Ch. 6 Key Terms Flashcards
Biome
A large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plants and animal communities.
Climate
Refers to the weather conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and winds, that occur in an area over a long period of time.
Latitude
The distance north or south of the equator and is measured in degrees, with the equator equal to 0°.
Altitude
The height of an object above sea level.
Topical Rain Forest
Always humid and warm and get about 200to 450 cm of rain a year.
Emergent Layer
It consists of the tallest trees, which reach heights of 60 to 70 m.
Canopy
Considered the primary layer of the rain forest.
Epiphyte
The entire surface of a tree as a place to live.
Understory
Very little light reaches the next layer.
Temperate Rain Forest
Occurs in North America, Australia, and New Zealand.Temperate rain forests have large amounts of precipitation, high humidity, and moderate temperatures.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Trees drop their broad, flat leaves each fall. These forests once dominated vast regions of Earth, including parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Taiga
The northern coniferous forest that stretches in a broad band across the Northern Hemisphere just below the Arctic Circle.
Savanna
A tropical biome dominated by grasses, shrubs, and small trees.
Temperate Grassland
Covers large areas of the interior of continents, where there is moderate rainfall but trees and shrubs cannot be established because there is not enough rain or fires are too frequent.
Chaparral
A temperate shrub land biome that is found in all parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate.
