| A | B |
|---|
| tundra | dry, treeless lands north of the Arctic Ocean |
| savannas | grasslands of western Africa |
| praires/steppes | grasslands in the temperate zone |
| canopy | top layer of rain forest trees - get the most sunlight |
| estuary | where a river meets ocean mixing fresh & salt water |
| littoral zone | shallow water near shore lines of lakes/oceans |
| benthic zone | located near bottom of lake/pond |
| desert | biome which receives smallest amount of rainfall |
| temperate rain forest | forest found along nw coast of North America:rich deep soil, extreme temps, abundant rainfall |
| biome | area w/distinctive climate & organisms |
| latitude | distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees N or S |
| understory | found in trop. rain forest, has trees/shrubs adapted to shade |
| estivation | sleeping through the dry season |
| succulent | a plant with thick, fleshy stems - an adaptation for dry climates |
| taiga | broad band of coniferous forest - located just below Arctic Circle |
| permafrost | frozen soil found beneath the topsoil of the tundra |
| coral reef | found in oceans; limestone ridges built by tiny animals |
| swamp | wetland w/mostly woody plants |
| Biome with greatest species diversity | Tropical Rain Forest |
| chaparral | coastal areas in Mediterranean climate |
| As elevation increases, temperature | decreases |
| As latitude decreases, temperature | increases |
| phytoplankton | produces most of the food in an aquatic ecosystem |
| Reeds and cattails can be found in this aquatic zone: | littoral |
| Zone where lake water is cool & dark | benthic |
| plankton | organisms that float near the surface of the water |
| nekton | free-swimming organisms (fish, turtles, whales) |
| benthos | bottom-dwelling organisms , often attached to hard surfaces (mussels, barnacles) |
