The Biosphere Flashcards
define ecology
the study of the interactions of organisms and the environment
an organisms habitat includes the
biotic and abiotic factors present in its surroundings
define landscapes
arrays of ecosystems usually visible from the air as distinctive patches
the biosphere is…
ALL of Earth that is inhabited by life
understanding how communities of organisms interact with the environment provides context for…
anthropogenic change
ecology provides context to…
environmental problems
to be successful, organisms must…
adapt to the abiotic factors
major abiotic factors include…
- energy source
- temperature
- presence of water
- inorganic nutrients
- aquatic
- terrestrial
energy sources include
- sun
- hydrothermal vents
- extremophiles
climate often determines the
distribution of communities
climatic variations are due to..
the uneven heating of Earth’s surface as it orbits the sun
Earth’s orbit around the sun sets up patterns of
precipitation and prevailing winds
what influences coastal climate?
ocean currents
landforms such as ______ affect rainfall.
mountains
define tropics
regions near the equator that consistently get the most sun
temperate regions range from the tropics to the
artic circle
the tropics are…
warm and wet
hot air holds water better then
cold air
cool air drops and causes
desertification
desertification can be identified by
> 25 cm of annual rainfall
rotation of Earth influences..
Trade wind directions
trade wind directions impacts the
- ocean currents
- local climate
temperature decreases as you go
up in altitude or latitude
what impacts the extent of temp/ precipitation?
land
define a biome
major types of ecological associations that occupy broad geographic regions
what influences the composition of an aquatic biome?
mineral content in water
what are 2 key factors that influence the distribution of marine organisms?
- sunlight
2. substrate
marine biomes consist of what 4 different regions?
- pelagic realm
- benthic realm
- aphotic zone
- photic zone
the pelagic realm includes alll
open water
the benthic realm consists of the
seafloor
aphotic zone is where there is
insufficient light for photosynthesis
photic zone is where
light penetrations is sufficient for photosynthesis and phytoplankton can occur
what is abundant in the pelagic photic zone?
zooplankton
there is no primary production in areas where the ocean temperature is…
warmer
in cooler temperatures there are
high amounts of primary production
cooler temp water support
global fisheries due to photic and aphotic areas
define intertidal zones
areas where the ocean meets the land;
- shore is pounded by waves during high tide
- shore is exposed to the sun and drying winds during low tides
define estuaries
productive areas where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean
define wetlands
transition between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
