Chapter 3 Flashcards
Ecology
The scientific study of interactions among organisms and their physical environment.
Economics
Concerned with interactions based on money.
Ecology & Economics Together
Humans live within the biosphere and depend on ecological processes, to provide such essentials as food and drinkable water that can be bought and sold for money.
Levels of Organization
-Species
-Population
-Community
-Ecosystem
-Biome
-Biosphere
Biotic Factors
Biological influences on organisms. Any living part of the environment.
Abiotic Factors
Physical components of an ecosystem. Any nonliving part of the environment.
Abiotic & Biotic Factors
Biotic/Abiotic factors being influenced by the other.
Ecological Method
- Observation
- Experimentation
- Modeling
Weather
The day-to-day condition of Earth’s atmosphere.
Climate
Refers to average conditions over long periods, and is defined by year-after-year patterns of temperature and precipitation.
Greenhouse Effect
the process through which heat is trapped near Earth’s surface by substances known as ‘greenhouse gases.’
Solar Energy
energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy.
Polar Zones
range form 66.5 degrees and 90 degrees north and south latitudes. Receives the least amount of direct sunlight.
Temperate Zones
range from 23.5 degrees and 66.5 degrees north and south latitudes. Receives more direct sunlight then polar zones, but less than the tropical zone.
Tropical Zone
Along the equator (23.5 degrees north and south latitudes). Receives the most amount of direct sunlight.
