Topic 3 - Envi Sci

Biomes

General types of communities with similar climate conditions, growth patterns, and vegetation types.

Terrestrial Biomes

Communities on land characterized by temperature, precipitation, and latitude.

Climate Graphs

Graphs used to describe and compare precipitation and temperature in different biomes.

Vertical Zonation

Change in vegetation types with elevation as conditions shift from warm and dry to cold and wet.

Tropical Moist Forests

Forests with abundant rainfall and warm temperatures year-round; high biodiversity and nutrient-poor soils.

Cloud Forests

Moist tropical forests found high in mountains where fog and mist keep vegetation wet all the time.

Tropical Rainforest

Biome with rainfall over 200 cm per year, high temperatures, and extremely diverse plant and animal life.

Tropical Seasonal Forests

Drought-tolerant forests that become brown in dry seasons and green during rainy months.

Drought-Deciduous Trees

Trees that lose leaves during dry seasons to conserve water.

Savannas

Tropical grasslands with scattered trees; have wet and dry seasons and frequent fires.

Grasslands

Also called prairies or steppes; receive 25â€"75 cm of rain per year; dominated by grasses.

Desert

Areas with less than 30 cm of rain per year, sparse vegetation, and organisms adapted to drought and temperature extremes.

Temperate Grasslands

Mid-latitude biomes with enough rain for grasses but not forests; have rich, organic soils.

Forbs

Flowering herbaceous plants commonly found in grasslands.

Temperate Shrublands

Dense, evergreen shrubs with small, hard leaves; often experience periodic fires; called chaparral in California.

Chaparral

A temperate shrubland found in California and Mediterranean regions characterized by drought-tolerant plants.

Temperate Deciduous Forests

Broadleaf forests that lose their leaves in winter; found in moderate climates with plentiful rainfall.

Coniferous Forests

Forests dominated by cone-bearing trees; occur where moisture is limited or soil drains quickly.

Temperate Rainforest

Cool, wet coniferous forest often covered in fog; found on Pacific coasts.

Boreal Forest

Northern forests dominated by conifers like spruce and fir; also called Taiga; short growing season.

Taiga

The extreme northern edge of the boreal forest where forest gives way to tundra.

Tundra

Treeless, cold biome with a short growing season; soil often frozen (permafrost).

Arctic Tundra

Cold, flat biome with short summers and long winters; supports low plants and insects in summer.

Alpine Tundra

Occurs on mountaintops; similar to arctic tundra but with intense sunlight and short growing season.

Marine Ecosystem

Aquatic systems varying by depth, temperature, and salinity; includes oceans, reefs, and coastal zones.

Photic Zone

Sunlit layer of water where photosynthesis occurs (about 20 m deep).

Benthic Zone

Ocean bottom communities inhabited by organisms like worms and crustaceans.

Pelagic Zone

Open ocean water column supporting phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Epipelagic Zone

Surface ocean zone where sunlight supports photosynthesis.

Mesopelagic Zone

Middle ocean layer with limited light; below the photic zone.

Bathypelagic Zone

Deep ocean layer with no sunlight and cold temperatures.

Abyssal Zone

Ocean zone reaching depths of about 4,000 meters.

Hadal Zone

Deepest ocean regions, deeper than 6,000 meters.

Littoral Zone

Nearshore area of oceans or lakes where sunlight reaches the bottom.

Intertidal Zone

Coastal area alternately exposed and submerged by tides.

Coral Reefs

Marine ecosystems formed by corals; among the most productive and diverse on Earth.

Mangroves

Salt-tolerant trees growing along tropical coastlines; stabilize shorelines and provide nurseries for fish.

Estuaries

Areas where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with saltwater from the sea.

Salt Marshes

Coastal wetlands regularly flooded by seawater; important habitats for fish and birds.

Tide Pools

Depressions in rocky shorelines that retain seawater during low tide.

Barrier Islands

Narrow, sandy islands running parallel to coastlines, formed by wave and sediment action.

Freshwater Ecosystems

Include lakes, rivers, and wetlands; vary by depth, temperature, and light.

Epilimnion

Warm upper layer of a lake mixed by wind and heated by the sun.

Hypolimnion

Cold, deeper layer of a lake that is not mixed by wind.

Thermocline

Boundary layer separating warm and cold water in lakes.

Mesolimnion

Layer below the thermocline where water is much colder.

Benthos

Bottom region of aquatic ecosystems inhabited by organisms like snails and worms.

Wetlands

Shallow ecosystems with land saturated or submerged part of the year.

Swamps

Wooded wetlands dominated by trees.

Marshes

Wetlands dominated by grasses and reeds, not trees.

Bogs

Wetlands with deep layers of peat and acidic water; low in nutrients.

Fens

Wetlands similar to bogs but fed by groundwater and rich in minerals.

Human Disturbance

Human activities that damage ecosystems through habitat loss, pollution, and resource use.

Domesticated Lands

Areas heavily modified by humans for agriculture, settlement, or industry.

Main Cause of Biodiversity Loss

Conversion of natural habitats to human use.