CHAPTER 4
4.1
Ecology- The study of organisms and their living and non-living environment
Abiotic Factors- A non-living factor in an ecosystem
Biotic Factors- A living factor in an ecosystem
Ecotones- The transition area between ecosystems
Artificial Ecosystem- Is an ecosystem that is planned and maintained by humans
Natural Ecosystem- An ecosystem where the abiotic and biotic factors are aloud to react freely with one another
Ecological Niche- An organisms place in the ecosystem, including the time it is most active, its place in the food web, and its breeding area
4.2
Biome- A large area that has a rage of temperatures and precipitation
Canopy- The upper layer of vegetation in a forest Permafrost- Is soil that is permanently frozen
Muskeg- The soil above the permafrost, that is mucky in the summer time
Understorey- The vegetation below the canopy, which is usually shrubs and smaller trees
Littoral Zone- The zone from a ponds edge to the point where no more plants grow in the lake
Limnetic Zone- The zone in a lake or pond where there is sufficient light for photosynthesis and open water Plankton- Autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms the live in the limnetic zone
Profundal Zone- The zone beneath the limnetic zone where there is not enough light for photosynthesis
4.3
Littler- The upper layer of soil, mainly made of decomposed grasses
Topsoil- The layer of soil beneath the litter, mainly made of small rocks and humus
Humus- Decaying animal and plant matter
Subsoil- The layer of soil beneath the topsoil, mainly made of rock particles
Bedrock- The layer under the soil, made of rock
Groundwater- Is water in the soil or rock below Earth’s surface
Epilimnion- The upper layer of a lake, that is warmed by the sun
Hypolimnion- The lower level of a lake that does not get warmed by the sun
Thermocline- The middle layer of a lake, in which temperatures change radically
4.4
Biotic Potential- The maximum number of offspring a species could produce given the resources that are available
Carrying Capacity- The maximum number of a species that can be supported by the ecosystem
Law of the Minimum- Is the lowest nutrient in supply dictates the growth limits
Law of Tolerance- Is the particular range of abiotic factors that a organism can survive
Density-Independent Factors- A factor in an ecosystem that affects members of a population regardless of population density
Density-Dependent Factors- A factor in an ecosystem that affects members of a population because of population density
4.5
Slash and Burn- Burning down all trees in a forest
Clear-Cutting- Cutting down all trees in a large area
Selective Cutting- Cutting down only specific trees in an area
Prescribed Burns- A controlled burning of trees in a specific area
Oligotrophic- Having low nutrient levels
Eutrophic- Having high nutrient levels
Coliform Bacteria- A bacteria that indicates the presence of fecal contamination in water, that is naturally in the intestines of animals
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)- The amount of dissolved oxygen that is needed by decomposers to completely break down the organic matter in a water sample at 20c over five days
Watershed- The land that drains toward a body of water
CHAPTER 5
5.1
Taxonomy- The science of classifying relationships between organisms
Binomial Nomenclature- A way of naming organisms by two names, the genus name and the species name.
Genus- The first part of a binomial name, a genus includes several species
Species- A group of organisms that look the same and can breed to produce fertile offspring
Taxa- Categories used to classify organisms
Protista- A kingdom originally made for all unicellular organisms Monera- In a five-kingdom system, a kingdom that includes organisms that lack a true nucleus
Archaebacteria- In a six-kingdom system, a kingdom consisting of