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Chapter 15 Vocab
Chapter 15: The Biosphere
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biosphere | the part of Earth where life exists |
| Biota | the living things within the biosphere |
| Hydrosphere | all of Earth’s water, ice, and water vapor |
| Atmosphere | the air blanketing Earth’s solid and liquid surface |
| Geosphere | the features of Earth’s surface- such as the continents, rocks, and the sea floor- and everything below Earth’s surface |
| Climate | the long-term pattern of weather conditions in a region |
| Microclimate | the climate of a small specific place within a larger area |
| Canopy | the uppermost branches of trees |
| Grassland | an area where the primary plant life is grass |
| Desert | receives less than 25 cm of precipitation annually, and are characterized by a very dry, or arid climate |
| Deciduous | trees that have adapted to winter temperatures by dropping their leaves and going dormant during the cold season |
| Coniferous | trees that retain their needles all year |
| Taiga | located in cooler climates, also known as the boreal forest |
| Tundra | located beyond the taiga in far northern latitudes |
| Chaparral | characterized by its hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters (also called Mediterranean shrubland) |
| Intertidal Zone | the strip of land between the high and low tide lines |
| Neritic Zone | extends form the intertidal zone out to the edge of the continental shelf |
| Bathyal Zone | extends from the edge of the neritic zone to the base of the continental shelf |
| Abyssal Zone | lies below 2000 meters and is in complete darkness |
| Plankton | tiny free-floating organisms that live in the water |
| Zooplankton | another term for the animal plankton |
| Phytoplankton | photosynthetic plankton, which include microscopic protists such as algae |
| Coral Reef | found within the tropical climate zone |
| Kelp Forest | exist in cold, nutrient-rich waters, such as those found in California’s Monterey Bay |
| Estuary | a partially enclosed body of water formed where a river flows into an ocean |
| Watershed | a region of land that drains into a river, a river system, or another body of water |
| Littoral Zone | is located between the high and low water marks along the shoreline (similar to the oceanic intertidal zone) |
| Limnetic Zone | refers to the open water located farther out from shore (also called the pelagic zone) |
| Benthic Zone | the lake or pond bottom, where less sunlight reaches |
Created by:
SavanahT
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