Unit 7 - Biomes, Biodiversity & Succession (H)

Savanna

A tropical grassland biome with scattered individual trees, large herbivores, and three distinct seasons

Desert

a biome characterized by low moisture levels and infrequent and unpredictable precipitation.

Tundra

Biome characterized as a frozen desert where permafrost exists.

Biotic

Describes living factors in the environment.

Deciduous

Trees and shrubs that shed their leaves at the end of the growing season

Evergreen

a tree that does not lose its leaves in the winter, and stays green all year round

Climate

weather conditions over a long period of time

Biodiversity

The number of different species in an area

Climax community

a stable community that no longer goes through major ecological changes

Ecological succession

series of gradual changes that occur in a community following a disturbance

Limiting factor

factor that causes the growth of a population to decrease

Microhabitat

A very small specialized habitat, such as the space under a rock.

Niche

An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living.

Pioneer species

The first species to populate an area

Primary succession

succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists

Secondary succession

succession that occurs on surfaces where soil exists

Sustainability

The ability to keep in existence or maintain. A sustainable ecosystem is one that can be maintained

Abiotic factors

Non-living things

Biome

A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms

Biotic Factors

living or once living things

Ecosystem

A community of organisms and their abiotic environment

Population

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Tropical Rainforest

biome near the equator with warm climate wet weather and abundant plant growth

Grassland

A biome where grasses are the main plant life

Marine

aquatic biome in the salt water of the ocean

Freshwater

Aquatic biomes that include lakes, streams, rivers and ponds.

Temperate Deciduous Forest

A biome characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall. Vegetation changes with the seasons because of the temperature.

Taiga

biome with long cold winters and a few months of warm weather; dominated by coniferous evergreens; also called boreal forest

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

Keystone Species

a species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem