Chapter 3 - Communities and Biomes
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Created by:
PVHS_Biology on February 10, 2010
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18 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 climax community | a stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species over time |
| limiting factor | any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms. |
| primary succession | the colonization of barren land by pioneer organisms |
| secondary succession | sequence of changes that take place after a community is disrupted by natural disasters or human actions. |
| succession | orderly, natural changes, and species replacements that take place in ecosystem communities over time. |
| tolerance | the ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in biotic and abiotic environmental factors |
| aphotic zone | deeper water that never receives sunlight |
| biome | group of ecosystems with the same climax communities |
| desert | arid region with sparse to almost nonexistent plant life |
| estuary | A coastal body of water, partially surrounded by land, in which freshwater and saltwater mix |
| grassland | biome composed of large communities covered with rich soil, grasses, and similar small plants |
| intertidal zone | the portion of the shoreline that lies between the high and low tide lines |
| photic zone | Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate. |
| plankton | small organisms that drift and float in the waters of the photic zone |
| taiga | biome just south of the tundra; characterized by a northern coniferous forest composed of pine, fir, hemlock, and spruce tree and acidic, mineral-poor topsoils |
| temperate/deciduous forest | biome composed of forests of broad-leaved hardwood trees that lose their foliage annually |
| tropical rain forest | biome near the equator with warm temperatures, wet weather, and lush plant growth |
| tundra | Biome that surrounds the north and south poles; treeless land with long summer days and short periods of winter sunlight, beneath the topsoil is a layer of permafrost. |
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