Chpt. 3 Vocab Flashcards
part of earth in which life exists, including land, water, and air or atmosphere.
biosphere
scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
ecology
group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
species
a group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
population
assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
community
organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment
ecosystem
any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
biotic factors
any non-living part of environment
abiotic factors
includes all gases that surround earth
atmosphere
consists of all pf earths fresh water
hydrosphere
includes all usually “solid stuff”
geoshpere
defined by patterns and averages of temperature, precipitation, clouds, and wind over many years
climate
consists of short-term changes in temperature, precipitation, clouds, and wind from day to day, or minute to minute
weather
process in which certain gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) trap sunlight energy in Earth’s atmosphere as heat
greenhouse effect
homes of organisms into roughly ten different regional climate communities
biomes
tall trees form a dense, leafy covering
canopy
the shade below, shorter trees and vines form a layer
understory
a material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter
humus
dense forests of coniferous evergreens along the northern edge of the temperate zone
taiga
a layer of permanently frozen subsoil
permafrost
the sunlit region near the surface in which photosynthesis can occur
photic zone
food chains in many aquatic ecosystems, or called floating algae
plankton
below the photic zone, where photosynthesis cannot occur
aphotic zone
an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at/near the surface
wetland
a wetland formed where a river meets the sea
estuary
