Chapter 52 - An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere Flashcards
ecology
The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.
climate
The long-term prevailing weather conditions at a given place.
tropics
Lattitudes between 23.5° north and south.
macroclimate
Large-scale patterns in climate; the climate of an entire region.
microclimate
Climate patterns on a very fine scale, such as the specific climatic conditions underneath a log.
abiotic
Nonliving; referring to the physical and chemical properties of an environment.
biotic
Pertaining to the living factors—the organisms—in an environment.
biome
Any of the world’s major ecosystem types, often classified according to the predominant vegetation for terrestrial biomes and the physical environment for aquatic biomes and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment.
climograph
A plot of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region.
ecotone
The transition from one type of habitat or ecosystem to another, such as the transition from a forest to a grassland.
canopy
The uppermost layer of vegetation in a terrestrial biome.
disturbance
A natural or human-caused event that changes a biological community and usually removes organisms from it. Disturbances, such as fires and storms, play a pivotal role in structuring many communities.
tropical rain forest
A terrestrial biome characterized by relatively high precipitation and temperatures year-round.
tropical dry forest
A terrestrial biome characterized by relatively high temperatures and precipitation overall but with a pronounced dry season.
desert
A terrestrial biome characterized by very low precipitation.
savanna
A tropical grassland biome with scattered individual trees and large herbivores and maintained by occasional fires and drought.
chaparral
A scrubland biome of dense, spiny evergreen shrubs found at midlattitudes along coasts where cold ocean currents circulate offshore; characterized by mild, rainy winters and long, hot, dry summers.
temperate grassland
A terrestrial biome that exists at midlatitude regions and is dominated by grasses and forbs.
northern coniferous forest
A terrestrial biome characterized by long, cold winters and dominated by cone-bearing trees.
temperate broadleaf forest
A biome located throughout midlatitude regions where there is sufficient moisture to support the growth of large, broadleaf decideuous trees.
tundra
A terrestrial 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.
dispersal
The movement of individuals or gametes away from their parent location. This movement sometimes expands the geographic range of a population or species.
