| Definition | Term |
|---|
| distinguished primarily by their predominant plants and are associated with particular climates | |
| tropical grassland dotted with scattered trees; characterized by pronounced wet and dry seasons and periodic fires | |
| the study of how organisms in a particular area are influenced by factors such as climate, soils, predators, competitors, and evolutionary history, involving field observations rat | |
| a biological community plus all of the abiotic factors influencing that community | |
| grasslands growing in middle lattitudes that receive between 300-1,000 mm of annual precipitation with max. precipitation usually falling during summer months | |
| an arid biome occupying approx. 20% of land surface on earth in which water loss due to evaporation & transpiration by plants exceeds precipitation during most of the year. | |
| slow movement of tundra soils down slopes as a result of annual freezing and thawing of surface soil and the actions of water and gravity | |
| an evolutionary process that changes anatomy, physiology, or behavior, resulting in an increased ability of a population to live in a particular environment | |
| chemical substance required for the development, maintenance, and reproduction of organisms | |
| Most superficial soil layer containing substantial amounts of organic matter including whole leaves, twigs, other plant parts, and highly fragmented organic matter. | |
| Average of a sample of measurements or observations, and estimate of the true population | |
| Biologically active soil layer consisting of a mixture of mineral materials like clay, silt, and sand, as well as organic material, derived from the overlaying O horizon, generally | |
| the portions of earth that support life | |
| a plant, such as an orchid, that grows on the surface of another plant but is not parasitic | |
| associated with mild, moist winter conditions and usually with dry summers between about 30 and 40 degrees latitude. vegetation of this biom is usually characterized by small, toug | |
| | Definition | Term |
|---|
| study of the relationships between organisms and the environment | |
| deciduous/coniferous forests generally found between 40 and 50 degrees lattitude where annual precipitation averages from 650-3000 mm. | |
| Broadleaf evergreen forest growing in tropical regions where conditions are warm and wet year-round | |
| an extended period of dry weather during which precipitation is reduced sufficiently to damage crops, impair functioning of natural ecosystems, or cause water shortages for human p | |
| northern forests that occupy the area south of arctic tundra. though dominated by coniferous trees, they also contain aspen and birch. | |
| A mutualistic association between fungi and the roots of plants | |
| process that changes populations of organisms over time | |
| analysis fo the relative concentrations of stable isotopes, such as c-13 and c-12, in materials; used in ecology to study the flow of energy and materials through ecosystems | |
| phenonmenon caused by rotation of earth, which produces a deflection of winds and water currents to the right of their direction of travel in northern hem. and left in southern hem | |
| Soil layer composed of largely unaltered parent material, little affected by biological activity | |
| a broadleaf deciduous forest growing in tropical regions having pronounced wet and dry seasons; trees drop their leaves during the dry season. | |
| a standardized form of representing average patterns of variation in temp. and precipitation that identifies several ecologically important climatic factors such as relatively mois | |
| Subsoil which materials leached from A horizon accumulate. may be rich in clay, organic matter, iron, and other materials. | |
| A northern biome dominated by mosses, lichens, and dwarf willows, receiving low to moderate precipitation and having a very short growing season. | |
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