A - Z booklet on Ecology

A - Z booklet on Ecology

Introduction

Ecology is the term itself defines is the study through which environment interacts with the living organisms of the world. The study of ecology deals with identifying the interaction on the basis of factors which govern them.

Ecology has a special importance in terms of learning for the human environment as human beings have the power to modify the ecological system on the basis of genetics, technology and other tools of biology.

The following paper will comprise of terms from a - z about ecological terms and their use which human beings employ.

A

Ablation (Wastage)

In terms of ecology or more specifically when relating it to the branch of ecology i.e. glaciology ablation refers to the melting of ice and snow which runs of the glacier through the mountain caps, it even evaporates in the atmosphere and sublimes in air without melting.

Ablation is caused as the snow is melt or removed due to wind.

The controlling factors of ablation are air temperature and precipitation. Air temperature is the dominant factor and precipitation excursing is the less dominant factor of ablation.

The rate of ablation in ablation season is assumed to be 2mm/hr.

Sun cups and penitents are the major development in cases of solar ablation.

Ablation is also used as medical term where ablation defines removal of excessive biological elements present in the human body.

Abyssal Plain

An Abyssal plain can be defined as an underwater plain or the floor of the deep ocean, it is commonly found in a depth of minimum 3000 meters and maximum 6000 meters. The region of its existence is between the foot of a continual ice and the ridge of mid - ocean (Mignola, 2010).

The area of coverage of an abyssal plain is more than 50% of the Earth's surface.

Abyssal plains were discovered in the 1940s as distinct physiographic features.

The formation of an abyssal plain is an end result of the sea floor spreading and due to the melting of the lower crust of an ocean.

The temperature of water in the abyssal plain can rise as high as 667 F or 464 C near hydrothermal vents.

Abyssal plains are considered as vast reserves of biodiversity on the basis of their vast sizes.

B

Bacteria

Prokaryotic microorganisms are constituted as bacteria. They are few micrometers in length and have wide variety of shapes such as spheres, spirals and rods (Bacteria, 2004).

Bacteria are known as the first type of life on earth and they are most abundant kind of speciy on earth.

They can grow a type of environment such as soil, acidic hot springs, water, Earth's crust and radioactive waste.

Approximately 40 million bacterial cells are found in one gram of soil.

Bacteriology a science of biology refers to the science of studying bacteria.

Bacteria cells do not contain nucleus.

Basal Area

It is a forest management term which is incorporated for calculation of the area occupied by the tree trunk's cross section and stems of the base in a given section of land.

Diameter at breast height of a tree is used for ...