Unit 20B
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