Y05W22VC Theme Words — Nature & environment

An ecosystem is a community of living things and the environment they live in, which function together as a system.

Word Breakdown: eco- (prefix from Greek meaning ‘house or environment’)

Example: The coral reef ecosystem is home to thousands of species that depend on each other to survive.

Synonyms: habitat, environment, community

Collocations: a healthy ecosystem, protect the ecosystem, a fragile ecosystem

Biodiversity refers to the variety of different plants, animals, and other living things found in a particular area.

Example: High biodiversity in a forest indicates that the ecosystem is healthy and well-balanced.

Synonyms: variety of life, species diversity, natural variety

Collocations: biodiversity loss, protect biodiversity, rich in biodiversity

To preserve something is to protect it from harm, change, or destruction so it continues to exist.

Word family: preservation (n.), preserved (adj.)

Example: Local councils work to preserve native bushland by managing weeds and preventing illegal clearing.

Synonyms: protect, conserve, maintain

Collocations: preserve the environment, preserve biodiversity, preserve for future generations

To develop something is to grow it, improve it, or make it more advanced over time.

Word family: development (n.), developed (adj.)

Example: She worked to develop her understanding of ecosystems by reading widely and asking questions.

Synonyms: grow, improve, advance

Collocations: develop skills, develop an understanding, develop over time

To strengthen something is to make it more powerful, more secure, or more effective.

Word family: strength (n.), strong (adj.)

Example: She added more evidence to strengthen her argument in the final paragraph.

Synonyms: reinforce, improve, build

Collocations: strengthen your argument, strengthen the case, strengthen bonds

To build means to construct something, or to develop and increase something over time.

Example: The school worked with local experts to build a community garden that all students could help tend.

Synonyms: construct, create, develop

Collocations: build a case, build skills, build over time

To improve means to make something better or to become better at something.

Word family: improvement (n.), improved (adj.)

Example: Regular monitoring helped the council improve their response to pollution events in the local waterway.

Synonyms: develop, enhance, better

Collocations: improve quality, improve the situation, improve over time

Progress is the forward movement towards a better state or the achievement of a goal.

Word family: progressive (adj.), progressively (adv.)

Example: The team reviewed their progress at the end of each week to see how close they were to their target.

Synonyms: advancement, development, improvement

Collocations: make progress, track progress, steady progress

‘Furthermore’ is used to add another point that supports or builds on what was just said.

Example: The habitat was threatened by rising temperatures; furthermore, the water supply had become unreliable.

Synonyms: in addition, also, moreover

Collocations: furthermore, this shows; furthermore, it is; furthermore, research suggests