OCR GCSE Geography A key terms

The mass of living organisms in an area; in a tropical rainforest, trees and other vegetation form the largest nutrient store.

A large-scale ecosystem characterised by its climate and typical vegetation and animals.

A living part of an ecosystem, such as a plant, animal, human or microorganism.

The number of live births each year per 1,000 people in a population.

Data containing paired values for two variables, such as distance from a road and noise level at each survey site.

Land that has previously been developed and may be available for reuse.

A high-capacity bus system using dedicated lanes to provide faster, more reliable public transport.

Data organised into distinct groups or labels, such as types of land use.

A hollow in a coastal cliff formed as waves enlarge a weakness in the rock.

The main concentration of commercial and financial activity in a city, often abbreviated to CBD.

A statistic describing the centre or typical value of a dataset, such as the mean, median or mode.

The decomposition or dissolution of rock through chemical reactions, such as slightly acidic rainwater reacting with limestone.

A map that shades or colours defined areas according to the value or category of a variable.

An economy that reduces waste by keeping products and materials in use through measures such as reuse, repair and recycling.

A large-scale pattern in which air moves at the surface, rises, moves at altitude and sinks, forming a circulation loop.

A large, densely populated urban settlement containing homes, workplaces and services for its residents and surrounding area.

A range of values used to group measurements, such as pebble lengths from 2 cm up to 4 cm.

The long-term pattern of weather in a place, usually described using averages and variations over at least 30 years.

A long-term change in average weather conditions, including temperature and rainfall patterns.

A graph combining monthly precipitation bars and a mean monthly temperature line to show the climate of a place.

The control of one country or territory by another, often involving the exploitation of its people and resources.

Farming that produces crops or livestock mainly for sale and profit.

A settlement where many residents travel elsewhere, often to a nearby city, to work.

The use of goods, services and resources, including food, energy, water and manufactured products.

The influence of distance from the sea on climate. Inland areas generally have a greater difference between summer and winter temperatures than coastal areas.

Numerical data that can take any value within a range, such as wind speed or water depth.

An isoline joining points of equal height above sea level.