Climate and natural vegetation Definitions

Question 1

Equatorial climate

Answer 1

climate characterized by constantly high temperatures and abundant rainfall

Question 2

Insolation

Answer 2

the amount of the sun’s energy reaching the Earth’s surface

Question 3

Convectional rainfall

Answer 3

a type of rainfall that occurs when land is heated up and the warm air above it rises, cools and condenses to give clouds and rain

Question 4

Relief rainfall(orographic rainfall)

Answer 4

a type of rainfall that occurs when moist air is forced to rise by mountains, after which it cools and condenses to give clouds and rain on the windward side(once over the mountain, the air descends, warms and becomes drier)

Question 5

Leeward

Answer 5

referring to a side of a hill or mountain that is sheltered from the direction that the wind is coming from

Question 6

Windward

Answer 6

referring to a side of a hill or mountain that is facing the direction where the wind is coming from

Question 7

Frontal rainfall

Answer 7

a type of rainfall that occurs when a cold front meets a warm front, after which the warm air rises over the cold air and goes higher into the atmosphere before condensing to give clouds and rain

Question 8

Biosphere

Answer 8

the regions of the Earth and atmosphere where plants and animals live

Question 9

Biome

Answer 9

a large ecosystem at the global scale where the climate and vegetation are uniform

Question 10

Fauna

Answer 10

animals(including birds and insects) of an area

Question 11

Flora

Answer 11

plants of an area

Question 12

Photosynthesis

Answer 12

the process whereby plants take the sun’s energy with carbon dioxide and water to produce energy, oxygen and plant tissue

Question 13

Producers

Answer 13

organisms that produce food for themselves and other organisms

Question 14

Consumers

Answer 14

organisms that feed on producers and other consumers

Question 15

Trophic level

Answer 15

the position of an organism on the food chain

Question 16

Desert

Answer 16

a dry area, hot or cold, where the total annual precipitation is less than 250mm

Question 17

Tundra

Answer 17

areas in Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe and Asia where the ground is permanently frozen for most of the year