Ch.6

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

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

taiga

Answer 10

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

Question 11

savanna

Answer 11

a plain full of grasses and scattered trees and shrubs; found in tropical and subtropical habitats

Question 12

temperate grassland

Answer 12

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

Question 13

chaparral

Answer 13

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 14

desert

Answer 14

a region that has little or no vegetation, long periods without rain, and extreme temperatures

Question 15

tundra

Answer 15

a treeless plain located in the Arctic

Question 16

permafrost

Answer 16

the permanently frozen layer of soil