Benthic zone - The benthic region begins at the shore line and extends downward along the surface of the continental shelf out to sea. The continental shelf is a gently sloping benthic region that extends away from the... |
Cold seeps - Cold seeps develop unique topography over time, where reactions between methane and seawater create carbonate rock formations and reefs. These reactions may also be dependent on bacterial activity. Ikaite,... |
Continental shelf - The continental margin, between the continental shelf and the abyssal plain, comprises a steep continental slope followed by the flatter continental rise. Sediment from the continent above cascades down... |
Coral reef - Often called “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. They occupy less than 1% of the world ocean surface, about half the area of France, yet they... |
Deserts and xeric shrublands - Deserts and xeric shrublands receive an annual average rainfall of ten inches or less, and have an arid or hyperarid climate, characterized by a strong moisture deficit, where annual potential loss of... |
Endolithic zone |
Flooded grasslands and savannas |
Hydrothermal vents - Hydrothermal vents are locally very common because the earth is both geologically active and has large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles... |
Kelp forest - Kelp forests occur worldwide throughout temperate and polar coastal oceans. |
Littoral, Intertidal zone |
Mangrove forest - There are many species of trees and shrubs adapted to saline conditions. Not all are closely related, and the term "mangrove" may be used for all of them, or more narrowly only for the mangrove family of... |
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub - Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub eco-regions occur in the world's five Mediterranean climate zones, on the west coast of continents in the mid-latitudes: the Mediterranean Basin, California,... |
Montane grasslands and shrublands - Montane grasslands and shrublands located above the tree line are commonly known as alpine tundra, which occurs in mountain regions around the world. Below the tree line are subalpine and montane... |
Neritic zone - Zooplankton, free-floating creatures ranging from microscopic foraminiferans to small fish and shrimp, live in this zone, and together with the phytoplankton form the base of the food pyramid that supports... |
Pack ice - When the drift ice is driven together into a large single mass, it is called pack ice. Wind and currents can pile up ice to form ridges three to four metres high, creating obstacles difficult for powerful... |
Pelagic zone - The pelagic zone occupies 1,370 million cubic kilometres and has a vertical range up to 11 kilometres . Fish that live in the pelagic zone are called pelagic fish. Pelagic life decreases with increasing... |
Pond - Ponds and lakes are distinguished from streams via current speed. While currents in streams are easily observed, ponds and lakes possess thermally driven microcurrents and moderate wind driven currents.... |
Riparian - Riparian zones may be natural or engineered for soil stabilization or restoration. These zones are important natural biofilters, protecting aquatic environments from excessive sedimentation, polluted... |
Taiga, Boreal forests |
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests - Characteristic dominant broadleaf trees in this biome include oaks , beeches , maples , and birches . The term "mixed forest" comes from the inclusion of coniferous trees as a canopy component of these... |
Temperate coniferous forests - The moist conditions of temperate rain forests generally support an understory of mosses, ecosystem and are notable for trees of massive proportions, including Giant Sequoia , Coast Redwood , Douglas-fir ,... |
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands - Steppes/shortgrass prairies are short grasslands that occur in semi-arid climates. Tallgrass prairies are tall grasslands in areas of higher rainfall. Heaths and pastures are, respectively, low shrublands... |
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests |
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests - Deciduous trees predominate in most of these forests, and during the drought a leafless period occurs, which varies with species type. Because trees lose moisture through their leaves, the shedding of... |
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands - Rainfall in tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is between 450 and 1500 millimeters a year , and can be highly seasonal, with the entire year's rainfall sometimes occurring within... |
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests - Tropical and subtropical forest regions with lower rainfall are home to tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests. Temperate rain forests also occur in... |
Wetland - Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems. Plant life found in wetlands includes mangrove, water lilies, cattails, sedges, tamarack, black spruce, cypress, gum, and many... |