Primary succession- Succession that begins with bare mineral surfaces or water.

Secondary succession- Succession that begins with the destruction or disturbance of an existing ecosystem.

Pioneer community- The early stages of succession that begin the soil building process.

Climax community- Last stage of succession; a relatively stable, long lasting, complex, and inter-related community of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

Seral stage- A stage in the successional process.

Sere- A stage in succession.

Biomes- A kind of plant and animal community that covers large geographic areas. Climate is a major determiner of the biome found in a particular area.

Deserts- A biome that receives less than 25 centimeters of precipitation per year.

Grasslands (prairies or steppes)- Grasslands generally receive between 25 and 75 centimeters of precipitation. These areas are windy with hot summers and cold to mild winters.

Savanna - Tropical biome having seasonal rainfall of 50 to 150 centimeters per year. The dominant plants are grasses, with some scattered fire and drought resistant trees.

Tropical rain forest- A biome with warm, relatively consistent temperatures where there is no frost. These areas receive more than 200 centimeters of rain per year in rains that fall nearly every day.

Temperate deciduous forest- A biome that has a winter-summer change of seasons and that receives a hundred centimeters or more or relatively evenly distributed precipitation through the year.

Taiga, northern coniferous forest, or boreal forest- A biome having short, cool summers and long winters with abundant snowfall. The trees are adapted to winter conditions.

Permafrost- Permanently frozen ground.

Tundra- A biome that lacks trees and has permanently frozen soil.

lpine tundra- The biome that exists above the tree line in mountainous regions.

Fresh water ecosystems- Aquatic ecosystems that have low amounts of dissolved salts.

Marine ecosystem- Aquatic ecosystems that have high salt content.

Pelagic- Those organisms that swim in open water.

Pelagic ecosystem- A portion of marine or freshwater ecosystem that occurs in open water away from the shore.

Phytoplankton- Free floating, microscopic, chlorophyll-containing organisms.

Euphotic zone- The upper layer in the ocean where the sun's rays penetrate.

Zooplankton- Weakly swimming microscopic plants.

Benthic- Describes organisms that live on the bottom of marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Benthic ecosystems- A type of marine or freshwater ecosystem consisting of organisms that live on the bottom.

Abyssal ecosystems- The collection of organisms and the conditions that exist in the deep portions of the ocean.

Coral reef ecosystems- A tropical, shallow water, marine ecosystem dominated by coral organisms that produce external skeletons.

Mangrove swamp ecosystems- Marine shoreline ecosystems dominated by trees that can tolerate high salt concentrations.

Estuaries- Marine ecosystems that consist of shallow, partially areas where freshwater enters the ocean.

Emergent plants- Aquatic vegetation that is rooted on the bottom but has leaves that float on the surface or protrude above the water.

Submerged plants- Aquatic vegetation that is rooted on the bottom and has leaves that stay submerged below the surface of the water.

Littoral zone- Region with rooted vegetation in a freshwater ecosystem.

Limnetic zone- Region that does not have rooted vegetation in a freshwater ecosystem.

Oligotropic lakes- Deep, cold, nutrient-poor lakes that are low in productivity.

Eutropic lakes- A usually shallow, warm-water lake that is nutrient rich.

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)- The amount of oxygen required by microbes to degrade organic molecules in aquatic ecosystems.

Periphyton - Attached organisms in freshwater streams and rivers, including algae, animals, and fungi.

Swamps- Area of trees that is either permanently flooded or flooded for a major part of the year.

Marshes- Areas of grasses and reeds that is either permanently flooded or flooded for a major part of the year.

3. List three characteristics typical of each of the following biomes:

Tropical rainforest- high rainfall / warm temperatures / extremely diverse mixture of plants and animals.
Desert- fewer than 25 centimeters of precipitation per year / high rate of Evaporation / temperature can vary greatly over a 24 hour period.
Tundra- permanently frozen soil layer / lack of trees / very short growing season.
Taiga- short ,cool summers and long winters / landscape is typically dotted with lakes, ponds, and bogs / spruces, furs, and larches are the most common trees.
Savanna- typically a heavy period of rainfall is followed by a prolonged drought / 50 to 150 centimeters of rain per year / extensive grassland spotted with occasional trees.
Grassland- has between 25 and 75 centimeters of rain per year / grasses make up 60 to 90 percent of the vegetation / windy with hot summers and cold to mild winters.
Temperate deciduous forest- has a winter-summer change of season / typically has trees that lose their leaves during the winter and replace them in the summer / receive 100 or more centimeters of precipitation per year.

4.The two primary factors that determine the kind of terrestrial biome that will develop are precipitation and temperature.

5. The altitude affects the kind of biome that is present. As the altitude increases, the average temperature decreases making it harder to sustain animal and plant life.

6. The areas in the ocean that are the most productive are the Euphotic, and Benthic zone. The Eupthotic zone is especially productive because it is the upper layer in the ocean where the sun's rays penetrate and provide energy for plants. The Benthic zone is the bottom layer of the ocean where you will find clams, oysters, various crustaceans, sea anemones, and various other kinds of organisms. These zones are productive because they attract other ocean life and provide food and shelter.