APES Unit 1 Vocab

Biosphere

All ecosystems on earth and their interactions with each other.

Biome

Large area with similar climate (temp + precipitation) that determines the species living there.

Ecosystem

All living and non-living things in an area (rocks, organisms, water, soil, air, etc)

Community

All living organisms in an area that also interact

Population

Groups of individuals of the same species

Individual

A single organism

Symbiosis

a close, long-term interaction between two different species, where at least one species benefits from the relationship

Mutalism

A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed

Herbivores

Consume producers (plants)

True Predators

Kill and eat other animals for prey

Parasite

Uses host organism for energy, typically without killing it

Parasitoid

An organism, usually an insect, that develops by feeding on a single host, ultimately killing it during its development

Resource Partitioning

Different species using the same resource in different ways to reduce competition

Competition

the struggle between organisms for limited resources, such as food, water, light, space, or mates

Temporal Partitioning

Different species using the same resource at different times

Spatial Partitioning

Species using different areas of the same habitat

Morphological Patitioning

Species using different resources based on differing evolved body features.

Biome

An area that shares a combination of average yearly temp + precipitation (climate)

Tundra

A biome with low yearly precipitation and temperature, permafrost that limits root growth and decomposition, is located at high altitudes and/or elevations

• Muskoxen

• Arctic foxes

• Moss

• Lichen

Taiga/Boreal Forest

A biome with cold winters and short growing season, low precipitation and decomposition, high latitudes

• Coniferous trees

• Deciduous Trees

• Beavers, brown bears, wolverines

Temperate Rainforest

A biome with medium temp with high precipitation, moderate seasons, and a nearly year long growing season

• In North America:

• Redwoods, firs, spruces, cedar, hemlock

• Ferns and mosses

• Black tailed deer

• Salamanders

Temperate Seasonal Forest

A biome with warm summers and cold winters, medium precipitation, rapid decomposition in the summer, and nutrient rich soils

• Beech, maple, oak, and hickory trees

• White tailed deer, red foxes, and gray squirrels

Shrubland/woodland/chaparral

A biome with hot summers and mild rainy winters and low nutrients

• West Coast of the US

• Grapes + deep rooted plants

• Lizards and bobcats

• Woody evergreen shrubs

Temperate Grassland/Cold Desert

A biome with cold and harsh winters, hot and dry summers, minimal precipitation, lots of wildfires, and very fertile soil

• Great Plains of the US

• Grasses

• Non-woody Flowering Plants

• Bison, prairie chickens, prairie king snakes

Tropical Rainforest

A very warm and wet biome, typically located at the Equator, rapid decomposition (nutrients quickly taken up by the many plants), most biodiverse terrestrial biome

• Large trees

• Woody vines

• Jaguars, orangutans, red eyed tree frogs

Savannah/Tropical Seasonal Forest

A biome with warm temperatures, distinct wet and dry seasons, wildfires, lots of decomposition but little rainfall

• Subsaharan Africa

• Shrubs

• Gazelles, zebras, lions

• Deciduous trees

• Cheetahs

Hot Desert

A hot and very dry biome with sparse vegetation

• 30 degrees N and S

• Plants with spines and water preserving adaptations

• Cacti and succulents

• Tortoises, camels, and roadrunners

Salinity

The amount of salt in the water; determines what species can survive in it and if the water is drinkable

Littoral Zone

The shallow area of a freshwater lake or river

• Emergent plants

Limnetic Zone

The area of a lake or river in which light can reach, allowing photosynthesis

Photic Zone

The zone that light can reach in the ocean

Profundal Zone

The zone in a lake or river that is too deep for sunlight to reach

Benthic Zone

The murky bottom of a body of water that consists of nutrient rich sediment and invertebrates

Aphotic Zone

The deep-sea layer lacking light for photosynthesis; home to bioluminescent organisms

Wetland

Area with soil submerged/saturated in water for a large part of the the year; shallow enough for emergent plants, stores excess water, filters runoff, and has nutrient rich sediment

Estuary

Where fresh water meets salt water; high productivity (due to deposited sediments) with many fish and shellfish

Salt Marsh

A type of estuary found in coastal temperate climates

Intertidal Zones

The narrow band of coastline between high and low tide that is exposed to crashing waves and lots of sunlight

Coral Reef

An aquatic biome found in shallow coastal waters; most diverse aquatic biome

Open Ocean

The deep zone of the ocean with low productivity that is divided into the photic and aphotic zones and produces lots of oxygen while absorbing lots of carbon dioxide