Term
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Definition
| broadest justifiable division of plants and animals; an assemblage or association of plants and animals that forms a regional ecological unit |
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Term
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Definition
dominated by tall, closely spaced broad-leaf evergreen trees; well developed 3 layer canopy
* highest biodiversity of any terrestrial environment |
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Term
| Tropical deciduous Forest |
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Definition
less dense canopy than Tropical Rainforest
with less well developed canopy layers
* also known as Tropical Scrub
* has a pronounced dry season,
so trees loose their leaves during this dry period |
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Term
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Definition
* dominated by tall grassland with widely spaced trees
* EX: grasslands & Acacia trees of eastern Africa |
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Term
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Definition
sparse vegetation or none at all due to low precipitation and high evapotranspiration
* vegetation is of the xerophytic or succulent variety (ex. Cactus)
* Tropical (warm) & Mid-Latitude (cold) Deserts are differentiated
due to varied climatic conditions & thus differing vegetation |
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Term
| Temperate or Mid-Latitude Grassland |
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Definition
dominated by sod-forming grasses
* areas of both short-grass and long-grass prairie
* EX: Great Plains(US), Pampas(Argentina), Russian Steppe |
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Term
| Temperate or Mid-Latitude Deciduous and Mixed Forest |
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Definition
(Georgia) dominated by broadleaf deciduous trees of eastern US, Europe, & eastern China;
also large areas of mixed deciduous & needle-leaf evergreen trees
esp. in southern areas such as the SE US
* EX: oak, birch, walnut, maple, elm, ash with pine species in
southern areas (loblolly, southern pine, sand pine, etc) |
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Term
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Definition
needle-leaf trees of US northwest coast; also known as the Temperate Evergreen Forest
* EX: redwoods, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce |
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Term
| Mediterranean Scrub or Shrubland |
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Definition
consists of widely spaced
evergreen & deciduous trees, & hard or waxy-leaved evergreen
bushes; found in areas of the Mediterranean 'Csa' climate type
* dominated by cyclic fire disturbance
* EX: chaparral of coastal California |
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Term
| Northern Coniferous Forest |
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Definition
dominated by coniferous or cone-bearing
trees; Also known as the Boreal Forest, in Canada or the Taiga in Siberia
* EX: Spruce, hemlock, fir, pine, larch – deciduous needleleaf |
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Term
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Definition
dominated by mosses, lichens, sedges(marsh grasses), & a few
dwarf trees/shrubs; this area is controlled by permafrost |
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Term
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Definition
| a somewhat predictable process in which one set or assemblage of plant species replaces an existing assemblage over a long period of time |
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Term
| linear autogenic succession |
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Definition
basically a one-way succession
such that a particular stage or assemblage is not repeated |
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Term
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Definition
| stages or assemblages can be repeated and often are; can skip a stage and be considered cyclic |
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Term
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Definition
| change in species composition brought by an “outside” force or disturbance, i.e. Disease, fire, flood, landslide, etc. |
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Term
| Primary succession vs. secondary succession |
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Definition
No soil, no seeds, nothing. Primary: must make soil first.
Secondary: start with soil. |
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