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Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area. [1] Phytogeography is the branch of biogeography that studies the ...
e. An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system that environments and their organisms form through their interaction. [2]: 458 The biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Ecosystems are controlled by external and internal factors. External factors such as climate, parent material which ...
v. t. e. Ecology (from Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos) 'house' and -λογία (-logía) 'study of') [A] is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels.
Impervious surfaces surrounding Madison, Wisconsin. Canopy cover surrounding Madison, Wisconsin. Landscape ecology is the science of studying and improving relationships between ecological processes in the environment and particular ecosystems. This is done within a variety of landscape scales, development spatial patterns, and organizational ...
Biome. One way of mapping terrestrial (land) biomes around the world. A biome (/ ˈbaɪ.oʊm /) is a distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate. [1][2] Biomes may span more than one continent.
An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, [1] where two communities meet and integrate. [2] It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems). [3] An ecotone may appear on the ground as a gradual blending of the two ...
Habitat can be defined as the natural environment of an organism, the type of place in which it is natural for it to live and grow. [4][5] It is similar in meaning to a biotope; an area of uniform environmental conditions associated with a particular community of plants and animals.
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem found in and around a body of water, in contrast to land-based terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems contain communities of organisms — aquatic life —that are dependent on each other and on their environment. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems. [1]