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
Is the height of an object above sea level.
Tropical Rain Forest
Are always humid and warm and get about 200 to 450 cm of rain a year.
Emergent Layer
The top layer is the emergent layer. It consists of the tallest trees, which reach heights of 60 to 70 m.
Canopy
The next layer, considered the primary layer of the rain forest, is called the canopy.
Epiphyte
Use the entire surface of a tree as a place to live. Epiphytes grow on trees instead of on the ground.
Understory
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.
Temperate Rain Forest
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
is 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
Is a temperate shrub land biome that is found in all parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate.
