A horizon a biologically active soil layer consisting of a mixture of

mineral materials, such as clay, silt, and sand, as well as organic material,
derived from the overlying O horizon; generally characterized by
.leaching
B horizon a subsoil in which materials leached from above, generally
from the A horizon, accumulate. May be rich in clay, organic matter,
.iron, and other materials
biome biomes are distinguished primarily by their predominant plants
and are associated with particular climates. They consist of distinctive
plant formations such as the tropical rain forest biome and the desert
.biome
Boreal forests northern forests that occupy the area south of arctic
tundra. Though dominated by coniferous trees, they also contain aspen
.and birch. Also called taiga
caliche a calcium carbonate–rich hardpan soil horizon; the extent of
.caliche formation can be used to determine the age of desert soils
C horizon a soil layer composed of largely unaltered parent material,
.little affected by biological activity
climate diagram a standardized form of representing average patterns
of variation in temperature and precipitation that identifies several
ecologically important climatic factors such as relatively moist periods
.and periods of drought
consumer an organism that obtains its energy by feeding on other
.organisms; a heterotroph
Coriolis effect a phenomenon caused by the rotation of the earth, which
produces a deflection of winds and water currents to the right of their
direction of travel in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left of their
.direction of travel in the Southern Hemisphere
Desert an arid biome occupying approximately 20% of the land surface
of the earth in whichh water loss due to evaporation and transpiration
.by plants exceeds precipitation during most of the year
 Drought an extended period of dry weather during which precipitation
is reduced sufficiently to damage crops, impair the functioning of natural
.ecosystems, or cause water shortages for human populations
Functional traits those morphological, physiological, and phenological
characteristics of an organism that affect fitness through their influence
on growth, reproduction, or survival, often also considered as those
.characteristics that define an organism’s ecological role
Lithosol soils very low in organic matter and composed of rock
.fragments
Mediterranean woodland and shrubland a biome associated with mild,
moist winter conditions and usually with dry summers between about
30° and 40° latitude. The vegetation of this biome is usually
characterized by small, tough (sclerophyllous) leaves and adaptations to
periodic fire. It is found around the Mediterranean Sea and in western
North America, Chile, southern Australia, and southern Africa. It is
known by many local names such as chaparral, garigue, maquis, and
.fynbos
macroclimate the prevailing weather conditions of a region over a long
.period of time
Mycorrhizae a mutualistic association between fungi and the roots of
.plants
Natural history 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 rather than carefully
.controlled experimentation or statistical analyses of patterns
O (organic) horizon the most superficial soil layer containing substantial
amounts of organic matter, including whole leaves, twigs, other plant
.parts, and highly fragmented organic matter
Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) an index of drought that uses
temperature and precipitation to represent moisture conditions in a
region relative to long-term average temperature and precipitation
.within the region
 primary producers organisms that convert inorganic forms of energy,
such as that from the sun, into forms that are usable by the next level of
a food chain. For example, plants are primary producers in most
.terrestrial ecosystems
rain shadow effect the phenomenon of an area receiving lower
precipitation because wind-bearing moist air is blocked by mountains or
hills, causing the release of moisture before reaching the leeward side,
”.thus producing an arid “shadow
secondary producers organisms that feed on primary producers and are
themselves an energy source for organisms in the next level of a food
.chain
Selective pressure the extent to which an organism’s environment
influences the fitness of that organism; the force that drives natural
.selection
solifluction the 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
temperate forest deciduous or coniferous forests generally found
between 40° and 50° latitude, where annual precipitation averages
anywhere from about 650 mm to over 3,000 mm; this biome receives
.more winter precipitation than temperate grasslands receive
Temperate grassland grasslands growing in middle latitudes that receive
between 300 and 1,000 mm of annual precipitation, with maximum
.precipitation usually falling during the summer months
Tropical dry forest a broadleaf deciduous forest growing in tropical
regions having pronounced wet and dry seasons; trees drop their leaves
.during the dry season
Tropical savanna a tropical grassland dotted with scattered trees;
.characterized by pronounced wet and dry seasons and periodic fires
Tundra a northern biome dominated by mosses, lichens, and dwarf
willows, receiving low to moderate precipitation and having a very short
.growing season
 .Abyssal zone a zone of the ocean depths between 4,000 and 6,000 m
Atoll a circle of low islands and coral reefs encircling a lagoon, generally
.formed on a submerged mountain called a seamount
Barrier reef a long, ridge-like reef that parallels the mainland and is
.separated from it by a deep lagoon
bathypelagic zone a zone within the deep ocean that extends from
.about 1,000 to 4,000 m
Benthic an adjective referring to the bottom of bodies of waters such as
.seas, lakes, and streams
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) a measure of organic pollution
defined as the amount of dissolved oxygen required by microbes, mainly
.bacteria and fungi, to decompose the organic matter in a water sample
Cyanobacteria a phylum of bacteria that photosynthesizes, formerly
”.called “blue green algae
.epilimnion the warm, well-lighted surface layer of lakes
.epipelagic zone the warm, well-lighted surface layer of the oceans
Estuary the lowermost part of a river, which is under the influence of
.the tides and is a mixture of seawater and freshwater
Eutrophic a term applied to lakes, and sometimes to other ecosystems,
.with high nutrient content and high biological production
Eutrophication nutrient enrichment of an ecosystem, generally resulting
in increased primary production and reduced biodiversity. In lakes,
eutrophication leads to seasonal algal blooms, reduced water clarity,
.and, often, periodic fish mortality as a consequence of oxygen depletion
flood pulse concept a theory of river ecology identifying periodic
flooding as an essential organizer of river ecosystem structure and
.functioning
Freshwater water containing less than 0.5 g of dissolved salts per liter, <
.0.5 0/00
 Freshwater wetlands swamps and marshes, for example, that occupy
low-lying areas within landscapes and are generally inundated with
.water for some part of each year
fringing reef a coral reef that forms near the shore of an island or
.continent
Gyre a large-scale, circular oceanic current that moves to the right in
.the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere
.Hadal zone the deepest parts of the oceans, below about 6,000 m
Hydrologic cycle the sun-driven cycle of water through the biosphere
through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and
.runoff
Hypolimnion the deepest layer of a lake below the epilimnion and
.thermocline
Hyporheic zone a zone below the benthic zone of a stream; a zone of
.transition between surface water flow and groundwater
.Insectivore a heterotrophic organism that eats insects
intertidal zone the zone between the highest and lowest tides along
.marine shores. See littoral zone
Lentic concerning still water ecosystems, generally refers to freshwater
.lakes or ponds or the organisms living in these environments
Light compensation point when oxygen is produced at the same rate as
.it is used by photosynthesizing organisms
Limiting resource an environmental factor used by an organism for
which an increase in abundance will correspond to an increase in growth
.of the organism or its population size
.Limnetic zone the open lake beyond the littoral zone
littoral zone the shallowest waters along a lake or ocean shore; where
.rooted aquatic plants may grow in lakes
lotic concerning running water ecosystems, generally refers to
freshwater creeks and rivers or the organisms living in these
.environments
 Mangrove forest a forest of subtropical and tropical marine shores
dominated by salt-tolerant woody plants, such as Rhizophora and
.Avicennia
Mesopelagic zone a middle-depth zone of the oceans, extending from
.about 200 to 1,000 m
Metalimnion a depth zone between the epilimnion and hypolimnion
characterized by rapid decreases in temperature and increases in water
density with depth. Often used synonymously with the term
.thermocline
Neritic zone a coastal zone of the oceans, extending to the margin of a
.continental shelf, where the ocean is about 200 m deep
Oceanic zone the open ocean beyond the continental shelf with water
.depths generally greater than 200 m
oligotrophic a term generally referring to lakes of low nutrient content,
.abundant oxygen, and low primary production
Omnivore a heterotrophic organism that eats a wide range of food
.items, usually including both animal and plant matter
pelagic a term referring to marine life zones or organisms above the
bottom; for instance, tuna are pelagic fish that live in the epipelagic zone
.of the oceans
Phreatic zone the region below the hyporheic zone of a stream;
.contains groundwater
phytoplankton microscopic photosynthetic organisms that drift with the
.currents in the open sea or in lakes
.Piscivore a predator that eats fish
riparian zone the transition between the aquatic environment of a river
or stream and the upland terrestrial environment, generally subject to
.periodic flooding and elevated groundwater table
River continuum concept a model that predicts change in physical
structure, dominant organisms, and ecosystem processes along the
.length of temperate rivers
River ecosystem synthesis a theory of river ecology, predicting that flow
conditions and geologic setting may be of greater significance in
determining ecological characteristics than the position of a river section
.along the course of a river system
.Salinity the salt content of water
Salt marsh a marine shore ecosystem dominated by herbaceous
vegetation, found mainly along sandy shores from temperate to high
.latitudes
Saltwater water containing more than 0.5 g of dissolved salts per liter, >
.0.5 0/00
Stream order a numerical classification of streams whereby they occur
in a stream drainage network. In this Classification, headwater streams
are first-order streams, joining of two first-order streams forms a
second-order stream, joining of two second-order streams forms a third-
.order stream, and so forth
Thermocline a depth zone in a lake or ocean through which
temperature changes rapidly with depth, generally about 1°C per meter
.of depth
Thermohaline circulation (THC) a global pattern of water movement in
the oceans that is driven by differences in water density, where density
.is determined primarily by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline)
Upwelling movement of deeper ocean water to the surface; occurs
most commonly along the west coasts of continents and around
.Antarctica
Zonation of species pattern of separation of species into distinctive
.vertical habitats or zones
Zooplankton animals that drift in the surface waters of the oceans or
.lakes; most zooplankton are microscopic