Section 15.5- Exploring Earth's Biomes

Question 1

a large geographical region of the world with a characteristic climax vegetation and distinctive animals populations

Answer 1

biome

Question 2

used to refer to the combination of the region’s climax vegetation and its animal populations

Answer 2

climac community

Question 3

each biome is unique because of its

Answer 3

characteristic climate
geography

Question 4

biome which extends across the northernmost parts of North America, Europe, and Asia

has long harsh winter, snow ice and high winds

Answer 4

Arctic tundra

Question 5

a permanently frozen layer of soil 2 to 3 feet below the surfac

inhibits trees from growing in a tundra

Answer 5

permafrost

Question 6

has vegetation and climatic conditions similar to those of the Artic tundra, although the soil has better drainage and lacks permafrost

Answer 6

alpine tundra

Question 7

biome: boreal forest or taiga
harsh winters, permafrost rare
large animals
conifers are climax vegetation

Answer 7

northern coniferous forest

Question 8

biome: well-defined seasons
sufficient precipitation to support large trees
white-tail dear, owl, bears, opossum
obvious autumn
diverse animal species

Answer 8

temperate deciduous Forest

Question 9

biome: prairies, plains, savannas, steppes, pampas
low rainfall, high evaporation rate
unparalleled fertile soil

Answer 9

grassland

Question 10

biome: more water lost through evaporation than is
gained by rain
tortoises, snakes,
hottest and driest biome

Answer 10

desert

Question 11

biome: near the equator
abundant rainfall
biodiversity at its maximum
large canopy from broadleaf trees

Answer 11

tropical rain forest

Question 12

a very special form of grasslands found not in temperate regions but in the tropics

Answer 12

savanna

Question 13

larger than the terrestrial biomes and show great variations in temperature

Answer 13

aquatic biomes

Question 14

distinguishes marine ecosystems from freshwater ecosystems

Answer 14

high salinity

Question 15

are classified according to whether the water is flowing or standing

Answer 15

freshwater ecosystems

Question 16

a major example of a freshwater ecosystem

Answer 16

wetlands

Question 17

ecosystems associated with the ocean, starting from the shore and moving toward the open ocean

Answer 17

marine ecosystem

Question 18

two special types of marine ecosystems are

Answer 18

estuary
coral reef

Question 19

occurs where nutruent-rich fresh water from the rivers and streams meets and mixes with seawater

Answer 19

estuary

Question 20

formed from the remains of stony corals and coralline algae

found where water is pretty warm, shallow, and grow parallel to shore

Answer 20

coral reef

Question 21

the longest coral reef

Answer 21

Great barrier Reef

Question 22

three ecological zones from near to far if standing on a shore

Answer 22

intertidal
neritic
oceanic

Question 23

also called littoral zones

areas located between the highest and lowest tides along the coast

most studied of all marine communities

Answer 23

intertidal zone

Question 24

also called coastal zone

the regions that extend past the intertidal zone to the edge of the continental shelf

where most of the world’s fishing occurs

Answer 24

neritic zones

Question 25

extends from the continental shelves into the open ocean

Answer 25

oceanic zone