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.
altitude
The height of an object above sea level.
tropical rain forest
They are always humid and warm and get about 200 to 450 cm of rain annually.
emergent layer
Top layer, which consists of the tallest trees, which reach heights of 60 to 70 m.
canopy
Primary layer of the rain forest, which absorbs up to 95% of the sunlight.
epiphyte
Plants which use the entire surface of a tree as a place to live.
understory
Layer below the canopy, where trees and shrubs that are adapted to shade grow.
temperate rain forest
Occurs in North America, Australia, and New Zealand which have large amounts of precipitation, high humidity, and moderate temperatures.
temperate deciduous forest
Trees no longer have broad, flat leaves, these forests are typically located between 30 and 50 north latitudes and have extreme ranges of temperatures.
taiga
Northern coniferous forest, which have long winters and very cold temperatures.
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, nut trees and shrubs cannot be established due to limited rain and fires.
chaparral
A temperate shrub land biome that is found in all parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate.
