Ch. 5 Flashcards
Alpine tundra
Occurs above limit of tree growth and below permanent snow line on high mountains, and has no permafrost due to seasonal changes, can have wildflowers during the brief summer
Arctic tundra / polar grassland
Lie south of arctic polar ice cap, with long winters and snow
Boreal forest / Evergreen coniferous forest/ taiga
South of the arctic tundra, with long dry and cold winters, and short warm summers. Trees keep their leaves the entire year.
Broadleaf deciduous trees
Found in temperate deciduous forests, survive cold winters by shedding leaves and becoming dormant
Broadleaf evergreen plants
Keep leaves yearround in tropical rain forest,
browsing
Twig and leaf eating
Temperate shrubland / chapparal
Found on coastal regions that border deserts because of closeness to body of water provides a slightly longer winter rainy season. Has small trees, infertile soil, long dry and warm summers with a lot of fires
Coastal coniferous forest / temperate rain forest
Found in scattered coastal temperate areas, has ample rainfall from ocean, moderate temperatures year round, evergreen trees because of abundance of water, little light reaches the floor
Cold deserts
Goni desert, sparse vegetation, cold winters, warm summers, low precipitation
coniferous evergreen trees
Spruce fir hemlock cedar and pine that keep narrow-pointed small waxy-coated leaves all year long
Convection
Hot and wet warm air rises, cools, and releases moisture as previpitation and heat. The cool dry air sinks, gets warmer, picks up moisture, and continues the cycle.
Coriolis effect
Heated air masses rising above the equator are deflected to the west or east over different parts id the planet’s surface
Prairies / Grassland
Mostly in interior of continent that persist due to seasonal drought grazing and occassional fires, and low precipitation and varying temperature
Prevailing winds
Major surface winds that blow almost continously and distribute air moisture and dust
Savanna
Has scattered clumps of trees that are covered with thorns to keep herbivores away. Warm year round temperatures, alternating dry and wet seasons, home of humankind.
Southern pine forests
Found in US, grow rapidly in warm and moist southern climate, have been cleared for pine plantations
Succulent plants
No leaves, store water in fleshy tissue, and reduce water loss by opening pores to take CO2 at night. Found in desert, and have spines to protect from herbivores
temperature deciduous forest
Grow with moderate average temperature that change significantly with season, have abundant constant precipitation, allows penetration of sunlight, and accumulate humus.
Grazing
Grass and herb eating
Gulf stream
Largest role in mild climate of europe, transports water from south US to Europe.
Monsoons
Heavy rains that affect continents north or south of warm oceans. Heating of land creates low-pressure air masses that draw moisture from ocean, that lead to alternating dry amd wet seasons.
Muskegs
Acidic bogs due to waterlogged soil
Temperate desert
Mojave in southern US, high daytime temp in winter, low in winter, more precipitation, sparse vegetation
Temperate grasslands
Interiors of many continents, steppes of eurasia, and pampas of south america, winters are very cold, summers are hot and dry, precipitation is uneven and sparse, no trees except along banks of water, deep fertile soil
Tropical desert
Sahara and Namib of Africa, hot and dry most of year, few plants and mostly sand and rocks.
Tropical dry forest
Warm temps year round, wet and dry seasons, low tree height, canopy is not dense.
Tropical rain forest
Near equator, where hot moist air drops rain, uniformly warm and moist. Very diverse, large trees with shallow roots and large bases. Has vines that jump from tree to tree called lianas
