Geography World - Ecosystems / Biomes terms related to the world's living ecosystems and biomes Tools A B ecosystem an environment, its living and nonliving elements, and how they work together vegetation plant life soil mixture of rock particles and decayed plant material succession changes in the plantlife of an ecosystem climax vegetation the final stage of succession needleleaf forest trees which keep their leaves year round broadleaf forest trees lose their wide leaves each fall rain forest wide leafed evergreen trees savanna tall grassland with some trees prairie tall and medium grasslands steppe short grassland adapt plants and animals change to survive desert ecosystem found in arid climates oasis place in a desert with fresh water acid rain pollution mixes with rain water greenhouse effect leads to global warming ozone layer protects us from UV radiation overfishing damages oceanic ecosystems irrigation can reduce groundwater and add salt to soil hibernation one way animals adapt to climate