Chapter 6 Flashcards
biome
a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat
climate
the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period
latitude
the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth’s equator, or of a celestial object north or south of the celestial equator
altitude
the height of an object or point in relation to sea or ground
tropical rainforest
a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches
emergent layer
a layer of trees that poke above the forest
canopy
an ornamental cloth covering hung or held up over something especially a throne or bed
epiphyte
a plant that grows on another plant but is not parasitic
understory
a layer of vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest
temperate rainforest
woodland of a usually rather mild climatic area within the temperate zone that receives heavy rainfall
temperate deciduous forest
the temperate deciduous forest is a biome that is always changing
taiga
sometimes swampy coniferous forest of high northern latitudes, especially that between the tundra and steppes of Siberia and north America
savanna
a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions
temperate
relating to or denoting a region or climate characterized by mild temperatures
grassland
a large open area of country covered with grass, especially one used for grazing
chaparral
vegetation consisting chiefly of tangled shrubs and thorny bushes
desert
arid land with usually sparse vegetation has a very warm climate
tundra
a vast, flat, treeless arctic region of Europe, Asia, and north America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen
permafrost
a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions
