Ch 19 Ecosystems Vocabulary review Tools A B permanently frozen soil permafrost northern coniferous forest taiga first organisms to inhabit an area pioneer community dry region with poor soil desert where fresh water mixes with salt water estuary between high and low tides intertidal zone tiny organisms floating in the open ocean plankton treeless, cold and dry biome tundra contains largest number of species of any biome tropical rain forest end result of succession climax community biome we live in temperate deciduous forest gradual change from one community to another succession important site for scientific research and rich mineral resources Antarctica region with similar climate and climax communities biome rivers, streams, ponds, lakes freshwater biome biome covers 70% of the earth marine succession that begins without soil primary succession succession that occurs after a fire, flood, volcano secondary succession factors that determine climate temperature, precipitation adaptations-heavy fur, no trees, migration tundra adaptations-huge leaves, bright colors, air plants, tree-dwelling mammals tropical rain forest adaptations-spiny leaves, camouflage, nocturnal behavior, storing water desert biome with 4 seasons, mild climate, rich soil temperate deciduous forest 3 limiting factors in water environments sunlight, salt, dissolved oxygen average weather in a particular place over a long period of time climate