Ch. 6 Key Terms

Question 1

Biome

Answer 1

a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plants and animal communities

Question 2

Climate

Answer 2

the weather conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and winds, that occur in an area over a long period of time.

Question 3

Latitude

Answer 3

the distance north or south of the equator and is measured in degrees, with the equator equal to 0 degrees

Question 4

Altitude

Answer 4

the height of an object above sea level

Question 5

Tropical Rain Forest

Answer 5

always humid and warm and get about 200to 450 cm of rain a year. They help regulate world climate and play vital roles in the nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon cycles.

Question 6

Emergent Layer

Answer 6

The top layer is the emergent layer. It consists of the tallest trees, which reach heights of 60 to 70 m. Trees in the emergent layer grow above the tops of most other trees in the forest.

Question 7

Canopy

Answer 7

the primary layer of the rain forest is called the canopy. Trees in the canopy can grow more than 30 mtall. The tall trees form a dense layer that absorbs up to 95 percent of the sunlight. The canopy can be split into an upper canopy and a lower canopy

Question 8

Epiphyte

Answer 8

Plants called epiphytes, such as the orchid, use the entire surface of a tree as a place to live. Epiphytes grow on trees instead of on the ground

Question 9

Understory

Answer 9

Below the canopy, very little light reaches the next layer, called the understory. Trees, shrubs, and other plants that are adapted to shade grow here.

Question 10

Temperate Rain Forest

Answer 10

occurs in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Temperate rain forests have large amounts of precipitation, high humidity, and moderate temperatures

Question 11

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Answer 11

trees drop their broad, flat leaves each fall. These forests once dominated vast regions of Earth, including parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Question 12

Taiga

Answer 12

the northern coniferous forest that stretches in broadband across the Northern Hemisphere just below the Arctic Circle.

Question 13

Savanna

Answer 13

tropical biome dominated by grasses, shrubs, and small trees

Question 14

Temperate Grassland

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Chaparral

Answer 15

a temperate shrubland biome that is found in all parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate.

Question 16

Desert

Answer 16

areas that have widely scattered vegetation and receive very little rain. In extreme cases, it never rains and there is no vegetation

Question 17

Tundra

Answer 17

It is located in northern arctic regions. The winter is too cold and dry to permit the growth of trees in this biome.

Question 18

Permafrost

Answer 18

Deeper layers of soil in the Tundra that are permanently frozen throughout the year.