Major Ecological Communities Flashcards
2 major types of communities
- aquatic
- terrestrial
2 major types of aquatic communities
- marine
- freshwater
6 types of marine communities
- estuaries
- intertidal
- subtidal kelp beds
- pelagic
- deep sea
- coral reefs
MLWN:
mean low water neap
MHWN:
mean high water neap
MLWS:
mean low water spring
MHWS:
mean high water spring
which is higher, MHWN or MHWS?
MHWS
which is lower, MLWN or MLWS?
MLWS
vertical zonation
length of time intertidal rock is exposed to air
due to vertical zonation, animals must ___ to a particular level
adapt
highest primary productivity of all communities on planet
subtidal kelp bed communtities
subtidal kelp bed communities provide ___ to shoreline communities
physical protection
subtidal kelp bed communities provide ___ and ____ for a large number of species
foraging, shelter
benthic zone
seafloor at all levels
pelagic zone
oceanic zone; open water above the ocean floor
epipelagic
0-200m below sea surface
mesopelagic
200-1000m below sea surface
bathypelagic
1000-4000m below sea surface
hadal
4000-6000 m below sea surface
what are bioherms?
deep water coral reefs
the largest ____ known is off norway at the base of the continental slope
bioherm
shallow coral reefs occur between ____
30 degrees N, 30 degrees S
fringing reef
a reef attached to the shore of a continent or island
barrier reef
a coral reef located away from the shore that creates a lagoon between the reef and the shore
atol
when a fringing reef continues to grow upward from a volcanic island that has sunk entirely below sea level. these are usually circular or oval in shape, with an open lagoon in the center
coral reefs
- greatest species diversity of vertebrates on the planet
- highly efficent recycling of nutrients
- under major global threat
arctic
largely frozen ocean surrounded by land, ~4000m water depth, ice cover ~3m thick
the upper 15m of arctic seawater has _____ from large rivers
lower salinity
arctic waters have a highly complex layering of _____ and _____ waters
altanic, pacific
in the summer, the arctic has a high _____, which is important to __ and ___
abundance of plankton, arctic cod, seals
what is the major terrestrial predator in the arctic?
polar bear
antarctic
large frozen continent surrounded by oceans, ~98% ice cover, up to 2km in thickness