Biomes and Climate

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to biomes and climate, drawn from the lecture notes on the topics of ecological and climatic principles.

Biosphere

Global processes that include interactions among ecosystems.

Community

Interactions among populations in a specific area.

Organism

The individual unit of natural selection; focused on survival and reproduction.

Weather

Atmospheric conditions over short periods (hours, days) within small geographic areas.

Climate

Long-term average atmospheric conditions across large geographic regions.

Solar Radiation

The main control of climate that affects temperature based on the angle sunlight strikes Earth.

Prevailing Winds

Air currents that are predictable globally due to warm air rising and cold air sinking.

Rain Shadow Effect

Patterns of rising and descending air masses that influence local precipitation.

Biome

Broad geographic areas with similar climates that host similar communities of species.

Terrestrial Biomes

Biomes characterized by climate and dominant plant types, with 10 major examples.

Aquatic Biomes

Two main biomes (freshwater and saltwater) that account for a large part of Earth's surface.

Freshwater Biomes

Biomes with less than 1% salt concentration, including lakes and rivers.

Saltwater Biomes

Biomes with about 3% salt concentration, covering ~75% of Earth's surface.

Primary Productivity

Rate of generation of biomass in ecosystems, significant for understanding energy flow.

Nutrient Availability

Elements and compounds required for survival that can limit productivity in ecosystems.

Macronutrients

Nutrients required in relatively large amounts, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Micronutrients

Nutrients needed in smaller amounts for growth and survival.

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum

States that one limiting resource determines the carrying capacity of an ecosystem.

Latitudinal Diversity Gradient

The pattern where species diversity peaks near the equator and declines toward the poles.