Ch. 6 Key Terms

Question 1

Biome

Answer 1

a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat

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 rainforest

Answer 5

Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as lowland equatorial evergreen rainforest.

Question 6

Emergent layer

Answer 6

The top layer of a rainforest is called the emergent layer. This layer receives bright sunlight and plenty of rain, and is also very windy. The tallest trees rise above every other plant to a height of 70m (230ft). Animals in this layer, such as monkeys, are agile with a good sense of balance.

Question 7

Canopy

Answer 7

cover or provide with a canopy.

Question 8

Epiphyte

Answer 8

a plant that grows on another plant but is not parasitic, such as the numerous ferns, bromeliads, air plants, and orchids growing on tree trunks in tropical rainforests.

Question 9

Understory

Answer 9

The understory is the underlying layer of vegetation in a forest or wooded area, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor. Plants in the understory comprise an assortment of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with specialist understory shrubs and herbs.

Question 10

Temperate rain forest

Answer 10

Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. … The moist conditions of temperate rain forests generally support an understory of mosses, ferns and some shrubs and berries.

Question 11

Temperate deciduous forest

Answer 11

Temperate deciduous or temperate broad-leaf forests are 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

the sometimes swampy coniferous forest of high northern latitudes, especially that between the tundra and steppes of Siberia and North America.

Question 13

Savanna

Answer 13

a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees.

Question 14

Temperate

Answer 14

relating to or denoting a region or climate characterized by mild temperatures

Question 15

Grassland

Answer 15

a large open area of country covered with grass, especially one used for grazing.

Question 16

Chaparral

Answer 16

Chaparral is a shrubland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate and infrequent, high-intensity crown fires.

Question 17

Desert

Answer 17

a dry, barren area of land, especially one covered with sand, that is characteristically desolate, waterless, and without vegetation.

Question 18

Tundra

Answer 18

a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.

Question 19

Permafrost

Answer 19

Permafrost is any ground that remains completely frozen—32°F (0°C) or colder—for at least two years straight. These permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth’s higher latitudes—near the North and South Poles. Permafrost covers large regions of the Earth.