Systems and Models Subject Vocabulary and Glossary

1.
Systems and models
Subject vocabulary
1. System a collection of parts and the relationships between them, which together
make a whole.
2. Input the movement into something.

3. Output the movement out from something.
4. Storage where something is kept.
5. Flow movement from one place to another.

6. Process an action or series of actions that achieve a particular result; in systems,
these can be transfers or transformations.
7. Feedback mechanism where the results of a process influence the input of the
process.
8. Systems method an approach where component parts of a system can best be
understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems,
rather than in isolation.
9. Systems diagram a drawing of a system that uses boxes as storages and arrows as
flows.
10. Biomass living matter, made from biological molecule.

11. Transfer a process involving a change of location within the system, but no change
in state.
12. Transformation a process that leads to the formation of new products or involves a
change in state.
13. Systems concept the idea that something can be looked at as a collection of parts
that interact and are interdependent on each other.
14. Reductionist dividing a system into parts, each of which can be studied separately.
15. Holistic looking at a system as a whole, rather than as individual parts.
16. Ecosystem a community of organisms that depend on each other and the
environment they live in.
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K. Guru Charan Kumar IBESS www .ibessgurumantra.com
make a whole.
18. Biome a collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions.

19. Gaia hypothesis compares the Earth to a living organism in which feedback
mechanisms maintain equilibrium.
20. Model a simplified description designed to show the structure of a system and how
it works.
21. Equilibrium a state of balance among the parts of a system.
22. Negative feedback feedback that counteracts any change away from equilibrium.
This form of feedback contributes to stability.
23. Open system a system that exchanges both matter and energy with its surroundings.
25. Closed system a system that exchanges energy but not matter with its surroundings.
26. Isolated system a system that does not exchange matter or energy with its
surroundings.
make a whole.
28. Thermodynamics physics that deals with the relationships and conversions between
heat and other forms of energy.
29. First law of thermodynamics law that states that energy cannot be created or
destroyed: it can only be changed from one form into another; the first law of
thermodynamics is known as the law of conservation of energy.
30. Second law of thermodynamics law that states that the transfer of energy through
systems is inefficient as some of the energy is transformed into heat.
31. Transfer a process involving a change in location within the system but no change in
state; an example of a transfer is water falling from clouds to the ground as rain.
32. Transformation a process that leads to the formation of new products – an example
of a transformation is photosynthesis; it can also involve a change in state, such as
water changing from water vapour to liquid water in clouds.
33. Entropy a measure of the amount of disorder in a system; the greater the disorder,
the higher the level of entropy.
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36. Biomass living matter, made from biological molecules.

37. Photosynthesis a process that captures sunlight energy and transforms it into the
chemical bonds of glucose molecules. Carbon dioxide, water, and light are
transformed into glucose and oxygen.
38. Food chain a simple diagram that shows feeding relationships in an ecosystem;
energy flow from one organism to the next is shown by arrows.
39. Equilibrium (plural – equilibria) a state (states) of balance among the components
of a system.
make a whole.
41. Succession the orderly process of change over time in a community.

42. Steady-state equilibrium the condition of an open system in which there are no
changes over the longer term, but in which there may be fluctuations in the very
short term; there is overall stability in the system even though there are constant
inputs and outputs of energy and matter.

45. Static equilibrium equilibrium where there are no inputs or outputs of matter or
energy, and no change in the system over time system state time average state
system state.
46. Stable equilibrium equilibrium where a system returns to the original equilibrium
after a disturbance.
47. Unstable equilibrium equilibrium where a system does not return to the original
equilibrium after disturbance but forms a new equilibrium system state.
48. Feedback where the results of a process affect the input of the process.

make a whole.
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52. Equilibrium a state of balance among the components of a system.

53. Positive feedback feedback that leads to increasing change away from equilibrium
and contributes to instability.
54. Negative feedback feedback that counteracts any change away from equilibrium and
contributes to stability.

make a whole.
state.
59. Organic matter biological material in the process of decaying or decomposing.

60. Diffusion the movement of particles from a higher to a lower concentration.
61. Nutrients substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and the
maintenance of life.
62. Consumption when one organism eats another organism.

change in state.
65. Decomposition breakdown of organic matter by decomposers.

66. Photosynthesis a process that captures sunlight energy and transforms it into the
chemical bonds of glucose molecules; carbon dioxide, water, and light are
transformed into glucose and oxygen.
67. Respiration a chemical process occurring in all cells that transforms the energy in
glucose molecules into ATP, releasing energy in the process; glucose is transformed
in the presence of oxygen into carbon dioxide and water.
make a whole.
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73. Social system the people in a society viewed as a system and organized by a
characteristic pattern of relationships.
74. Model a simplified description designed to show the structure and workings of a
system.
make a whole.

79. Nutrients substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and the
maintenance of life.
81. Model a simplified description which aims to show the structure or workings of a
system.
make a whole.
83. Environmental value system (EVS) a particular world view that influences the way
an individual or group of people recognize and evaluate environmental issues.
84. Society a group of individuals who share some common characteristics, such as
geographical location, cultural background, historical timeframe, religious
perspective, or value system.

make a whole.
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state.
change in state.

91. Social system the people in a society viewed as a system and organized by a
characteristic pattern of relationships.
93. Feedback where the results of a process affect the input of the process.
94. Equilibrium a state of balance among the parts of a system trophic level the position
that an organism, or group of organisms, occupies in a food chain.
95. Consumer an organism that eats other organisms to obtain their food producer an
organism that makes its own food, for example a green plant that can
photosynthesize.
96. Environmental value system a particular worldview that influences the way an
individual or group of people recognize and evaluate environmental issues.
97. Environmental philosophy a world view determined by an environmental value

system.
98. Technocentrist a person who has a technology-centred environmental philosophy.
99. Ecocentrist a person who has a nature-centred environmental philosophy.
100. Anthropocentrist a person who has a people-centred environmental philosophy.

101. Cornucopian a technocentrist who believes that continued progress and providing
material items for humanity can be met by continued advances in technology.
102. Environmental manager an anthropocentrist who believes that humans

should manage natural systems for economic profit.
103. Habitat destruction the complete removal of a habitat so that it no longer exists.
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104. Self-reliance soft ecologist an anthropocentrist who believes that
communities should play an active role in environmental issues,
Sustainable able to carry on without damaging the environment.
105. Deep ecologist an ecocentrist who sees humans as subject to nature not in
control of it.

system.
107. Global warming an increase in average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere.

108. Greenhouse gas gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that allow incoming
solar radiation to pass through the atmosphere but block some of the out- going
radiation from leaving the atmosphere. This can lead to global warming.
110. Desalination removing salt from water to produce fresh water.
111. Sustainable able to carry on without damaging the environment.
112. Environmental movement movement that supports sustainable development

through changes in public policy and individual behavior.
113. Pesticides chemicals that kill pests.
114. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) an organization that is not funded,

influenced, or run by governments of any country in any way.
115. Gaia hypothesis compares the Earth to a living organism in which feedback
mechanisms maintain equilibrium.
116. Sustainable development development that meets current needs without making it
less possible for future generations to meet their needs.
117. Earth Summit first UN conference to focus on sustainable development; it took place
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
118. Agenda 21 a plan for action to achieve sustainable development worldwide, to be

put into action at the local level.
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120. Society a group of individuals who share some common characteristics, such as
geographical location, cultural background, historical timeframe, religious
perspective, and value system.

system.
123. Social influences factors that affect a person, such as their culture, friends and
parents, and economic position (such as whether they are from an LEDC or MEDC).
124. Personal characteristics factors that influence a person, such as age, gender,
religious belief, and outlook on life (such as optimism or pessimism).
125. Habits actions that people automatically carry out during daily life.
126. Global warming an increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere.
127. Ecotourism travel to undisturbed natural areas to observe wildlife; ecotourism

usually supports conservation efforts, helps to protect the wildlife, and supports
local people.
128. Endemic a species only found in one particular area.
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Glossary
1. Concept an idea of how something is.
2. Example explains a particular problem or issue.
3. Contrasting where there are differences between two or more things.
4. Component one or several parts which together make up a whole system.
6. Example explains a particular problem or issue.
7. Scale a range of things from the smallest to the largest.
8. Global including the whole of the planet.
9. Bromeliad tropical American plants of the family Bromeliaceae; they have long stiff
leaves and colourful flowers.
10. Climatic relating to rainfall, sunshine, humidity, wind, and temperature.
11. Daisy a flower, usually with white petals and a yellow centre.
12. Cycle a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order.
13. Surroundings everything that is near or around something.
14. Conserved kept and not lost.
15. Concentrated a lot of a substance in one place.
16. Dispersed when a substance is spread thinly and widely.
17. Spontaneously happening without an obvious external cause.
18. Isolated separated from others.
19. Dissipated lost/caused to disappear.
20. Complex molecule a molecule that contains many atoms, and is made from two or
more molecular elements.
21. Converted changed into.
22. Component one of several parts which together make up a whole system.
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23. Fluctuation small increases and decreases.
24. Disturbance a change in the normal situation.
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25. Integrity the state of being whole with all parts functioning normally.
26. Stability the state of not changing.
27. Deviation movement away from.
28. Example explanation of a particular problem.
29. Principles the rules of a scientific process.
30. Loop a process that repeats itself.
31. Mechanism process by which something takes place.
32. Time-lag gap in time between something being started and something taking effect.
33. Example explanation of a particular problem or issue.
34. Counteract work against.
35. Stability the state of not changing.
36. State form that matter takes: solid,iquid, or gas.
37. Excrete get rid of waste, produced by chemical reactions in cells, from the body.
38. Understory plants plants that grow underneath the leaf cover of other plants. For
example, shrubs growing under a tree are understory plants.
39. Root the part of a plant which grows under the ground.
40. Leach into pass into.
41. Quantitative relating to the amount of something.
42. Relative compared to one another.
43. In proportion (to) the correct relationship according to size, shape, or position.
44. Tissue decay the breakdown of biomass to form litter.
45. Mineralization the conversion of organic molecules into inorganic molecules by soil
organisms.
46. Humification the process of the formation of humus from plant and animal remains.
47. Degradation wearing down and disintegrating.
48. weather/weathering change through the long-term action of sun, rain, and wind.
49. Litter dead leaves and plants.
50. Harvest collect crops from the field.
51. Crop plants such as wheat or rice which are grown by farmers and used as food.
52. Livestock farm animals.
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53. Legume pea or bean plant.
54. Fertilizer organic matter or chemicals used to increase the fertility of a soil.
55. Dissolve mix and form part of a liquid.
56. Simplify/simplification make something easier or less complicated to understand.
57. Aquarium a glass container for fish and other water animals and plants.
59. Oversimplify/oversimplification describe something in a way that is too simple.
60. Socio-political relating to society and politics.
61. Context situation in which something exists.
62. Democracy system of government in which all adults can vote to choose a
government.
63. Authoritarian system of government where people have to obey the government
instead of having individual freedom.
64. Spectrum a range of possibilities from one extreme to the other.
65. Resourcefulness being able to deal cleverly with a difficult situation.

66. Overexploitation making too much use of something to gain maximum profit from it.
67. Beneficial forms something that results in a good outcome.
68. Materialism attitude where someone gives more value to things they own than to
spiritual values.
69. Conservative holding traditional attitudes and cautious about change.
70. Commodities things that can be bought and sold.
71. Fossil fuels natural fuels, such as coal or gas, formed from the remains of organisms.
72. Vested interest a special interest in protecting or promoting something to give an
advantage.
73. Self-correct return to its original position on its own.
74. Emissions gas/substances sent/released into the air.
75. innovation new ideas/methods/invention.
76. Purification the removal of dirty/harmful substances.
77. Chronological starting with the earliest event and following the order in which
events occurred.
78. Accumulated built up over time.
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79. Movement group of people with a similar worldview, and the organized action of
such a group.
80. Contaminated had a harmful substance added to it.
81. Evacuation moving people from a dangerous to a safe place.
82. Re settlement going to live in a new area/country.
83. Fallout harmful radioactive dust left in the air after a nuclear explosion which then
falls slowly to the ground.
84. Political agenda list of problems/ Subjects the government is Looking at taking
action on.
85. Blueprint a plan for achieving something.
86. Stewardship the concept of the responsible planning and management of resources.
87. Steward a person who looks after or manages something.

88. Reincarnation the belief that the human spirit is immortal and can be reborn after
death in either human or animal form.
89. Indigenous people originally found in an area.
90. Subsistence providing enough for a family or small community to survive on.
91. Barter system that uses trade in goods rather than money as its economic basis.
92. Animism belief system where all things have a soul – animals, plants, rocks,
mountains, rivers, and stars.
93. Communist economic system where wealth is owned and controlled by the people
for the benefit of the people.
94. Capitalist economic system where wealth is mainly owned and controlled by private
individuals; the system works by free market and profit motives.
95. Cold War a political battle of wills between the communist and capitalist systems
lasting between 1947 and 1991.
96. Reunification the joining together of a country after a period of separation into two
or more parts.
97. Lobbies groups of people trying to make the government change situations/laws.
98. Doctrine a set of important beliefs.
99. Democracy a system of government where everyone votes to choose government
Civil liberties people’s freedom to do what they want while respecting others.
100.members.
101. Continuum a continuous sequence in which elements next to each other are
very similar but where the extremes are quite different.
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102. Strong-willed knowing what you want to achieve and being determined to do
it.
103. Commodities things that can be bought and sold.
104. Xploitation making use of something to gain maximum profit from it.
105. Indigenous people originally found in an area.
106. Aesthetic concerned with how beautiful something is.

107. Regeneration rate how long it takes for something to develop/grow again.
108. Stewards people who look after or manage something.
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1.

Systems and models

2. Input the movement into something.

5. Flow movement from one place to another.

10. Biomass living matter, made from biological molecule.

18. Biome a collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions.

35. Input the movement into something.

36. Biomass living matter, made from biological molecules.

41. Succession the orderly process of change over time in a community.

43. Input the movement into something.

49. Output the movement out from something.

52. Equilibrium a state of balance among the components of a system.

55. Input the movement into something.

56. Output the movement out from something.

59. Organic matter biological material in the process of decaying or decomposing.

62. Consumption when one organism eats another organism.

65. Decomposition breakdown of organic matter by decomposers.

69. Storage where something is kept.

71. Input the movement into something.

72. Output the movement out from something.

76. Flow movement from one place to another.

80. Biomass living matter, made from biological molecules.

85. Input the movement into something.

86. Output the movement out from something.

90. Flow movement from one place to another.

97. Environmental philosophy a world view determined by an environmental value

98. Technocentrist a person who has a technology-centred environmental philosophy.

99. Ecocentrist a person who has a nature-centred environmental philosophy.

100. Anthropocentrist a person who has a people-centred environmental philosophy.

102. Environmental manager an anthropocentrist who believes that humans

106. Environmental philosophy a world view determined by an environmental value

107. Global warming an increase in average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere.

110. Desalination removing salt from water to produce fresh water.

111. Sustainable able to carry on without damaging the environment.

112. Environmental movement movement that supports sustainable development

114. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) an organization that is not funded,

118. Agenda 21 a plan for action to achieve sustainable development worldwide, to be

121. Environmental philosophy a world view determined by an environmental value

127. Ecotourism travel to undisturbed natural areas to observe wildlife; ecotourism

128. Endemic a species only found in one particular area.

65. Resourcefulness being able to deal cleverly with a difficult situation.

87. Steward a person who looks after or manages something.

105. Indigenous people originally found in an area.

106. Aesthetic concerned with how beautiful something is.

108. Stewards people who look after or manage something.

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