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Chp. 1 Introduction
Sections 1.1 - 1.5
23
Biology
Not Applicable
08/24/2011

Additional Biology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Pelagic Environment 
Definition

(meaning 'open sea') 


the water column from the surface to the greatest depths 

Term
What two features of the ocean are especially conducive to life?
Definition
- water (a fundamental constituent of all living 
  organisms) 

- temperature (does not vary as drastically as it
  does in air) 
Term
Benthic Environment 
Definition

 (meaning 'bottom')


encompasses the seafloor and includes such areas as shores, littoral or intertidal areas, coral reefs, and the deep seabed

Term
Oceanic Environment 
Definition

vast open ocean 

Term
Neritic Zone
Definition
inshore, separated from the oceanic zone by the edge of the continental shelf 
Term
Benthos Species 
Definition

plants or animals that live in association with the seafloor 


(i.e. seaweeds, sessile animals, and those that crawl on or burrow into the substrate)

Term
Plankton
Definition
organisms whose powers of locomotion are such that they are incapable of making their way against a current and thus are passively transported by currents in the sea 
Term
Phytoplankton
Definition

microscopic planktonic plants


i.e. diatoms, dinoflagellates 

Term
Zooplankton
Definition

planktonic animals 


i.e. jellyfish 

Term
Nekton
Definition
free-swimming animals that, in contrast to plankton, are strong enough to swim against currents and are therefore independent of water movements in the pelagic environment 
Term
Species
Definition
a distinctive group of interbreeding individuals that is reproductively isolated from other such groups
Term
Population
Definition
a group of individuals of one species living in a particular place
Term
Population Density
Definition
the number of individuals per unit area (or per unit volume of water) 
Term
Community
Definition
the various populations of micro-organisms, plants, and animals that inhabit the same physical area 
Term
Habitat
Definition
the place where an animal lives, but the term also may refer to the place occupied by an entire community
Term
Environment 
Definition
consists of both nonliving abiotic components and biotic components that include the other organisms and species with which an organism interacts
Term
Abiotic 
Definition
physical and chemical features, such as temperature and nutrient concentrations 
Term
Biotic
Definition
living components such as predators, parasites, competitors, and mates 
Term
Ecosystem
Definition
the highest level of ecological interaction, which encompasses one ore more communities in a large geographic area and includes the abiotic environment in which the organisms live 
Term
Species Diversity 
Definition
the simplicity (or complexity) of communities and ecosystems; it can be defined many ways but generally accepted as the total number of species 
Term
r-selected 
Definition

-the life history pattern demonstrated by opportunistic species

 

 

-generally, these types of species are of small size, and they reach sexual maturity early

-they usually produce many young several times per year

-they live in variable or unpredictable environments, and they are able to respond quickly to favourable conditions or new habitats by rapid rates of colonization and reproduction

-they have high mortality rates as they are not able to compete with other species  

 

 

 

 

 

Term
K-selected 
Definition

opposite life history pattern to r-selected species; organisms with this complement of characteristics are referred to as equilibrium species


includes fairly constant habitats with species that are larger in size and slowgrowing, but long lived

they take longer to reach reproductive maturity and produce fewer young but death rates are fairly low

i.e. whales 

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