Terms 1
a variety of living organisms in an area
biodiversity
clearing forests to make way for housing or agricultural development
deforestation
the cutting down, processing and removal of trees from an area
logging
active during the night
nocturnal
describes land that can be used for growing crops
arable
the removal of all trees in an area
clearfelling
the conversion of an area to have desert like qualities. Usually caused by overgrazing, prolonged drought or climate change
desertification
permanently frozen ground
permafrost
the presence of salt on the surface of the land, in soil or rocks, or dissolved in rivers and groundwater
salinity
fuel that comes from renewable sources
biofuel
the long-term precipitation and temperature patterns of an area
climate
a decline in the quality of land, which makes it less able to support agriculture or native vegetation
land degradation
native grasslands of North America
prairie
business set up to support, process and distribute agricultural products
agribusiness
the use of trees and shrubs on farms for profit or conservation; the management of trees for forest products
agroforestry
a tube-shaped marine animal that lives in a colony and produces a stony skeleton. Polyps are the living part of a coral reef.
coral polyp
describes the area behind a mountain range, away from the moist prevailing winds
leeward
exposed root system of mangroves, which enable them to take in air when the tide is in
pneumatophores
a procedure that involves the rotation of crops, so that no bed or plot sees the same crop in successive seasons
crop rotation
a significant increase in agricultural productivity resulting from the introduction of high-yield varieties of grains, the use of pesticides and improved management
Green Revolution
the process in which water runs through soil, dissolving minerals and carrying them into the subsoil
leaching
the dominant direction a wind blows from
prevailing winds
the dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range
rain shadow
describes the side of the mountain that faces the prevailing winds
windward
describes farming that provides food only for the needs of the farmer’s family, leaving little or none to sell
subsistence