Ch. 6 Key Terms

Question 1

biome

Answer 1

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

Question 2

climate

Answer 2

the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

Question 3

latitude

Answer 3

the distance north or south from the equator; expressed in degrees

Question 4

altitude

Answer 4

the height of an object above a reference point, such as sea level or the Earth’s surface

Question 5

tropical rain forest

Answer 5

a forest or jungle near the equator that is characterized by large amounts of rain and little variation in temperature and that contains the greatest known diversity of organisms on Earth

Question 6

emergent layer

Answer 6

the top foliage layer in a forest where the trees extend above surrounding trees

Question 7

canopy

Answer 7

the layers of treetops that shade the forest floor

Question 8

epiphyte

Answer 8

a plant that uses another plant for support, but not for nourishment

Question 9

understory

Answer 9

a foliage layer that is beneath and shaded by the main canopy of a forest

Question 10

temperate rain forest

Answer 10

a forest community or biome, characterized by cool, humid weather and abundant rainfall, where tree branches are draped with mosses, tree trunks are covered with lichens, and the forest floor is covered with ferns

Question 11

temperate deciduous forest

Answer 11

a forest or biome that is characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall

Question 12

taiga

Answer 12

a region of evergreen, coniferous forest below the arctic and subarctic tundra regions

Question 13

savanna

Answer 13

a plain full of grasses and scattered trees and shrubs; found in tropical and subtropical habitats and mainly in regions with a dry climate, such as East Africa

Question 14

temperate grassland

Answer 14

a community or biome that is dominated by grasses, has few trees, and is characterized by cold winters and rainfall that is intermediate between that of a forest and a desert

Question 15

chaparral

Answer 15

a type of vegetation that includes broad leafed evergreen shrubs and that is located in areas with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters

Question 16

desert

Answer 16

a region that has little or no vegetation, long periods without rain, and extreme temperatures; usually found in warm climates

Question 17

tundra

Answer 17

a treeless plain that is located in the Arctic or Antarctic and that is characterized by very low winter temperatures; short, cool summers; and vegetation that consists of grasses, lichens, and perennial herbs

Question 18

permafrost

Answer 18

in arctic regions, the permanently frozen layer of soil or subsoil