| A | B |
|---|
| biome | group of ecosystems that have the same climate and dominant communities |
| climate diagram | diagram showing average temperature and precipitation at a give location during each month of the year |
| microclimate | climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area |
| tropical rainforest | a warm biome that receive large amounts of rainfall year round – it is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species – organic matter is quickly decomposed and recycled in this biome |
| canopy | dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain trees |
| understory | layer in a rain forest formed by shorter trees and vines |
| tropical dry forest | a warm biome alternates between a season of high rainfall and a dry season |
| deciduous | term used to refer to a tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year |
| tropical savanna or grasslands | a biome characterized by grasses and isolated trees – this biome receives more rainfall than a desert but less than a tropical dry forest |
| desert | a biome that has an annual precipitation of less than 25 centimeters and hot days and cold nights |
| succulent | a term used to describe a plant that stores a lot of water to allow it to survive in a dry, arid climate |
| temperate grasslands | a biome with hot summers and cold winters that is characterized by grasses and fertile soil – periodic fires and grazing by large herbivores helps to maintain the plant community |
| temperate woodland and shrubland | a biome characterized by a semiarid climate and a mix of shrub communities and open woodlands |
| chaparral | a general term used for shrubs found in the temperate woodland and shrubland biome |
| temperate forest | a biome containing a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees that are adapted to surviving several cold months |
| coniferous | term used to refer to trees that produce seed-bearing cones and have thin leaves shaped like needles |
| humus | material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter |
| northern coniferous forest | a biome characterized by mild, moist air from the Pacific Ocean that provides abundant rainfall – this biome is sometimes called a “temperate rain forest” due to the lush vegetation in this biome |
| taiga or boreal forest | a biome characterized by winters that are bitterly cold, but summers that are mild and long enough to allow the ground to thaw |
| tundra | a biome characterized by permafrost due to a long , cold winter and a short, cool summer during which only the top few centimeters of soil thaw and becomes soggy and wet |
| permafrost | layer of permanently frozen subsoil in the tundra |
