Unit B Flashcards
Definition of Ecology?
the study of interactions between organisms and their living and non-living environment
Definition of Abiotic Factor?
a non-living factor that influences an organism
Definition of Biotic Factor?
a living factor that influences an organism
Definition of Ecotone?
a transition area between ecosystems
Definition of Ecological Niche?
an organism’s role in an ecosystem, consisting of its place in the food web, its habitat, its breeding area, and the time of day at which it is most active
Definition of Biome?
a large geographical region with a specific range of temperatures and precipitation, and the organisms that are adapted to those conditions of temperature and precipitation
Definition of Permafrost?
permanently frozen soil
Definition of Muskeg?
soil above the permafrost that is swampy or boggy in summer
Definiton of Understorey?
below the canopy layer; usually shrubs and smaller trees
Definition of Littoral Zone?
the area from the shore of a lake or pond to the point where no more plants grow in the lake bottom
Definition of Limnetic Zone?
the area of a lake or pond in which there is open water and sufficient light for photosynthesis to occur
Definition of Plankton?
autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms found in the limnetic zone of a lake or pond
Definition of Profundal Zone?
the region of a lake beneath the limnetic zone, in which there is insufficient light for photosynthesis to occur
Definition of Groundwater?
water in the soil or rock below Earth’s surface
Definition of Epilimnion?
the upper level of a lake, which warms up in summer
Definition of Hypolimnion?
the upper level of a lake, which warms up in summer
Definition of Thermocline?
the zone between the epilimnion and hypolimnion, in which temperature changes rapidly
Definition of Biotic Potential?
the maximum number of offspring that a species could produce with unlimited resources
Definition of Carrying Capacity?
the maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported by an ecosystem
Definition of Law of the Minimum?
states that the nutrient in the least supply is the one that limits growth
Definition of Law of Tolerance?
states that an organism can survive within a particular range of an abiotic factor
Definition of Density-Independent Factor?
a factor in an ecosystem that affects members of a population regardless of population density
Definition of Density-Dependent Factor?
a factor in an ecosystem that affects members of a population because of the population density
Definition of Slash-and-Burn?
the complete clearing of a forest by felling and burning the trees
Definition of Clear-Cutting?
the removal of all trees in an area
Definition of Selective Cutting?
the harvesting of only certain trees from an area
Definition of Prescribed Burn?
burn a controlled fire set intentionally in a designated area