Ecology and the Biosphere

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes.

Four major abiotic components of climate

Temperature, water, sunlight, and wind

Macroclimate

Patterns on a global, regional, and landscape level.

Microclimate

Very fine patterns, such as those encountered by the community of organisms underneath a fallen log.

Bodies of Water

Oceans, their currents, and large lakes moderate the climate of nearby terrestrial environments

Rain shadow

Rising air releases moisture on the windward side of a peak and creates this as it absorbs moisture on the leeward side.

Abiotic factors

Nonliving attributes such as temperature, light, water, and nutrients.

Biotic factors

Other organisms that are part of an individual’s environment.

Biomes

Major life zones characterized by vegetation type (terrestrial biomes) or physical environment (aquatic biomes).

Climate diagram

Plots the annual mean temperature and precipitation in a region.

Ecotone

The area of intergradation between terrestrial biomes

Disturbance

An event such as a storm, fire, or human activity that changes a community.

Desert

Occurs in bands near 30° north and south of the equator, and in the interior of continents.

Savanna

Includes equatorial and subequatorial regions with seasonal precipitation.

Chaparral

Occurs in midlatitude coastal regions on several continents with highly seasonal precipitation.

Temperate Grassland

Are found on many continents and have highly seasonal precipitation, with cold, dry winters and hot, wet summers.

Northern Coniferous Forest (Taiga)

Spans northern North America and Eurasia and is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth.

Temperate Broadleaf Forest

Primarily at midlatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, with smaller areas elsewhere, and experience significant precipitation during all seasons.

Tundra

Covers expansive areas of the Arctic and exists on high mountaintops at all latitudes, with low precipitation.

Benthos

The communities of organisms in the benthic zone.

Oligotrophic lakes

Nutrient-poor and generally oxygen-rich lakes.

Eutrophic lakes

Nutrient-rich and often depleted of oxygen in deep zones or throughout if ice covered in winter lakes

Littoral zone

Shallow and well-lighted zone close to shore in lakes.

Limnetic zone

Open-water zone further from shore in lakes.

Wetland

A habitat that is inundated by water at least some of the time and that supports plants adapted to water-saturated soil.

Estuary

A transition area between river and sea.

Intertidal zone

Periodically submerged and exposed by the tides.

Oceanic Pelagic Zone

Constantly mixed by wind-driven oceanic currents and cover approximately 70% of Earth’s surface.

Coral Reefs

Are formed from the calcium carbonate skeletons of corals (cnidarians)

Marine Benthic Zone

Consists of the seafloor below the surface waters of the coastal, or neritic, zone and the offshore pelagic zone.

Dispersal

The movement of individuals or gametes away from centers of high population density or from their area of origin.

Species transplants

Include organisms that are intentionally or accidentally relocated from their original distribution.