Unit 7- Ecology Flashcards
Biotic factors
Any living part of an environment
Abiotic factors
Non living physical or chemical condition in an environment
Ecology
Scientific study of the interactions among organisms and their environments
What are the 5 levels of relationships among biotic and abiotic factors?
- individual organisms
- populations
- communities
- ecosystem
- biosphere
population
group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area at the same time
community
all the organisms living in an area
ecosystem
community of living things plus the nonliving features of the environment that support them
biosphere
all the parts of the planet that are inhabited by living things; sum of all Earth’s ecosystems
habitat
an organism’s specific environment, with characteristic abiotic and biotic factors
Uneven Heating of Earth’s Surface
regions on Earth’s surface farther from the equator absorb less heat and generally experience cooler temperatures than regions closer to the equator
microclimate
climate in a specific area that varies from the surrounding climate region
biome
major type of terrestrial ecosystem that covers a large region of Earth
examples of biomes
Tropical Forest, Savanna, Desert, Chaparral, temperate grassland, temperate deciduous forest, coniferous forest, & tundra
rain forest
type of forest near the equator that receives as much as 250 cm of rainfall yearly
savanna
grassland with scattered trees; found in tropical regions of Africa, Australia, and South America
desert
land area that receives less than 30 centimeters of rain per year
chaparral
temperate coastal biome dominated by dense evergreen shrubs
temperate deciduous forest
forest in a temperate region, characterized by trees that drop their leaves annually
temperate grassland
biome characterized by deep, nutrient-rich soil that supports many grass species
coniferous forest
forest populated by cone-bearing evergreen trees; mostly found in northern latitudes
tundra
biome in the Arctic Circle or on high mountaintops, characterized by bitterly cold temperatures and high winds
permafrost
permanently frozen subsoil
photic zones
regions of a body of water where light penetrates, enabling photosynthesis
aphotic zone
deep areas of a body of water where light levels are too low to support photosynthesis
types of aquatic ecosystems
ponds/ lakes, streams/ rivers, estuaries, coral reefs, deep sea vents
ponds and lakes
- very little dissolved salt
- standing (not flowing) bodies of water
benthic zone
bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms
streams and rivers
- body of flowing fresh water
- support different communities of organisms from those found in ponds and lakes
- empties into a lake or the ocean
- Few phytoplankton inhabit
estuaries
- Streams and rivers merge with ocean water
- organisms experience changes in salt concentration and temperature
- Earth’s most productive ecosystems
pelagic zone
open water above the ocean floor
intertidal zone
area of shore between the high tide and low tide lines
neritic zone
area of ocean that extends from the low tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf
oceanic zone
vast open ocean from the edge of the continental shelf outward
Coral Reefs
- a visually spectacular and biologically diverse ecosystem
- formed by colonies of coral polyps, animals in the phylum Cnidaria
- coral polyps obtain food mainly from photosynthetic algae that live within their tissue
Deep-sea Vents
- No sunlight reaches this deep, dark zone.
- extract energy from sulfur compounds spewing from the vents
- make carbohydrates
