EVS chapter 6
Terms
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- abyssal ecosystem
- the collection of organisms and the conditions that exist in the deep portions of the ocean
- alpine tundra
- the biome that exists above the tree line in mountainous regions
- benthic
- desrives organisms that live on the bottom of marine and freshwater ecosystems
- benthic ecosystem
- a type of marine or freshwater ecosystem consisting of organisms that live on the bottom
- biochemical oxygen demand
- the amount of oxygen required by microbes to degrade organic molecules in aquatic ecosystems
- biome
- a kind of plant and animal community that covers large geographic areas
- boreal forest
- a broad band of mixed coniferous and deciduous trees that stretches across North America;its northermost edge is integrated with the arctic tundra
- climax community
- last stage of succession; a relatively stable, long-lasting, complex, and interrelated community of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria
- coral reef ecosystem
- a tropical, shallow-water, marine ecosystem dominated by coral organisms that produce external skeletons
- desert
- a biome that receives less than 25 centimeters of precipitation per year
- emergent plants
- aquatic vegetation that is rooted on the bottom but has leaves that float on the surface or protrude above the water
- estuary
- marine ecosystem that consists of shallow, partially enclosed areas where freshwater enters the ocean
- euphotic zone
- the upper layer in the ocean where the sun's rays penetrate
- eutrophic lake
- a usually shallow, warm water lake that is nutrient rich
- freshwater ecosystem
- aquatic ecosystem that has low amounts of dissolved salts
- grassland
- areas receiveing between25-75 centimeters of precipitation per year
- limnetic zone
- region that does not have rooted vegetation in a freshwater ecosystem
- littoral zone
- region with rooted vegetation in a freshwater ecosystem
- mangrove swamp ecosystem
- marine shoreline ecosystems dominated by trees that can tolerate high salt concentrations
- marine ecosystem
- aquatic ecosystems that have high salt content
- marsh
- area of grasses and reeds that is either permanently flooded or flooded for a major part of the year
- northern coniferous forest
- see boreal forest
- oligotrophic lake
- deep, cold, nutrient poor lakes that are low in productivity
- pelagic
- those organisms that swim in open water
- pelagic ecosystem
- a portion of a marine or freshwater ecosystem that occurs in open water away from the shore
- periphyton
- attached organisms in freshwater streams and rivers, including algae, animals and fungi
- permafrost
- permanently frozen ground
- phytoplankton
- free-floating, microscopic, chlorophyll-containing organisms
- pioneer community
- the early stages of succession that begin the soil-building process
- plankton
- tiny aquatic organisms that are moved by tides and currents
- prairie
- grasslands
- primary succession
- succession that begins with bare mineral surfaces or water
- savanna
- tropical biome having seasonal rainfall of 50-150 cnetimeters per year
- secondary succession
- succession that begins with the destruction or disturbance of an existing ecosystem
- seral stage
- a stage in the successional process
- sere
- a stage in succession
- steppe
- a grassland
- submerged plants
- aquatic vegetation that is rooted on the bottom and has leaves that stay submerged below the surface of the water
- succession
- the idea that communities modify through predictable changes over time
- successional stage
- a stage in succession
- swamp
- area of trees taht is either permanently flooded or flooded for a major part of the year
- taiga
- biome having short, cool summers and long winters with abundant snowfall
- temperate deciduous forest
- biome tha thas a winter-summer change of seasons and that typically receives 75-150 centimeters or more of relatively evenly distributed percipitation throughout the year
- tropical rainforest
- a biome with warm, relatively constant temperatures where there is no frost. more then 200 centimeters of rain per year
- tundra
- a biome that lacks trees and has permanately frozen soil
- zooplankton
- weakly swimming microscopic animals