Climate and Biogeography

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on climate and biogeography encompassing definitions related to ecology, environmental factors, biomes, and biogeographic principles.

Ecology

The study of how organisms interact with each other and the environment.

Isotherm

A line on a map indicating areas of similar temperature at a given time.

Greenhouse Effect

A natural phenomenon where infrared radiation from the sun is trapped close to the Earth's surface by atmospheric gases.

Rain Shadow

A region having little rainfall because it is sheltered from prevailing rain-bearing winds by a range of hills.

Adiabatic Cooling

The process where air expands and cools as it rises over mountains.

Biome

Large-scale communities defined by differences in temperature and precipitation.

Nutrient-poor

Soils or environments that lack essential nutrients needed for plant and animal growth.

Monophyletic

A group of organisms that consists of a single common ancestor and all its descendants.

Vicariance

The geographical separation of a population, typically by physical barriers.

Dispersal

The movement of organisms from one place to another, contributing to the distribution of species.