AP BIO Chapter 40 Population ecology and distribution of organisms

Ecology

The scientific study of interactions between organisms and the environment

Organismal ecology

concerned with the morphological, physiological, and behavioral ways in which organisms meet challenges by enviroment

population

group of individuals of the same species living

population ecology

analyzes factors that affect population size and how and why it changes through time

community

group of individuals of the same species living in an area

community ecology

examines how interactions between species affect community structure and organization

ecosystem

the community of organisms in an area with their abiotic environment

ecosystem ecology

the study of biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem and how their interactions

landscape

a mosaic of connected ecosystems

landscape ecology

focuses on the factors controlling exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems

biosphere

global ecosystem

climate

long term prevailing weather conditions in an given area

What are the four physical factors of climate?

Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind

What is the most significant influence on the distribution of land?

Climate

Abiotic

nonliving

biotic

living

What is the Global Climate Pattern determined by?

the input of solar energy and earths movement

Biomes

major life zones characterized by vegetation type in terrestrial biomes

What does climate vary with?

latitude

Climograph

a plot of the annual mean temp and precipitation in a particular region

What is a climograph based on?

annual averages

Disturbance

an event that changes a community

EX: organisms that are removed by said event

How is each biome characterized?

By microorganisms, fungi, and animals

canopy

the uppermost layer of vegetation

ecotone

area of integration

EX: marshland between a river and its riverbank.

tropical rainforests

hot, humid, and flourishing dense forest with lots of rainfall

tropical dry forests

biome of any open woodland in tropical areas that have a long dry season

Savannas

a mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close.

Deserts

an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year

Chaparral

scrubland plant communities composed of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs, bushes, and small trees

temperate grasslands

A biome at midlatitude regions and is dominated by grass

temperate broadleaf forests

a biome at midlatitude regions with a lot of moisture there to support trees

taiga

long cold winters dominated by cone bearing trees