Radience

Ecosystems and Communities

Science

aphotic zone

the deep ocean zone that never receives sunlight
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canopy

a dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall trees
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climate

the average weather conditions of an area, over a long period of time
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commensalism

a relationship where one species benefits but the other is neither helped nor harmed
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community

populations that live in the same habitat
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competitive exclusion

two species cannot occupy the same niche in a habitat at the same time
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coniferous

a tree with seed-bearing cones that keeps its needles (leaves) all year, like a pine or redwood tree
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deciduous

a tree that sheds its leaves each year, like an oak or maple tree
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desert

a biome with very little rainfall or plant life
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ecological succession

a gradual change in a community following a disturbance
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estuary

an area where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water
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grassland

a biome covered by grasses and fertile soil
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habitat

the place where an organism lives
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intertidal zone

the shoreline between high and low tide
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limiting factor

an environmental factor that limits population growth, for example, a drought
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microclimate

the climate within a small area that differs from the surrounding climate
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mutualism

a symbiotic relationship between two species in which both benefit
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niche

the role an animal or plant plays in its habitat
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parasitism

a symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed
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photic zone

the upper ocean with sunlight
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pioneer species

the first species to populate an area
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plankton

tiny microscopic organisms that float or drift in water
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predation

an interaction where one organism kills another for food
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primary succession

colonization of a barren land by pioneer organisms
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secondary succession

in an ecosystem where the community is destroyed but the soil is not
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symbiosis

the close relationship between organisms of different species
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taiga

an evergreen forest biome with cold winters
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tolerance

an organism's ability to survive against unfavorable environmental factors
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tropical rain forest

a warm biome with a lot of rain and lush plant growth
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tundra

a treeless biome with long cold winters and short cool summers
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weather

the atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place, like raining and cold
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wetland

an area of land that is periodically underwater
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