Ch. 3 Reading Quiz (Ecology)

aphotic zone

aphotic zone

The depths of lakes and ocean waters that receive too little light for photosynthesis. The actual depth of this zone varies among water bodies, depending on conditions in the water.

aquatic biological zone

An ecological zone in a water-based environment; similar to a biome but defined by the characteristics of physical features such as light, salinity, and temperature

benthic zone

An ocean or lake bottom

biome

A large geographic area affected by similar climatic and physical factors that lead to distinctive associations of plants and animals

biosphere

All the living organisms on Earth, including the environments in which they live

boreal forest

A terrestrial biome at a high latitude that is characterized by coniferous forests and long winters during which temperatures drop below freezing, leading to permafrost

climate

An expected pattern in the physical factors that make up the world

climate diagram

A type of graph that combines data on a region’s annual patterns of precipitation and environmental temperature

continental effect

An increase in the range of seasonal average temperatures with distance from the regulating climatic effects of any large body of water

coral reef

An aquatic biological zone found in warm, shallow, tropical waters that is dominated by coral animals, other invertebrates, and fishes.

Coriolis effect

The deflection of air and wind patterns in bands around the globe caused by the Earth’s daily rotation on its axis

desert

A terrestrial biome that receives very little precipitation year-round, has low primary productivity, and where evaporation exceeds precipitation.

estuary

An aquatic biological zone that sits at the juncture of a river (or rivers) and an ocean and that has a distinct salinity gradient from fresh to salt water.

Ferrel cell

A cyclic atmospheric pattern of airflow between 30 degrees and 60 degrees latitude

greenhouse effect

The retention of heat by the Earth’s atmosphere

Hadley cell

A cyclic atmospheric pattern of airflow caused by the solar heating of air at the equator and the cooling and descending of air at 30 degrees latitude

mangrove forest

An aquatic biological zone that is found at the terrestrial and marine interface in the tropics and subtropics and is dominated by mangrove trees.

Mediterranean scrubland

A terrestrial biome in which rainfall occurs in the cool winters, while the summers tend to be very warm and dry

oceanic zone

An aquatic biological zone that consists of open ocean

pelagic zone

The open water of an ocean or lake

photic zone

The portion of lakes and ocean waters where light is sufficient for photosynthesis

polar cell

A cyclic atmospheric pattern of airflow between 60 degrees and 90 degrees latitude; one cell is in the northern hemisphere and a second in the southern hemisphere

primary productivity

The synthesis of organic material through the process of photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, refers most commonly to production of biomass by plants through photosynthesis

rain shadow

A climatic pattern whereby mountain ranges affect air movement, causing air masses to lose or deposit moisture on the “front” side (windward side) of mountains and create very dry conditions on the “back” side (leeward side) of mountains

rocky-substrate zone

An aquatic biological zone that is found along the rocky shoreline of terrestrial systems with cool to cold water

sandy-bottom zone

An aquatic biological zone dominated by a sandy substrate that is extremely dynamic and is constantly moving due to tides and wave action

seagrass bed

An aquatic biological zone that spans the terrestrial and marine interface and is dominated by aquatic herbaceous plants called seagreasses

taiga

An alternative name for the boreal forest biome

temperate forest

A terrestrial biome that is dominated by deciduous trees and winter temperatures that drop below freezing

temperate grassland

A terrestrial biome that occurs between 30 degrees and 55 degrees north and south latitudes and where the predominant vegetation is grasses or small shrubs

transpiration

The release of water vapor by plants

tropical dry forest

A terrestrial biome that is warm to hot year-round and has substantial precipitation that is concentrated in a few months

tropical rainforest

A terrestrial biome found at or near the equator, where the temperature is uniformly warm year-round and large amounts of precipitation fall year-round

tropical savanna

A terrestrial biome near the equator that is characterized by large, open grasslands, seasonal rainfall, and frequent fires