Unit 1 APES - vocab

Terrestrial Biome

A geographic region characterized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, precipitation, and distinctive plant forms on land.

Aquatic Biome

An aquatic ecosystem classified by physical characteristics such as salinity, depth, and water flow.

Tundra

A cold, treeless terrestrial biome with low precipitation and short growing seasons.

Permafrost

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil found in the tundra.

Boreal forest

A biome dominated by coniferous trees, characterized by cold winters and short, cool summers (also known as Taiga).

Temperate Forest

A biome characterized by moderate climates, distinct seasons, and high rainfall; can be deciduous or rainforest.

Temperate seasonal forest

A biome with warm summers, cold winters, and moderate precipitation, dominated by broadleaf deciduous trees.

Woodland/shrubland

A biome with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, characterized by drought

Temperate grassland/cold desert

A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters and hot, dry summers with grasses as the dominant vegetation.

Tropical Rainforest

A warm, wet biome located near the equator with high primary productivity and high biodiversity.

Tropical Seasonal forest/savanna

A warm biome characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons and vegetation ranging from open grasslands to dense woodlands.

Subtropical desert

A biome characterized by extremely high temperatures, sparse vegetation, and very low precipitation.

Insolation

The amount of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time.

Climatograph

A graph displaying monthly average precipitation and temperature patterns for a specific location over the course of a year.

Convection

The transfer of heat by the physical movement of a fluid (liquid or air), driving atmospheric circulation cells.

Rain Shadow effect

Dry conditions on the leeward side of a mountain range caused by humid air dropping moisture on the windward side as it rises.

Latitude

The distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees, which influences climate and insolation.

Albedo

The percentage of incoming solar energy reflected by a surface.

Seasons

Periodic changes in weather patterns caused by the tilt of Earth's axis as it orbits the sun.

Community ecology

The study of interactions between populations of different species in a shared habitat.

Symbiotic relationship

A close, long

Competition

An interaction where organisms compete for the same limited resource (e.g., food, water, territory).

Competitive exclusion principle

The concept stating that two species competing for the exact same limited resource cannot coexist at constant population values.

Resource partitioning

A strategy where competing species divide a shared resource by utilizing it at different times, locations, or ways.

Predation

An interaction in which one animal (predator) captures, kills, and consumes another (prey).

Parasitism

An interaction where one organism lives on or inside another host organism, deriving nutrients at the host's expense without immediately killing it.

Pathogen

A parasite or microorganism (e.g., virus, bacterium, fungus) capable of causing disease in its host.

Herbivory

An interaction in which an animal consumes producers such as plants or algae.

Mutualism

An interaction between two species in which both organisms benefit.

Commensalism

An interaction between species where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Keystone species

A species that plays a disproportionately critical role in maintaining the structure, balance, and diversity of its community relative to its abundance.

Biosphere

The region of Earth where life exists, spanning from the lower atmosphere to the deep ocean floor.

Producer (autotroph)

An organism that uses solar energy or chemical energy to synthesize organic compounds from inorganic substances.

Photosynthesis

The process by which autotrophs convert solar energy, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen.

Cellular Respiration

The metabolic process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into usable energy (ATP), releasing carbon dioxide and water.

Aerobic respiration

The conversion of glucose into energy in the presence of oxygen.

Anaerobic respiration

The breakdown of glucose into energy without oxygen, producing methane, alcohol, or lactic acid as byproducts.

Consumer (heterotroph)

An organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms.

Carnivore

A consumer that eats primarily or exclusively other animals.

Secondary consumer

A carnivore or omnivore that feeds on primary consumers (herbivores).

Tertiary consumer

A top level carnivore that feeds on secondary consumers.

Trophic levels

The sequential steps in a food chain or web that represent the flow of energy through organisms.

Food Chain

A linear sequence demonstrating the transfer of energy as one organism consumes another.

Food Web

A complex, interconnected network of food chains within an ecosystem.