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| The sum of all living things taken in conjunction with their environment. In essence, where life occurs, from the upper reaches of the atmosphere to the top few meters of soil, to the bottoms of the oceans. |
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| Tropical deciduous broadleaf forests |
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Definition
found close to the equator; long summer rainy season; a pronounced winter dry season.
Trees shed their leaves during the dry season.
Species richness is moderate for plants and high for animals
has some of the best soils in the tropics for agriculture |
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| Tropical evergreen broadleaf (rain) forests |
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Definition
richest in both plant and animal species among terrestrial biomes
found in equatorial regions; total rainfall between 200 and 400 cm annually.
highest productivity among terrestrial ecological communities
epiphytes and lianas (climbing woody vines) are numerous
Soils tend to be very nutrient poor |
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| Savanna: tropical grasslands |
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Definition
found in dry tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, South America, and Australia
characterized by vast expanses of grassland and scattered trees
periodic fires and grazing characteristic
Thorn forests and savannas have similar climate.
Thorn forests are found on the equatorial sides of hot deserts. The dominant plants are spiny shrubs and small trees. |
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Definition
found in two belts, centered around 30°N and 30°S latitudes
Central Australia and the middle of the Sahara Desert are the driest regions within the biome
Except in the driest regions, hot deserts have richer and more diverse vegetation than cold deserts
Succulent plants are common-cacti |
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high and dry
found in dry regions at middle to high latitudes
also found at high altitudes in the rain shadows
Seasonal temperatures vary greatly.
Cold deserts dominated by a few species of low-growing shrubs
common taxa are seed-producing plants, birds, ants, and rodents. |
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| Chaparral: Dry shrublands |
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Definition
climate is dry and pleasant
found on the west sides of continents at moderate latitudes, where cool ocean waters flow offshore
Mediterranean region of Europe, coastal California, and central Chile are examples of chaparral
Low-growing fire-resistant shrubs and trees with evergreen leaves are the most common plants
Periodic fires maintain the landscape
Large populations of small seed-eating rodents |
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| Temperate grassland or prairie |
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Definition
found in many parts of the world
relatively dry much of the year, with hot summers and cold winters
fire and grazing strong influences on biome character
rich in species of perennial grasses, sedges, and forbs
Most of the grassland biome has been converted to agriculture
riparion-stream |
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| Temperate deciduous forests |
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Definition
Temperatures fluctuate dramatically from season to season.
found in eastern North America, eastern Asia, and western Europe
Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year
Many more species are present relative to boreal forests. |
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Definition
dominated by evergreen trees
found in northern latitudes just below arctic tundra and at high altitudes in mountain ranges
Winters long and very cold
summers short and warm; short growing season
species diversity very low
Northern Hemisphere forests dominated by conifers
Southern Hemisphere forests dominated by beech trees. |
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arctic tundra
found at high latitudes in the Arctic
permafrost; Plants grow only during short summers when the first few centimeters of permafrost melt
Short cool summers, long cold winters with constant snow cover
alpine tundra
in high mountains
very rocky with only thin soil covering
very short growing season with long cold winters
high winds
Krumholtz |
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photic and aphotic zones
thermocline
benthic zone: sediments and detritus at the bottom of aquatic ecosystems
benthos: the organisms that inhabit the benthic zones |
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Definition
lentic: lakes and ponds doesn’t intersect benthic
lake zonation: littoral, limnetic, benthic, photic, and aphotic
seasonal stratification: fall and spring turnover.
community structure
oligitrophic lakes-poor nutrient
eutrophic lakes-too many nutrients often near farms
mixotrophic lakes-in between |
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| moving water – streams and rivers |
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periodically flooded or always saturated soil.
hydophytes.
Characteristic around or bordering estuaries |
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Where freshwater rivers flow into bays or oceans.
emergent vegetation; extensive shallow areas |
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| intertidal or littoral zones |
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| extends between the highest and lowest tidal levels of the year. |
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| extends from the lowest tidal level out to the continental shelf. |
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| the areas extending in between neretic zones. These are the zones of great depth. |
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| the benthic zone at great depths; absence of light, high water pressure, and often low nutrient levels. Chemoautotrophs anchor communities especially around hydrothermal vents. |
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| collection of traits organisms have with respect to survival and fecundity |
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| the birth rates and the probability of death for each age class or cohort |
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| prey and predator populations can have codependent cycles |
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| density-independent factors |
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Definition
| unrelated to population size |
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| density-dependent factors |
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Definition
| these are factors restrict population growth as population size increases |
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