Ecology, Biomes, and Soil Profile Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering biomes, soil horizons, microclimates, and climate patterns from ecology lecture materials.

Biome

A large ecological region characterized by its own climate, defined primarily by its specific temperature and precipitation patterns.

Terrestrial Biome Determinants

The primary environmental factors—temperature and precipitation—that dictate the type of dominant vegetation found in a land region.

Seven Key Terrestrial Biomes

The main land biomes highlighted in the lecture: Tundra, Boreal forest, Temperate forest, Grassland, Savannah, Desert, and Tropical rainforest.

Tropical Rainforest

A biome characterized by high temperatures and high precipitation, supporting high primary productivity, high species diversity, evergreen broadleaf trees, multiple canopy layers, and rapid nutrient cycling.

Epiphyte

A plant or organism that grows above or upon other trees or plants ('epi' meaning above, 'phyte' meaning plant).

Lianas

Climbing woody vines found in tropical rainforests that grow upward to reach sunlight.

Tropical Dry Forest

A biome where trees lose their leaves during dry seasons to conserve water, featuring a more open canopy structure than tropical rainforests.

Tropical Savannah

A grassland biome scattered with trees, where landscape structure is maintained by fire and grazing, and grasses regrow from basal tissues.

Desert

A biome with high temperatures and low precipitation, where plants conserve water through features such as leaves reduced to needles and water-storing photosynthetic stems.

Camel Desert Adaptations

Adaptations including facing directly into the sun so only a small portion of the body absorbs heat, and long eyelashes to protect eyes from blowing sand.

Woodland and Shrubland

A biome common in Mediterranean climates characterized by mild, wet winters, hot, dry summers, and plants with small, tough, evergreen leaves.

Herb, Shrub, and Tree Classification

Categorization of vegetation where herbs are small tender plants, shrubs are low bushes/evergreens, and trees are large woody structures.

Boreal Forest

A biome characterized by long, cold winters and vegetation dominated by coniferous trees like pines, spruces, and firs.

Tundra

A cold biome where trees are completely absent and low-growing vegetation such as shrubs, grasses, mosses, and lichens predominate.

Mountain Biome Elevation Effect

The ecological gradient in mountain regions where atmospheric temperature drops as elevation/altitude increases, creating distinct vegetative zones.

Windward Side

The side of a mountain facing incoming winds where rising air sheds moisture, resulting in heavy rainfall and dense forest vegetation.

Leeward Side

The rain shadow side of a mountain opposite the wind, where descending air has lost its moisture, creating dry or desert-like localized conditions.

Microclimate

Small, localized climatic conditions within a specific area that differ from the surrounding macroclimate, such as a localized dry area caused by a mountain barrier.

Soil Profile

A vertical cross-section through the soil showing its distinct distinct horizontal layers or horizons from the surface down to unweathered parent material.

O Horizon

The topmost surface layer of a soil profile composed primarily of organic matter at various stages of partial decomposition.

A Horizon

The surface mineral soil horizon containing sand, silt, and clay mixed with organic matter, forming the main topsoil in grasslands and agricultural lands.

E Horizon

A light-colored subsurface soil layer heavily subjected to leaching due to high precipitation, located beneath the O or A horizon.

Leaching

The process where soluble minerals and nutrients are dissolved and washed down from upper soil layers to deeper layers by excessive rainfall or overwatering.

B Horizon

The subsurface soil horizon beneath A or E horizons where leached minerals and materials from upper layers accumulate and settle.

C Horizon

The base subsurface layer of soil (saprophylle) consisting of compact, least weathered, unconsolidated parent material.

Albedo

The measure of reflectivity of solar radiation from the surface of the Earth.

Hadley Cell

An atmospheric circulation cell located between 0^\bracer and 30^\bracer latitude created by intense solar heating near the equator.

Biome

A large ecological region characterized by its own climate, defined primarily by its specific temperature and precipitation patterns.

Terrestrial Biome Determinants

The primary environmental factors—temperature and precipitation—that dictate the type of dominant vegetation found in a land region.

Seven Key Terrestrial Biomes

The main land biomes highlighted in the lecture: Tundra, Boreal forest, Temperate forest, Grassland, Savannah, Desert, and Tropical rainforest.

Tropical Rainforest

A biome characterized by high temperatures and high precipitation, supporting high primary productivity, high species diversity, evergreen broadleaf trees, multiple canopy layers, and rapid nutrient cycling.

Epiphyte

A plant or organism that grows above or upon other trees or plants ('epi' meaning above, 'phyte' meaning plant).

Lianas

Climbing woody vines found in tropical rainforests that grow upward to reach sunlight.

Tropical Dry Forest

A biome where trees lose their leaves during dry seasons to conserve water, featuring a more open canopy structure than tropical rainforests.

Tropical Savannah

A grassland biome scattered with trees, where landscape structure is maintained by fire and grazing, and grasses regrow from basal tissues.

Desert

A biome with high temperatures and low precipitation, where plants conserve water through features such as leaves reduced to needles and water-storing photosynthetic stems.

Camel Desert Adaptations

Adaptations including facing directly into the sun so only a small portion of the body absorbs heat, and long eyelashes to protect eyes from blowing sand.

Woodland and Shrubland

A biome common in Mediterranean climates characterized by mild, wet winters, hot, dry summers, and plants with small, tough, evergreen leaves.

Herb, Shrub, and Tree Classification

Categorization of vegetation where herbs are small tender plants, shrubs are low bushes/evergreens, and trees are large woody structures.

Boreal Forest

A biome characterized by long, cold winters and vegetation dominated by coniferous trees like pines, spruces, and firs.

Tundra

A cold biome where trees are completely absent and low-growing vegetation such as shrubs, grasses, mosses, and lichens predominate.

Mountain Biome Elevation Effect

The ecological gradient in mountain regions where atmospheric temperature drops as elevation/altitude increases, creating distinct vegetative zones.

Windward Side

The side of a mountain facing incoming winds where rising air sheds moisture, resulting in heavy rainfall and dense forest vegetation.

Leeward Side

The rain shadow side of a mountain opposite the wind, where descending air has lost its moisture, creating dry or desert-like localized conditions.

Microclimate

Small, localized climatic conditions within a specific area that differ from the surrounding macroclimate, such as a localized dry area caused by a mountain barrier.

Soil Profile

A vertical cross-section through the soil showing its distinct horizontal layers or horizons from the surface down to unweathered parent material.

O Horizon

The topmost surface layer of a soil profile composed primarily of organic matter at various stages of partial decomposition.

A Horizon

The surface mineral soil horizon containing sand, silt, and clay mixed with organic matter, forming the main topsoil in grasslands and agricultural lands.

E Horizon

A light-colored subsurface soil layer heavily subjected to leaching due to high precipitation, located beneath the O or A horizon.

Leaching

The process where soluble minerals and nutrients are dissolved and washed down from upper soil layers to deeper layers by excessive rainfall or overwatering.

B Horizon

The subsurface soil horizon beneath A or E horizons where leached minerals and materials from upper layers accumulate and settle.

C Horizon

The base subsurface layer of soil (saprophylle) consisting of compact, least weathered, unconsolidated parent material.

Albedo

The measure of reflectivity of solar radiation from the surface of the Earth.

Hadley Cell

An atmospheric circulation cell located between $0^\circ$ and $30^\circ$ latitude created by intense solar heating near the equator.

Ferrel Cell

An atmospheric circulation cell located between $30^\circ$ and $60^\circ$ latitude driven by air movements between the Hadley and Polar cells.

Coriolis Effect

The apparent deflection of global atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns caused by the rotation of the Earth.