Principles of Ecology

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to ecology, climate, and environmental science.

Climate

Long-term description of weather based on averages and variation measured over decades.

Weather

Current conditions including temperature, precipitation, humidity, and cloud cover.

Anadromous

A term referring to fish like salmon that live in the ocean but return to freshwater streams to spawn.

Evapotranspiration

Water loss through transpiration by plants, plus evaporation from the soil.

Salinity

The concentration of dissolved salts in water, which affects the chemical environment.

Albedo

The capacity of a land surface to reflect solar radiation, influenced by vegetation type, soils, and topography.

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of air and water currents caused by the Earth's rotation.

Hadley Cell

A large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern that creates zones of low and high pressure, influencing tropical weather.

Rain Shadow Effect

A condition where one side of a mountain range receives high precipitation while the leeward side remains dry due to descending air.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide that trap heat in the atmosphere, affecting climate.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment.

Hypoxia

Low oxygen conditions in water, which can lead to toxic chemical formation.

El Niño

A climate variation characterized by warmer ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, affecting global climate patterns.

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)

A pattern of climate variability in the North Pacific that affects temperature and salmon populations over decades.

Ocean Currents

Masses of seawater moving in a defined direction, driven by wind and Earth's rotation.

Stratification

The layering of water in aquatic environments, affecting temperature, nutrients, and oxygen availability.