Biology

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Aphotic Zone

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dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone where sunlight does not penetrate

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Benthos

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organisms that live attached to or near the bottom of lakes, streams, or oceans

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Canopy

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dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain forest trees

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Climate

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average year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time

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Commensalism

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symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed

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Competitive Exclusion Principal

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principal that states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time

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Coniferous

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term used to refer to trees that produce seed bearing cones and have thin leaves shaped like needles

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Deciduous

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term used to refer to a type of tree that shades its leaves during a particular season each year

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Ecological Succession

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series of gradual changes that occur in a community following a disturbance

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Estuary

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kind of wetland formed where a river meets the ocean

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Greenhouse Affect

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process in which certain gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) trap sunlight energy in Earth's atmosphere as heat

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Habitat

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area where an organism lives, including the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it

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Herbivory

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interaction in which one animal (the herbivore) feeds, on producers (such as plants)

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Humus

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material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter

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Keystone Species

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single species that is not usually abundant in a community yet exerts strong control on the structure of a community

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Microclimate

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environmental conditions within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area

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Mutualism

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symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship

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Niche

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full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions

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Parasitism

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symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it

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Permafrost

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layer of permanently frozen subsoil found in the tundra

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Photic Zone

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sunlight region near the surface of water

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Pioneer Species

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first species to populate an area during succession

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Plankton

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microscopic organisms that live in aquatic environments; includes both phytoplankton and zooplankton

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Predation

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interaction in which one organism (the predator) captures and feeds on another organism (the pray)

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Primary Succession

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succession that occurs in an area in which no trace of a previous community is present

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Resource

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any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space

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Secondary Succession

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type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances

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Symboisis

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relationship in which two species live close together

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Taiga

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biome with long cold winters and a few months of warm weather; dominated by coniferous evergreens; also called boreal forest

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Tolerance

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ability of an organism to survive and reproduce under circumstances that differ from their optimal conditions

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Understory

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layer in a rain forest found underneath the canopy formed by shorter trees and vines

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Weather

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day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and other factors

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Wetland

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ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface for at least part of the year