| A | B |
|---|
| abiotic | Nonliving |
| aphotic zone | part of the ocean where light does not penetrate sufficiently for photosynthesis to occur |
| benthic zone | bottom surface of an aquatic environment |
| benthos | communities of organisms living in the benthic zone of an aquatic biome |
| biome | major ecosystems classified according to the predominant vegetation |
| biosphere | entire portion of Earth inhabited by life |
| biotic | Referring to all the organisms that are part of the environment |
| canopy | uppermost layer of vegetation in a terrestrial biome |
| chaparral | scrubland biome of dense spiny evergreen shrubs found at midlatitudes along coasts |
| climate | prevailing weather conditions at a locality |
| climograph | plot of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region |
| community | organisms that inhabit a particular area |
| community ecology | study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization |
| coral reef | warm-water tropical ecosystem dominated by the hard skeletal structures secreted primarily by the resident cnidarians |
| deep-sea hydrothermal vent | dark hot oxygen-deficient environment associated with volcanic activity |
| detritus | Dead organic matter |
| dispersal | distribution of individuals within geographic population boundaries |
| ecology | study of how organisms interact with their environment |
| ecosystem | organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact |
| ecosystem ecology | study of energy flow and the cycling of chemicals among the various biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem |
| ecotone | transition from one type of habitat or ecosystem to another |
| estuary | area where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean |
| eutrophic lake | highly productive lake having a high rate of biological productivity supported by a high rate of nutrient cycling |
| intertidal zone | shallow zone of the ocean where land meets water |
| landscape | primarily terrestrial ecosystems linked by exchanges of energy materials and organisms |
| landscape ecology | study of ecosystem management and the biodiversity of interacting ecosystems |
| limnetic zone | in a lake the well-lit open surface waters farther from shore |
| littoral zone | in a lake the shallow well-lit waters close to shore |
| macroclimate | the climate of an entire region |
| microclimate | fine scale variations of climate |
| neritic zone | shallow region of the ocean overlying the continental shelf |
| oceanic pelagic biome | ocean’s waters far from shore constantly mixed by ocean currents |
| oceanic zone | region of water lying over deep areas beyond the continental shelf |
| oligotrophic lake | nutrient-poor clear deep lake with minimum phytoplankton |
| organismal ecology | branch of ecology concerned with the ways in which individual organisms meet the challenges posed by their biotic and abiotic environments |
| patchiness | Localized variation in environmental conditions within an ecosystem |
| pelagic zone | area of the ocean past the continental shelf with areas of open water often reaching to very great depth |
| permafrost | permanently frozen stratum below the arctic tundra |
| photic zone | narrow top slice of the ocean where light permeates sufficiently for photosynthesis to occur |
| population | localized group of individuals that belong to the same biological species |
| population ecology | study of populations in relation to the environment |
| precautionary principle | cautioning to consider carefully the potential consequences of actions |
| savanna | tropical grassland biome with scattered individual trees |
| seascape | primarily aquatic ecosystems linked by exchanges of energy materials and organisms |
| temperate broadleaf forest | biome located throughout midlatitude regions where there is sufficient moisture to support the growth of large broadleaf deciduous trees |
| thermocline | narrow stratum of rapid temperature change in the ocean and in many temperate-zone lakes |
| tropics | Latitudes between 23.5° north and south |
| tundra | biome at the extreme limits of plant growth |
| turnover | mixing of waters as a result of changing water-temperature profiles in a lake |
| wetland | ecosystem intermediate between an aquatic one and a terrestrial one |
