Thermoregulation The internal
processes that occur within an
organism to ensure it maintains
a stable temperature, a function
that is crucial for survival.Transmutation The process of
evolutionary divergence by which
one species transforms into an
entirely new one.Trophic cascade The impact
that the removal of a trophic level
of a food chain with at least three
levels has on the wider ecosystem
as a whole.Trophic level The place of an
organism within an ecosystem’s
hierarchy; organisms that are
on the same level of the food chain
are on the same trophic level.Tropics The region of Earth that
surrounds the equator, between the
lines of the Tropic of Cancer and
the Tropic of Capricorn, and does
not experience the same seasonal
changes as the rest of Earth.Urbanization The process which
occurs when rural areas are built
upon intensively, almost always
with negative consequences for
the natural environment.Urban sprawl The outward
growth of a previously concentrated
urbanized area, often with negative
consequences for the environment.Variation Differences within a
species, caused either by genetic
or environmental factors.Vascular plant A type of plant
with conductive tissue for the
movement of water and minerals
throughout, such as a fern or a
flowering plant.Overfishing The depletion of the
fish population in a given area as
a result of fishing too intensively.Ozone layer Part of the upper
level of Earth’s atmosphere, with
a high concentration of ozone (O 3 )
molecules; provides protection
from ultraviolet radiation.Paleontology The study of fossils
and biology of Earth’s geological
past. Paleobotany is the branch
studying plant fossils.Parasite An organism that lives on
or in another organism, and obtains
nutrients from its host.Pesticides Chemicals used to kill
certain types of pest in order to
protect cultivated plants. They can,
however, also kill nontarget species
and damage the wider ecosystem.Photosynthesis The process
by which plants and algae transfer
the Sun’s light energy into chemical
energy as glucose, allowing it to be
passed along the food chain. The
process absorbs carbon dioxide and
releases oxygen.Physiology A branch of biology
that focuses on the everyday
functioning of organisms.Pollination The transfer of pollen
from a male plant part to a female
one—by birds, insects, and other
animals, or by the wind—enabling
fertilization and seed production.Pollution The introduction of
harmful contaminants to the
natural environment, inducing
changes to the atmosphere.Predator A species that hunts
other animal species for food.Prey A species that is hunted
by another species.Primary producer Any organism
that makes its own food from
nonorganic sources, namely light
and/or chemical compounds such
as carbon dioxide and sulfur, and
thus sustains the animals that
feed on it.Primary vegetation The
vegetation that has prevailed in a
given area since the start of its
current climatic conditions.Recycling The process of
converting waste into new objects
or materials, or burning it to
generate energy.Renewables Fuel sources that
are not finite, such as solar power,
hydropower, and wind power.Species A group of organisms
capable of exchanging genes with
one another through reproduction.Stochasticity Unpredictable
fluctuations in environmental
conditions that affect populations
and ecological processes.Succession The process by which
a biological community evolves
over time, from a few simple species
to a complex ecoystem, through
species’ impact on the environment.Taxonomy The science of naming
and classifying different organisms.Tectonic plates Pieces of Earth’s
crust and uppermost mantle that
gradually shift over time, causing
seafloor spreading, continental
drift, and mountains, rift valleys,
volcanoes, and earthquakes at
plate boundaries.GLOSSARY 343
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