Glossary of Ecology - B

B

• bacteria
• Behavioral ecology - studies the ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior, focusing largely at the level of the individual
• biodegradable - capable of decaying through the action of living organisms
• biodiversity - diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment
• Biogeochemistry - effect of biota on global chemistry, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space
• biogeochemical cycle - the pathway through which a chemical, element, or molecule moves through the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
• Biogeography - the study of the geographic distributions of species
• bioinvader - non-native species
• biomass - the sum of all living living organisms in an area.
• biomass pyramid - also called a ecological pyramid, it is a graph that illustrates the productivity in a trophic level
• biome - The total complex of biotic communities occupying and characterizing a particular area or zone
• biosphere - the sphere of life; all living matter of the planet occupied by life
• biogeographic realm - is the largest scale of the Earth's surface based on the distribution patterns of plants and animals.
• biogeography - the study of the distribution of organisms, past and present, and of diverse processes that underlie their distribution patterns
• biological magnification - the increase in concentration of a substance
• biota - the total collection of organisms of a geographic region or a time period.
• biotic potential - under ideal conditions, the maximum rate of increase of a population in a given area
• boreal forest - forest areas of the northern North Temperate Zone, mostly made of coniferous trees, also known as taiga.