Ch 6 Key Terms

Question 1

Biome

Answer 1

a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g. forest or tundra.

Question 2

climate

Answer 2

the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.

Question 3

latitude

Answer 3

the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth’s equator, or of a celestial object north or south of the celestial equator, usually expressed in degrees and minutes.

Question 4

altitude

Answer 4

the height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level.

Question 5

tropical rain forest

Answer 5

Image result for tropical rainforest biome definition
The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome where it rains all year long. It is known for its dense canopies of vegetation that form three different layers.

Question 6

emergent layer

Answer 6

where the tallest trees can be found, poking high above the dense treetops of the canopy layer just below.

Question 7

canopy

Answer 7

The canopy layer is made up of the overlapping leaves and branches of the trees of the rainforest. Scientists estimate that 60-90% of life in the rainforest can be found in the canopy layer, making it the richest habitat for plant and animal life.

Question 8

epiphyte

Answer 8

An epiphyte is a plant which grows on another plant, without being a parasite. The term is also be used for bacteria, fungi, lichens and mosses which grow on plants.

Question 9

understory

Answer 9

an underlying layer of vegetation specifically : the vegetative layer and especially the trees and shrubs between the forest canopy and the ground cover.

Question 10

temperate rain forest

Answer 10

woodland of a usually rather mild climatic area within the temperate zone that receives heavy rainfall, usually includes numerous kinds of trees, and is distinguished from a tropical rain forest especially by the presence of a dominant tree.

Question 11

temperate deciduous forest

Answer 11

a variety of temperate forest ‘dominated’ by trees that lose their leaves each year. They are found in areas with warm moist summers and cool winters.

Question 12

taiga

Answer 12

a forest of the cold, subarctic region. The subarctic is an area of the Northern Hemisphere that lies just south of the Arctic Circle. The taiga lies between the tundra to the north and temperate forests to the south.

Question 13

savanna

Answer 13

a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found between a tropical rainforest and desert biome. Not enough rain falls on a savanna to support forests. Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands.

Question 14

temperate

Answer 14

having a moderate climate which especially lacks extremes in temperature

Question 15

grassland

Answer 15

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses

Question 16

chaparral

Answer 16

hot-dry summers and mild and rainy winters. Nearly all of the rainfall occurs in the winter and spring rainy season.

Question 17

desert

Answer 17

areas that receive very little precipitation.

Question 18

tundra

Answer 18

The tundra is a treeless polar desert found in the high latitudes in the polar regions, primarily in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavia, as well as sub-Antarctic islands. The region’s long, dry winters feature months of total darkness and extremely frigid temperatures.

Question 19

permafrost

Answer 19

Permafrost plays an essential role in the Arctic ecosystem by making the ground watertight and maintaining the vast network of wetlands and lakes across the Arctic tundra that provide habitat for animals and plants.