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Module 3 Quiz

Terms in this set (30)

community
a group interacting population that occupy the same area
ecological succession
the change that occurs in an ecosystem when a community replaces another as a result of changing biotic and abiotic factors
primary succession
the establishment of a community in an area of exposed rock and no topsoil
climax community
the stable mature community that results when little changes in the species
secondary succession
the orderly and predictable change that takes place after a community of organisms have been removed but the soil is still there
weather
the condition of the atmosphere at specific place and time
latitude
the distance on the Earth north or south from the equator
climate
the average weather conditions in an area
tundra
a treeless biome with a layer of permafrost below the surface
boreal forest
a band of dense evergreen forest
temperate forest
composed of broadleaved, deciduous trees that shed their leaves in the fall
woodlands
mixed shrub communities found in areas with less annual rainfall than temperate forests
grassland
fertile soils that support thick cover of grasses
desert
any area which the annual rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation
tropical savanna
grasses and scattered trees in climates that receive less rainfall than other tropical areas
tropical seasonal forests
also known as tropical dry forests
tropical rainforests
most diverse biome, tall trees and short shrubs
sediment
material that is deposited by water, wind, glaciers
littoral zone
the area closest to the shore
limnetic zone
the open water area that is well lit and dominated by plankton
plankton
are free floating autotrophs and heterotrophs that live in freshwater or marine ecosystems
profundal zone
deepest area of a large lake
intertidal zone
a narrow band where the ocean meets land
pelagic zone
all the water in the open ocean that is not in the intertidal zone
photic zone
the area to a depth around 200 m of the pelagic zone
aphotic zone
an area where sunlight is unable to penetrate
abyssal zone
deepest region of the pelagic zone
benthic zone
the area along the ocean floor that consists of sand, silt, and dead organisms
wetlands
areas that are saturated with water and support aquatic plants
estuary
an ecosystem that is formed where freshwater from a river merges with salt water from the ocean
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