| A | B |
|---|
| Define: Ecology | • The study of living things and the interaction of their environment |
| Define: Abiotic Factor | Nonliving parts of an organisim's environment |
| Abiotic Factors | Air, Temperature, Light, Soil |
| Define: Ecotone | Biome grading areas, areas where biomes overlap |
| Define: Biotic Factors | All the living organisms that inhabit an environment |
| Define: Organismal Ecology | studies an organism’s structure, behavior, and how it meets the challenges of its environment |
| Define: Population Ecology | studies factors that affect how many individuals of a particular species live in an area |
| Define: Community Ecology | studies factors that affect how many individuals of a particular species live in an area |
| Define: Ecosystem Ecology | studies energy flow and chemical cycling among the biotic and abiotic factors |
| Define: Dispersal | the movement of individuals away from their area of origin |
| Define: Distribution | How individuals are spatial arranged |
| Define: Species Transplants | organisms that are intentionally or accidentally relocated from their original distribution |
| Example: Species Transplant | zebra mussels, kudzu |
| Define: Habitat | place where an organism lives |
| Define: Niche | an organism’s role in the environment |
| Biotic Factors that influence habitat selection | species, predation, competition |
| Define: Climate | prevailing weather conditions in an area |
| Define: Macroclimate | climate on a global scale |
| Define: Microclimate | climate encountered communities |
| How do bodies of water influence climate? | Help moderate climate of nearby terrestrial environment |
| Effects of mountains on climate? | Amount of sunlight, local temperature, rainfall |
| Define: Thermal stratification | vertical temperature layering |
| Define: Biannual mixing | spring and autumn winds |
| Define: Turnover | changing water temperature profiles; brings DO water from the surface to the bottom and nutrient rich water from the water from the bottom to the surface |
| Define: Detritus | dead organic matter; food for benthic organisms |
| Define: Littoral zone | well lit, open water close to shore |
| Define: Limnetic zone | well lit, open water further from the shore |
| Define: Profundal zone | deep, aphotic waters |
| Define: Intertidal zone | area where land meets water |
| Define: Pelagic zone | open water of any depth |
| Define: Benthic zone | seafloor bottom |
| Define: Tropical Forests | equator; most complex; constant temperature and rainfall; canopy |
| Define: Savanna | tropical grassland with scattered trees; occasional fire and drought; large herbivores |
| Define: Temperate deciduous forest | midlatitude regions; broadleaf deciduous trees |
| Define: Tundra | permafrost; very little precipitation |
