Biomes Flashcards
alpine
having to do with mountains
altitude
the distance above sea level.
aquatic
having to do with water.
Arctic
region at Earth’s extreme north, encompassed by the Arctic Circle.
biodiversity
all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area.
biome
area of the planet which can be classified according to the plant and animal life in it.
boreal forest
land covered by evergreen trees in cool, northern latitudes. Also called taiga.
community
group of organisms or a social group interacting in a specific region under similar environmental conditions.
desert
area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year.
estuary
mouth of a river where the river’s current meets the sea’s tide.
forest
ecosystem filled with trees and underbrush
freshwater
having to do with a habitat or ecosystem of a lake, river, or spring.
grassland
ecosystem with large, flat areas of grasses.
lichen
organism composed of a fungus or fungi and an alga or cyanobacterium.
marine
having to do with the ocean.
permafrost
permanently frozen layer of the Earth’s surface.
prairie
large grassland; usually associated with the Mississippi River Valley in the United States.
savanna
type of tropical grassland with scattered trees.
semiarid climate
(dry climate) region that receives between 25 and 50 centimeters (10-20 inches) of rainfall every year.
steppe
dry, flat grassland with no trees and a cool climate.
temperate
moderate
tropical
existing in the tropics, the latitudes between the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the south.
tundra
cold, treeless region in Arctic and Antarctic climates.