CH 57 - Global Ecology

Flashcards related to the global ecology lecture

Biosphere

Includes all living communities on Earth

Coriolis Effect

The curvature of the paths of the winds due to Earth's rotation

Elevation

Temperature and other conditions change with this

Rain shadows

Falls as air rises, remains dry on the leeward side of the mountain

Biome

A major type of ecosystem on land, defined largely by temperature and moisture

Taiga

Northern coniferous forest of Canada and Siberia

Continental shelf ecosystems

Provide abundant resources, 99% of ocean food supply comes from neritic waters

Estuaries

Ecosystems where fresh water mixes with ocean water

Intertidal habitat

Area that is exposed to air at low tide but is under water at high tide

Salt Marshes

Area in the intertidal zone that is made of salt water

Mangrove swamps

Occur in tropical and subtropical intertidal zones

Pelagic Zone

Food originates in photic zone, nutrition depends on up-welling of deep water to the surface

Hydrothermal Vent Communities

Depend on sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, not sun's energy

Oligotrophic

Low in nutrients, associated with mountains

Eutrophic water

High in nutrients, associate with lower elevations

Point source pollution

Comes from an identifiable location

Diffuse pollution

Result of many many small decisions, run off from lawns, farms, golf clubs

Deforestation

Cutting of large tracts of virgin forests

Zoonotic Disease

Diseases that spread between animals and humans