Unit 1A Vocabulary List AP Environmental Science By. Abrielle Walker

Aphotic zone

The deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

Aquatic biome

An aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow

Benthic zone

The muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean beneath the limnetic and profundal zones

Biosphere

The region of our planet where life resides

Commensalism

 An interaction between two species in which one species benefits and the other species is neither harmed nor helped

Competitive exclusion principle

The principle stating that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist

Coral reef

Represents Earth’s most diverse marine biome, and are found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline in tropical regions

Ecosystem

A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components

Estuary

 An area along the coast where the fresh water of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean

Eutrophic

Describes a lake with a high level of fertility

Exotic species (aka alien species)

A species living outside its historical range

Freshwater biomes

Categorized as streams and rivers, lakes and ponds, or freshwater wetlands

Freshwater wetlands

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation

Hot desert

 A biome located at roughly 30° N and 30° S, and characterized by hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation

Intertidal zone

The narrow band of coastline that exists between the levels of high tide and low tide

Invasive species

A species that spreads rapidly across large areas and causes harm

Limnetic zone

A zone of open water in lakes and ponds as deep as the sunlight can penetrate

Littoral zone

The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds near the shore where most algae and emergent plants such as cattails grow

Mangrove swamp

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

Mesotrophic

Describes a lake with a moderate level of fertility

Mutualism

An interaction between two species that increases the chances of survival or reproduction for both species

Native species

A species that lives in its historical range, typically where it has lived for thousands or millions of years

Oligotrophic

Describes a lake with a low level of phytoplankton due to low amounts of nutrients in the water

Open ocean

Deep-ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

Parasitism

An interaction in which one organism lives on or in another organism, referred to as the host

Parasitoid

A specialized type of predator that lays eggs inside other organisms—referred to as its host

Permafrost

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil

Photic zone

The upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis

Predation

An interaction in which one animal typically kills and consumes another animal

Profundal zone

A region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes

Resource partitioning

When two species divide a resource based on differences in their behavior or morphology

Salt marsh

Found along the coast in temperate climates, a marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation

Savanna (aka tropical seasonal forest)

A biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons

Shrubland (aka woodland)

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters

Symbiosis

Two species living in close and long-term association with one another in an ecosystem

Taiga (aka boreal forest)

A forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons

Temperate grassland (aka cold desert)

A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers

Temperate rainforest

A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation

Temperate seasonal forest

A biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1 m (39 inches) of annual precipitation

Terrestrial biome

A geographic region of land categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms

Tropical rainforest

A warm and wet biome found between 20° N and 20° S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation

Tundra

A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation