Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes Vocabulary

Biomes

Geographic regions that contain communities composed of organisms with similar adaptations

Convergent Evolution

A phenomenon in which two species descended from unrelated ancestors look similar because they have evolved under similar selective forces

Climate Diagrams

Graphs that plot the average monthly temperature and precipitation of a specific location on Earth

Growing Season

Months that are warm enough to allow plant growth

Permafrost

Permanently frozen soil

Schlerophyllous Vegitation

Vegetation that has small and durable leaves that resist dessication

Lotic

Characterized by flowing water

Stream/Creek

A narrow channel of fast-flowing fresh water

River

A wide channel of slow-flowing fresh water

Riparian Zone

Terrestrial vegetation alongside rivers and streams that is influenced by seasonal flooding and elevated water tables

Allochthonous

Inputs of organic matter that come from outside an ecosystem

Autochthonous

Inputs of organic matter that are produced by algae and aquatic plants inside an ecosystem

Pond

An aquatic biome that is smaller than a lake and is characterized by non-flowing water with some area of water that is too deep for plants to rise above the water’s surface

Lake

An aquatic biome that is larger than a pond and is characterized by non-flowing fresh water with some area of water that is too deep for plants to rise above the water’s surface

Oxbow Lakes

Broad bends of what was once the river, cut off by shifts in the main channel

Littoral Zone

The shallow area around the edge of a lake or pond containing rooted vegetation

Limnetic (Pelagic) Zone

The open water beyond the littoral zone, where the dominant photosynthetic organisms are floating algae

Profundal Zone

The area in a lake that is too deep to receive sunlight

Benthic Zone

The area with sediments at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and oceans

Epilimnion

The surface layer of water in a lake or pond

Hypolimnion

The deeper layer of water in a lake or pond

Thermocline

A middle depth of water in a lake or pond that experiences a rapid change in temperature over a relatively short distance in depth

Spring Overturn

The vertical mixing of lake water that occurs in early spring, assisted by winds that drive the surface curents

Stratification

The condition of a lake or pond when the warmer, less dense surface water floats on the cooler, denser water below

Fall Overturn

The vertical mixing that occurs in fall, assisted by winds that drive the surface currents

Fall bloom

A rapid increase in the population of phytoplankton in fall that occurs with the infusion of nutrients from fall overturn

Freshwater Wetlands

An aquatic biome containing standing fresh water, or soils saturated with fresh water for at least part of the year

Salt Marshes

A saltwater biome that contains non-woody emergent vegetation

Estuaries

Where the mouths of rivers mix with salt water from oceans

Mangrove Swamps

A biome that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water

Intertidal Zones

A biome consisting of the narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide

Coral Reefs

A marine biome found in warm, shallow waters that are 20 degrees C year-round

Netric Zone

The ocean zone beyond the range of the lowest tidal level and which extends to depths of about 200 m

Oceanic Zone

The ocean zone beyond the neritic zone

Photic Zone

The area of the neritic and oceanic zones that contains sufficient light for photosynthesis by algae

Aphotic Zone

The area of the neritic and oceanic zones where water is so deep that sunlight cannot penetrate

Mean

The sum of all data divided by the total number of data points

Median

Middle Value

Mode

The value that occurs the most frequently