| A | B |
|---|
| Biodiversity | The variety of organisms that live in Earth's many ecosystems; the variety of plants and animals that live in a particular ecosystem. |
| Biome | A major land ecosystem having a distinct combination of plants and animals. |
| Desert | A biome in which plant life is not abundant and rainfall is low. |
| Endangered | In danger of becoming extinct. |
| Extinct | No longer living as a species. |
| Grassland | A biome containing many grasses but few trees and having low to moderate rainfall. |
| Coastal Ocean | A saltwater ecosystem that is relatively shallow and close to the shoreline and that supports an abundance of life. |
| Deciduous Forest | A biome that contains many trees and in which rainfall is moderate. |
| Open Ocean | A large saltwater ecosystem containing both floating free-swimming organisms |
| Tropical Rain Forest | A biome distinguished by lush vegetation, abundant rainfall, and plentiful sunlight. |
| Lake | A freshwater ecosystem characterized by still, or standing water. |
| River | A freshwater ecosystem characterized by running water. |
| Shoreline | The ecosystem where land and ocean meet. |
| Taiga | A biome that contains many coniferous trees and in which rainfall is moderate. |
| Tundra | A biome characterized by cold temperatures and low precipitation. |
| Wetland | any one of three ecosystems-marsh, swamp, bog- where land and fresh water meet. |
