| A | B |
|---|
| Community | A group of interacting populations that occupy the same area at the same time |
| Limiting Factor | Any abiotic or biotic factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms |
| Tolerance | The ability of any organism to survive when subjected to abiotic or biotic factors |
| Ecological succession | The change in an ecosystem that happens when one community replaces another as a result of changing abiotic and biotic factors |
| Primary succession | The establishment of a community in an area of exposed rock that does not have any topsoil |
| Climax community | The stable mature community that results that results when there is little change in the composition of species |
| Secondary succession | The orderly and predictable change that takes place after a community of organisms has been removed but the soil has remained in tact |
| Weather | The condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and time |
| Latitude | The distance of any point on the surface of Earth north or south from the equator |
| Climate | The average weather conditions in an area, including temperature and precipitation |
| Tundra | A treeless biome with a layer or permanently frozen soil called permafrost |
| Boreal forest | AKA Northern coniferous forest or taiga: a dense evergreen forest: lacks permafrost |
| Temperate forest | Composed of broad-leaf deciduous trees: eastern North America |
| Woodland | Open woodlands and mixed shrub communities: less rainfall than temperate forests: western coast of North America |
| Grassland | Fertile soils that are able to support of thick cover of grasses |
| Desert | Any area in which the annual rate of evaporation is exceeds the rate of precipitation |
| Tropical savanna | Grasses and scattered trees in climates that receive less precipitation than some other tropical areas: Africa, South America, and Australia |
| Tropical seasonal forest | Also called tropical dry forest because almost all of the trees drop their leaves to conserve water during the dry season |
| Tropical rain forest | The most diverse of all land biomes |
| Sediment | Material that is deposited by water, wind, or glaciers |
| Littoral zone | The area closest to the shore |
| Limnetic zone | The open water area that is well lit and dominated by plankton |
| Plankton | Free-floating photosynthetic autotrophs |
| Profundal zone | The deepest areas of a large lake: colder temperature and lower oxygen |
| Wetlands | Areas of land such as marshes, swamps, and bogs that are saturated with water |
| Estuary | An ecosystem that is formed where the freshwater from a river or stream merge with the salt water from the ocean |
| Intertidal zone | A narrow band where the ocean meets the land |
| Photic zone | Also called the euphotic zone: a zone shallow enough that sunlight is able to penetrate |
| Aphotic zone | A zone where the sunlight is unable to penetrate |
| Benthic zone | The area along the ocean floor that consists of sand, silt, and dead organisms |
| Abyssal zone | The deepest region of the ocean: very cold |
