22 Terms
Contributors in Ecology
Ecology
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Biology; Ecology
Energy (usually heat) dissipates in any closed system (entropy). This is why trophic levels in a food web narrow as they rise.
Eutrophication
Biology; Ecology
A gradual nutrient enrichment that increases organic matter production, as with a lake that absorbs waves of nutrient runoffs.
Edge effect
Biology; Ecology
The unique properties in an ecotone (plant variety, animal density, biological diversity), the zone where two communities meet.
Archipelago
Biology; Ecology
Volcanically raised islands that arc near subduction zones where one continental plate rides over another. See Plate Tectonics.
Lath house
Biology; Ecology
A frame topped by strips of wood spaced to provide about 50% shade for crops like lettuce that need only partial sun exposure.
