1. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems
Chapter 3

2. Section 1 Vocabulary Community Limiting Factor Tolerance
Ecological Succession
Primary Succession
Climax Community
Secondary Succession

3. Section 1 Community Ecology
Communities
Limiting Factors
Factors that affect an organism’s ability to survive in its environment
Factors that limit one population may indirectly effect another population

4. Ecological Succession
Range of Tolerance
The ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in all factors
Ecological Succession
Primary Succession
Occurs in stages
Takes place on land where there are no living organisms
Pioneer species are the first species
Primary succession slows down and reaches equilibrium
Climax community may last for hundreds of years
Changes are balanced as long as nothing drastic happens

5. Secondary Succession
Happens after an existing community is severely disrupted
Community of organisms changes
Takes place in areas that previously contained life and on land that still contains soil
Normally quicker than primary succession

6. Section 2 Vocabulary Weather Latitude Climate Tundra Boreal Forest
Temperate Forest
Woodland
Grassland
Desert
Tropical Savanna
Tropical Seasonal Forest
Tropical Rain Forest

7. Section 3 Vocabulary Sediment Littoral Zone Limnetic Zone Plankton
Profoundal Zone
Wetlands
Estuary
Intertidal Zone
Photic Zone
Aphotic Zone
Benthic Zone
Abyssal Zone

8. Section 3 Aquatic Ecosystems
The Water on Earth
Freshwater Ecosystems
Rivers and Streams
About 2.5% of water on Earth is freshwater
About 70% of the freshwater is in glacier form, about 30% is groundwater, and less than 1% is in lakes, ponds, rivers, etc.
Water flows in one direction in rivers and streams (headwater towards the mouth)
Fewer species live in rapidly moving water

9. Lakes and Ponds An inland body of standing water
In the summer, water on top is warmer than water below
Oligotrophic lakes are normally found high in mountains (nutrient poor)
Eutrophic lakes are usually found at lower altitudes (nutrient rich)
Ponds and lakes are divided into 3 zones based on the amount of sunlight that penetrates the water
Littoral zone: water is shallow and sunlight is allowed to reach the bottom
Limnetic zone: open water area and is well lit
Profundal zone: minimal light; deepest part of the lake; much colder and lower in oxygen than other 2 zones

10. Transitional Aquatic Ecosystem
Wetlands
Areas saturated with water
High levels of specie diversity
Estuaries
One of the most diverse ecosystems
Algae, seaweed, and marshes are dominant producers
Marine Ecosystem
Intertidal Zone
Broken up into more zones: low tide zone, mid-tide zone, high tide zone, and the spray zone
Spray zone is the driest and only during high tide does it get sprayed; not much life here
Low tide zone is the most populated

11. Open Ocean Ecosystem
3 zones in the open ocean are the pelagic zone, abyssal zone, and benthic zone
The photic zone (euphotic zone) is found inside the pelagic zone; shallow and sunlight can penetrate
As depth increases, light decreases
Sunlight does not penetrate the aphotic zone
Constant darkness, and generally is cold
In shallow benthic zones, sunlight can penetrate
Species diversity decreases
Abyssal zone is the deepest region of the ocean

12. Coastal Ocean and Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems
Protect shore lines from erosion
Corals are the dominant organism; soft-bodied invertebrates that live in the stone-like structure
Coral polyps have a symbiotic realationship with algae called zooxanthellae
Algae provides food for the coral, and the coral protects the algae
Coral reefs are very sensitive to environmental changes