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
the average weather in a area for long period of time
latitude
the distance north or south from the equator, in degrees
altitude
the height of an object above a reference point
Tropical rain forest
forest or jungle near the equator with a large amount of rain.
emergent layer
the top foliage layer in a forest
canopy
the layers of the tree tops that shade the forest floor
epiphyte
plant that uses another plant for support but not for nourishment
understory
a foliage layer that is beneath and shaded by the main canopy of a forest
temperate rain forest
a biome with cool humid weather and abundant rainfall
temperate deciduous forest
a forest that is characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall.
taiga
a region of evergreen forest below the Arctic and subarctic tundra regions
savanna
a plan full of grasses and trees
temperate grasslands
a community that is dominated by grasses, has few trees, cold winters, and rainfall
chaparral
a type of vegetation that includes broadleaved evergreen shrubs, and is located in areas with hot dry summers
desert
region that has little or no vegetation, long periods without rain, and extreme temperatures
tundra
a treeless plain that is located in the arctic or Antarctic
