Plants, animals, or micro organisms that are transported intentionally or by accident into

regions in which they did not exist previously.

Front 24

invasive species

Back 24

Introduced organisms that can take over the habitats of native species or invade their

bodies.

Front 25

native species

Back 25

Plants and animals that naturally inhabit an

area.

Front 26

foreign species

Back 26

Introduced species - species that are not natural to the area.