Ecosystems Ecology / Biomes (Module 10 & 11)

abyssal zone

the deepest part of the ocean at depths of 4000 m or greater

acid rain

a corrosive rain caused by rainwater mixing with sulfur dioxide gas as it fall through the atmosphere, turning it into weak sulfuric acid, causing damage to aquatic ecosystems

apex consumer/predator

an organism at the top of the food chain

aphotic zone

the part of the ocean where photosynthesis cannot occur

arctic tundra

a biome characterized by low average temperatures, brief growing seasons, the presence of permafrost, and limited precipitation largely in the form of snow in which the dominant vegetation are low shrubs, lichens, mosses, and small herbaceous plants

benthic realm

(also, benthic zone) the part of the ocean that extends along the ocean bottom from the shoreline to the deepest parts of the ocean floor

biogeochemical cycle

the cycling of minerals and nutrients through the biotic and abiotic world

biomagnification

an increasing concentration of persistent, toxic substances in organisms at each trophic level, from the producers to the apex consumers

biome

a large-scale community of organisms, primarily defined on land by the dominant plant types that exist in geographic regions of the planet with similar climatic conditions

boreal forest

a biome found in temperate and subarctic regions characterized by short growing seasons and dominated structurally by coniferous trees

canopy

the branches and foliage of trees that form a layer of overhead coverage in a forest

channel

the bed and banks of a river or stream

chaparral

a biome found in temperate coastal regions characterized by low trees and dry-adapted shrubs and forbs

coral reef

an ocean ridge formed by marine invertebrates living in warm shallow waters within the photic zone

dead zone

an area in a lake and ocean near the mouths of rivers where large areas are depleted of their normal flora and fauna; these zones can be caused by eutrophication, oil spills, dumping of toxic chemicals, and other human activities

detrital food web

a type of food web that is supported by dead or decaying organisms rather than by living autotrophs; these are often associated with grazing food webs within the same ecosystem

ecosystem

a community of living organisms and their interactions with their abiotic environment

equilibrium

the steady state of a system in which the relationships between elements of the system do not change

estuary

a region where fresh water and salt water mix where a river discharges into an ocean or sea

food chain

a linear sequence of trophic (feeding) relationships of producers, primary consumers, and higher level consumers

food web

a web of trophic (feeding) relationships among producers, primary consumers, and higher level consumers in an ecosystem