The World's Ecosystems Flashcards
biomes
ecosystems based on land
aquatic life zones
ecosystems in aqueous enviornmets
ecotones
regions where different biomes overlap
ecozones/ecoregions
smaller regions within ecosystems that share similar physical features
deciduous forest
a biome characterized by adequate precipitation
tropical forest
a biome characterized by abundant rain, poor quality soil, and tall trees with fewer lower limbs, vines, epiphytes and plants adapted to low light intensity
grasslands
a biome characterized by moderate precipitation, rich soil, and sod-forming grasses
coniferous forest/ taiga
a biome characterized by moderate precipitation, acidic soil, and coniferous trees
tundra
a biome characterized by very low precipitation, permafrost, and herbaceous plants
chaparral
scrub forest or shrubland; a biome characterized by moderate precipitation , shallow or infertile soil, small trees with large, hard evergreen leaves, and spiny shrubs
deserts
biomes characterized by extremely low precipitation, coarse sandy soil, and cactus and other low-water adapted plants
temperate rainforest
a biome characterized by abundant rain, moderately rich soil, and coniferous and broadleaf trees, epiphytes, mosses, ferns, and shrubs
savanna
a biome characterized by low rainfall, porous soil with only a thin layer of hummus, and grasses with widely spaced trees
epilimnion
the uppermost and thus the most oxygenated layer of freshwater
hypolimnion
the lowest, coldest, and densest lawyer of freshwater
thermocline
a layer in a large body of water , such as a lake, that sharply separates regions differing in temperature, so that the temperature gradient across the layer is abrupt
littoral zone
ocean zone beginning with the very shallow water at the shoreline and extending to the dept at which rooted plants stop growing
limnetic zone
the surface of open ocean water; the region that extends to the depth which sunlight can penetrate
profundal zone
the depths; ocean water that is to deep for sunlight to penetrate. Because the profundal zone is aphotic (a place where light cannot reach), photosynthesizing plants and animals cannot live in this region.
benthic zone
the surface and sub-surface layers of the river-, lake-, pond-, or streambed-, characterized by very low temperatures and low oxygen levels
estuary
the part of the wide lower course of a river where it’s current is met by the tides
wetlands
lowland areas, such as marshes or swamps, that are saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife
mangrove swamps
coastal wetlands (areas of land covered in fresh water, salt water, or a combination of both) found in tropical and subtropical regions
barrier islands
a long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland , built up by the actions of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges
coral reef
an erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates
coastal zone
ocean zone consisting of the ocean water closest to land, usually defined as between the shore and the edge of the continental shelf (the edge of the tectonic plate); characterized by abundant sunlight and oxygen
euphotic zone
the photic, upper layers of ocean water; the euphotic zone if the warmest region of ocean water and has the highest levels of dissolved oxygen
bathyal zone
the middle region of the ocean, characterized by less density of organisms because it does not receive enough light to support photosynthesis
abyssal zone
the deepest region of the ocean, marked by extremely cold temperatures and low levels of dissolved oxygen, but high levels of nutrients because of the decaying plant and animal matter that sinks down from the zones above
upwellings
a process in which cold, often nutrient-rich. waters from the ocean depths rise to the surface
red tide
A bloom of dinoflagellates that cause reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters; certain dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyamlax produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish
