Human Impact Flash Cards

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Abiotic factor

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Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.

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Algal blooms

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A rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in water systems, often recognized by the discoloration in the water.

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Biodiversity

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The variety and variability of life on Earth, typically measured as the variety within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

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Biological magnification

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The process where certain substances such as pesticides or heavy metals move up the food chain, work their way into rivers or lakes, and are eaten by aquatic organisms such as fish, which in turn are eaten by large birds, animals or humans.

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Biome

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A large community of plants and animals that occupies a distinct region defined by its climate and dominant vegetation.

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Biotic factor

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A living component that affects the population of another organism, or the environment.

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Climate change

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A long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates.

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Commensalism

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A type of relationship between two living organisms in which one organism benefits from the other without harming it.

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Community

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An interacting group of various species in a common location.

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Conservation

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The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of natural environments and the ecological communities that inhabit them.