T - Z Flashcards
Theoretical model
A scientific model constructed from previously established theories and relationships designed to simulate the real world based on the theoretical understand of processes rather than direct observations of them.
Theoretical modelling
Based on theory or logic, rather than experiments, lbs or exp.
Thermophilic
Heat loving, such as thermophilic bacteria that thrive at high temps, such as hot springs.
Through fall
Water than drops from the canopy of plants.
Time step
The gap in time between successional states simulated by a numerical model. It’s temporal resolution.
Top down control
Controls on population or biomass that acts from above. Ie from higher tropic levels such as predation.
Trade off
An evolved trait whereby an organism benefits from one characteristic (large stomata) allowing more rapid carbon uptake at the expense of another characteristic (faster water loss), leading to less efficient use of transpired water.
Transpiration
The flux of water from its liquid state in plants to its gas state in the atm
Tropic cascade
Phenomenon in which even quite subtle effects on predictors can be magnified in a downward flow of effects on grazers and plants in the lower tropic levels. Ie a series of effects down the food chain.
Turnover rate
The fraction of material that enters or leaves a pool over a specific time.
Validate
A testing process which determines how well the model output agrees with the behaviour of the real system.
Valley of attraction
Low-lying area of stability landscape that represents a fairly stable equilibrium condition of an ecosystem in that it resists change following perturbation
Verify
A checking process used to determine whether the model and its behaviour are a reasonable representation of the system under investigation
Vertical water balance
Including only the elements of a water balance that relate to vertical fluxes, ie precipitation and ET, but excluding horizontal flows, ie surface flows, throughflow and runoff.
Vesicular arbuscular mychorrizas VAM
Endomychorriza characterised by absence of a fungal sheeth and intracellular fungal structures such as vesicles and arbuscules
Volatilisation
Process by which substances are lost from the soil by conversion to gases which escape to the atmosphere
Wallows
Shallow depressions, about 4-6m across where soil is bare and impacted, where bison habitually scratch and roll.
Water balance
The sum of water inputs and outputs of a subcatchment, which indicates whether storage within the subcatchment is expected to have changed.
Water deficit
When a vertical water balance is negative, water may be drawn from stores such as the soil; the reduction in stored water is referred to a deficit. Sometimes referred to as moisture deficit.
Wind throw
Uprooting or stem break of trees due to wind.
Xenobiotic
Chemicals in the natural env that are of human origin
Zoophagous
Organism that gains nourishment by consuming animals tissues. Ie beetles and wasps.
Zooplankton
Component of plankton that is not PS but grazes on the PPk. Ie tiny crustaceans like water fleas.
