Bio 10 CH 18 Keyterms

An Intro to ecology and the biosphere

abiotic factors

the environment’s nonliving component and include chemical and physical factors (i.e. temperature, light, water, minerals, and air) *affects distribution*

acclimation

aphotic zone

receives little light - to no light

benthic realm

fresh water biomes, sea floor

biome

a major terrestrial or aquatic life zone characterized by vegetation type and physical environment

biosphere

the global ecosystem— the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems, or all of life and where it lives

biotic factors

all the organisms in the area and the living components of the environment *affects distribution*

carbon footprint

the amount of greenhouse gas emitted as a result of the actions of a single individual

chaparral

terrestrial biome that occurs where cool ocean currents circulating offshore, produce mild rainy winters and hot and dry summers

community

consists of all the organisms that inhibit a particular area

community ecology

investigates the interactions of 2 or more species living together in the same place

coniferous forests

terrestrial biome that is dominated by cone bearing evergreen trees such as pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock

coral reef

biome occurs in the photic zone of warm tropical waters

deserts

the driest of all terrestrial biomes, characterized by low and unpredictable rainfall

ecology

the scientific study of abundance and distribution of organisms in relation to other organisms and environmental conditions

ecosystem

all the abiotic factors in addition to the community of species in a certain area

ecosystem ecology

describes the storage and transfer of energy and matter from one ecosystem to another

estuary

a transition area between river and ocean

greenhouse effect

when greenhouse gasses act as a blanket thtt traps heat in the atmosphere

greenhouse gases

the natural, including CO2, water vapor, and methane

habitat

the specific environment an organism lives in, including the biotic and abiotic factors of its surroundings

intertidal zone

where ocean meets land

organism

an individual living thing

organismal ecology

study of how adaptations or characteristics of an individual’s morphology, physiology, life history, behavior enable it to survive in an environment

pelagic realm

includes all open water of the ocean

permafrost

permanently frozen subsoil

photic zone

sufficient light for photo synthesizers

phytoplankton

the collective name for microscopic algae and cyanobacteria that drift near the surfaces of aquatic biomes

polar ice

the frozen freshwater ice caps and ice sheets, as well as the frozen sea ice (sea ice) found in the Arctic and Antarctic regions

population

a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular geographic area

population ecology

study of variation in the number, density, and composition of individuals of one species over time and space

savannas

terrestrial biome that is dominated by grasses and scattered trees

sustainability

the goal of developing, managing, and conserving earth’s resources in ways that meet the needs of people today with compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

taiga

the largest terrestrial biome on earth, stretching in a broad band across north america and Asia south of the arctic circle

temperature broadleaf forests

terrestrial biome that occurs throughout midlatitudes where there is sufficient moisture to support the growth of large trees

temperate grasslands

terrestrial biome that shares some characteristics of savannas but it mostly treeless and found in regions of relatively cold winter temperature

temperate rain forests

terrestrial biome that occurs with the support of warm, moist air from the pacific ocean and are akin to coniferous forests

temperate zones

latitudes between the tropics and the arctic circle and the Antarctic circle

tropical forests

terrestrial biome that occurs in equatorial areas where the temperature is warm year-round

tropics

located on the equator, receives the greatest intensity of solar radiation

tundra

terrestrial biome that covers expansive areas of the arctic between the taiga and polar ice

wetland

a transitional biome between an aquatic ecosystem and a terrestrial one

zooplankton

free floating animals including microscopic ones