Ecology & Forestry APES vocab

Biotic

Relating to, produced by, or consisting of living organisms within an ecosystem

Abiotic

Relating to non-living physical and chemical elements in the environment, such as sunlight, water, temperature, and soil.

Primary Succession

Ecosystem development starting on bare rock where no soil exists.

Volcanic eruptions, geological uplifting, glacial movement

Secondary Succession

Ecosystem regrowth after a disturbance where soil is already present.

Forest fires, deforestation, mining, urbanization, natural disaster

Evapotranspiration

The combined release of water vapor to the air via evaporation and plant transpiration.

Erosion

The movement and transport of soil and rock by wind, water, or ice.

Deposition

The dropping or settling of eroded sediment in a new location.

Trophic Level

An organism's feeding position in a food chain or web.

Primary Productivity

The rate at which autotrophs convert energy into organic matter.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total energy captured by producers via photosynthesis before respiration losses.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Energy remaining as plant biomass after respiration (NPP=GPP−R).

Carbon Sequestration

The capture and long-term storage of carbon to keep it out of the atmosphere.

Population Density

The number of individuals of a species living in a specific unit of area or volume.

Limiting Resource

An essential factor in shortest supply that caps a population's growth.

Resource Partitioning

Competing species dividing a shared resource to reduce direct competition.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit (+/+).

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected (+/0).

Primary productivity

Measures the rate of glucose formation from photosynthesis

Alternatives to clearcutting

selecting cutting

strip cutting

Types of weathering

Physical- mechanically breaks down into smaller pieces

Chemical-transform chemical and mineral serum tube via chemical reactions

Keystone species

Not very abundant with large effects on ecological community

Wolves

Foundation species

Species with a strong role in structuring community

Coral/kelp

Indicator species

Species can indicate changes in the environment - first to show signs of change

Lichens (air quality)

Invasive species

Introduced species that outcompetes

Usually generalists and live in many conditions eating a variety of food

Climax community

Populations of plants/animals that remain stable and exist in balance with each other and the environment, final stage of succession

Pioneer species

First ones to colonize a bare substrate in primary succession while first to colonize a destroyed habitat in secondary succession

Soil horizons

O = organic matter

A = active topsoil
B = buildup of materials - subsoil
C = crumbling of rock (parent material)

Desert

low precipitation

high daily temp

nocturnal animals

human impact: urban development, groundwater depletion, soil damage from vehicles

Sahara desert, Africa

Grassland

moderate rainfall

hot summers cold winters

grasses, rich organic soil

human impact: conversion to agriculture, overgrazing, habitat fragmentation

Great Plains

Tundra

extremely cold

minimum precipitation

low growth vegetation

permafrost

human impact: climate change, slow ecosystem recovery

Siberia, Russia

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

cold winter

short summer

coniferous trees

nutrient poor soil

human impact: clear cutting for timber and proper mining

Canadian Boreal forest

Deciduous forest (temperate seasonal)

4 seasons

moderate precipitation

trees drop leaves in autumn

fertile soil

human impact: urbanization, deforestation, agriculture, pollution

Eastern US

Chaparral (Woodland/Shrubland)

hot dry summers

mild rainy winters

rough resistant shrubs

frequent natural fires

human impact: wildfire suppression, housing development, climate- driven droughts

Mediterranean Basin

Rainforest

increase year round temp

rainfall

dense canopy

high diversity

nutrient poor soil

human impact: deforestation, soy farming, logging, habitat loss

Amazon rainforest, Brazil

Deep ocean

increased pressure

near freezing temp

darkness

chemosynthetic communities

human impact: Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean

Estuary

fresh/salt water

highly productive

tides

nursery for fish

human impacts: coastal development, eutrophication, overfishing

Chesapeake Bay, US

Coral Reef

warm

shallow skeletal framework

incredible biodiversity

human impacts: coral bleaching, acidification, bad fishing practices

Great Barrier Reef, Australia