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Tundra vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some tundra regions. The ecotone (or ecological boundary region) between the tundra and the forest is known as the tree line or timberline. The tundra soil is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. [2]
The epilimnion or surface layer is the top-most layer in a thermally stratified lake. The epilimnion is the layer that is most affected by sunlight, its thermal energy heating the surface, thereby making it warmer and less dense. As a result, the epilimnion sits above the deeper metalimnion and hypolimnion, which are colder and denser. [1]
Phytoplankton (/ ˌfaɪtoʊˈplæŋktən /) are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν (phyton), meaning ' plant ', and πλαγκτός (planktos), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. [ 1 ][ 2 ][ 3 ] Phytoplankton obtain ...
The Pacific temperate rain forests are characterized by a high amount of rainfall, in some areas more than 300 cm (10 ft) per year and moderate temperatures in both the summer and winter months (10–24 °C or 50–75 °F). This ecoregion is a subregion of the Cascadia bioregion. These rainforests occur in a number of ecoregions, which vary in ...
The atmosphere of Earth is composed of a layer of gas mixture that surrounds the Earth's planetary surface (both lands and oceans), known collectively as air, with variable quantities of suspended aerosols and particulates (which create weather features such as clouds and hazes), all retained by Earth's gravity.
Eutrophication is a general term describing a process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of microorganisms that may deplete the water of oxygen. [1][2] Eutrophication may occur naturally or as a result of human actions. Manmade, or cultural, eutrophication occurs when sewage, industrial wastewater ...
River ecosystems are flowing waters that drain the landscape, and include the biotic (living) interactions amongst plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions of its many parts. [1][2] River ecosystems are part of larger watershed networks or catchments, where smaller headwater streams ...
The density ranges from 1023 to 1027 g/L of seawater. [5] These changes in temperature, salinity, and density induce stratification which create ocean layers. These different water masses affect gradients and mixing of nutrients and dissolved gasses. This makes this a dynamic zone. The mesopelagic zone has some unique acoustic features.