Chapter 50 Key Terms Flashcards
abiotic
Nonliving
aphotic zone
The part of the ocean beneath the photic zone, where light does not penetrate sufficiently for photosynthesis to occur.
benthic zone
The bottom surface of an aquatic environment.
benthos
The communites of organisms living in the benthic zone of an aquatic biome.
biome
Any of the world’s major ecosystems, classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment.
biosphere
The entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems.
biotic
Referring to all the organisms that are part of the environment.
canopy
The uppermost layer of vegetation in a terrestrial biome.
chaparral
A scrubland biome of dense, spiny evergreen shrubs found at midlatitudes along coasts where cold ocean currents circulate offshore; characterized by mild, rainy winters and long, hot, dry summers.
climate
The prevailing weather conditions at a locality.
climograph
A plot of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region.
community
All the organisms that inhabit a particular area; an assemblage of populations of different species living close enough together for potential interaction.
community ecology
The study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization.
coral reef
A warm-water, tropical, ecosystem dominated by the hard skeletal structures secreted primarily by the resident cnidarians.
deep-sea hydrothermal vent
A dark, hot, oxygen-deficient environment associated with volcanic activity. The food producers are chemoautotrophic prokaryotes.
detritus
Dead organic matter.
dispersal
The distribution of individuals within geographic population boundaries.
ecology
The study of how organisms interact with their environment.
ecosystem
All the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact; a community and its physical environment.
ecosystem ecology
The study of energy flow and the cycling of chemicals among the various biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
ecotone
The transition from one type of habitat or ecosystem to another, such as the transition from a forest to a grassland.
estuary
The area where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean.
eutrophic lake
A highly productive lake, having a high rate of biological productivity supported by a high rate of nutrient cycling.
intertidal zone
The shallow zone of the ocean where land meets water.
landscape
Several different, primarily terrestrial ecosystems linked by exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms.
landscape ecology
The study of past, present, and future patterns of landscape use, as well as ecosystem management and the biodiversity of interacting ecosystems.
limnetic zone
In a lake, the well-lit, open surface waters farther from shore.
littoral zone
In a lake, the shallow, well-lit waters close to shore.
macroclimate
Large-scale variations in climate; the climate of an entire region.
microclimate
Very fine scale variations of climate, such as the specific climatic conditions underneath a log.
neritic zone
The shallow region of the ocean overlying the continental shelf.
oceanic pelagic biome
Most of the ocean’s waters far from shore, constantly mixed by ocean currents.
oceanic zone
The region of water lying over deep areas beyond the continental shelf.
oligotrophic lake
A nutrient-poor, clear, deep lake with minimum phytoplankton.
organismal ecology
The branch of ecology concerned with the morphological, physiological, and behavioral ways in which individual organisms meet the challenges posed by their biotic and abiotic environments.
patchiness
Localized variation in environmental conditions within an ecosystem, arranged spatially into a complex of discrete areas that may be characterized by distinctive groups of species or ecosystem processes.
pelagic zone
The area of the ocean past the continental shelf, with areas of open water often reaching to very great depths.
permafrost
A permanently frozen stratum below the arctic tundra.
photic zone
The narrow top slice of the ocean, where light permeates sufficiently for photosynthesis to occur.
population
A localized group of individuals that belong to the same biological species (that are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring).
population ecology
The study of populations in relation to the environment, including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size.
precautionary principle
A guiding principle in making decisions about the environment, cautioning to consider carefully the potential consequences of actions.
savanna
A tropical grassland biome with scattered individual trees, large herbivores, and three distinct seasons based primarily on rainfall, maintained by occasional fires and drought.
seascape
Several different, primarily aquatic ecosystems linked by exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms.
temperate broadleaf forest
A biome located throughout midlatitude regions where there is sufficient moisture to support the growth of large, broadleaf deciduous trees.
thermocline
A narrow stratum of rapid temperature change in the ocean and in many temperate-zone lakes.
tropics
Latitudes between 23.5° north and south.
tundra
A biome at the extreme limits of plant growth. At the northernmost limits, it is called arctic tundra, and at high altitudes, where plant forms are limited to low shrubby or matlike vegetation, it is called alpine tundra.
turnover
The mixing of waters as a result of changing water-temperature profiles in a lake.
wetland
An ecosystem intermediate between an aquatic one and a terrestrial one. Wetland soil is saturated with water permanently or periodically.
